den" mine was peculiar in this: that its occupants claimed to
be the legal owners of it on a Mexican grant, and went into court on that
claim. The case found its way into the Supreme Court of the United States,
and last term, in and by that court, the claim of the occupants was
decided to be utterly fraudulent. Thereupon it was considered the duty of
the Government by the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney-General,
and myself to take possession of the premises; and the Attorney-General
carefully made out the writ and I signed it. It was not obtained
surreptitiously, although I suppose General Halleck thought it had been,
when he telegraphed, simply because he thought possession was about being
taken by a military order, while he knew no such order had passed through
his hands as general-in-chief.

The writ was suspended, upon urgent representations from California,
simply to keep the peace. It never had any direct or indirect reference to
any mine, place, or person, except the "New Almaden" mine and the persons
connected with it.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL MEADE.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 21, 1863.

MAJOR-GENERAL MEADE, Warrenton, Va.:

At this late moment I am appealed to in behalf of William Thompson of
Company K, Third Maryland Volunteers, in Twelfth Army Corps, said to be
at Kelly's Ford, under sentence to be shot to-day as a deserter. He is
represented to me to be very young, with symptoms of insanity. Please
postpone the execution till further order.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO GENERAL SCHOFIELD.

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 22, 1863.

GENERAL SCHOFIELD, Saint Louis, Mo.:

Please send me if you can a transcript of the record in the case of McQuin
and Bell, convicted of murder by a military commission. I telegraphed
General Strong for it, but he does not answer.

A. LINCOLN.

TELEGRAM TO MRS. GRIMSLEY.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C., August 24, 1863.

MRS. ELIZABETH J. GRIMSLEY, Springfield, Ill.:

I mail the papers to you to-day appointing Johnny to the Naval school.

A. LINCOLN

TO CRITICS OF EMANCIPATION

To J. C. CONKLING.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, August 26, 1863.

HON. JAMES C. CONKLING.

MY DEAR SIR:--Your letter inviting me to attend a mass meeting of
unconditional Union men, to be held at the capital of Illinois, on the
3d day of September, has been received. It would be very agreeable for
me thus to meet my old fr