Emancipation Proclamation is Prepared

September 21, 1862

President Lincoln disdains to receive visitors at the White House as he prepares to issue the Emancipation Proclamation tomorrow.

General George B. McClellan disdains his superiors.  He writes his wife: “Do you know that I have not one word from Halleck, the Presdt nor the Secy of War about the last great battle!  All, except fault find, that I have had since leaving Wash was one from Abe about the Sunday battle [South Mountain] in which he says ‘God bless you & all with you” — that is all I have — but plenty from Halleck couched in almost insulting language & prophesying disaster!  I telegraphed him last night that I regretted the uniformly fault finding tone of his dispatches & that he had not as yet found leisure to notice the recent achievements of my army.”