To Edwin M. Stanton1Jump to section
Col. Berdan's Sharp shooters, are an irregular (in a sense, an illegal) organization. It's field and staff officers have had no commissions. It is a good deal reduced by skirmishes, battles, and other hard service. So far as I know, there are no jealousies against it, and it is universally appreciated. I therefore propose that the Sec. of War, with the assistance of the Adjutant General, and Col. Berdan, put the corps into the most effective form, regardless of existing regulations; and I will recommend to Congress to ratify it, giving Commissions, pay &c from the time individuals respectively entered the service. A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] AES, NHi. Lincoln's endorsement is written on a letter from Colonel Hiram Berdan of the First U.S. Sharpshooters, September 18, 1862, asking that he be authorized to recruit additional battalions or regiments of sharpshooters and that his officers be given commissions by the government. Authorized by a non-extant note to Governor Edwin D. Morgan in July, 1861 (see Berdan to Lincoln, July 21, 1861, DLC-RTL), the Sharpshooters had neither state nor federal authority, and hence were serving without official status or pay.