Message to the House of Representatives

To the Honorable the House of Representatives:

In compliance with the request contained in your resolution of the 29th ultimo, a copy of which resolution is herewith returned, I have the honor to transmit the following:

EXECUTIVE MANSION

Washington, November 2, 1863.

Hon. MONTGOMERY BLAIR.

MY DEAR SIR: Some days ago I understood you to say that your brother. General Frank Blair, desired to be guided by my wishes as to whether he will occupy his seat in Congress or remain in the field. My wish, then, is compounded of what I believe will be best for the country and best for him, and it is that he will come here, put his military commission in my hands, take his seat, go into caucus with our friends, abide the nominations, help elect the nominees, and thus aid to organize a House of Representatives which will really support the Government in the war. If the result shall be the election of himself as Speaker, let him serve in that position; if not, let him retake his commission and return to the Army. For the country, this will heal a dangerous schism. For him, it will relieve from a dangerous position. By a misunderstanding, as I think, he is in danger of being permanently separated from those with whom only he can ever have a real sympathy--the sincere opponents of slavery. It will be a mistake if he shall allow the provocations offered him by insincere timeservers to drive him from the house of his own building. He is young yet. He has abundant talents, quite enough to occupy all his time without devoting any to temper. He is rising in military skill and usefulness. His recent appointment to the command of a corps by one so competent to judge as General Sherman proves this. In that line he can serve both the country and himself more profitably than he could as a Member of Congress upon the floor. The foregoing is what I would say if Frank Blair were my brother instead of yours.

Yours, truly,

A. LINCOLN.

HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE DEPARTMENT, EIGHTH ARMY CORPS,

Baltimore, Md., November 13, 1863.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

SIR: Inclosed I forward to the President my resignation, to take effect on the 5th of December.

I respectfully request, however, that I may be relieved from my command at an earlier day, say by the 20th instant, or as soon thereafter as some officer can be ordered to succeed me. While I desire to derange the plans or hurry the action of the Department as little as possible, it will be a great convenience to me to secure some little time before the session of Congress for a necessary journey and for some preparations for myself and family in view of my approaching change of residence and occupation. I could also spend two or three days very profitably, I think to the service of my successor after his arrival here.

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

ROBT. C. SCHENCK,

Major General.

HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE DEPARTMENT, EIGHTH ARMY CORPS,

Baltimore, Md., November 13, 1863

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SIR: Having concluded to accept the place of Member of Congress in the House of Representatives, to which I was elected in October, 1862, I hereby tender the resignation of my commission as a major-general of United States Volunteers, to take effect on the 5th day of December next.

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.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington , November 21, 1863.

Major-General ROBERT C. SCHENCK,

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 .

WASHINGTON, January 1, 1864.

The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

Washington City, D.C.:

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

Respectfully,

FRANK P. BLAIR,

Major-General, United States Volunteers.

JANUARY 12, 1864.

Accepted, by order of the President.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, January 12, 1864.

Major-General FRANCIS P. BLAIR,

U.S. Volunteers .

(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,

JAS. A. HARDIE,

Assistant Adjutant-General .

Telegram.)

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, D.C., March 15, 1864.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

Nashville, Tenn .:

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.)

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

His Excellency the PRESIDENT:

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.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

(Telegram.)

NASHVILLE, TENN., March 17, 1864.

His Excellency A. LINCOLN,

President of the United States:

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,

Lieutenant-General .

(Telegram.)

HUNTSVILLE, ALA., March 26, 1864 .

His Excellency A. LINCOLN.

President of the United States:

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.

JOHN A. LOGAN,

Major-General.

(Telegram.)

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,

" 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, Commading."

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:

Third. General McPherson. * * * His (three) corps to be commanded by Major-Generals Logan, Blair, and Dodge. * * *

0FFICE 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 ."

WASHINGTON, April 20, 1864 .

The PRESIDENT:

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,

FRANK P. BLAIR.

(lndorsements.)

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 13, 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.

Yours, truly,

A. LINCOLN.

(Indorsement.)

APRIL 23, 1864.

Referred to the Adjutant-General.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WASHINGTON CITY, D.C., April 23, 1864.

Hon. E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War:

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.