Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-02-16

/ til he arrives, and then act upon the mes
| sage ne brings as far as applicable, it hav-
/ ing been made up TO pass through Gen.
/ Ord hands, aud when the gents were sup
posed to be beyond our lines.
/ Signed a. LINCOLN.
/ When Major Eckcrt departed he bore
with him a lctter of the Secretary of War to
Gen. Grant, as follows:
WAR DEpARrNFNr,
WAsmSGroN, Jan. 80, lSGj.
G,n. G,,tDt Commaadjog De:
/ GENERAL--Tho President desires that
YOU will please procure for the bearer, Mai.
I. I. Eckcrt. an interview with Messrs
Stephens Hunter and Campbell. and if on
his return to YOU he request it., pass them
through cur lines to Fortress Monroe by
such route and under such military precau-
ton as you may deem prudent, giving them
protection and comfortable quarters while
there. You will let none of this have any
effect upon your movements or plans
By order Of the President
ISignedl Z; NJ. STANTON,
Secretary of War;
Supposing the proper point to be then
reached, | dispatched the Secretary Of State
with the following instruction, Maj. Eckcrt,
however, going ahead of him:
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81, 1865.
Hon. Va. H. ,Se,card, Secretary Of State.
You will proceed to Fortress Monroe,
there to meet and informally confer with
Messrs, Stephens, Hunterand Campbell, on
the basis of my letter to f. p. Blair of the
18th Of January, 1868, COPY of which YOU
have. You will make known to them that
three things are indispensable, to-wit -
First, the restoration of the National au-
thority throughout all the States second,
no receding by the Executive of the United
States on the slavery question, from the po-
stion assucd thereon in the late annual
message to Congress, and in the preceding
documents and, third, no cessation of hos
tilites short Of an end of the war and the
disban1ing of all the forces hostile to the
Government. You will inform them that
all propositions, if it is notinconsstcnt with
the above, will be considered and passed
upon in a spirit Of sincere libcraity. You
will hear all they may choose to say, and
report it to me- You will not assume to
definitely consummatc anything.
Yours, &c.
A. LINCOLN.
The following telegram was sent to Gen
Grant;
W Az bEfAhlMbNI,
WAsuINGToN, Feb. |, 1865
Lieut. zen, Grant, CHy Pont w.:
Let nothing that is transpirng change,
:, hinder or delay your military movements or
plans.
Signed \. LINCOLN.
Afterwards the following dispatch was
received from Gen. Grant
OFFICE L. $. MILITARY TELEGRApH
WAR DEPARTMENT, Feb. |, 1865.
The following telegram was received at
Washington at 2;30 2. NJ, Feb. 9th:
Cry PoINT Va, Feb |, l2:20P, VI.
Ills Eccellcacy, 4. LiHcoia, PrcSiicm Of
the UHitcd States!
Your dispatches received There will be
no armstico in consequence of the presence
Of Mr.. Stephens aud Others within our lines.
The troops are kept in readiness to move at
the shortest notice if occasion should JUS
tify it.
Signed L. :. GRANT, Lieut.. Gen.
I. TO notify Eckert that the Secretary of
State would be at Fortress Monroe and to
put them in communication, the following
dispatch was sent
:. WAR DEPARTMENT, WAsHNGTON,
February ., j. NJ.
7. u. ECKERr, CARE GEN GRANT, City
Point, Na.:-Call at Fortress Monroe and
proceed under directions of Mr. Seward,
, whom you will find there
LSigncd, A. LINCOLN.
On the. morning Of the 2pd inst. the fol
lowing telegram was received.
CRY PoINT, Va, Feb. l--lO =. NJ
! HIS EXCELLENCY, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
| President of the United States: i have the
honor to report the delivery of your com
munication and my letter at 4: 5 this after
noon, to which received reply at 6 r. NJ.
but not satisfactorily.
In the afternoon the following note, ad-
! dressed to Cen Grant was received
Cry POINT, Feb /, 1865.
GEY. GRANr--Sir We desire to go to
! Washington City to confer informally with
the President personally in reference to the
matters mentioned in his letter to Mr.. Blair
Of the 18th Of January, ult,, without any
personal compromise on any person named
in the letter We have the permission to
+ do so from the authorities IN Richmond
Very respectfully yours,
ALEX. H. STEPHENS,
r. NJ. II. HUNTER,
j. A. CAMPBELL.
At 9.30'P, NJ. | notified them that they
Sull not proceed turlhcr unless they com
Piled with the terms expressed in the letter
t Tho point of meeting designated in the
, above note would not, in my opinion, be
} insisted upon. | think Fortress Monroe
t would be acceptable, Having complied
a with my instructions | will return to Wash
0 ington tomorrow unless otherwise ordered
1 Signed, THos L. ECKERr, Maj.
t On reading this dispatch of Major Eckcrt
was about to recall him aud the Secretary
of State, when the following telegram oj
Gen. Grant to the Secretary Of War was
shown me -
OFFICE Z. s. MILITARY TELEGRAPH J
WAR DEPARTMENT.
The following telegram was received AT
Washington at Ass A. W. Feb. ID, from
City Point, Feb. lst, 1880 p. NJ,
hon, L. ~ Stanton, Secretary Of Var
Now that the interview between Major
Eckert, under his written Instructions and
Messrs. stephens and party, is ended, | will
state confdentially, but not officially, to be-
come matter of record, that | am convn-
ccd upon conversation with Mcssrs Ste