Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 5 [Oct. 24, 1861-Dec. 12, 1862].

About this Item

Title: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 5 [Oct. 24, 1861-Dec. 12, 1862].
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.
Cite this Item: "Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 5 [Oct. 24, 1861-Dec. 12, 1862]." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln5. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 24, 2024.

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To George B. McClellan1Jump to section

Washington City, D.C.
Major General McClellan June 21 1862 [6 P.M.]

Your despatch of yesterday, 2. P.M. was received this morning. If it would not divert too much of your time, and attention from the Army under your immediate command, I would be glad to have your views as to present state of Military affairs throughout the whole country---as you say you would be glad to give them. I would rather it should be by letter, than by Telegraph, because of the better chance of secrecy. As to numbers and position of the troops, not under your command, in Virginia and elsewhere, even if I could do it with accuracy, which I can not, I would rather not transmit either by telegraph or letter, because of the chances of it's reaching the enemy.

I would be very glad to talk with you, but you can not leave your camp, and I can not well leave here. A. LINCOLN.

Annotation

[1] ALS, RPB. McClellan's reply to Lincoln's telegram of June 20, supra, reported further on the ``great. . . difficulties'' confronting him and his ``inferiority in numbers,'' and concluded by suggesting that ``I would be glad to have

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permission to lay before your Excellency by letter or telegram my views as to the present state of Military affairs throughout the whole country. In the mean time I would be pleased to learn the disposition as to numbers and position of the troops not under my command in Virginia and elsewhere'' (DLC-RTL). Upon receiving Lincoln's answer, he replied on June 22, ``Under the circumstances. . . I perceive that it will be better at least to defer for the present the communication I desired to make.'' (OR, I, XI, I, 48).