, 1889-11-21
New York CRY,

RuDhC to-uuS
New YORK Cry,
6s WEST SIxTY-EIGHrH STREET
July ~, 1889.
Messrs. John q. Nicolay and John
Hay; GEsTLEMEs-You have been max
ing what ought to be u valuable addition
to the history of this country, In your
serial publications for several months
past In the Century Magazine, and
which you call abraham Lincoln: A
History"
At the time of the occurrence of the
events which you narrate in your His
tory" you each sustained personal Oil.
cial relations with Mr.. Lincoln. This
fact adds the greatest weight TO your ut
tcranccs and imposes upon you CORE
spending responsibility. Those relations
gave you the means of knowing the facts
about which you write, so far, at least,
as the president was concerned. Tho
biography of Abraham Lincoln neces-
sarily carries with it the history of the
republic during the eventful time when
he was its chief magistrate. He was the
president Of the United States in the
most critical period of its existence.
Your work, when finished, will be pub.
lished in book form and doubtless will
be regarded as standard reference for
future generations. You will, therefore,
readily understand my anxiety that,
whatever you may say about my actions
in the late Civil war, coming from a
responsible source which should carry
the weight of authority, shall be strictly
correct, and you can not fail to appre-
ciate my object in writing this letter.
must frankly say at the outset, that
from the persistence with which you
have, to say the least, presented only
one side of the question involved in my
case; from the manner in which you
have referred to my motives, and at.
tackled my loyalty, in your publications; 1;
and from the additional fact that one of
you in the political campaign of 1880, in
an address to the public, made unjust
assertions against my many friends and
myself, for party purposes, have beon
forced to the conclusion, either that
there was so great "A prejudice existing
in your minds that evidence could not
overcome it, or else that you had not
examined the case with that care which
ought to be given by jmpartial.histor.
ans. | could not believe that into the
IlotiNcs lot your ACTION tnere could en-
ter personal malice, as there never was
any possible ground for any such feeling
on your part towards me.
My actions were so interviewer with
the events of the war for the Union up
to certain period, that historians
deemed them of importance, and so
have invariably given them prominence.
You seem to have been of the same opin.
ion. II they were of so much import
ance, is it not essential that they should
be correctly stated; and, above all, that
my motives should not be unjustly i'm.
pugned nor my loyalty wrongfully as
sailed?
You have incorrectly described my ac
tion; you have uniustly impugned my
motives, and as unjustly assailed my
loyalty. You have charged me with
that which to q loyal soldier is worse
than death. must also add that you
have dore all this against evidence to
the contrary.
In making this declaration | do not
mean to say that you have willfully or
maliciously done this. am led 10 be.
lieve that you have suffered yourselves
to he misled and have made assertions
which your better judgment. assisted BY
honest, unprejudiced and careful exam
ination into the facts of the case, W 1uld
have prevented you as impartial histori-
ans from making.
/ enclose three published articles; two
from the New York Sun, written by
General John Gibbon of the army. and
one from the st. Paul Dispatch, written
by Colonel Carswell Mcclellan. These
gentlemen are well known, and each has
a reputation for integrity and each Is ac.
knowlcdged as authority upon the sub.
ject of which he writes. General Glib
bon was an active participant In the
events of which he writes, and therefore
speaks from actual knowledge. Colonel
Mcclellan knows the field of action and
has been close student ofall histories of
that subject. | ask your careful attention
to each of these articles and then Won
will extend your studies by the exami.
nation of such publications as relate to
the history of the campaign in Northern
Virginia, in August, 1861. or course |
do not ask you TO confine your attention
to the cphemeral partisan publications
which, pandering to the popular clamor
OF the time, ought not to influence you;
but do ask you to examine impartial,
considerate and careful histories which
are deserving of respect. You need fear
no loss of dignity nor of self-respeot, If,
like the Conite dc Paris, you should find
it just to acknowledge an error There
can be no doubt of the integrity and
competency of that impartial historian.
In the first edition of his great 'History
of tn Civil War of America" he fell in
to the sam error which you have made.
But, after fuller examination, he correct.
ed that error in subsequent edition and
did me justice. You will certainly be In
most excellent company If you follow
his example.
GENERAL GRANT.
l also call your attenuon to the opin.
lon expressed by General Grant. Ho
had placed himself upon record unmis-
takably and unequivocably as antagon.
istic to me, induced to that course by
the statements of my accuser, who, at
that time, he believed to be reliable.
Notwithstanding tho position he had
taken, he, after ~ careful personal ex-
animation of my case. with moral
courage almost sublime under the cir
cumstances, publicly and most dccid-
edly exoncrated me from all blame, and
proclaimed that, in his opinion, had
committed no act, intentional or unin-
territorial, by accident or oversight, by
thought or word or deed, for which |
was amenable for censure. Not only
this, but he approved and justified my
dispatches to General Burnside, for
which you malign me. This action Of
General Giant was one of the rarest In
He had been president of the
United States for two terms. He was
the first OF all living men in the respect
and affections of his countrymen;
OF his dav filled the whole
earth. He was against me, but
without examination. He examined
fully and carefully, and as a result OF
that examination he published to the
world that ho had done me wrong; that
he had committed an error and lastened
to correct the error aud do whut he could
10 I,ut Naati ynt hnst-