Original Lincoln document found

AP ^ | 6/7/07

[bnelson44]

WASHINGTON—The National Archives on Thursday unveiled a handwritten note by Abraham Lincoln exhorting his generals to pursue Robert E. Lee's army after the battle of Gettysburg, underscoring one of the great missed opportunities for an early end to the Civil War. An archives Civil War specialist discovered the July 7, 1863, note three weeks ago in a batch of military papers stored among the billions of pages of historical documents at the mammoth building on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The text of Lincoln's note has been publicly known because the general to whom Lincoln addressed it telegraphed the contents verbatim to the front lines at Gettysburg. There, the Union army's leaders failed for more than a week to aggressively pursue Lee following his defeat.

A week after Lincoln's note, the Confederate army slipped across the Potomac River into Virginia and the war continued for two more years.

Though Gen. George Meade led the Northern troops in the battle at Gettysburg that marked the turning point of the war, he has always been faulted for not closing in and destroying Lee's army.

At a news conference, archivist Trevor Plante said he was looking for something else last month when he found Lincoln's note tucked away in a drawer among other papers. His reaction was "wow" when he recognized the handwriting and Lincoln's signature.

Lincoln's note says "the rebellion will be over" if only "Gen. Meade can complete his work." Lincoln says he wants the "substantial destruction of Lee's army."

Plante's find reinforces "Lincoln's desperation to turn Gettysburg not just into victory, but decisive victory that stops the bloodshed," said historian Allen Guelzo, director of Civil War era studies at Gettysburg College.

The importance of the newly discovered document is that it is in Lincoln's own handwriting, pinning down in time what he was thinking.

The accuracy of the long-known telegram communicating Lincoln's thoughts was not in doubt. At the same time, "there are always risks" relying on documents by a third party for what Lincoln was saying or writing, said Guelzo.

[PzLdr]

There was also a military inability to “finish off” enemy armies, caused by up to date technology tied to tactics and strategies from the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. The only time an army of either side was “finished off” was Hood’s Army of Tennessee, at Nashville, at the hands of George Thomas. And that was late 1864.

[PzLdr]

Disagree. If Lee had stopped attacking after Day 2, history still would have been different, and he wouldn’t have lost a whole bunch of casualties on Day 3.

And besides, the war was basically lost when Grant took Vicksburg - the next day [July 4th]

[SF Republican]

I agree it was a bit dreamy. I did enjoy that book for its laying out of the events closing the war, I had not realized how down-to-no-options the South and General Lee were.

[Freedom4US]

He was UGLY.

[Moose4]

The Union was pretty good at blowing opportunities in general until Grant and that later generation of Union commanders (Sherman, Sheridan, etc.) got on the scene.

I’m not really a scholar of the WBTS, but I’ve never quite understood how the South had such a large number of solid (or even brilliant) officers at the start of the War, and the Union generalship was so profoundly awful in comparison for the first two years. Then the trends crossed, and as the Union generalship improved throughout the second half of the War, the Confederates couldn’t replace those invaluable men like Stonewall Jackson.

}:-)4

[billbears]

Well I’ve got a portrait of Jackson, Lee, and Forrest in my house and one each of Jackson and Lee on my office wall. Now where is that little statue someone gave me of the 16th President......oh yes it holds the toilet paper in the bathroom..

[sono]

May I borrow Five Dollars?

[gorush]

It is all conjecture, but... Lee made an uncharacteristically large number of errors at Gettysburg, and JEB Stuart’s tardiness also contributed to the loss. If Lee had taken the high ground immediately upon arriving he would have won the battle and Day 3 would never have occurred, the fact that he didn’t allowed the 20th Maine their heroic stand. Had Lee won at Gettysburg the will of the North would have been broken as it was teetering on the brink at the time. It would have overshadowed Vicksburg and Lincoln would have lost his remaining support.

Maybe our Constitution would still mean what it says...and maybe not... John Adams packed the federal courts after his loss to Jefferson but before his term was up. One of his liberal appointees was Marbury of Marbury v. Madison, possibly the greatest cause of our Constitution's demise. Once again, just conjecture.

[billbears]

Actually I rarely carry money anymore. It’s easier to use a debit/credit card and very few places don’t take them. But when I did, I rarely used a 5 and didn’t take pennies in change.

[Silly]

Were these pictures taken before or after he was shot?

[StoneWall Brigade]

Thanks for ping SB

[bannie]

He really was NOT very attractive.

In our day of tv and Internet, I doubt that he would be elected. Unfortunately, many people now care about the exterior more than the interior.

(That colorized picture is amazing—it makes him more “real.” I do wonder, however, why he didn’t comb his hair.)

[Colonel Kangaroo]

That darn Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine changed the course of history by narrowly defeating the rebels on little round top...if not for that, the South could have gone on to win the whole shootin’ match...and maybe remnants of our long since deceased Constitution would still remain. Before then, people said the United States are...now they say The United States is...

Since a lot of things have occurred the past century to upset the Founders' original plan, it's natural to suppose that things would have been different if the rebs had won. But the Confederate States of America was no champion of limited government. That is, unless you were a slaveowner. The day that engine of oppression, the CSA, was destroyed was the best day the South ever had.

[Screamname]

Damn right he was ugly...You ever see the mirror image of that pic? He looks like a crackhead in a suit..This is what he saw everytime he looked in the mirror.

He truly is the epitome of "Never judge a book by it`s cover." Einstein was the same way about his looks. The sad part is today we live in an incredibly superficial society where someone like Lincoln wouldn`t make it to manager of a porta-san never mind POTUS which is why we constantly get these metrosexual, marketing directed, generic accent talking, dunces as our "leaders".

The focus on looks today is sickening. Take the Paris Hilton crap. Never in a million years did I ever think this absolute waste of humanity would ever take precedent over our own brave men and women in Iraq, but it happened. Why? Because of her looks. And just think; The people who put her on this pedestal are the same people who the government qualifies as a "jury of your peers". Good initiative to never get into legal trouble, ever! These same jelly brained morons who freed OJ would just as soon throw an innocent into jail for life. Why? Because they`re as easy to manipulate as cockroaches to shiet. This is why I`ll never believe in the death penalty, no way. How many more example do we need of people in prison for 10, 20 years ultimtely freed due to DNA evidence? Is there anything more evil than executing a man for a crime he didn`t commit? Sure there are obvious cases like a John Wayne Gacy, but shiet like that don`t care if they die. Why? Beause their effin` nuts. Torture is much better. 23 hours a day in a cement cell for the rest of their lives. No books, no TV, no nothing.

[CJ Wolf]

He just needs some botox and clean up.

[Political Junkie Too]

Well at least there is one piece of Presidential correspondence Sandy Burgler didn't’t liberate.

I was going to say, how do we know that Sandy Berger didn't accidently destroy a memo from George Washington discussing the tactics of British General Clinton, mistaking it for a criticism of President Clinton.

-PJ

[Freedom4US]

Fair enough - I probably shouldn’t have said that, because doctors likely say he had some sort of condition that caused his features to change a bit, but he definitely has cornered the “rode hard and put away wet”. It sure does look a lot like bed hair. Who goes to a portrait from Matthew Brady? without spiffying up a little?

[Travis McGee]

[stainlessbanner]

bttt

[Texas Mulerider]

Actually I rarely carry money anymore. It’s easier to use a debit/credit card and very few places don’t take them. But when I did, I rarely used a 5 and didn’t take pennies in change.

I accept all fives and pennies. My SCV camp is collecting them to fund restoration of several original Confederate battleflags. Why not put 'em to good use?