I shall leave the military service with much reluctance and a sacrifice of personal feelings and desires, and only consent to do so in the hope that in another capacity I may be able to do some effective service in the cause of my country and Government in this time of peculiar trial.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROBT. C. SCHENCK,
Major-General.

[Indorsement on the foregoing letter.]

The resignation of General Schenck is accepted, and he is authorized to turn over his command to Brigadier-General Lockwood at any time.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

Major-General ROBERT C. SCHENCK,

ADJUTANT-GENERAL's Office,
Washington, November 21, 1863.

United States Volunteers, Commanding Middle Department, Baltimore, Md. SIR: Your resignation has been accepted by the President of the United States, to take effect the 5th day of December, 1863.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

WASHINGTON, January 1, 1864.

Washington City, D. C.:

I hereby tender my resignation as a major-general of the United States Volunteers. Respectfully,

FRANK P. BLAIR,

(Care of Hon. M. Blair, Washington, D. C.)

SIR: Your resignation has been accepted by the President of the United States, to take effect this day.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

General McPherson having been assigned to the command of a department, could not General Frank Blair, without difficulty or detriment to the service, be assigned to command the corps he commanded a while last autumn?

A. LINCOLN.

[Telegram.]

His Excellency the PRESIDENT:

NASHVILLE, TENN., March 16, 1864–10 a. m.

General Logan commands the corps referred to in your dispatch. I will see General Sherman in a few days and consult him about the transfer, and answer.

General Sherman is here. He consents to the transfer of General Logan to the Seventeenth Corps and the appointment of General F. P. Blair to the Fifteenth Corps. U. S. GRANT,

[Telegram.]

Lieutenant-General.

His Excellency A. LINCOLN,

President of the United States:

HUNTSVILLE, ALA., March 26, 1864.

I understand by the papers that it is contemplated to make a change of commanders of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps, so as to transfer me to the Seventeenth. I hope this will not be done. I fully understand the organization of the Fifteenth Corps now, of which I have labored to complete the organization this winter. Earnestly hope that the change may not be made.

[Telegram.]

JOHN A. LOGAN,
Major-General.

OFFICE UNITED STATES MILITARY TELEGRAPH,
War Department.

The following telegram received at Washington 9 a. m. March 31, 1864, from Culpeper Court-House, 11.30 p. m., dated March 30, 1864:

"Major-General W. T. SHERMAN,

44

"Nashville:

General F. P. Blair will be assigned to the Seventeenth (17th) Corps, and not the Fifteenth (15th). Assign General Joseph Hooker, subject to the approval of the President, to any other corps command you may have, and break up the anomaly of one general commanding two (2) corps. "U. S. GRANT, "Lieutenant-General, Commanding."

From a long dispatch of April 2, 1864, from General Sherman to General Grant, presenting his plan for disposing the forces under his command, the following extracts, being the only parts pertinent to the subject now under consideration, are taken:

After a full consultation with all my army commanders, I have settled down to the following conclusions, to which I would like to have the President's consent before I make the orders:

OFFICE UNITED STATES MILITARY TELEGRAPH,
War Department.

The following telegram received at Washington 3 p. m. April 10, 1864, from Culpeper Court-House, Va., 10 p. m., dated April 9, 1864:

"Major-General H. W. HALLECK,

"Chief of Staff:

"Will you please ascertain if General F. P. Blair is to be sent to General Sherman. If not, an army-corps commander will have to be named for the Fifteenth Corps. "U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General."

The PRESIDENT:

WASHINGTON, April 20, 1864.

You will do me a great favor by giving the order assigning me to the command of the Seventeenth Army Corps immediately, as I desire to leave Washington the next Saturday to join the command. I also request the assignment of Captain Andrew J. Alexander, of Third Regiment United States Cavalry, as adjutant-general of the Seventeenth Corps, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. The present adjutant, or rather the former adjutant, Colonel Clark, has, I understand, been retained by General McPherson as adjutant-general of the department, and the place of adjutant-general of the corps is necessarily vacant.

