Lincoln writes to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and intercedes on behalf of a "poor widow, by the name of Baird." Lincoln explains, "[She] has a son in the Army, that . . . has been sentenced to serve a long time without pay, or . . . with very little pay. I do not like this punishment of withholding pay—it falls so very hard upon poor families. After he has been serving in this way for several months, at the tearful appeal of the poor Mother, I made a direction that he be allowed to enlist for a new term . . . She now comes, and says she can not get it acted upon. Please do it." Lincoln to Stanton, 1 March 1864, Edwin M. Stanton Papers, Library of Congress, Washington DC; Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 1 March 1864, CW, 7:217.

Sends to Senate nomination of General Ulysses S. Grant to be lieutenant general. Evening Star (Washington, DC), 2 March 1864, 2d ed., Extra, 2:1.

Cabinet meets. Welles, Diary.

"This evening the President and Mrs. Lincoln will entertain at the Executive Mansion the members of Congress and their families . . . no cards of invitation have been issued to any other person." Daily National Republican (Washington, DC), 1 March 1864, 2d ed., 2:1, 2 March 1864, 2d ed., 2:4.

On letter of this date from Sec. Chase, introducing "Mr. Metcalf" who wishes to paint Lincoln's portrait, he writes, "Nix." Chase to Lincoln, 1 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Lincoln sends autograph to New England Kitchen, connected with Brooklyn Sanitary Fair, as means of raising funds. Abraham Lincoln to the New England Kitchen, 2 March 1864, CW, 7:220.

Interviews Messrs. Chase and Earl of Toledo, Ohio, about appointment of postmaster. Sherman to Lincoln, 2 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Congressman Abel C. Wilder (Kansas) confers with President regarding Kansas affairs. Seward to Lincoln, 2 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Lincoln, while sitting for F. B. Carpenter, recites soliloquy of King in Hamlet from memory. Carpenter, Six Months, 49.

With family visits Grover's Theatre for Edwin Booth's appearance in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Washington Chronicle, 3 March 1864.

President confers with Committee on Conduct of War regarding commander of Army of Potomac. U.S. Congress, Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, 3 vols., 38th Cong., 2d sess. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1865), I, xix.

Interviews Mrs. James Moran, who asks that her minor son be released from service. Morgan, Rhinehart & Co. to Lincoln, 3 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Receives report that Maine Legislature has adopted resolutions to continue present administration. Blaine to Lincoln, 3 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Confers with Sec. Welles on promotion of Col. J. R. Hawley and vote of thanks to Commodore Cadwalader Ringgold (USN). Welles, Diary.

Approves speech of Gen. Steele to people of Arkansas and thanks him for it. Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Steele, 3 March 1864, CW, 7:221-22.

Lincoln writes to General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck regarding Colonel Thomas L. Alexander. Alexander is the Deputy Governor of the Soldiers' Home, Lincoln's retreat located outside of Washington, D. C. Lincoln writes, "The relations between Col. T. L. Alexander and myself . . . have been very agreeable, and I feel great kindness for him and his family. I therefore shall be personally obliged, if you can, consistently with the public service, assign him some duty at Louisville, Ky., suitable to a retired officer." Abraham Lincoln to Henry W. Halleck, 3 March 1864, CW, 10:228; Elizabeth Smith Brownstein, Lincoln's Other White House: The Untold Story of the Man and His Presidency (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2005), 73;Virginia Jeans Laas, ed., Wartime Washington: The Civil War Letters of Elizabeth Blair Lee (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991), 145n; Matthew Pinsker, Lincoln's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home (New York: Oxford Press, 2003), 168.

Rear Adm. Dahlgren calls at White House for news of his son, Ulric. Abraham Lincoln to Benjamin F. Butler, 4 March 1864, CW, 7:222.

H. Villard interviews Lincoln for permission to publish letters exchanged between President and Secretary of the Treasury Chase relating to Pomeroy secret circular. Abraham Lincoln to Salmon P. Chase, 4 March 1864, CW, 7:222-23.

J. W. White, New York antislavery leader, calls on Lincoln and suggests that Gen. Grant be made general in chief responsible only to President. White to Lincoln, 4 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

"A pleasant Cabinet meeting." Chase and Postmaster Gen. Blair absent. Secretaries Seward and Stanton have private laugh about what they regard as Chase's "dilemma" concerning decision to run for President. Welles, Diary.

President and family visit Grover's Theatre to see Edwin Booth play the title role in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Richelieu. This 1839 play originated the adage, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Washington Chronicle, 5 March 1864; Evening Star (Washington, DC), 4 March 1864, 1:5.

Lincoln deposits January salary warrant for $2,022.33 in Riggs Bank. Pratt, Personal Finances, 183.

Writes memorandum about churches: "I have written before, and now repeat, the United States Government must not undertake to run the churches. . . . It will not do for the United States to appoint trustees, supervisors, or other agents for the churches." Memorandum about Churches, 4 March 1864, CW, 7:223.

Cabinet meets. Welles, Diary.

Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles accompanies group or rear admirals, including Hiram Paulding (retd.) commanding Navy Yard at New York, C. H. Davis, Chief, Bureau of Navigation, S. H. Stringham (retd.), special duty, and Francis H. Gregory (retd.), superintending construction of gunboats, to White House and introduces them to President. Evening Star (Washington, DC), 29 March 1864, 2d ed., 2:1.

Lincoln, Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, and others agree that Capt. Kinney should be recommended to Gen. Grant. Abraham Lincoln to Ulysses S. Grant, 29 March 1864, CW, 7:272.

President writes Gen. Meade that there is no need for court of inquiry regarding publication of accounts discrediting Meade's operations at Gettysburg. Abraham Lincoln to George G. Meade, 29 March 1864, CW, 7:273-74.

Transmits to Congress report of Charles B. Stuart, consulting engineer of New York, regarding improvements to pass gunboats from tidewater to northern and northwestern lakes. Abraham Lincoln to the Senate and House of Representatives, 29 March 1864, CW, 7:274.

Wisconsin Union State Convention at Milwaukee endorses Lincoln for reelection. Washington Chronicle, 1 April 1864.

James A. Hamilton,, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., invites President and Mrs. Lincoln to Metropolitan Fair as his guests. Hamilton to Lincoln, 30 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

[John Nicolay in New York writes President about conversation with Gen. Schurz. John G. Nicolay to Abraham Lincoln, 30 March 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.]

President interviews Col. Thomas Worthington (resigned) and states in writing: "I did not think him fit for a Colonel." Memorandum Concerning Thomas Worthington, 31 March 1864, CW, 7:276.

Confers with Gen. Wallace on progress of bringing together Gov. Bradford (Md.) and Cong. Davis (Md.) on subject of emancipation. Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 31 March 1864, CW, 7:276-77.

Writes Sec. Stanton that Wallace is getting along very satisfactorily. "I have told him to be fair, but to give the benefit of all doubts to the emancipationists." Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 31 March 1864, CW, 7:276-77.

Asks Stanton for favor: "I sincerely wish that something satisfactory to Lt. Col. Scates—an old personal friend & most worthy gentleman—may be done for him." Abraham Lincoln to Edwin M. Stanton, 31 March 1864, CW, 7:277.

[About this date sends check for $50.00 to Dennis Hanks, second cousin and boyhood companion. Hanks to Lincoln, 5 April 1864, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.]