The writer of this, who appeals for his brother, is our minister to Ecuador, and whom, if at all compatible, I would like to have obliged by a special exchange of his brother.

A. Lincoln.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL P. SHERIDAN.  EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, September 20, 1864

Major-general Sheridan, Winchester, Va.: 

Have just heard of your great victory.  God bless you all, officers and men.  Strongly inclined to come up and See you.

A. Lincoln.

TO GENERAL HITCHCOCK,

Executive Mansion, Washington,
September 21, 1864.

General Hitchcock: 

Please see the bearer, Mr. Broadwell, on a question about a mutual supplying of clothes to prisoners.

Yours truly,

A. Lincoln.

TO GENERAL U.S.  GRANT.

Executive Mansion, Washington,
September 22, 1864.

Lieutenant-general grant: 

I send this as an explanation to you, and to do justice to the Secretary of War.  I was induced, upon pressing application, to authorize the agents of one of the districts of Pennsylvania to recruit in one of the prison depots in Illinois; and the thing went so far before it came to the knowledge of the Secretary that, in my judgment, it could not be abandoned without greater evil than would follow its going through.  I did not know at the time that you had protested against that class of thing being done; and I now say that while this particular job must be completed, no other of the sort will be authorized, without an understanding with you, if at all.  The Secretary of War is wholly free of any part in this blunder.

Yours truly,

A. Lincoln.

TO POSTMASTER-GENERAL BLAIR.

Executive Mansion, Washington,
September 23, 1864.

HON.  MONTGOMERY BLAIR.

My dear sir:—­You have generously said to me, more than once, that whenever your resignation could be a relief to me, it was at my disposal.  The time has come.  You very well know that this proceeds from no dissatisfaction of mine with you personally or officially.  Your uniform kindness has been unsurpassed by that of any other friend, and while it is true that the war does not so greatly add to the difficulties of your department as to those of some others, it is yet much to say, as I most truly can, that in the three years and a half during which you have administered the General Post-Office, I remember no single complaint against you in connection therewith.

Yours, as ever,