Lincoln's Message to Congress

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Draft of message to Congress
Holograph manuscript page,
July 4, 1861
Manuscript Division
Gift of Robert Lincoln, ca. 1923 (46B.3)

Both the president and a new Congress had been elected in November 1860. Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861. As was traditional, the Congress was not scheduled to meet until December. After the Civil War broke out in April, President Lincoln conducted the war for three months without congressional aid. He soon recognized that this was to be no short war, and that he needed congressional advice and support. Therefore, Lincoln called Congress into special session and delivered this statement on how he had thus far conducted the war.