general; Lieutenant Colonel C. S. Charlot, Missouri State Militia, assistant adjutant-general; Lieutenant Colonel F. A. Dick, Missouri State Militia, provost-marshal-general; Lieutenant S. S. Curtis, Missouri State Militia, acting assistant inspector-general; Captain F. S. Winslow, assistant quartermaster, aide-de-camp; Captain Charles N. Turnbull, Corps of Topographical Engineers, chief of engineers; Captain W. H. Stark, Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry Volunteers, acting assistant adjutant-general; First Lieutenant J. Guylee, Fourth Iowa Cavalry Volunteers, aide-de-camp; Second Lieutenant A. Hodge, Fourth Iowa Cavalry Volunteers, aide-de-camp; Second Lieutenant Luke O'Reilly, Thirty-third Missouri Infantry Volunteers, aide-de-camp; First Lieutenant R. A. Phelan, First Missouri Cavalry Volunteers, acting aide-de-camp, and Second Lieutenant, M. P. Owens, Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry Volunteers, acting aide-de-camp.

By command of Major-General Curtis:

H. Z. CURTIS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, December 27, 1862.

Major-General CURTIS, Saint Louis, Mo.:

Let the order in regard to Dr. McPheeters and family be suspended until you hear from me again.

A. LINCOLN.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, December 27, 1862.

His Excellency President ABRAHAM LINCOLN:

I have just received your dispatch suspending Rev. McPheeters. This man is evidently a bad rebel, doing injury here, and his removal is, so far as I can learn, universally approved by Union men. I had heard no murmur of doubts as to the propriety. Some of the most reliable men in the city were here to confer with me on this and other matters just before your dispatch came, and they seemed to have a premonition of your interference. They express surprise at the influence rebel sympathizers have at Washington, and desire to prevent it, and although they do not object to your suspension of the assessment, they regret that certain men come home boasting of a triumph, and sneering at Union men. It is a fact that our Union men are disposed to be very severe, but restraint is to be dealt out with moderation, or we modify and weaken them. I will send you a copy of the paper presented to me a few moments before your dispatch came. I explained the propriety of your action in the assessment matter, which they readily approve, but still regret that a Mr. Thompson, who, they say, refused to take the oath, and boasted of his aid to the rebels last year, should now boast of his taking Mr. Bates and detailing and interview with you, and exulting in his success. The Union men that are [whose names are] inclosed in the accompanying paper express great anxiety. They are your fast, unyielding, uncompromising friends. They sympathize with you in your great trials, and any Saint Louis man will tell you they are all sober, honest, wealthy, leading men, deserving the confidence of Your Excellency.

There is no feeling of resentment, but conviction of utility, that induced the order against McPheeters. There is a Union party and