September 13, 1864
After Republican campaign rally at Mt. Vernon Hotel, 9th and Pennsylvania Ave., Republicans march to the White House to serenade President at White House. Washington Daily National Republican reportedthat about 3 PM: “Mr. Lincoln made a brief response, to the effect that he was not prepared to acknowledge the honor done him in a set speech. We had heard the right sort of speeches from Vermont and Maine lately, and previously from Mobile and Atlanta, and he was much in favor of hearing more of the same sort from the South.”
He then thanked the assemblage and bade them farewell, upon which they took up the line of march for Mr. Seward’s residence.
President Lincoln predicts his own election victory in a brief memo: Lincoln, 172, McClellan, 66, Fremont 7. A Maine Republican leader telegraphs President Lincoln: ‘The State Election today has resulted in a great victory for the Union cause.” Later that night, he wrote: “The Union majority will reach 20,000. We will give you thirty thousand (30,000) in November.” Lincoln responded: “On behalf of the Union, thanks to Maine.”
Presidential aide John G. Nicolay writes to former Secretary of War Simon Cameron:: “Your note of yesterday came duly to hand. When last I heard from General Schurz he was making preparations with the expectations of making a speech at Philadelphia. I suppose you can learn his whereabouts and engagements by writing to Mr. Raymond.
“The President yesterday made an order in reference to Major Taggart. The Lehigh matter is being looked after. It was necessary to make some enquiries by letter there.
President Lincoln writes General Benjamin F. Butler: “The Ames guns I am under promise to pay, or rather to advise paying, a very high price for, provided they bear the test, and they are not yet tested, though I believe in process of being tested. I could not be justified to pay the extraordinary price without the testing. I shall be happy to let you have some of them so soon as I can. How comes on your canal.”
Former Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase writes in his diary: “”Jar of boat kept me waking every few minutes up at 6–shaved and dressed–reached New York–10 min past 7.–talk with gentleman who thought Lincoln very wise-if more radical would have offended conservatives–if more conservative the radicals–will this be the judgment of history?”
President Lincoln writes an order concerning William Elmore: “If this man’s Colonel will say in writing on this sheet that he is willing to receive him back into his regiment I will pardon and send him.” He adds: “According to the foregoing, this man is pardoned and ordered to his regiment.
Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War 
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