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Lincoln's Final Letter Home
This letter is the last surviving hand-written correspondence
between President Lincoln and Mary Todd (GLC
08090). Far from a personal missive between husband and
wife, this letter reads like a military dispatch, updating
Mrs. Lincoln on the advances of the Army of the Potomac and
forecasting the fall of the Confederacy. In fact, Lincoln
ends the letter by noting "Copy to Secretary of War."
This letter demonstrates Lincoln’s active, hands-on
role as commander in chief of the armed forces.
At the time this letter was written, Mrs. Lincoln had just
returned to Washington after cutting her family vacation short.
In the excitement following Sheridan’s victory at Five
Forks on April 1st, Lincoln reported from Grant’s Headquarters
at City Point, VA. With great optimism, Lincoln wrote of Grant’s
intention to order a full attack on Petersburg. However, the
President had not yet received word that Grant’s campaign
was a success and Lee was already abandoning Petersburg. Later
that afternoon Lee sent word to President Davis to evacuate
Richmond. The end of the war was in sight when the Capital
of the Confederacy fell under Union control within two days
and its four armies would surrender in two months time.
Brian Riggs
Research Associate
Gilder Lehrman Collection
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Click to see the document.
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GLC 08090 Lincoln's last letter to Mary Lincoln,
2 April 1865.
For more information or to obtain copies, contact Ana Ramirez-Luhrs
at reference@gilderlehrman.com
or call (212) 787-6616 ext. 209.
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Mrs A. Lincoln,
Washington, D.C.
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Head Quarters Armies of the United States
City. Point, April 2. 7~45[a.m.] 1865
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Last night Gen. Grant telegraphed that Sheridan with his Calvary
and the 5th Corps have captured three brigades of Infantry,
a train of weapons, and several batteries, prisoners amounting
to several thousands - This morning Gen. Grant [inserted: having
ordered an attack along the whole line] telegraphed as follows
“Both Wright and Parks got through the enemies lines
- The battle now rages furiously. Sheridan with his Cavalry,
the 5th Corps, & Miles Division of the 2nd Corps, which
was sent to him since 1. this A.M. is now sweeping down from
the West. All now looks highly favorable. Ord is engaged, but
I have not yet heard the result in his front”
Robert yesterday wrote a little [inserted: chaefe] note to Capt.
Penrow, which is all I have heard of him since you left. Copy
to Secretary of War
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Carwardine, Richard J. Lincoln. Pearson
Education Ltd. 2003.
Denney, Robert E. The Civil War Years; A Day-by-Day Chronicle
of the Life of a Nation. Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.,
NY New York, 1992.
Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius
of Abraham Lincoln. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Guelzo, Allen C. Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President.
William B. Eerdmans, 1999.
McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom; the Civil War
Era. Oxford University Press, 1988.
Weigley, Russell F. A Great Civil War: A Military and
Political History, 1861-1865. Indiana University Press,
2000.
Wilson, Douglas L. Honor's Voice: The Transformation of
Abraham Lincoln. Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.
Winik, Jay. April 1865; The Month That Saved America.
Harpers Collins Publishers, 2001.
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