President by proclamation orders that no plea of alienage be allowed to exempt from military service any person who has declared his intention to become citizen of U.S. Proclamation Concerning Aliens, 8 May 1863, CW, 6:203-4.

President Lincoln writes to Commander of the Army of the Potomac Major General Joseph Hooker regarding the General's recent defeat at Chancellorsville, Virginia. Earlier in the day, Lincoln met with Brigadier General August Willich, whom the Confederates released from Richmond, Virginia's Libby Prison. Lincoln explains,"[Willich] was there when our cavalry cut the roads in that vicinity. He says there was not a sound pair [of] legs in Richmond, and that our men, had they known it, could have safely gone in and burnt every thing & brought us Jeff. Davis." Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Hooker, 8 May 1863, CW, 6:202-3.

Orders U.S. marshal for northern district of California to deliver New Almaden mining property to Leonard Swett, agent for U.S. Abraham Lincoln to Charles W. Rand, 8 May 1863, CW, 6:205-6.

Requests Asst. Sec. Watson to act upon case of Peckham's patent rifles and self-loading cartridges. Abraham Lincoln to Peter H. Watson, 8 May 1863, CW, 6:206.

At cabinet meeting Sec. Welles reports capture of Grand Gulf, Miss., by Acting Rear Adm. Porter. Welles, Diary.

Inscribes Bible "For Charles W. Merrill of 19th Massachusetts." CW, 8:515.

President interviews Gen. Sigel regarding assignment. N.Y. Herald, 10 May 1863.

Receives report of Capt. Diller that 1,000 pounds of new gunpowder is ready for trial at Frankford Arsenal, Pa. Diller report to Lincoln, 31 October 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Walks to Treasury Park with Sec. Stanton to watch demonstration of liquid fire by A. Berney. Bruce, Tools of War, 238.

Directs Gen. Dix: "It is very important for Hooker to know exactly what damage is done to the Railroads, at all points between Fredericksburg and Richmond. . . . Please ascertain fully what was done, & what is the present condition, as near as you can, and advise me at once." Abraham Lincoln to John A. Dix, 9 May 1863, CW, 6:207.

Lincoln offers "my sincere sympathy and condolence" to Peruvian nation on death of President Miguel San Roman. Abraham Lincoln to Pedro Diez Canseco, 13 May 1863, CW, 6:212-13.

President Lincoln writes to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton about Clement Vallandigham, of Ohio. On May 5, Major General Ambrose Burnside arrested Vallandigham on a charge of treason. Lincoln ponders the government's next move. The Secretary of State William Seward and the Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase "think we better not issue the special suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus spoken of." Chase believes that neither of the two federal judges who may hear the case will "issue" the writ because they had "refused a similar application last year." Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 13 May 1863, CW, 6:215.

Lincoln writes Gen. Hooker: "If it will not interfere with the service, nor personally incommode you, please come up and see me this evening." Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Hooker, 13 May 1863, CW, 6:215.

Hooker at White House in evening on invitation of President. Hooker to Lincoln, 13 May 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Lincoln writes Sec. Chase: "I understand there are, or have been, some charges against Lieutenant [James H.] Merryman [of Revenue Service], of which I know nothing. I only wish to say, he was raised from childhood in the town where I lived, and I remember nothing against him as boy or man. His father [Dr. Elias H. Merryman, involved with Lincoln in his imbroglio with Shields. See Sept. 19, 1842.], now dead, was a very intimate acquaintance and friend of mine." Abraham Lincoln to Salmon P. Chase, 13 May 1863, CW, 6:214.

Telegraphs Gen. Totten: "I wish to appoint William Whipple, son of the General who fell in the recent battle on the Rappahannock, to West-Point, next Spring, and I wish to file this with you as a remembrance upon the subject." Abraham Lincoln to Joseph G. Totten, 13 May 1863, CW, 6:216.

President, accompanied by Secs. Seward and Stanton , leaves Navy Yard about 11 A.M. for trip down Potomac to inspect troop transports. Extracts from Dahlgren Diary, John G. Nicolay Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Directs secretary of war to instruct Gen. Burnside to parole Maj. Clarence Prentice (CSA), rebel prisoner in Camp Chase, Ohio, "to remain outside the limits of both the loyal and disloyal States, or so-called 'Confederate States' of the United States of America, during the present rebellion." Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 16 May 1863, CW, 6:219-20.

President drives to office of Rear Adm. Dahlgren at Navy Yard; later Dahlgren returns to town with him. Extracts from Dahlgren Diary, John G. Nicolay Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Cong. George S. Boutwell (Mass.) meets President on White House steps and goes upstairs with him to locate on map Gen. Grant's position in rear of Vicksburg, Miss., after crossing Black River today. George S. Boutwell, Reminiscences of Sixty Years in Public Affairs, 2 vols. (New York: McClure, Phillips, 1902), 2:307.

Lincoln declares Judge H. H. Leavitt's denial of motion for habeas corpus in Vallandigham case is equal to three victories in field. [Writ denied May 16, 1863.] Harper, Press, 243.

