TY POINT, VIRGINIA, March 28, 1865. 12 M.

HON. SECRETARY OF WAR, Washington, D.C.: After your explanation, I think
it is little or no difference whether the Fort Sumter ceremony takes place
on the 13th or 14th.

General Sherman tells me he is well acquainted with James Yeatman, and
that he thinks him almost the best man in the country for anything he will
undertake.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO SECRETARY STANTON.

CITY POINT, VA., March 30, 1865. 7.30 P.M. (Received 8.30 P.M.)

HON. SECRETARY OF WAR:

I begin to feel that I ought to be at home and yet I dislike to leave
without seeing nearer to the end of General Grant's present movement.
He has now been out since yesterday morning and although he has not been
diverted from his programme no considerable effort has yet been produced
so far as we know here. Last night at 10.15 P. M. when it was dark as a
rainy night without a moon could be, a furious cannonade soon joined in by
a heavy musketry fire opened near Petersburg and lasted about two hours.
The sound was very distinct here as also were the flashes of the guns
up the clouds. It seemed to me a great battle, but the older hands here
scarcely noticed it and sure enough this morning it was found that very
little had been done.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO SECRETARY STANTON.

CITY POINT, VIRGINIA, March 31, 1865. 3 P.M.

SECRETARY STANTON:

At 12.30 P.M. to-day General Grant telegraphed me as follows: "There has
been much hard fighting this morning. The enemy drove our left from near
Dabney's house back well toward the Boydton plank road. We are now about
to take the offensive at that point, and I hope will more than recover the
lost ground."

Later he telegraphed again as follows:

"Our troops, after being driven back to the Boydton plank road, turned and
drove the enemy in turn, and took the White Oak road, which we now have.
This gives us the ground occupied by the enemy this morning. I will send
you a rebel flag captured by our troops in driving the enemy back. There
have been four flags captured to-day."

Judging by the two points from which General Grant telegraphs, I infer
that he moved his headquarters about one mile since he sent the first of
the two despatches.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL U. S. GRANT.

CITY POINT, April 1, 1865.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GRANT:

Yours to Colonel Bowers about the Secretary of War is shown to me. He is
not here, nor have I any noti