June 18, 1864
After a White House conference, President Lincoln writes Secretary. of War Edwin M. Stanton: “Hon. L. Anderson and Judge Williams of Ky. are here urging, first, that assessments, for some time suspended in West Ky, be again put in operation; and secondly, that Gen. E. A. Paine be assigned to command them. Do both these things for them unless you know some reason to the contrary. I personally know Gen. Paine to be a good true man, having a West-Point education; but I do not know much as to his Military ability.”
President Lincoln writes Secretary of Edwin M. Stanton: “Hon. L. Anderson and Judge Williams of Ky. are here urging, first, that assessments, for some time suspended in West Ky, be again put in operation; and secondly, that Gen. E. A. Paine be assigned to command them. Do both these things for them unless you know some reason to the contrary. I personally know Gen. Paine to be a good true man, having a West-Point education; but I do not know much as to his Military ability.”
President Lincoln writes Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles: “It seems that my old friend C. B. Denio, is in some trouble, pecuniarily, in consequence of not being allowed expences, and perhaps pay, on coming here. I feel confident he has not meant wrong, and I shall be glad for you to do the best for him you can, consistently with law & the good of the service.”
Former Illinois Senator Orville H. Browning writes in his diary that he “worked in my office till night; then went and saw the President about fees in Phillips cases, in Illinois, about Adml Wilke’s case, and about appointment of Eben Moore to Montano.”
Philadelphia merchant George H. Stuart, president of the U. S. Christian Commission, writes to thank President Lincoln for his efforts on behalf of the commission: “I take the liberty of enclosing to you a slip, containing the result of a two week’s canvass in the state of Illinois by two agents — or rather representatives of the Christian Commission. You see how successful they have been. You may remember Rev Mr. McCabe, or Chaplain McCabe as he is more commonly called; He sang the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” — — Mrs. Julia Ward Howe’s — at the Christian Commission meeting in Washington in February — and a second time at your own request. I was sorry that I was not able to call on you while you were in Philadelphia — but I may thank you nevertheless for the words which you were kind enough to say of the Christian Commission, in your address at the Fair.3 We have not had time for the weeks past, since Grant has been marching on Richmond, for anything but the most earnest and laborious and continued exertions to help you and him and the army as much as we could. We are doing that still. The people have appreciated our labors: — and, without self-praise, under God’s help, we have been able to accomplish much. So your words were very encouraging. I am glad to say that we have two hundred delegates, all volunteers and unpaid — to-day, at various points in the Army of the Potomac — under very efficient organization and leadership. These men are working very hard for the bodies and souls of our noble soldiers — carrying to them comforts from the North in very large quantities. They are from all parts of our country, they are all loyal men, actuated with the one great impulse — to help and bless the soldiers of the union.”
Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War 
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