Judge David Davis Appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court

October 17, 1862

After months of pressure from Illinois friends, President Lincoln appoints an old colleague to the U.S. Supreme Court, writing Attorney General Edward Bates: “Please make out and send me a commission for David Davis of Illinois, as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, for the eighth judicial circuit.”  Bates had already written Lincoln that a recess appointment to the court was legal.   Lincoln writes Davis, who had engineered Lincoln’s presidential nomination at the 1860 Republican National Convention: “I send you the enclosed commission which I hope you will accept. I would like to see you on private business this fall.”

Cabinet meeting focuses on trade through Norfolk, Virginia. “General [John A.] Dix has,” wrote Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, “made some headway.  Stanton wanted to transfer the whole subject of permits for army supplies and intercourse to General Dix.  Chase thought there should be leave granted for return cargoes also.  I requested, if there was to be a modification of the blockade, that it should be distinctly understood and announced to what extent.”

General George B. McClellan writes President Lincoln: “Your letter of the 13^th inst reached me yesterday morning by the hands of Col Perkins.”

I had sent out strong reconnaissances early in the morning in the direction of Charlestown Leetown etc, & as sharp artillery firing was heard I felt it incumbent to go to the front.  I did not leave Charlestown until dark so that I have been unable to give to your Excellency’s letter that full & respectful consideration which it merits at my hands.

I do not wish to detain Col Perkins beyond this morning’s train, I therefore think it best to send him back with this simple acknowledgment of the receipt of your Excellency’s letter.  I am not wedded to any particular plan of operations — I hope to have today reliable information as to the position of the enemy, whom I still believe to be between Bunker Hill and Winchester.  I promise you that I will give to your views the fullest and most unprejudiced consideration, & that it is my intention to advance the moment my men are shod & my cavalry are sufficiently remounted to be serviceable.

Your Excellency may be assured that I will not adopt a course which differs at all from your views without first fully explaining my reasons & giving you time to issue such instructions as may seem best to you.

General McClellan also writes General-in-chief Henry W. Halleck: “ As the draft is now in progress in some of the States I beg to recall to your attention the necessity of filing up the old regiments at the earliest possible moment, and to urge that the first results of the draft be at once applied towards accomplishing this object, which will so greatly and so rapidly increase the efficiency of this Army.”

P.T. Barnum puts on entertainment at the White House featuring so-called “small man in the world,” George Morrison Nutt, aka “Commodore Nutt,”

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