American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-02-15
WASHINGTON Ft

lSent IN cypher at y a. m.
WAR DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 1865.
To Hon. ". IL. ,Seacard, Fortress Non
roe:
Induced by dispatch from General
Grant, | join you at Fortress Monroe as
soon as | can come. A. LINCOLN.
(Sent in cypher at 8 a. m.
Before starting the following dispatch
was shown me, but proceeded, neverthe-
less
Office United States Military Telegraph
War Department, cipher the following,
telegraphed at Washington, Feb. ?, 1865,
from City Point, Va, 9 r. m, February
2, 1865, to Hon. W. II. Seward, Secreta-
ry of State:
FoRTREss MoNRoE-(Copy)-To f.
NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War, at Wash
ington-The gentlemen here have accept
| ed the proposed terms and will leave for
Fortress Monroe, at $50 p. M.
(Signed) U. s. GRANT,
Lieutenant General
On the night of the ID, ! reached
Hampton Roads, found the Secretary of
State and Major Eckert on a steamer an
chored off the shore, and learned of them
that the Richmond gentlemen were on
another steamer also anchored off the
shore in the roads, and the Secretary Of
State had not yet seen or communicated
with them. / ascertained that Major
Eckert had literally complied with his
instructions. and | saw for the first time.
the answer of the Richmond gentlemen
to him which, in his dispatch to me Of
the lst, he eharacterizes as no satisfactory.
That answer is as follows, to-wit:
CITY POINT. Feb |, 1868.
To Thos j. Ech'eH Maj and Ade de Camp
MAJoR: Your note is considered In
reply we have to say that we are furnish
ed with a copy of the letter Of President
Lincoln to L, p. Blair, of the first of Jan.
ult, another copy Of which is appended
to your note. Our intentions are con-
tained in letter Of which the following
is a,copy:
RICHMoND, January %, 1865.
To conformity with the letter Of Mr..
Lincoln, Of which the foregoing is a copy,
you are to TO proceed TO Washington city
for informal conference with him upon
the issues involved in the existing war,
and for the purpose Of securing peace to
the two countries.
With great respect, your obedient ser
want JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The substantial object TO be obtained
be the informal conference is to be termi-
mated honorably Our instructions con-
template a personal interview between
President Lincoln and ourselves, at Wash
ington; but, with this explanation, we
are ready to meet any person Or persons
that President Lincoln may appoint, at
such place as he may designate. Our
earnest desire is that just and honora-
bic peace may be agreed upon, and we
are prepared toreceive or to su! NIT propo-
sitioes which may possibly lead to the at
tainment of that end.
Very respectfully yours,
ALEX. II. STEPHENS,
II. NJ T. HUNTER,
j. A. CAMPBELL.
A note from these gentlemen subse-
quenty addressed to General Grant, has
already been given in Major Eckert's
dispatch of the first inst, who also saw
here for the first time the following note
addressed by the Richmond gentlemen
to Major Eckert:
CITY POINT, VA, February 2.
T. D. Eckcrt, Nqj. and 4. ID. C.
In reply to your verbal statement that
your instructions did not allow you to al
ter the conditions upon which passport
could be given to US, we say that we are
willing to proceed to Fortress Monroe,
and there to have an informal conference
with any person or persons that President
Lincoln may appoint on the basis of his
letter to F. F. Blair, of the 18th of Jan
ultimo, or upon any other terms or con-
ditions that he may hereafter propose,
not consistent with the essential princi-
pies Of self-government aud popular arrights
upon which our institutions are founded
| 1t is our further wish to ascertain, after
free interchange Of ideas and iniorma-
tion, upon what principles and terms, if
any, a just and honorable peace can be
established, without the further effusion
of blood. and to contribute our utmost
efforts to produce sufh result. We
think it better to add that in accepting
pour passport we are not to be understood
as committing ourselves to anything but
to carry on this informal conf ference above
represented.
Very respectfully, yours &c.
A. II. STEPHENS,
r. NJ T. HUNTER,
j. A. CAMPBELL
The above communication was deliv-
cred to Inc at Fortress Monroe, on Febru-
airy I'd at 4:30 p, M, by Lieutenant Col
Babcock Of Gen Grants staff
I. L. ECKERT,
Major and Aide-de-C Camp.
On the morning of the Sd, the three
gentlemen, Stephens, Hunter and Camp
bell came aboard of the our steamer and
had an interview with the Secretary of
State and myself of several hours dura-
ton. Noquestion of preliminaries to the
meeting was then and there made or men
toned, and no other person was present.
No papers were exchanged or produced
/ and II waS in advance agreed that the con-