Washington, D.C., September 12, 1861

Mrs. General Fremont.

My dear madam:—­Your two notes of to-day are before me.  I answered the letter you bore me from General Fremont on yesterday, and not hearing from you during the day, I sent the answer to him by mail.  It is not exactly correct, as you say you were told by the elder Mr. Blair, to say that I sent Postmaster-General Blair to St. Louis to examine into that department and report.  Postmaster-General Blair did go, with my approbation, to see and converse with General Fremont as a friend.  I do not feel authorized to furnish you with copies of letters in my possession without the consent of the writers.  No impression has been made on my mind against the honor or integrity of General Fremont, and I now enter my protest against being understood as acting in any hostility toward him.

Your obedient servant,

A. Lincoln.

TO JOSEPH HOLT,

EXECUTIVE MANSION, SEPTEMBER 12, 1861

Hon.  Joseph Holt.

Dear sir:—­Yours of this day in relation to the late proclamation of General Fremont is received yesterday I addressed a letter to him, by mail, on the same subject, and which is to be made public when he receives it.  I herewith send you a copy of that letter, which perhaps shows my position as distinctly as any new one I could write.  I will thank you not to make it public until General Fremont shall have had time to receive the original.

Your obedient servant,

A. Lincoln.

TO GENERAL SCOTT

Washington, D.C., September 16, 1861.

Dear sir:—­Since conversing with you I have concluded to request you to frame an order for recruiting North Carolinians at Fort Hatteras.  I suggest it to be so framed as for us to accept a smaller force—­even a company—­if we cannot get a regiment or more.  What is necessary to now say about officers you will judge.  Governor Seward says he has a nephew (Clarence A. Seward, I believe) who would be willing to go and play colonel and assist in raising the force.  Still it is to be considered whether the North Carolinians will not prefer officers of their own.  I should expect they would.

Yours very truly,

A. Lincoln.

TO SECRETARY CAMERON.

Executive Mansion, September 18, 1861

Hon.  Secretary of war.  My dear sir:—­To guard against misunderstanding, I think fit to say that the joint expedition of the army and navy agreed upon some time since, and in which General T. W. Sherman was and is to bear a conspicuous part, is in no wise to be abandoned, but must be ready to move by the 1st of, or very early in, October.  Let all preparations go forward accordingly.