Lincoln orders stay of execution in case of Dr. David M. Wright for the murder of Second Lieutenant Alanson L. Sanborn in Norfolk, Virginia. Abraham Lincoln to John G. Foster, 3 August 1863, CW, 6:362.

Regrets Gen. James H. Van Alen, 3d New York Cavalry, forced to resign because of poor health. Abraham Lincoln to James H. Van Alen, 3 August 1863, CW, 6:363.

Writes second memorandum on appointment of G. T. Harris to West Point. "As soon as I consistently can, I wish to oblige Bishop McIlvaine." Memorandum: Appointment of George T. Harris, 3 August 1863, CW, 6:362.

Cabinet meets. Seward talks on subject of prizes and prize courts. Welles, Diary.

President attends church services, having proclaimed August 6, 1863 day of thanksgiving. Hay, Letters and Diary.

Speaks at Union meeting in city. John W. Forney, Anecdotes of Public Men, 2 vols. (New York: Harper, 1873-81), 1:168.

Informs John Hay that danger of war with England is past, temporarily at least. Monaghan, Diplomat, 321.

Lincoln declines invitation of Gov. Joseph A. Gilmore (N.H.) to visit Concord, N.H. Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Gilmore, 7 August 1863, CW, 6:368.

Directs that $20,000 be placed under control of Sec. Seward and $80,000 under control of Sec. Stanton for expenses of carrying into effect habeas corpus act. Abraham Lincoln to William H. Seward, 7 August 1863, CW, 6:368-69; Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 7 August 1863, CW, 6:370-71.

President Lincoln responds to New York Governor Horatio Seymour, who seeks to halt "the draft in this State." Seymour cited the recent New York City draft riots and he suggeted that the draft law was unconstitutional. Lincoln disagrees and writes, "time is too important. . . . We are contending with an enemy who . . . drives every able bodied man he can reach, into his ranks, very much as a butcher drives bullocks into a slaughter-pen. . . . It produces an army with a rapidity not to be matched on our side . . . My purpose is to be just and constitutional; and yet practical." Horatio Seymour to Abraham Lincoln, 3 August 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Abraham Lincoln to Horatio Seymour, 7 August 1863, CW, 6:369-70.

[Mrs. Lincoln and Robert are in White Mountains. Dennett, Hay Diaries and Letters, 75.]

President sends Gov. Peirpoint (Va.) to Portsmouth, Va., to aid destitute families. Abraham Lincoln to John G. Foster, 8 August 1863, CW, 6:371.

President Lincoln writes to his wife Mary and relays news to her and their son Tad. He writes, "Tell dear Tad, poor 'Nanny Goat,' is lost; and [the housekeeper] Mrs. Cuthbert & I are in distress...The day you left Nanny was found resting...and chewing her little cud, on the middle of Tad's bed. But now she's gone! The gardener kept complaining that she destroyed the flowers...it was concluded to bring her down to the White House. This was done, and the second day she had disappeared, and has not been heard of since." Abraham Lincoln to Mary Todd Lincoln, 8 August 1863, CW, 6:371-72; Justin G. Turner and Linda Levitt Turner, Mary Todd Lincoln: Her Life and Letters (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972), 99.

Lincoln acknowledges receipt of petition from people of East Tennessee presented by John M. Fleming and Robert Morrow: "The Secretary of War , Gen. Halleck, Gen. Burnside, and Gen. Rosecrans are all engaged now in an effort to relieve your section." Abraham Lincoln to John M. Fleming and Robert Morrow, 9 August 1863, CW, 6:373-74.

President Lincoln writes to General Ulysses S. Grant and lobbies for the recruitment of black soldiers. Lincoln writes, "Gen. [Lorenzo] Thomas has gone again to the Mississippi Valley, with the view of raising colored troops. I have no reason to doubt that you are doing what you reasonably can upon the same subject. I believe it is a resource which, if vigorously applied now, will soon close the contest. It works doubly, weakening the enemy and strengthening us." Abraham Lincoln to Ulysses S. Grant, 9 August 1863, CW, 6:374-75.

In company of John Hay visits new studio of Alexander and James Gardner, corner of 7th and D Sts., over Shephard and Riley's Bookstore, and poses for several photographs. Frederick H. Meserve and Carl Sandburg, The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1944), 9 August 1863.

Lincoln assures Gen. Rosecrans: "I am not casting blame upon you. I rather think, by great exertion, you can get to East Tennessee. . . . I think of you in all kindness and confidence: . . . I am not watching you with an evil-eye." Abraham Lincoln to William S. Rosecrans, 10 August 1863, CW, 6:377-78.

President Lincoln meets with Senator Samuel Pomeroy, of Kansas, and with abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Lincoln's personal secretary John Hay recorded, "[Douglass] intends to go south and help the recruiting among his people." Also on this day, Lincoln adds the endorsement, "I concur," to a letter that the Secretary of the Interior John Usher and Senator Pomeroy signed. The letter acknowledges, "Douglass, is . . . a loyal, free, man, and is, hence, entitled to travel, unmolested. We trust he will be recognized everywhere, as a free man, and a gentleman." Michael Burlingame and John R. Turner Ettlinger, eds., Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1997), 72; Pass for Frederick Douglass, 10 August 1863, CW, 10:198; Daily National Republican (Washington, DC), 11 August 1863, 2:4.

