Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 6 [Dec. 13, 1862-Nov. 3, 1863].

To Frederick Steele1Jump to section

Executive Mansion, Washington,
Brigadier General Frederick Steele January 22, 1863.

Sir: So far as respects your military record and reputation, it seems highly fit and proper that you should be promoted to a Major Generalship; and I should nominate you for it, at once, were it not for a document2Jump to section presented to me, of which the inclosed is a copy. With a satisfactory explanation, I will gladly make the nomination; and in such way, that the time from now till then, shall not be lost to you. Without such explanation, I could scarcely bring myself to make the nomination; and I think it is certain the Senate would not confirm it, if made. Your Obt. Servt.

A. LINCOLN

Annotation

[1]   ADfS, DLC-RTL; LS, owned by William W. Steele, Pescadero, California. General Steele replied on February 15, 1863:

``In reply to your communication of the 22d ultimo. touching certain allegations made against me by J. G. Forman, I have the honor to submit the following brief explanation. . . .

``When I assumed command of the Army of the South West . . . our camps and . . . Helena were overrun with fugitive Slaves of both sexes. . . . Vice,

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immorality and distress . . . followed. . . . Under the Articles of War I considered it my imperative duty to use every proper means . . . to abate these evils.

``While such a state of affairs existed . . . Mrs. [Charles] Craig, a lady of the highest respectability and wife of the planter alluded to in the allegations, came to my office, and weeping told me that a negro girl who had been raised under her own eyes, and whom she regarded as almost one of her own family was in a house of prostitution, with, I think five other negro girls. I inquired whether she could point out the house, and on being answered that she could, I gave her the order to the Provost Marshal which appears in the allegations. There was no understanding that any of these girls should be delivered up to their masters. If they had been white I should have given the same order. . . .

``Forman asserts that Craig was a rebel. . . . I assert that he was a Union man, and as loyal to the United States. . . . as most people would have been under the circumstances. . . .'' (DLC-RTL).

Steele also enclosed a letter of the same date from General U. S. Grant to Elihu B. Washburne, as follows:

``I have just been shown a letter from the President to Brig. Steele stating that his name had been withheld from the Senate for promotion in consequence of charges that had been made against him for returning fugitive slaves to their Masters.

``Gen. Steele is one of our very best soldiers. . . . He is in every sense a soldier. . . . No matter how far any policy of the Government might vary from his individual views he would conform to it. . . . Besides I have never heard him express an opinion against any policy of the administration and know he would do nothing to weaken the power of the President. . . .

``I hope the President & the Senate will be disabused of any opinion they may have formed prejudicial to Gen. Steele. . . .'' (Ibid.).

Steele was appointed major general dating from November 29, 1862.

[2]   The document has not been located but Steele's letter of February 15 indicates the author as Jacob G. Forman, a former army chaplain who was acting as postmaster at Helena, Arkansas.

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