Henry W. Halleck (1815 1872 Union major general Lincoln General in Chief and advisory he was a major administrator in the prosecution of the war against the confederates War date Als 2pp. 4to on Headquarters Department of the Missouri letterhead, St. Louisa Dec. 4 1861 to Brigadier General Lorenzo Thomas re: an appointment potentially embarassing to Lincoln In part Capt john Hoskin was not announced in Genl. Orders as Aide but as Acting Aide and there was an agreement that his services in that capacity were to be gratuitous until the President acted on his nomination He was the only member of Genl. Fremont's staff then recommended to me it was impossible for me to proceeds with the business of this command without someone My action in this matter could not possibly have placed the President in an embarassing position