In the afternoon, President Lincoln is in the East Room of the White House, where he meets with "20 or 30 one-legged soldiers." Chaplain J. C. Richmond accompanies the St. Elizabeth's Hospital veterans, and he notes, "These maimed heroes, sir, are eloquent without uttering a word. The limbs that are absent speak more loudly than the arms and legs that are here." A newspaper reports, "The President shook hands with all of them, calling them 'my boys,' and congratulating them on their brave and noble deeds." Remarks to "The One-Legged Brigade", 22 May 1863, CW, 6:226-27; Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, D.C.), 25 May 1863, 1:6; Chicago Daily Tribune (IL), 23 May 1863, 1:2.

President Lincoln writes to commanding officer for the District of Memphis Major General Stephen A. Hurlbut, and reports on what he is reading in the "Richmond [Virginia] newspapers" about the battles taking place near Vicksburg, Mississippi. Confederate Generals John C. Pemberton, William W. Loring, and Joseph E. Johnston, whom Lincoln mistakenly refers to as "Johnson," are trying to defend Vicksburg against Union General Ulysses S. Grant's attacks. Lincoln writes, "Grant beat Pemberton & Loring near Edwards' Station, at the end of a nine hours fight, driving Pemberton over the Big Black [Bridge] & cutting Loring off, & driving him South to Chrystal-Springs...Joe Johnson telegraphed all this, except about Loring, from his camp between Brownsville & Lexington, on the 18th." Abraham Lincoln to Stephen A. Hurlbut, 22 May 1863, CW, 6:226.

President in conference at War Dept. with Secs. Stanton and Welles, Asst. Sec. Fox, and Gen. Halleck regarding attack on Charleston. Welles, Diary.

Authorizes Stanton to confer with W. Butler, former state treasurer of Illinois, "and see if something definite can not be done in the case" of state claims against Illinois Central Railroad, and claims of railroad against U.S. Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 23 May 1863, CW, 6:227-28.

J. R. Gilmore reports to President on recent trip to Gen. Rosecrans' headquarters in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Trip made at behest of Horace Greeley to measure Rosecrans' fitness to succeed Lincoln as President. James R. Gilmore, Personal Recollections of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War (Boston: Page, 1898), 148.

President Lincoln and Republican U.S. Senator James R. Doolittle, of Wisconsin, visit three Washington, D. C. hospitals. A newspaper reports, "The President expressed his gratification at the excellent condition of the hospitals and the comfortable condition of the patients. He shook hands with over one thousand soldiers, nearly all of whom were able to stand up. The soldiers seemed highly delighted as the President grasped them by the hand." New York Herald, 26 May 1863, 7:3.

Inquires of Col. Anson Stager about report of William G. Fuller at Memphis, Tenn., regarding capture of Vicksburg, Miss. "Did he know what he said, or did he say it without knowing it? Your despatch of this afternoon throws doubt upon it." Abraham Lincoln to Anson Stager, 24 May 1863, CW, 6:228-29.

President visits number of hospitals in and around city. Washington Chronicle, 27 May 1863.

President Lincoln writes to General John M. Schofield, whom he named commander of the Department of the Missouri, replacing General Samuel R. Curtis. Lincoln cites Missouri's "factional quarrel" that pits Curtis against Missouri Governor Hamilton R. Gamble. Lincoln explains, "After months of labor to reconcile the difficulty, it seemed to grow worse and worse until I felt it my duty to break it up some how; and as I could not remove Gov. Gamble, I had to remove Gen. Curtis." Lincoln advises, "[E]xercise your own judgment, and do right for the public interest. Let your military measures be strong enough to repel the invader and keep the peace, and not so strong as to unnecessarily harrass and persecute the people. It is a difficult role, and so much greater will be the honor if you perform it well." Abraham Lincoln to John M. Schofield, 27 May 1863, CW, 6:234.

Recognizes Christian Bars as consul of Netherlands for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Washington Star, 29 May 1863.

Telegraphs Gen. Hooker: "Have you Richmond papers of this morning? If so, what news?" Asks Gen. Rosecrans: "Have you anything from Grant? Where is [Gen. Nathan B.] Forrest's [(CSA)] Head Quarters?" Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Hooker, 27 May 1863, CW, 6:233; Abraham Lincoln to William S. Rosecrans, 27 May 1863, CW, 6:233.

At 10 o'clock in the morning, U.S. Senator Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, introduces a "Committee from New-York" to President Lincoln. The Committee is "confident that a force of at least 10.000" black "citizens" would "volunteer for the Service" if they could have General John C. Fremont as their commanding officer. A newspaper reports, "The President declared that he would gladly receive into the service not ten thousand but ten times ten thousand colored troops; expressed his determination to protect all who enlisted, and said that he looked to them for essential service in finishing the war. He believed that the command of them afforded scope for the highest ambition, and he would with all his heart offer it to Gen. Fremont." Remarks to New York Committee, 30 May 1863, CW, 6:239; New York Daily Tribune, 1 June 1863, 4:6; New York City Citizens Committee to Abraham Lincoln, 28 May 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Discusses with Sen. Sumner (Mass.) problems of raising and organizing Negro troops in North. Abraham Lincoln to Charles Sumner, 1 June 1863, CW, 6:242-44.

Lincoln answers inquiry: "I esteem [former] Gov. Francis Thomas [Md.], as an able, and very true man." Abraham Lincoln to Robert C. Schenck, 31 May 1863, CW, 6:239.