Letter Written for Edward D. Baker to William Butler1Jump to section
Yours of the 22nd. is duly received. Are you not ashamed of writing such a letter as that? If you believe the charges you make to be true, I say most flatly you are a fool. If you do not believe them, I do not see the necessity of your making them; they are not the sort of jokes that I Incline tamely to take. This is a short letter, but it is longer than one having so little truth, or reason or justice as yours, deserves as an answer. Yours with all proper respect.
E. D. BAKER
Annotation
[1] AL, ICHi. Lincoln wrote the letter, probably at Baker's dictation, and Baker signed and addressed it. For the circumstances under which Baker wrote,