name of one man who perpetrated the insults of which you complain. Be a little more practical next time, and by all means follow my advice: Shoot down the unwashed dogs who desecrate your flag. When next you write me, tell all the particulars of the fight, and give me a list of the rebels killed.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

LEW. WALLACE,

Major-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 3, 1864--6 p. m.

(Received 4th.)

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

I have seen your dispatch* in which you say "I want Sheridan put in command of all the troops in the field, with instructions to put himself south of the enemy and follow him to the death. Wherever the enemy goes let our troops go also. " This, I think, is exactly right as to how our forces should move, but please look over the dispatches you may have received from here even since you made that order, and discover, if you can, that there is any idea in the head of any one here of "putting our army south of the enemy," or of "following him to the death" in any direction. I repeat to you it will neither be done nor attempted, unless you watch it every day and hour and force it.

A. LINCOLN,

President.

WASHINGTON, August 3, 1864--2. 30 p. m.

Lieutenant-General GRANT,

City Point, Va.:

From the best information I can get Early's force is now about 40,000--perhaps a little more. He has about 7,000 or 8,000 cavalry, very well mounted, the dismounted cavalry about Richmond having been sent up to use the horses captured on a former raid. General Sheridan has just arrived. He agrees with me about his command, and prefers the cavalry alone to that and the Sixth Corps. How would it do to be a military division of Departments of Pennsylvania, Washington, Maryland, and West Virginia, and put Sheridan in general command, so far as military operations are concerned? Only about three regiments of Sheridan's cavalry have arrived, and be thinks it will not all be here for several days. It is important to hurry it up, for if the enemy should make a heavy cavalry raid toward Pittsburg or Harrisburg, it would have so much the start that it would do immense damage before Sheridan could possibly overtake it. He thinks that for operations in the open country of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Northern Virginia cavalry is much better than infantry, and that the cavalry arm can be much more effective there than about Richmond or south. He, therefore, suggests that another cavalry division be sent here, so that he can press the enemy clear down to the James River. They are now gathering in their crops in the Valley counties, and sending them

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*See p. 558.

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