Lincoln Letter Found

Here's a link to a story in the Post about a find at the National Archives. It is a letter from Lincoln to General Halleck to go after Lee's retreating army. What a find. What an amazing job to have and what an amazing discovery to stumble upon. It makes you wonder what else is waiting to be found at the Archives.

It reminds me of when I was at GW. I went to do research at the Library of Congress. I was doing a paper on the War of 1812 and I got to read a book that was printed in the 1820s. I actually got to sit at a desk and read this book. Wow. Another time I was allowed up into the stacks to look at issues of a magazine that were just too large to move into the reading room. I did my research and then curiosity got the better of me and I looked around to see what other books were there. I found a book in what I think was Portuguese that was printed in the early 1700s.

I can't think of many places where you get to do that.

Oh and by the way the Union army was too battered and tired after Gettysburg to pursue the Confederates. It is one of the many what ifs of the Civil War. Lincoln was disappointed that Meade, who was in charge at Gettysburg, did not pursue Lee.