Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln

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Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 8 [ Sept. 12, 1864-Apr. 14, 1865, undated, appendices].

About this Item

Title
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 8 [ Sept. 12, 1864-Apr. 14, 1865, undated, appendices].
Author
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Publication
New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press
1953.
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"Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 8 [ Sept. 12, 1864-Apr. 14, 1865, undated, appendices]." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln8. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 22, 2025.

Pages

To Mary Todd Lincoln1

Head Quarters Armies of the United States,
Mrs. A. Lincoln, City-Point,
Washington, D.C. April 2. 7/45 [A.M.] 18652

Last night Gen. Grant telegraphed that Sheridan with his Cavalry and the 5th. Corps had captured three brigades of Infantry, a train of wagons, and several batteries, prisoners amounting to several thousands. This morning Gen. Grant, having ordered an attack along the whole line telegraphs as follows

``Both Wright and Parke3 got through the enemies lines. The battle now rages furiously. Sheridan with his Cavalry, the 5th. Corps, & Miles4 Division of the 2nd. Corps, which was sent to him since 1. this A.M. is now sweeping down from the West. All now looks highly favorable. Ord is engaged, but I have not yet heard the result in his front''

Robert yesterday wrote a little cheerful note to Capt. Penrose, which is all I have heard of him since you left.5 Copy to Secretary of War6 A LINCOLN

Page 382

Annotation

[1]   ALS-F, ISLA. Grant telegraphed Colonel Theodore S. Bowers at 9:30 P.M. on April 1: ``I have just heard from Sheridan. He has carried everything before him. Captain [Peter T.] Hudson has just returned from him and reports that he has captured three brigades of infantry and a train of wagons and is now pushing up his success. I have ordered everything else to advance and prevent a concentration of the enemy against Sheridan. Several batteries were captured. The prisoners captured will amount to several thousand.'' (OR, I, XLVI, III, 394).

Grant's telegram to Bowers, as quoted by Lincoln is dated April 2, 6:40 A.M. (ibid., p. 448).

[2]   Telegrams of this date are given in order of time rather than alphabetical according to person addressed.

[3]   Horatio G. Wright and John G. Parke.

[4]   Major General Nelson A. Miles.

[5]   Robert T. Lincoln's note to Charles B. Penrose has not been found.

[6]   As printed by Nicolay and Hay (XI, 68), this telegram is also addressed to Stanton, and the time given is 8:30 A.M., but the autograph telegram was addressed to Mrs. Lincoln.

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