Abraham Lincoln papers

1 From to William H. Seward [Copy in Frederick Seward's Hand] , May 3, 1864

1 This note arises from the murder on April 12, 1864, of several dozen black soldiers after they had surrendered at Fort Pillow, . The Confederate soldiers perpetrating the massacre were under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. The Lincoln Administration demanded equal treatment for all Union prisoners of war regardless of race, and had at least threatened retaliation in kind among Confederate captives for the murder or enslavement of black Union prisoners. However even after the Fort Pillow Massacre, the president and the Cabinet recognized the difficulty and indefensibility of such a policy. At a cabinet meeting on May 6, each member read his opinion on the case, and after receiving this advice, Lincoln began to draft a set of instructions for Stanton to implement in response to the massacre. Apparently Lincoln became distracted by other matters, such as Grant's campaign against Lee and these instructions were neither completed nor submitted to the War Department. For the written opinions of the cabinet, see Edward Bates to Lincoln, May 4, 1864; William H. Seward to Lincoln, May 5, 1864; Edwin M. Stanton to Lincoln, May 5, 1864; to Lincoln, May 5, 1864; Montgomery Blair to Lincoln, May 6, 1864; and Salmon P. Chase to Lincoln, May 6, 1864. For Lincoln's unfinished instructions to Stanton, see Collected Works, VII, 345-46. For an account of the May 6 cabinet meeting, see Howard K. Beale ed. Diary of Gideon Welles (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1960), Vol. II, 24-25.

2 [Marginal note: Copy from F W. S.]

2 Copies of Lincoln's correspondence with Seward were provided to John G. Nicolay by Seward's son and secretary, Frederick W. Seward.

Executive Mansion

Washington. May 3. 1864.

My dear Sir,

3 Please invite all members of the Cabinet to be present at the meeting today.

Abraham Lincoln papers http://www.loc.gov/resource/mal.3278300 3 At the May 3 cabinet meeting, Lincoln requested formal opinions from each member of the cabinet on the Fort Pillow matter, which opinions would be read and discussed on May 6.

Yours truly.

A. Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln papers http://www.loc.gov/resource/mal.3278300