the writings-5-第80章

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WASHINGTON；　January　10；　1862



TO　THE　SENATE　AND　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES：



I　transmit　to　Congress　a　translation　of　an　instruction　to　the

minister　of　his　Majesty　the　Emperor　of　Austria　accredited　to　this

government；　and　a　copy　of　a　note　to　that　minister　from　the　Secretary

of　State　relative　to　the　questions　involved　in　the　taking　from　the

British　steamer　Trent　of　certain　citizens　of　the　United　States　by

order　of　Captain　Wilkes　of　the　United　States　Navy。　　This

correspondence　may　be　considered　as　a　sequel　to　that　previously

communicated　to　Congress　relating　to　the　same　subject。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









INDORSEMENT　ON　LETTER　FROM　GENERAL　HALLECK；

JANUARY　10；　1862。



HEADQUARTERS　DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　MISSOURI

ST。　Louis；　January　6；　1862。



To　His　EXCELLENCY　THE　PRESIDENT：



In　reply　to　your　Excellency's　letter　of　the　1st　instant；　I　have　to

state　that　on　receiving　your　telegram　I　immediately　communicated　with

General　Buell　and　have　since　sent　him　all　the　information　I　could

obtain　of　the　enemy's　movements　about　Columbus　and　Camp　Beauregard。

No　considerable　force　has　been　sent　from　those　places　to　Bowling

Green。　　They　have　about　22；000　men　at　Columbus；　and　the　place　is

strongly　fortified。　　I　have　at　Cairo；　Port　Holt；　and　Paducah　only

about　15；000；　which；　after　leaving　guards　at　these　places；　would　give

me　but　little　over　10；000　men　with　which　to　assist　General　Buell。　　It

would　be　madness　to　attempt　anything　serious　with　such　a　force；　and　I

cannot　at　the　present　time　withdraw　any　from　Missouri　without　risking

the　loss　of　this　State。　　The　troops　recently　raised　in　other　States

of　this　department　have；　without　my　knowledge；　been　sent　to　Kentucky

and　Kansas。



I　am　satisfied　that　the　authorities　at　Washington　do　not　appreciate

the　difficulties　with　which　we　have　to　contend　here。　　The　operations

of　Lane；　Jennison；　and　others　have　so　enraged　the　people　of　Missouri

that　it　is　estimated　that　there　is　a　majority　of　8o；ooo　against　the

government。　　We　are　virtually　in　an　enemy's　country。　　Price　and

others　have　a　considerable　army　in　the　southwest；　against　which　I　am

operating　with　all　my　available　force。



This　city　and　most　of　the　middle　and　northern　counties　are

insurrectionary；burning　bridges；　destroying　telegraph　lines；　etc。；…

…and　can　be　kept　down　only　by　the　presence　of　troops。　　A　large

portion　of　the　foreign　troops　organized　by　General　Fremont　are

unreliable；　indeed；　many　of　them　are　already　mutinous。　　They　have

been　tampered　with　by　politicians；　and　made　to　believe　that　if　they

get　up　a　mutiny　and　demand　Fremont's　return　the　government　will　be

forced　to　restore　him　to　duty　here。　　It　is　believed　that　some　high

officers　are　in　the　plot　I　have　already　been　obliged　to　disarm

several　of　these　organizations；　and　I　am　daily　expecting　more　serious

outbreaks。　　Another　grave　difficulty　is　the　want　of　proper　general

officers　to　command　the　troops　and　enforce　order　and　discipline；　and

especially　to　protect　public　property　from　robbery　and　plunder。　　Some

of　the　brigadier…generals　assigned　to　this　department　are　entirely

ignorant　of　their　duties　and　unfit　for　any　command。　　I　assure　you；

Mr。　President；　it　is　very　difficult　to　accomplish　much　with　such

means。　　I　am　in　the　condition　of　a　carpenter　who　is　required　to　build

a　bridge　with　a　dull　axe；　a　broken　saw；　and　rotten　timber。　　It　is

true　that　I　have　some　very　good　green　timber；　which　will　answer　the

purpose　as　soon　as　I　can　get　it　into　shape　and　season　it　a　little。



I　know　nothing　of　General　Buell's　intended　operations；　never　having

received　any　information　in　regard　to　the　general　plan　of　campaign。

If　it　be　intended　that　his　column　shall　move　on　Bowling　Green　while

another　moves　from　Cairo　or　Paducah　on　Columbus　or　Camp　Beauregard；

it　will　be　a　repetition　of　the　same　strategic　error　which　produced

the　disaster　of　Bull　Run。　　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。



General　Buell's　army　and　the　forces　at　Paducah　occupy　precisely　the

same　position　in　relation　to　each　other　and　to　the　enemy　as　did　the

armies　of　McDowell　and　Patterson　before　the　battle　of　Bull　Run。



Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；



H。　W。　HALLECK；　Major…General





＇Indorsement＇



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。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　ANDREW。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；

January　11；　1862



GOVERNOR　JOHN　A。　ANDREW；　Boston：



I　will　be　greatly　obliged　if　you　will　arrange；　somehow　with　General

Butler　to　officer　his　two　un…officered　regiments。



A。　LINCOLN









TO　GENERAL　D。　C。　BUELL。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　January　13；　1861



BRIGADIER…GENERAL　BUELL。



MY　DEAR　SIR　…Your　despatch　of　yesterday　is　received；　in　which　you

say；　〃I　received　your　letter　and　General　McClellan's；　and　will　at

once　devote　my　efforts　to　your　views　and　his。〃　　In　the　midst　of　my

many　cares　I　have　not　seen；　nor　asked　to　see；　General　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　General　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　overmatch　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

reinforce　Manassas；　we　had　forborne　to　attack　Manassas；　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。　　。　　。　　。　　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　a　matter　of　no　small　anxiety

to　me；　and　which　I　am　sure　you　will　not　overlook；　that　the　East

Tennessee　line　is　so　long　and　over　so　bad　a　road。



Yours　very　truly；

A。　LINCOLN。



（Indorsement。）



Having　to…day　written　General　Buell　a　letter；　it　occurs　to　me　to　send

General　Halleck　a　copy　of　it。

A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　H。　W。　HALLECK。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　January　1　；　1862。



MAJOR…GENERAL　HALLECK。



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。　　。　　。　　。　　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　affor