CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING SPECIALLY TO OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND PENNSYLVANIA, AUGUST 4, 1864, TO AUGUST 31, 1864.*

UNION CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.

CITY POINT, VA., August 4, 1864-12 m.

(Received 7 p. m.)

A. LINCOLN,

President of the United States:

Your dispatch of 6 p. m. just received. I will start in two hours for Washington and will spend a day with the army under General Hunter.+

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

WASHINGTON, August 4, 1864-10 p. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point, Va.:

Had you asked my opinion in regard to Generals Hunter and Sheridan it would have been freely and frankly given; but I must beg to be excused from deciding questions which lawfully and properly belong to your office I can give no instructions to either till you decide upon their commands. I await your orders, and shall strictly carry them out, whatever they may be.++

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, August 4, 1864. (Received 11.40 a. m.)

Governor BOREMAN,

Wheeling, W. Va.:

Your telegrams@ of yesterday has been received. The Government is taking all the measures within its power to protect your State from the rebel forces. Much might be done by the loyal people to impede any advance if it should be attempted by cutting down trees and blocking the roads and destroying bridges. If you would give attention to this subject and induce your people to do something themselves they could in the way suggested accomplish a good deal for their own protection and aid our forces in following and destroying the rebels.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

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*For Correspondence, etc., from September 1, 1864, to December 31, 1864, see Part II.

+See lincoln to Grant, August 3, 6 p. m., Vol. XXXVII, Part II, p. 582.

++See Halleck to Grant, and Grant to Halleck, August 3, 1864, Vol. XXXVII, Part II, pp. 582, 583.

@See Boreman to Stanton, Vol. XXXVII, Part II, p. 587.

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