The Writings of Abraham Lincoln, vol 6 | Page 5

16, 1862.
MAJOR-GENERAL McDOWELL:
What is the strength of your force now actually with you?
A. LINCOLN.

MEMORANDUM OF PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO
INSTRUCTIONS OF ABOVE DATE TO GENERAL McDOWELL,
AND GENERAL MEIGS'S INDORSEMENT THEREON.
May 17, 1862. You will retain the separate command of the forces
taken with you; but while co-operating with General McClellan you
will obey his orders, except that you are to judge, and are not to allow
your force to be disposed otherwise than so as to give the greatest
protection to this capital which may be possible from that distance.
[Indorsement.] TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
The President having shown this to me, I suggested that it is dangerous
to direct a subordinate not to obey the orders of his superior in any case,
and that to give instructions to General McClellan to this same end and
furnish General McDowell with a copy thereof would effect the object
desired by the President. He desired me to say that the sketch of
instructions to General McClellan herewith he thought made this
addition unnecessary.
Respectfully, M. C. M.

INDORSEMENT RELATING TO GENERAL DAVID HUNTER'S
ORDER OF MILITARY EMANCIPATION,
MAY 17, 1862
No commanding general shall do such a thing upon my responsibility
without consulting me.
A. LINCOLN.

FROM SECRETARY STANTON TO GENERAL McCLELLAN.
WASHINGTON, May 18, 1862.
GENERAL: Your despatch to the President, asking reinforcements, has
been received and carefully considered.
The President is not willing to uncover the capital entirely; and it is
believed that, even if this were prudent, it would require more time to
effect a junction between your army and that of the Rappahannock by
the way of the Potomac and York rivers than by a land march. In order,
therefore, to increase the strength of the attack upon Richmond at the
earliest moment, General McDowell has been ordered to march upon
that city by the shortest route. He is ordered, keeping himself always in
position to save the capital from all possible attack, so to operate as to
put his left wing in communication with your right wing, and you are
instructed to co- operate so as to establish this communication as soon
as possible by extending your right-wing to the north of Richmond.
It is believed that this communication can be safely established either
north or south of the Pamunkey River.
In any event, you will be able to prevent the main body of the enemy's
forces from leaving Richmond and falling in overwhelming force upon
General McDowell. He will move with between thirty-five and forty
thousand men.
A copy of the instructions to General McDowell are with this. The
specific task assigned to his command has been to provide against any
danger to the capital of the nation.
At your earnest call for reinforcements, he is sent forward to co-
operate in the reduction of Richmond, but charged, in attempting this,
not to uncover the city of Washington; and you will give no order,
either before or after your junction, which can put him out of position
to cover this city. You and he will communicate with each other by
telegraph or otherwise as frequently as may be necessary for efficient

cooperation. When General McDowell is in position on your right, his
supplies must be drawn from West Point, and you will instruct your
staff-officers to be prepared to supply him by that route.
The President desires that General McDowell retain the command of
the Department of the Rappahannock and of the forces with which he
moves forward.
By order of the President: EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.
MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN, Commanding Army
of the Potomac, before Richmond.

PROCLAMATION REVOKING GENERAL HUNTER'S ORDER OF
MILITARY EMANCIPATION, MAY 19, 1862.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
A Proclamation
Whereas there appears in the public prints what purports to be a
proclamation of Major general Hunter, in the words and figures
following, to wit:
(General Orders No. 11) HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE
SOUTH, HILTON HEAD, PORT ROYAL, S. C., May 9, 1862.
"The three States of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, comprising
the military department of the South, having deliberately declared
themselves no longer under the protection of the United States of
America, and having taken up arms against the said United States, it
became a military necessity to declare martial law. This was
accordingly done on the 25th day of April, 1862. Slavery and martial
law in a free country are altogether incompatible. The persons in these
three States: Georgia Florida, and South Carolina--heretofore held as
slaves are therefore declared forever free. "By command of
Major-General D. Hunter: "(Official.)ED. W. SMITH, "Acting
Assistant Adjutant-General."
And whereas the same is producing some excitement and
misunderstanding: therefore,
I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, proclaim and