Annotation
[1] AL, RPB. The telegram is in Lincoln's handwriting, in pencil except for ``Richardson'' which he had omitted and later wrote in with ink, but is signed by Stanton. It was written in reply to McClellan's telegram to Stanton of March 14, 11:30 A.M., ``Have placed Gen'l [Israel B.] Richardson in command of Gen'l [Edwin V.] Sumners Division instead [of?] Genl Kearney who prefers remaining with his old brigade Please inform the President.'' (DLC-RTL). At 3:45 P.M. McClellan again telegraphed ``I would advise that no change be made now in the organization of Divisions. It would be very pernicious at such a moment as this. . . . The third word omitted in your despatch & I do not know whether you mean Kearney or Richardson, but it makes no difference, as my opinion is based on general principles. I am hard at work.'' (Ibid.).