President’s general War Order No. 1

Ordered that the 22nd. day of February 1862, be the day for a general movement of the Land and Naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces.

That especially—

The Army at & about, Fortress Monroe.

The Army of the Potomac.

The Army of Western Virginia

The Army near Munfordsville [sic], Ky.

The Army and Flotilla at Cairo.

And a Naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, be ready for a movement on that day.

That all other forces, both Land and Naval, with their respective commanders, obey existing orders, for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders when duly given.

That the Heads of Departments, and especially the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with all their subordinates; and the General-in-Chief, with all other commanders and subordinates, of Land and Naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities, for the prompt execution of this order.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Draft of Order sent to Army & Navy Departments respectively this day. A. LINCOLN

Jan. 27. 1862.

The Secretary of War will enter this Order in his Department, and execute it to the best of his ability. A. LINCOLN

Jan. 27, 1862.

This man wants to work—so uncommon a want that I think it ought to be gratified. I shall be obliged by any Head of of [sic] a Bureau, or Department who can and will find work for him.

Jan. 23. 1862. A. LINCOLN

The President wishes the rafts with their 13 inch mortars and all appointments to be ready for use at the earliest possible moment. What can we do here to advance this? What is lacking? What is being done, so far as you know? Telegraph us every day, showing the progress, or lack of progress in this matter.

The following endorsement was written by Henry A. Wise of the Navy Bureau of Ordnance on the bottom of Lincoln’s message: “Telegraphic dispatch written by President Lincoln for Flag Officer Foote and sent by H. A. Wise U.S.N. 23 Jan 1862 3.15 P.M.” Wise enclosed the autograph message with a letter of the same date as follows: “My dear Foote, I am just from the President, who is stirring up the army ordnance with a sharp stick about mortars. He said to me, ‘Now I am going to devote a part of every day to these mortars and I wont leave off until it fairly rains Bombs.’ I send you his autograph which may interest you.”  Foote replied by telegraph on January 24, “Telegraph of 23d. received last evening. I have sent an officer to Pittsburgh, to ascertain the condition of the mortars and mortar beds, and to hurry their completion. My last dispatch, from Pittsburgh, states that but one is ready . . .”. Foote was preparing the iron-plated gunboats built by James B. Eads for support of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant’s movement up the Tennessee River. The movement began on February 6. 

On reflection I think it will not do as a rule for the Adjutant General to attend me wherever I go; not that I have any objection to his presence, but that it would be an uncompensating incumbrance both to him and me. When it shall occur to me to go anywhere, I wish to be free to go at once, and not to have to notify the Adjutant General, and wait till he can get ready. It is better too, for the public service, that he shall give his time to the business of his office, and not to personal attendance on me. While I thank you for the kindness of the suggestion, my view of the matter is as I have stated. Yours truly A. LINCOLN

My dear Sir: This will introduce Gov. G. Koerner, of Illinois, who is my personal friend, and who calls on you at my particular request. Please open the sealed letter he will hand you before he leaves you and confer with him as to its contents. Yours, very truly, A. LINCOLN.

[Inclosure.]

Executive Mansion,

Major-General Halleck: Washington, January 15, 1862.

My dear Sir: The Germans are true and patriotic, and so far as they have got cross in Missouri it is upon mistake and misunderstanding. Without a knowledge of its contents Governor Koerner, of Illinois, will hand you this letter. He is an educated and talented German gentleman, as true a man as lives. With his assistance you can set everything right with the Germans. I write this without his knowledge, asking him at the same time, by letter, to deliver it. My clear judgment is that, with reference to the German element in your command, you should have Governor Koerner with you; and if agreeable to you and him, I will make him a brigadier-general, so that he can afford to so give his time. He does not wish to command in the field, though he has more military knowledge than many who do. If he goes into the place he will simply be an efficient, zealous, and unselfish assistant to you. I say all this upon intimate personal acquaintance with Governor Koerner. Yours, very truly, A. LINCOLN.

