Lot 316
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
(1809-1865) Sixteenth President of the United States who led the Union through the Civil War and emancipated the slaves, assassinated. Fine content L.S. "Abraham Lincoln" written on the eve of his second inauguration, 1p. legal folio, "Executive Mansion" [Washington], Mar. 3, 1865 to Rear Admiral Silas H. Stringham commending him for his capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark. He writes, in full:"It is my duty, as it is my sincere pleasure to transmit herewith, a copy of the Joint Resolution of Congress, approved 7 February 1863, tendering you (and the officers) its thanks for your distinguished service in the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clarke, on the coast of North Carolina. Interestingly, although addressed to the Admiral and thus technically a letter, because of its official nature Lincoln treated it as a document and executed it with his full signature. We cannot recall seeing another instance of Lincoln interjecting his own feelings into his wartime correspondence or documents, which were almost uniformly impersonal and to the point. But with victory at hand, he allowed his exuberance to show. Offered with the retained secretarial copy of Admiral Stringham's response, to Lincoln, 1p. legal folio, Boston, Mar. 6, 1865, he wrote President Lincoln, saying"I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 3rd instant, transmitting me a copy of the Joint Resolution of Congress approved 7 February 1863, and to express my appreciation of the honor conferred upon me, as well as the pleasure which every officer must feel at the evidence that his efforts are appreciated by his country." The assault on North Carolina's Outer Banks in August 1861 was part of Winfield Scott's 'Anoconda Plan' which aimed to squeeze the Confederacy by blockading its ports, launching amphibious attacks at key points along the Southern coast, and seizing control of vital inland waterways such as the Mississippi River.
Hatteras Inlet commanded the entrance to North Carolina's sounds, leading Union commanders to decide to seize its surrounding shoreline first. General Benjamin Butler, who previously had commanded the Union garrison at Fort Monroe in Hampton Roads, became the landing force commander. Commodore Silas Stringham, commander of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron, led the supporting naval forces. The task force Stringham commanded was the largest that the U.S. Navy had assembled up to that point in the war. The immediate objective of the operation was the capture of two forts - Clarke and Hatteras - that guarded Hatteras Inlet. These forts comprised a significant part of the Confederacy's military forces on the Outer Banks. On the morning of August 27, 1861, Confederate lookouts at Hatteras lighthouse spotted Commodore Stringham's ships on the horizon. Soon thereafter, the Union warships began bombarding both forts, pounding them with a steady stream of accurate fire. With the bombardment complete, the Union army troops came ashore. Soon Fort Clarke's garrison had retreated to Fort Hatteras, where the Confederates were reinforced and put up their defense. For a while, the advantage shifted to the southerners, as bad weather drove Stringham's ships out of firing range of the forts. But Union naval forces resumed their attack when the weather moderated the next morning, and by late morning the battered Southern troops had had enough, and Fort Hatteras surrendered. In the end, no Union ground attack was needed because of the success of the naval forces under Stringham. In fact, not a man on the Union side was killed.
How happy was Lincoln to receive the news? General Butler, in his autobiography, described the meeting he and Gustavus Fox (Assistant Secretary of the Navy) had with Lincoln in the White House to tell him the news. "...The President was called and when our errand was hinted to him he immediately came in his night shirt. Everybody knows how tall Lincoln was, and he seemed very much taller in that garment; and Fox was about five feet nothing. In a few hurried words, not waiting for any forms or ceremonies, Fox communicated the news, and then he and Lincoln fell into each other's arms. That is, Fox put his arms around Lincoln about as high as his hips, and Lincoln reached down over him so that his arms were pretty near the floor apparently, and thus holding each other they flew around the room once or twice, and the night shirt was completely agitated." The victory provided a much-needed boost to northern spirits and enabled the people to see that the Lincoln Administration's plan to fight the war had substance and could bring victories. As such its political value exceeded its considerable military value. On the military side, the Hatteras expedition demonstrated the central importance of naval fire support to amphibious operations. On July 11, 1862, Lincoln wrote to Congress recommending that he be awarded the coveted Thanks of Congress. "I recommend...Silas H. Stringham, now on the retired list, for distinguished services in the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark," he specified. The Thanks were voted and approved on February 7, 1863. This made Stringham one of just 15 navy officers and 15 army officers ever to receive the Thanks of Congress during the Civil War. However, due to administrative delays, it was not until the war was just about over that the paperwork was completed and the naval hero was actually sent his official appreciation. Usual folds, light toning from tape at extreme bottom right margin, else fine condition.
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