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To David Hunter1Jump to section
Executive Mansion
Major General Hunter Washington D.C. April 1. 1863.
My dear Sir: I am glad to see the accounts of your colored force at Jacksonville, Florida. I see the enemy are driving at them fiercely, as is to be expected. It is important to the enemy that such a force shall not take shape, and grow, and thrive, in the South; and in precisely the same proportion, it is important to us that it shall. Hence the utmost caution and vigilance is necessary on our part. The enemy will make extra efforts to destroy them; and we should do the same to preserve and increase them. Yours truly A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS, CSmH. On March 10, 1863, the First South Carolina Volunteers commanded by Colonel Thomas W. Higginson and a portion of the Second South Carolina Volunteers commanded by Colonel James Montgomery reoccupied Jacksonville, Florida. Both were Negro regiments.