G. V. Fox confers with President about Fort Sumter, S.C. Tilley, 174-78. Cong. James M. Ashley (Ohio) sees President about appointment of Francis M. Case (Ohio) as surveyor general for Utah Territory. Ashley to Case, 19 March 1861, Salmon P. Chase Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

[Irwin withdraws $5.75 from Springfield Marine Bank. Pratt, Personal Finances, 176.]

President nominates: former Cong. Burlingame (Mass.), minister to Austria; Rufus King, New York editor and friend of Sec. Seward, minister to Rome; Bradford R. Wood, one of founders of Republican party in New York state, minister to Denmark. Baltimore Sun, 21 March 1861.

Willie and Tad Lincoln have the measles. Nicolay to Bates, 20 March 1861, John G. Nicolay Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Titus C. Wetmore and Copeland Townsend of Colorado Territory interview President and submit recommendations for territorial appointments. Memorandum on Appointments to Territories, 20 March 1861, CW, 4:294-95.

President writes secretary of war to give Thomas J. Pickett, Illinois state senator, U.S. agency of Island of Rock Island. Abraham Lincoln to Simon Cameron, 21 March 1861, CW, 4:297.

[Irwin withdraws $29 from Springfield Marine Bank. Pratt, Personal Finances, 176.]

President and Mrs. Lincoln greet guests attending second White House reception of season. Marine band plays under direction of Prof. Francis Scala, who dedicates "Grand Union Inaugural March" to Mrs. Lincoln. Baltimore Sun, 25 March 1861; National Intelligencer, 23 March 1861.

President receives no visitors today. N.Y. Herald, 24 March 1861.

Cabinet meets in long session; presumably discusses affairs of state. Baltimore Sun, 25 March 1861.

Deputation of 60 citizens of Baltimore calls upon President and secretary of treasury. Cabinet in session, presumably to complete appointments before Senate adjourns. Baltimore Sun, 26 March 1861.

On letter written to him this day Lincoln writes "Foolishness." William C. Jewett to Lincoln, 25 March 1861, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

President replies to Senate resolution of 25th "that at the present moment the publication of it [Fort Sumter dispatches of Maj. Anderson] would be inexpedient." Abraham Lincoln to the United States Senate, 26 March 1861, CW, 4:299.

Cabinet in session nearly whole morning. Baltimore Sun, 27 March 1861.

At night Lincoln meets with Secs. Seward and Welles, and Sens. Harris (N.Y.) and Preston King (N.Y.) at state dept. to discuss appointments. Frederic Bancroft, The Life of William H. Seward, 2 vols. (New York: Harper, 1900), 2:356.

Chevalier Joseph Bertinatti, chargé d'Affaires from Italy presents credentials; President returns good wishes. National Intelligencer, 28 March 1861; Reply to Joseph Bertinatti, 27 March 1861, CW, 4:300.

William H. Russell, Washington representative of London "Times," has interview with Lincoln. Russell, Diary.

Lincoln interviews W. H. P. Denny of Dayton, Ohio, who applies for position of postmaster. Denny to Chase, 30 March 1861, Salmon P. Chase Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Mrs. Lincoln and friends visit Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. Baltimore Sun, 29 March 1861.

Cassius M. Clay calls at White House and declines appointment to Spain; decides to accept St. Petersburg post and receives thanks of President. Monaghan, Diplomat, 45-46.

Carl Schurz calls at White House and learns he is appointed minister to Spain. Carl Schurz, Intimate Letters of Carl Schurz, 1841-1869, trans and ed. by Joseph Schafer (Madison, WI: n.p., 1928), 252.

Lincoln sends 50 nominations to Senate. Baltimore Sun, 29 March 1861.

Senate committee notifies President of adjournment unless he has further communications. Senate Journal, 433.

President and Mrs. Lincoln hold first state dinner for cabinet and special guests including Gen. Scott. During evening Lincoln informs cabinet that Scott recommends evacuation of Fort Sumter, S.C., and Fort Pickens, Fla. Russell, Diary; Randall, Lincoln, 1:332; Erasmus D. Keyes, Fifty Years' Observation of Men and Events, Civil and Military (New York: Scribner, 1884), 377.

President and Sec. Seward interview Capt. Montgomery C. Meigs on possibility of relieving Fort Pickens, Fla. Frederick W. Seward, Seward at Washington, as Senator and Secretary of State, vols. 2-3 of Seward at Washington (New York: Derby & Miller, 1891), 2:538-39.

At early morning cabinet meeting President announces decision to reinforce Fort Sumter, S.C. and Fort Pickens. Bates, Diary; West, Welles, 101.

Following cabinet meeting President has interview with F. P. Blair, Sr., who is of opinion that evacuation of Fort Sumter would be treason. William E. Smith, The Francis Preston Blair Family in Politics, 2 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1933), 2:9.

Writes secretaries of war and navy: "I desire that an expedition, to move by sea, be got ready to sail as early as the 6th of April next." Abraham Lincoln to Gideon Welles and Simon Cameron, 29 March 1861, CW, 4:301.

Discusses California appointments with Sen. Baker (Oreg.) and several California politicians. Baltimore Sun, 1 April 1861.

Interviews Edward Stabler of Maryland, Quaker and friend of F. P. Blair, Sr., relative to Maryland patronage. Stabler to Lincoln, 30 March 1861, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

President announces visiting hours from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. Nicolay to Bates, 31 March 1861, John G. Nicolay Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Again discusses California appointments with Sen. Baker (Oreg.) and James W. Simonton, Washington representative of San Francisco "Bulletin," who opposes Baker. Simonton makes personal remarks about Baker and offends President, who throws Simonton's list of appointments in fire. N.Y. Herald, 31 March 1861; Baltimore Sun, 1 April 1861.

Mrs. Lincoln establishes White House "at home" between 2 and 4 P.M. each Saturday until further notice. Baltimore Sun, 1 April 1861.

President Lincoln writes to Illinois State Auditor Jesse K. Dubois, who is "sorely disappointed" that Lincoln did not name J. P. Luse to head Minnesota's Indian Affairs office. Lincoln explains, "I was . . . sorry . . . at not being able to give Mr. Luce the appointment . . . Of course I could have done it; but it would have been against the united, earnest, and, I add, angry protest of the republican delegation of Minnesota. . . So far as I understand, it is unprecedented, [to] send an officer into a state against the wishes of the members of congress of the State, and of the same party." Jesse K. Dubois to Abraham Lincoln, 27 March 1861, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Abraham Lincoln to Jesse K. Dubois, 30 March 1861, CW, 4:302.

Troubled over suggested appointment of "Lizzie" (Elizabeth Todd Grimsley), cousin of Mrs. Lincoln, to Springfield post office, Lincoln writes former law partner, John T. Stuart: "Will it do for me to go on and justify the declaration that Trumbull and I have divided out all the offices among our relatives?" Abraham Lincoln to John T. Stuart, 30 March 1861, CW, 4:303.

President summons Capt. Meigs and instructs him to prepare, in conjunction with Col. Erasmus D. Keyes, military secretary to Gen. Scott, a project for relief of Fort Pickens, Fla. Frederick W. Seward, Seward at Washington, as Senator and Secretary of State, vols. 2-3 of Seward at Washington (New York: Derby & Miller, 1891), 2:539.

Meigs and Keyes report to President with plans for relief of Fort Pickens. Lincoln, after discussing plans, orders them to go to Scott with instructions that the President wishes this thing done without fail. Montgomery C. Meigs, "Documents: General M. C. Meigs on the Conduct of the Civil War," American Historical Review 26 (January 1921):300.