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pretty tight rein on the press； so that they shall not tell more than
they ought to； and I 'm afraid that if I blab too much； he might draw
a tight rein on me。
TO GENERAL G。 B。 McCLELLAN。
WASHINGTON； June 26； 1862。
MAJOR…GENERAL McCLELLAN：
Your three despatches of yesterday in relation to the affair； ending
with the statement that you completely succeeded in making your
point； are very gratifying。
The later one of 6。15 P。M。； suggesting the probability of your being
overwhelmed by two hundred thousand； and talking of where the
responsibility will belong； pains me very much。 I give you all I
can； and act on the presumption that you will do the best you can
with what you have； while you continue； ungenerously I think； to
assume that I could give you more if I would。 I have omitted； and
shall omit； no opportunity to send you reinforcements whenever I
possibly can。
A。 LINCOLN。
P。 S。 General Pope thinks if you fall back it would be much better
towards York River than towards the James。 As Pope now has charge of
the capital； please confer with him through the telegraph。
ORDER CONSTITUTING THE ARMY OF VIRGINIA。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON； D。 C。；
June 26； 1862。
Ordered：
1st。 The forces under Major…Generals Fremont； Banks； and McDowell；
including the troops now under Brigadier…General Sturgis at
Washington； shall be consolidated and form one army； to be called the
Army of Virginia。
2d。 The command of the Army of Virginia is specially assigned to
Major…General John Pope； as commanding general。 The troops of the
Mountain Department； heretofore under command of General Fremont；
shall constitute the First Army Corps； under the command of General
Fremont； the troops of the Shenandoah Department； now under General
Banks； shall constitute the Second Army Corps； and be commanded by
him； the troops under the command of General McDowell； except those
within the fortifications and city of Washington； shall form the
Third Army Corps； and be under his command。
3d。 The Army of Virginia shall operate in such manner as； while
protecting western Virginia and the national capital from danger or
insult； it shall in the speediest manner attack and overcome the
rebel forces under Jackson and Ewell； threaten the enemy in the
direction of Charlottesville； and render the most effective aid to
relieve General McClellan and capture Richmond。
4th。 When the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Virginia shall be
in position to communicate and directly co…operate at or before
Richmond； the chief command； while so operating together； shall be
governed； as in like cases； by the Rules and Articles of War。
A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM FROM SECRETARY STANTON
TO GENERAL H。 W。 HALLECK。
WAR DEPARTMENT； June 28； 1862。
MAJOR…GENERAL HALLECK：
The enemy have concentrated in such force at Richmond as to render it
absolutely necessary； in the opinion of the President； for you
immediately to detach 25；000 of your force and forward it by the
nearest and quickest route by way of Baltimore and Washington to
Richmond。 It is believed that the quickest route would be by way of
Columbus； Ky。； and up the Ohio River。 But in detaching your force
the President directs that it be done in such a way as to enable you
to hold your ground and not interfere with the movement against
Chattanooga and East Tennessee。 This condition being observed； the
forces to be detached and the routes they are to be sent are left to
your own judgment。
The direction to send these forces immediately is rendered imperative
by a serious reverse suffered by General McClellan before Richmond
yesterday； the full extent of which is not yet known。
You will acknowledge the receipt of this despatch； stating the day
and hour it is received； and inform me what your action will be； so
that we may take measures to aid in river and railroad
transportation。
EDWIN M。 STANTON； Secretary of War。
TELEGRAMS TO GENERAL A。 E。 BURNSIDE。
WASHINGTON； June 28； 1862。
GENERAL BURNSIDE：
I think you had better go； with any reinforcements you can spare； to
General McClellan。
A。 LINCOLN。
WAR DEPARTMENT； June； 28； 1862
MAJOR…GENERAL BURNSIDE； Newbern：
We have intelligence that General McClellan has been attacked in
large force and compelled to fall back toward the James River。 We
are not advised of his exact condition； but the President directs
that you shall send him all the reinforcements from your command to
the James River that you can safely do without abandoning your own
position。 Let it be infantry entirely； as he said yesterday that he
had cavalry enough。
EDWIN M。 STANTON；
Secretary of War。
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL G。 B。 McCLELLAN。
WAR DEPARTMENT； WASHINGTON CITY； June 28； 1862。
MAJOR…GENERAL McCLELLAN：
Save your army； at all events。 Will send reinforcements as fast as
we can。 Of course they cannot reach you to…day； to…morrow； or next
day。 I have not said you were ungenerous for saying you needed
reinforcements。 I thought you were ungenerous in assuming that I did
not send them as fast as I could。 I feel any misfortune to you and
your army quite as keenly as you feel it yourself。 If you have had a
drawn battle； or a repulse； it is the price we pay for the enemy not
being in Washington。 We protected Washington； and the enemy
concentrated on you。 Had we stripped Washington； he would have been
upon us before the troops could have gotten to you。 Less than a week
ago you notified us that reinforcements were leaving Richmond to come
in front of us。 It is the nature of the case； and neither you nor
the government is to blame。 Please tell at once the present
condition and aspect of things。
A。 LINCOLN
TO SECRETARY SEWARD。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； June 28； 1862
HON。 W。 H。 SEWARD。
MY DEAR SIR：My view of the present condition of the war is about as
follows：
The evacuation of Corinth and our delay by the flood in the
Chickahominy have enabled the enemy to concentrate too much force in
Richmond for McClellan to successfully attack。 In fact there soon
will be no substantial rebel force anywhere else。 But if we send all
the force from here to McClellan； the enemy will； before we can know
of it； send a force from Richmond and take Washington。 Or if a large
part of the western army be brought here to McClellan； they will let
us have Richmond； and retake Tennessee； Kentucky； Missouri； etc。
What should be done is to hold what we have in the West； open the
Mississippi； and take Chattanooga and East Tennessee without more。 A
reasonable force should in every event be kept about Washington for
its protection。 Then let the country give us a hundred thousand new
troops in the shortest possible time； which； added to McClellan
directly or indirectly