A. Lincoln.

TELEGRAM TO COLONEL R. INGALLS.  WASHINGTON, D. C., May 6, 1863 1.45 PM

Colonel Ingalls: 

News has gone to General Hooker which may change his plans.  Act in view of such contingency.

A. Lincoln.

TO GENERAL J. HOOKER.

Headquarters army of the Potomac,
 May 7, 1863.

Major-general Hooker.

My dear sir:—­The recent movement of your army is ended without effecting its object, except, perhaps, some important breakings of the enemy’s communications.  What next?  If possible, I would be very glad of another movement early enough to give us some benefit from the fact of the enemy’s communication being broken; but neither for this reason nor any other do I wish anything done in desperation or rashness.  An early movement would also help to supersede the bad moral effect of there certain, which is said to be considerably injurious.  Have you already in your mind a plan wholly or partially formed?  If you have, prosecute it without interference from me.  If you have not, please inform me, so that I, incompetent as I may be, can try and assist in the formation of some plan for the army.

Yours as ever,
A. Lincoln.

DRAFTING OF ALIENS

Proclamation concerning aliens,

May 8, 1863.

By the president of the united states of America: 

A Proclamation

Whereas the Congress of the United States, at its last session, enacted a law entitled “An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces and for other purposes,” which was approved on the 3d day of March last; and

Whereas it is recited in the said act that there now exists in the United States an insurrection and rebellion against the authority thereof, and it is, under the Constitution of the United States, the duty of the government to suppress insurrection and rebellion, to guarantee to each State a republican form of government, and to preserve the public tranquillity; and

Whereas for these high purposes a military force is indispensable, to raise and support which all persons Ought willingly to contribute; and

Whereas no service can be more praiseworthy and honorable than that which is rendered for the maintenance of the Constitution and the Union, and the consequent preservation of free government; and

Whereas, for the reasons thus recited, it was enacted by the said statute that all able-bodied male citizens of the United States, and persons of foreign birth who shall have declared on oath their intention to become citizens under and in pursuance of the laws thereof, between the ages of twenty and forty-five years (with certain exceptions not necessary to be here mentioned), are declared to constitute the national forces, and shall be liable to perform military duty in the service of the United States when called out by the President for that purpose; and