INCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL G. B. McCLELLAN.

WASHINGTON CITY, May 22, 1862.

MAJOR-GENERAL McCLELLAN:

Your long despatch of yesterday just received. You will have just such
control of General McDowell and his forces as you therein indicate.
McDowell can reach you by land sooner than he could get aboard of boats,
if the boats were ready at Fredericksburg, unless his march shall be
resisted, in which case the force resisting him will certainly not be
confronting you at Richmond. By land he can reach you in five days after
starting, whereas by water he would not reach you in two weeks, judging by
past experience. Franklin's single division did not reach you in ten days
after I ordered it.

A. LINCOLN,

President United States.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL McCLELLAN.

WASHINGTON, May 24, 1862. 4 PM.

MAJOR-GENERAL G. B. McCLELLAN:

In consequence of General Banks's critical position, I have been compelled
to suspend General McDowell's movements to join you. The enemy are making
a desperate push upon Harper's Ferry, and we are trying to throw General
Fremont's force and part of General McDowell's in their rear.

A. LINCOLN, President.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL McCLELLAN

WASHINGTON May 24, 1862.

MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN:

I left General McDowell's camp at dark last evening. Shields's command is
there, but it is so worn that he cannot move before Monday morning, the
26th. We have so thinned our line to get troops for other places that it
was broken yesterday at Front Royal, with a probable loss to us of one
regiment infantry, two Companies cavalry, putting General Banks in some
peril.

The enemy's forces under General Anderson now opposing General McDowell's
advance have as their line of supply and retreat the road to Richmond.

If, in conjunction with McDowell's movement against Anderson, you
could send a force from your right to cut off the enemy's supplies from
Richmond, preserve the railroad bridges across the two forks of the
Pamunkey, and intercept the enemy's retreat, you will prevent the army
now opposed to you from receiving an accession of numbers of nearly 15,000
men; and if you succeed in saving the bridges you will secure a line of
railroad for supplies in addition to the one you now have. Can you not
do this almost as well as not while you are building the Chickahominy
bridges? McDowell and Shields both say they can, and positively will, move
Monday morning. I wish yo