mporarily reserved legal rights in slaves during the
progress of emancipation. This I would desire also. I have very earnestly
urged the slave States to adopt emancipation; and it ought to be, and is,
an object with me not to overthrow or thwart what any of them may in good
faith do to that end. You are therefore authorized to act in the spirit
of this letter in conjunction with what may appear to be the military
necessities of your department. Although this letter will become public at
some time, it is not intended to be made so now.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL J. HOOKER.

WASHINGTON, June 22, 1863

MAJOR-GENERAL HOOKER:

Operator at Leesburg just now says: "I heard very little firing this A.M.
about daylight, but it seems to have stopped now. It was in about the same
direction as yesterday, but farther off."

A. LINCOLN.

TO SECRETARY OF WAR.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, June 23, 1863.

HON. SECRETARY OF WAR:

You remember that Hon. W. D. Kelly and others are engaged in raising or
trying to raise some colored regiments in Philadelphia. The bearer of
this, Wilton M. Huput, is a friend of Judge Kelly, as appears by the
letter of the latter. He is a private in the 112th Penn. and has been
disappointed in a reasonable expectation of one of the smaller offices.
He now wants to be a lieutenant in one of the colored regiments. If Judge
Kelly will say in writing he wishes to so have him, I am willing for him
to be discharged from his present position, and be so appointed. If you
approve, so indorse and let him carry the letter to Kelly.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO MAJOR VAN VLIET.

[Cipher.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C., June 23, 1863.

MAJOR VAN VLIET, New York:

Have you any idea what the news is in the despatch of General Banks to
General Halleck?

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL COUCH.

WAR DEPARTMENT, June 24, 1863.

MAJOR-GENERAL COUCH, Harrisburg, Pa.:

Have you any reports of the enemy moving into Pennsylvania? And if any,
what?

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL DIX.

WASHINGTON, June 24, 1863

MAJOR-GENERAL Dix, Yorktown, Va.:

We have a despatch from General Grant of the 19th. Don't think Kirby Smith
took Milliken's Bend since, allowing time to get the news to Joe Johnston
and from him to Richmond. But it is not absolutely impossible. Also
have news from Banks to the 16th, I think. He had not ru