Gen. Hooker visits Lincoln and accepts offer of command under Gen. Meade. Abraham Lincoln to George G. Meade, 11 August 1863, CW, 6:381.

At cabinet meeting President reads letter from Gov. Seymour (N.Y.) asking that draft be postponed and his own reply refusing to postpone it. Welles, Diary.

Writes Mrs. Elizabeth E. Hutter, Miss Claghorn, and Misses Lager of Philadelphia: "If anything could enhance to me the value of this representation of our national ensign, so elegantly executed and so gracefully bestowed, it would be the consideration that its price has been devoted to the comfort and restoration of those heroic men, who have suffered and bled in our flag's defense." Abraham Lincoln to Mrs. Hutter, Misses Lager, and Miss Claghorn, 10 August 1863, CW, 6:375-76.

Sends his ideas regarding treatment of captured neutrals in prize courts to Sec. Seward, and concludes: "My judgment [is] that the within, substantially, should be the answer to Lord Lyons." Abraham Lincoln to William H. Seward, 10 August 1863, CW, 6:378-80.

Inquires of Sec. Stanton : "I have not heard of any charges being filed against Gen. J. A. McClernand. Are there any?" Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 10 August 1863, CW, 6:380.

President Lincoln writes to Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt regarding Major Alexander Montgomery's dismissal from the Army. Montgomery allegedly remarked that "President Lincoln ought to have his dam'd black heart cut out for issuing his proclamation of Emancipation." Lincoln writes, "As the principal charge, can be given the appearance at least of being merely personally offensive to me, and as [Montgomery] denies it, I think he should have a Court-Martial, rather than to abide my arbitrary dismissal. Please give him the Court-Martial if he desires it." Abraham Lincoln to Joseph Holt, 13 August 1863, CW, 6:385; John S. Cosgrove to Alexander Montgomery, 17 October 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Group of Republican leaders including Sen. Harris (N.Y.) and Gov. David Tod (Ohio) confers at White House with President. N.Y. Herald, 14 August 1863.

Lincoln and John Hay visit Capitol to see progress of rebuilding program. Hay, Letters and Diary.

President interviews Silas M. Hamilton of Baltimore, who has a plan for bringing North Carolina "once more into terms of harmony with the mother government of these States." Hamilton to Lincoln, 15 August 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Soon after breakfast Lincoln and John Hay return to White House, and Lincoln drafts letter to J. C. Conkling. Hay, Letters and Diary.

"My dear Conkling I can not leave here now. Herewith is a letter [Aug. 26] instead. You are one of the best public readers. I have but one suggestion. Read it very slowly." Abraham Lincoln to James C. Conkling, 27 August 1863, CW, 6:414.

President denies stay of execution of five bounty jumpers. Abraham Lincoln to George G. Meade, 27 August 1863, CW, 6:414-15.

Receives protest from mayor and comptroller of Chicago claiming unfairness of draft. Abraham Lincoln to Francis C. Sherman and Samuel S. Hayes, 27 August 1863, CW, 6:417-18.

President interviews Gov. Curtin (Pa.) regarding draft quotas. Washington Chronicle, 29 August 1863.

Declines invitation to attend presentation of sword honoring Gen. Meade. Abraham Lincoln to Samuel W. Crawford, 28 August 1863, CW, 6:418.

President at Treasury Dept. in afternoon consults with Sec. Chase on results of arming Negro troops. Official Records—Armies 532.

Sends copy of his August 26, 1863 Conkling letter to Union State Committee of New York. Abraham Lincoln to Ben Field, 29 August 1863, CW, 6:420; Abraham Lincoln to Ben Field, 29 August 1863, CW, 6:420.

President Lincoln writes to his wife, Mary, who is in Manchester, New Hampshire. He relays war news, particularly regarding the Charleston, South Carolina area. Lincoln writes, "All quite well. Fort-Sumpter is certainly battered down, and utterly useless to the enemy, and it is believed here, but not entirely certain, that both Sumpter and Fort-Wagner, are occupied by our forces. It is also certain that Gen. [Quincy Adams] Gilmore [Gillmore] has thrown some shot into the City of Charleston." Abraham Lincoln to Mary Lincoln, 29 August 1863, CW, 6:421.

Sen. Bowden (Va.), L. H. Chandler, and former Cong. Segar (Va.) confer with President about tax imposed on people of Northampton County to rebuild lighthouse destroyed by Confederates. Official Records—Armies 534-35.

President recognizes Paul Guye as vice consul of Swiss Confederation at St. Louis for states of Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, and Territory of Nebraska. Washington Chronicle, 2 September 1863.

Compliments Gen. Rosecrans: "I can never forget, whilst I remember anything, that about the end of last year, and beginning of this, you gave us a hard earned victory which, had there been a defeat instead, the nation could scarcely have lived over." Abraham Lincoln to William S. Rosecrans, 31 August 1863, CW, 6:424-25.