The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-18
.a.-e "C11Y POINT, VA, Top. m.-Feb. i.
His Excellency A. Lincoln, President OF

| Il nave the honor to report the delivery
of your communication and my letters at
4: Is this afternoon, to which received a
reply at6o'c!ock in the evening, but not
satisfactory, Ats o'clock in the evening
the following note, addressed to General
Grant, was received:
.'C1TY POINT, Feb. ], 1866.
Lieutenant General Grant:
''SlR: We desire to 60 to Washington
City to confer Informally with the Presi-
mentioned in his letters to Mr.. Blair of the
Sth of January ultimo, without any per.
sonal compromise on any questions in the
letter. We have permission to do so from
the authorities in Richmond.
: Very respectfully yours.
ALEX. II. STEPHENS.
r. NJ. T. HUNTER,
| JOHN A. CAMPBELL. q
s'At 9:2O in the evening I notified them
they complied with the terms in my letter.
The point of meeting designated IN the
above note would not be insisted upon. ]
think Fortress Monroe would be accepta-
BILE. Having complied with my ipstruc-
tions, I will return to Washington to-mor-
row, unless otherwise ordered.
(Signed) ssTHOS. T. ECKERT.
, Major, etc. +
On reading the dispatch of Major Eek
ert, was about to recall him and the
Secretary of State, when the following
telegram of General Grant to the Secreta.
ry of War was shown me:
"OFF1cE UNITED STATES MILITARY
| TELEGRAPH, WAR DEPARTMENT.
''The following telegram was received
at Washington, 4:35 q. m. February I'd,
from City Point, February lst, lO:4O p. m.
"Hon. E: NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War:
Now that the interview between Major
Eckert, under his written instructions, and
Mr.. Stephens and party, has ended, / will
state confidentiatlly, but no, officially to
become matter Of record, that am COM
vlnced, upon conversation with Messrs.
Stephens and Hunter that their Intentions
are good, and their desire sincere to restore
at liberty toexpress any views Of my own,
or to account for my reticence. This has
placed me In an awkward position, which
/ could have avoided by not seeing them
In the first instance. tear now their go
ing back without any expression to any
one in authority will have a bad influence.
i At the same time recognize the difficult
ties in the way of receiving these informal
commissioners at this time. do not
know what to recommend. / am sorry,
however, that Mr.. Lincoln cannot have
an interview with the two named in this
dispatch, if not all three now within our
lines. Their letter to me was all that the
| AAcs'oeuts iHst1 uctions Con!empfdteu to
secure their safe conduct, if they bad used
the same language to Major kckert.
/ (Signed) ~. s. GRANT,
Lieutenant General"
This dispatch of Gen. Grant changed my
purpose, and according telegraphed tc
him and the Secretary Of State as follows
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, I
February 2, 1865.
Lieut. Gen. Grant, City Point:
~ Cnv tr,t t1nr hat r vnv$n
them personally at Fort Monroe as soon as
i can get there. (Signed.)
j "a. LINCOLN.'
[Sent in cypher at nine in the morning.
"WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, I
February 2, 1865. !
"Hon. VIM. II. Seward, Fort Monroe:
Induced by dispatch from Gen. Grant
/ will join you at Fort Monroe as soon as j
can come. (Signed.l "a. LINCOLN"
[Sent in cypher at nine in the morning.
Before starting, the following dispatch
was shown me. proceeded nevertheless
"M1L1TARY TELEGRAPH OFFICE q. s., I
WAR DEPARTMENT.
4 (Cipher) "The following telegram was
received at Washington, February 2, 1865
from City Point, Va, 9 a. M, February
1865:
+" To Hon. VIM. 81. Seward, Secretary O
/ State: Fort Monroe, Copy to E. NJ
Stanton, Secretary of War, Washing
a toni:
"'The gentlemen here have accepted tn,
proposed terms. and will leave for For
Monroe % 3t s ssS eRAsr + NJ ;sst ssie9sd e;snsr.,,.
On the night of the I'd, reached Hamp
ton Roads. Found the Secretary Of Stat,
and Major Eckert on a steamer anchored
off the shore, and learned of them that tn,
Richmond gentlemen were on anothe!
steamer, also anchored of shore in tn,
Roads, and that the Secretary of State hae
not yet seen or communicated with them
ally complied with his instructions, and
saw tor the first time the answer of tn,
Richmond gentlemen to him, which, in hi
dispatch to me of the of the 1st, he charac
! terizes as not satisfactory. That answer il
: as follows to wit:
: CITY POINT, February ], 1865.
, ''Tho. T. Eckert, Major and A. b. c.:
"MAJoR: Your note, delivered by your
self this day, has been considered. In re
ply we have to say that we were furnishe,
:. with copy of the letter of President Lin
I coin to F. p. Blair, of the 18th of Januar,
last, another copy Of which is appended t
} your note. Our instructions are containe,
! In letter, Of which the following is a tru
copy:
"sIn conformity with the letter of MI
, Lincoln, Of which the foregoing is copy
: you are to proceed to Washington City 70
!. an informal conference with him upon tn
issues involved in the existing war, an,
: for the purpose of securing peace to tn
two countries. With great respect,
Your Obedient servant,
"JEFFERSoN DAVIS"
, "The substantial object to be obtained b,
:. upon what terms the existing war can b
tarvy,inatnd hOnOrAblv. Our instrncfinn