Abraham Lincoln to Major General George B. McClellan, April 6, 1862 – 8 p.m.

WASHINGTON, April 6, 1862 – 8 p.m.

General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN:

Yours of 11 a.m. to-day received.* Secretary of War informs me that the forwarding of transportation, ammunition, and Woodbury's brigade, under your orders, is not, and will not, be interfered with. You now have over 100,000 troops with you, independent of General Wool's command. I think you better break the enemy's line from Yorktown to Warwick River at once. This will probably use time as advantageously as you can.†

A. LINCOLN,

President.

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* See “Correspondence, etc.,” Part III.

† See Reply on Page 11.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 11, Part 1 (Serial No. 12), p. 14