I also request the appointment of George A. Maguire, formerly captain Thirty-first Missouri Volunteer Infantry, as major and aid-de-camp, and Lieutenant Logan Tompkins, Twenty-first Missouri Volunteer Infantry, as captain and aid-de-camp on my staff.

Respectfully,

[Indorsements.]

FRANK P. BLAIR.

APRIL 21, 1864.

Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR:

Please have General Halleck make the proper order in this case.

A. LINCOLN.

Referred to General Halleck, chief of staff.

EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, April 23, 1864.

Honorable SECRETARY OF War. MY DEAR SIR: According to our understanding with Major-General Frank P. Blair at the time he took his seat in Congress last winter, he now asks to withdraw his resignation as major-general, then tendered, and be sent to the field. Let this be done. Let the order sending him be such as shown me to-day by the Adjutant-General, only dropping from it the names of Maguire and Tompkins.

I respectfully request to withdraw my resignation as major-general of the United States Volunteers, tendered on the 12th day of January, 1864.

Respectfully,

FRANK P. BLAIR.

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 178.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, April 23, 1864.

I. Major-General F. P. Blair, jr., is assigned to the command of the Seventeenth Army Corps.

II. Captain Andrew J. Alexander, Third Regiment United States Cavalry, is assigned as assistant adjutant-general of the Seventeenth Army Corps, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, under the tenth section of the act approved July 17, 1862. By order of the President of the United States:

E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.

The foregoing constitutes all sought by the resolution so far as is remembered or has been found upon diligent search.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

To the Senate of the United States:

MAY 7, 1864.

In compliance with the request contained in a resolution of the Senate. dated April 30, 1864, I herewith transmit to your honorable body a copy of the opinion by the Attorney-General on the rights of colored persons in the Army or volunteer service of the United States, together with the accompanying papers.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

To the Senate of the United States:

WASHINGTON, May 12, 1864.

In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 9th instant, requesting a copy of correspondence relative to a controversy between the Republics of Chile and Bolivia, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, May 14, 1864.

To the Senate of the United States:

I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of the Interior of the 14th instant, and accompanying papers, in answer to a resolution of the Senate of the 14th ultimo, in the following words, viz:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate to the Senate the reasons, if any exist, why the refugee Indians in the State of Kansas are not returned to their homes.

M P-VOL VI-14

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

To the Senate of the United States:

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, May 17, 1864.

I herewith lay before the Senate, for its constitutional action thereon, a treaty concluded on the 7th instant in this city between William P. Dole, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Clark W. Thompson, superintendent of Indian affairs, northern superintendency, on the part of the United States, and the chief Hole-in-the-day and Mis-qua-dace for and on behalf of the Chippewas of the Mississippi, and the Pillager and Lake Winnibigoshish bands of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota.

A communication from the Secretary of the Interior of the 17th instant, with a statement and copies of reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the 12th and 17th instant, accompany the treaty.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 24, 1864.

To the Senate of the United States:

I recommend Lieutenant-Commander Francis A. Roe for advancement in his grade five numbers, to take rank next after Lieutenant-Commander John H. Upshur, for distinguished conduct in battle in command of the United States steamer Sassacus in her attack on and attempt to run down the rebel ironclad ram Albemarle on the 5th of May, 1864.

I also recommend that First Assistant Engineer James M. Hobby be advanced thirty numbers in his grade for distinguished conduct in battle and extraordinary heroism, as mentioned in the report of Lieutenant-Commander Francis A. Roe, commanding the United States steamer Sassacus in her action with the rebel ram Albemarle on the 5th May, 1864. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

To the House of Representatives:

WASHINGTON, May 24, 1864.

In answer to the resolution of the House of Representatives of yesterday on the subject of the joint resolution of the 4th of last month relative to Mexico, I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, to whom the resolution was referred. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

To the Senate of the United States:

WASHINGTON, May 28, 1864.

In reply to a resolution of the Senate of the 25th instant, relating to Mexican affairs, I transmit a partial report from the Secretary of State of this date, with the papers therein mentioned.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.