My dear Sir. Washington, June 17, 1864.
Yours relative to reorganization of a State Government for Arkansas is received. I believe none of the Departments have had any thing to do with it. All that has been done within the range you mention, is embraced in an informal letter and telegraphic correspondence between parties there and myself, copies of which I have already furnished to Mr. Dawes2Open page of the H.R. for the object corresponding to yours. It will save labor, and oblige me, if you will procure him to show you them. I believe you will find mentioned, a proclamation of Gen. Steele, no copy of which is with with [sic] the correspondence. The reason is I could not find it.
If, after reading this, it still would be more satisfactory to you to have copies for yourself, let me know, and I will have them made out as soon as I reasonably can. Yours truly A. LINCOLN