Yours very truly,
       A. LINCOLN.

Letter to ——­ Moulton.  Washington.  July 31, 1863

My dear Sir, There has been a good deal of complaint against you by your superior officers of the Provost-Marshal-General’s Department, and your removal has been strongly urged on the ground of “persistent disobedience of orders and neglect of duty.”  Firmly convinced, as I am, of the patriotism of your motives, I am unwilling to do anything in your case which may seem unnecessarily harsh or at variance with the feelings of personal respect and esteem with which I have always regarded you.  I consider your services in your district valuable, and should be sorry to lose them.  It is unnecessary for me to state, however, that when differences of opinion arise between officers of the government, the ranking officer must be obeyed.  You of course recognize as clearly as I do the importance of this rule.  I hope you will conclude to go on in your present position under the regulations of the department.  I wish you would write to me.

Letter to Mrs. Lincoln.  Washington.  August 8, 1863

My dear Wife, All as well as usual, and no particular trouble anyway.  I put the money into the Treasury at five per cent., with the privilege of withdrawing it any time upon thirty days’ notice.  I suppose you are glad to learn this.  Tell dear Tad poor “Nanny Goat” is lost, and Mrs. Cuthbert and I are in distress about it.  The day you left Nanny was found resting herself 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, till 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.  This is the last we know of poor “Nanny.”

Letter to James H. Hackett.  Washington.  August 17, 1863

My dear Sir, Months ago I should have acknowledged the receipt of your book and accompanying kind note; and I now have to beg your pardon for not having done so.

For one of my age I have seen very little of the drama.  The first presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours here, last winter or spring.  Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say, as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again.  Some of Shakespeare’s plays I have never read; while others I have gone over perhaps as frequently as any unprofessional reader.  Among the latter are Lear, Richard III., Henry VIII., Hamlet, and especially Macbeth.  I think nothing equals Macbeth.  It is wonderful.

Unlike you gentlemen of the profession, I think the soliloquy in Hamlet commencing “Oh, my offence is rank,” surpasses that commencing “To be or not to be.”  But pardon this small attempt at criticism.  I should like to hear you pronounce the opening speech of Richard III.  Will you not soon visit Washington again?  If you do, please call and let me make your personal acquaintance.