Annotation
[1] ALS, RPB. Fremont's despatch of May 29, reads in part as follows: ``My command is not yet in marching order. It has been necessary to halt to-day to bring up parts of regiments and to receive stragglers, hundreds of whom from Blenker's division strewed the roads. You can conceive the condition of the command from the fact that the medical director this morning protested against its farther advance without allowing one day's rest. . . . I could not venture to proceed with it in disorder, and cannot with safety undertake to be at the point you mention earlier than by 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. At that hour I will be at or near it, according to position of the enemy. . . . Will be on the road early to-morrow. . . and couriers will be provided to bring on your answer, which please send to-night, and let me know if General McDowell's force can be so controlled as to make this combination.'' (OR, I, XII, I, 647). Lincoln made a copy of this reply (DLC-RTL) and forwarded the original to the telegraph office with his message to McDowell sent at 2:30 P. M., infra.