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Document 32271 ABRAHAM LINCOLN The President forwards Congressman Samuel Shellabarger's letter to General in Chief Henry Halleck re: locations of Confederate forces under Generals Jackson, Longstreet and Lee. Autograph Endorsement signed: "A. Lincoln" as 16th U.S. President, 1p, 6¼x4. [Washington], 1863 January 20. In full: "Submitted to Gen./Halleck". Folds, vertical fold runs between "n" and "c" in Lincoln. Lightly soiled edges. Folds are shaded. Mounting strip at blank left margin on verso, lightly shows through to blank right margin. Accompanied by ALS: "S. Shellabarger", 1p, 8x9¾. House of Reps, 1863 January 19. In full: "Mr. President. It will do no harm may do good for me to say that Col Webb of this city assures me that he knows from secession sources perfectly reliable that Longstreet is still at Fredericksburg (I doubt it) that the rebel army is 15000 strong at that place is disposed in three divisions Center at Fredericsburg (sic) under Jackson the right & left under Longstreet & Lee respectively and that they are so disposed of as to be able to throw at least two divisions or any force of our crossing above or below Fredericksburg. I do not know about the reliability of Col Webb. I urged him to see you & he will be glad to wait on you if you desire. You know him is at Corner of H & 14 St and is the gentleman with whom Col Baker resided and to whose house he was carried after death." Ink smudged on several words. Nicked at 2 places at left and right blank edges. 1½-inch tear touches one word, all intact. COLONEL EDWARD D. BAKER (1811-1861), U.S. Senator from Oregon (1860-1861), a Union officer and close friend of President Lincoln (they were both lawyers in Springfield, Illinois), was the only member of Congress to die in the Civil War. He was killed in the Battle of Balls Bluff, Va., October 21, 1861. COLONEL ALEXANDER S. WEBB, having served at the first Battle of Manassas and as Assistant Chief of Artillery of the Army of the Potomac, was at the time of this letter Inspector of Artillery at the training camp in Washington, D.C. His "secession sources" proved reliable. Five weeks earlier, Confederate General STONEWALL JACKSON had commanded approximately 72,000 troops at Fredericksburg when Union troops attacked. Southern forces held the city. General Robert E. Lee remarked: "I wish these people would go away and let us alone." At the time of this letter, contrary to Shellabarger's suspicions, General JAMES LONGSTREET did maintain a division near Fredericksburg, Virginia in order to hold Union General Ambrose Burnside, Commander of the Army of the Potomac, on the opposite banks of the Rappahannock. Meanwhile, GENERAL LEE remained headquartered at his Fredericksburg encampment until February. On January 25, just five days after Lincoln's endorsement, Lincoln replaced Burnside with General Joseph Hooker. On January 1, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy. The proclamation freed slaves only in those territories in rebellion against the Union. SAMUEL SHELLABARGER (1817-1896) served as Republican Congressman from Ohio from March 4, 1861 to March 3, 1863. He had not been reelected in 1862 and would leave office six weeks after writing this letter to President Lincoln. Elected again in 1864, Shellabarger served from 1865-1869 and 1871-1873. Two items. SEE IF DOCUMENT 32271 IS FOR SALE RIGHT NOW!!
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