To Hamilton R. Gamble1Jump to section
His Excncy. Gov. Gamble Executive Mansion,
My dear Sir Washington, December 30, 1862.
Inclosed is an order, substantially, and I believe exactly, such as I directed to be made nearly a month ago. After a good deal of reflection, I concluded that it was better to make a rule for the practical matter in hand, (the removal of officers and acceptance of resignations) than to decide a general question, towit, whether the force are State troops, which, while it might embrace the practical question mentioned, might also be the nest in which forty other troublesome questions would be hatched. I would rather meet them as they come, than before they come, trusting that some of them may not come at all. Yours very truly A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ADfS, DLC-RTL; ALS, owned by James D. Randles, Los Angeles, California. See Lincoln to Stanton, December 2, supra.
[2] ``Order No. 416'' appears on the draft but not on the letter sent, and refers to the enclosure, a copy of AGO Special Orders No. 417 [sic], December 28, 1862, as printed in the Official Records (III, II, 955).