Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) to Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut.
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00005.01 Author/Creator: Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 4 August 1863 Pagination: 2 p. ; 24.7 x 19.8 cm Order a Copy
Lincoln tested the firing mechanism of automatic navy rifles and found it faulty; he tells Hurlbut not to order the guns. (Hurlbut) Convicted of embezzling funds and money from the National Bank of Baltimore.
Notes: Partially printed in Basler 11: 77, from a Sotheby-Parke-Bernet sale catalog description. Research by John Lundstrom of the Milwaukee Public Museum, proves that this letter is the earliest known link between Lincoln and the Spencer rifle. This letter predates the famous (but mythical) meeting of the President and Mr. Spencer by two weeks. Conversation with John Lundstrom 26 Aug. 1996.
These rifles appear to be the Spencer rifle, per John B. Lundstrom, curator of American history, Milwaukee Public Museum.
[Draft]
Executive Mansion,
Washington, August 4. 1863
Major General Hurlbut
My dear Sir
I herewith return your letter to Col. Kelton, concerning the "Navy Rifles" indorsed [sic] [inserted above: by] order of Gen. Halleck, as you see. After it was so indorsed [sic], it was put into my hand by Col. Morgan, in connection with an earnest appeal by him to me to furnish the arms for the two regiments named.
Since then, at my request, Capt. Wise, the Chief Ordnance Officer now here, of the Navy Department, brought one of the guns to my room, and, after briefly pointing out the machinery of it left it with me. Later in the day I undertook to examine [inserted above: it] more closely, and found that the tube including the spiral spring, was so tight in its place that I could not get it out. This, till corrected, rendered the gun useless. This morning I took the gun, still in the condition stated, to Capt. Wise who, with consideral [sic] effort, got the tube out; but after trying for some time, and unable to make it work with sufficient glibness & facility, he gave it up and sent for another one of the guns-- I have just now returned from a trial of the second gun. [2] The Secretary of War, and Capt. Wise were with me. With this gun we had no difficulty with the tube and spiral spring. But having put the seven cartridges in place, and fired two of them, and preparing for the third, the machinery somehow brought two cartridges forward in confusion, and so completely locked up the whole affair that we were unable to clear it out in less than a quarter of an hour-- Having got it clear, some dozen or fifteen shots were fired with great rapidity, and entire satisfaction. The result is that I have tried two of these guns; and each so got out of order as to have been entirely useless in a battle. This happened too, with specimens of the gun, which the Navy officers had inspected and bought for their own use, and, in fact, happened in the hands of their present Chief Ordnance Officer-- The Secretary of War, for this, and for other general reasons, is opposed to furnishing this gun; and when to this is added the opposition of the Gen. in Chief, and my own discouragement, at the trials, I am sorry to disappoint you by saying I can not now order these guns for you.
Yours as ever
A. Lincoln
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.