a brother to MRS. Lincoln's mother. I know not a
thing about his loyalty beyond what he says. Supposing he is loyal, can
any of his requests be granted, and if any, which of them?

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

THE PAPERS AND WRITINGS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

VOLUME SEVEN

CONSTITUTIONAL EDITION

By Abraham Lincoln

Edited by Arthur Brooks Lapsley

THE WRITINGS OF A. LINCOLN, Volume Seven, 1863-1865

1863

OPINION ON THE LOSS OF GENERAL R. H. MILROY'S DIVISION.

October 27, 1863.

In June last a division was substantially lost at or near Winchester, Va.
At the time, it was under General Milroy as immediate commander in the
field, General Schenck as department commander at Baltimore, and General
Halleck as general-in-chief at Washington.

General Milroy, as immediate commander, was put in arrest, and
subsequently a court of inquiry examined chiefly with reference to
disobedience of orders, and reported the evidence.

The foregoing is a synoptical statement of the evidence, together with the
judge-advocate-general's conclusions. The disaster, when it came, was a
surprise to all. It was very well known to Generals Shenck and Milroy for
some time before, that General Halleck thought the division was in great
danger of a surprise at Winchester; that it was of no service commensurate
with the risk it incurred, and that it ought to be withdrawn; but,
although he more than once advised its withdrawal, he never positively
ordered it. General Schenck, on the contrary, believed the service of the
force at Winchester was worth the hazard, and so did not positively
order its withdrawal until it was so late that the enemy cut the wire and
prevented the order reaching General Milroy.

General Milroy seems to have concurred with General Schenck in the opinion
that the force should be kept at Winchester at least until the approach of
danger, but he disobeyed no order upon the subject.

Some question can be made whether some of General Halleck's dispatches to
General Schenk should not have been construed to be orders to withdraw the
force, and obeyed accordingly; but no such question can be made against
General Milroy. In fact, the last order he received was to be prepared to
withdraw, but not to actually withdraw until further order, which further
order never reached him.

Serious blame is not necessarily due to any serious disaster, and I cannot
say that in this case any of the officers are d