Herewith is an open letter of introduction of yourself to Gen. Halleck, and also, a sealed one. Please deliver them both to him, in person, as soon as you conveniently can. The sealed letter contains matter I wish him to confer with you about, relative to the germans in his command. Yours as ever A. LINCOLN

Your despatch of yesterday is received, in which you say “I have received your letter and Gen. McClellan’s; and will, at once devote all my efforts to your views, and his.” In the midst of my many cares, I have not seen, or asked to see, Gen. McClellan’s letter to you. For my own views, I have not offered, and do not now offer them as orders; and while I am glad to have them respectfully considered, I would blame you to follow them contrary to your own clear judgment—unless I should put them in the form of orders. As to Gen. McClellan’s views, you understand your duty in regard to them better than I do. With this preliminary, I state my general idea of this war to be that we have the greater numbers, and the enemy has the greater facility of concentrating forces upon points of collision; that we must fail, unless we can find some way of making our advantage an over-match for his; and that this can only be done by menacing him with superior forces at different points, at the same time; so that we can safely attack, one, or both, if he makes no change; and if he weakens one to strengthen the other, forbear to attack the strengthened one, but seize, and hold the weakened one, gaining so much. To illustrate, suppose last summer, when Winchester ran away to re-inforce Mannassas, we had forborne to attack Mannassas, but had seized and held Winchester. I mention this to illustrate, and not to criticise. I did not lose confidence in McDowell, and I think less harshly of Patterson than some others seem to. In application of the general rule I am suggesting, every particular case will have its modifying circumstances, among which the most constantly present, and most difficult to meet, will be the want of perfect knowledge of the enemies’ movements. This had it’s part in the Bull-Run case; but worse, in that case, was the expiration of the terms of the three months men. Applying the principle to your case, my idea is that Halleck shall menace Columbus, and “down river” generally; while you menace Bowling-Green, and East Tennessee. If the enemy shall concentrate at Bowling-Green, do not retire from his front; yet do not fight him there, either, but seize Columbus and East Tennessee, one or both, left exposed by the concentration at Bowling Green. It is matter of no small anxiety to me and one which I am sure you will not over-look, that the East Tennessee line, is so long, and over so bad a road. Yours very truly

A. LINCOLN.

Though I have said nothing hitherto in response to your wish, expressed long since, to resign your seat in the cabinet, I have not been unmindful of it. I have been only unwilling to consent to a change at a time, and under circumstances which might give occasion to misconstruction, and unable, till now to see how such misconstruction could be avoided.

But the desire of Mr. Clay to return home and to offer his service to his country in the field enables me now to gratify your wish, and at the same time evince my personal regard for you, and my confidence in your ability, patriotism, and fidelity to public trust.

I therefore tender to your acceptance, if you still desire to resign your present position, the post of Minister to Russia. Should you accept it, you will bear with you the assurance of my undiminished confidence, of my affectionate esteem, and of my sure expectation that, near the great sovreign whose personal and hereditary friendship for the United States, so much endears him to Americans, you will be able to render services to your country, not less important than those you could render at home. Very sincerely Your friend A. LINCOLN

My dear Sir As you have, more than once, expressed a desire for a change of position, I can now gratify you, consistently with my view of the public interest. I therefore propose nominating you to the Senate, next monday, as minister to Russia. Very sincerely Your friend A. LINCOLN.

The within is a copy of a letter just received from General Halleck. It is exceedingly discouraging. As everywhere else, nothing can be done. A. LINCOLN

Lincoln’s endorsement is on a copy of Halleck’s letter to Lincoln, January 6, 1862, the original of which is in the Lincoln Papers. Explaining in great detail the status of affairs in Missouri which made it impossible for him to send a force against Columbus, Kentucky, Halleck added his opinion of the proposed movement of Buell’s force: “To operate on exterior lines against an enemy occupying a central position, will fail, as it always has failed, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. It is condemned by every military authority I have ever read.”