Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 4 [Mar. 5, 1860-Oct. 24, 1861].

About this Item

Title: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 4 [Mar. 5, 1860-Oct. 24, 1861].
Author: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Publication: New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press; 1953.
Rights/Permissions: The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes, with permission from their copyright holder. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln4
Cite this Item: "Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 4 [Mar. 5, 1860-Oct. 24, 1861]." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln4. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 22, 2025.

Pages

To New England Governors1Jump to section

Sept. 11, 1861.

Gen. Butler proposes raising in New-England, six regiments, to be recruited & commanded by himself & to go on special service. I shall be glad if you as Gov. of [blank] will answer by telegraph that you consent. A. LINCOLN.

SIMON CAMERON, Prest.

Sec. of War.

Annotation

[1] ADf, RPB. The body of the draft of this telegram is in Lincoln's hand excepting ``will'' following the blank, left for insertion of the state name. The date, Lincoln's

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name and Cameron's are added in Cameron's handwriting. Benjamin Butler's proposed expedition to New Orleans had been under consideration since early August (see Lincoln to Cameron, August 2 and the draft of an order authorizing Butler's Volunteer force, September 10, supra).

Replies from various New England governors on September 11 giving their approval are in the Official Records (III, I, 498, 499, 509). The text of Lincoln's letter to the New England governors, September 10, 1861, as printed in Private and Official Correspondence of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler (1917), I, 239, seems to be incorrect as to date and very unlike Lincoln in its wording. Since there seems to be no sufficient reason for supposing that Lincoln sent a communication on both September 10 and 11, the editors have omitted the text of the communication dated September 10, as printed in the Butler correspondence.