Richard Yates to Abraham Lincoln

May 22, 1861. Copy

Hon A. Lincoln Prest.

The State of Illinois in order to have men ready to respond to call of U. S. put into camp some days ago ten Regiments, one in each cong. Dist. & one additional Regiment at Springfield for the period of thirty days. The state has incurred a very heavy expense in organizing these Regiments, & the men went into camp under a pledge to respond to any call of the Federal Government & are now all anxious to be recd. The additional call recd yesterday is only for six Regiments, which imposes on me the insidious necessity of leaving out four of the ten Regiments when all are anxious to go. At the end of thirty days these four Regiments will be disbanded & return home most dissatisfied, unless they can be received and the state will from patriotic considerations have incurred a very large expense productive of no good. Under the circumstances which are peculiar, & probably

unlike those in any other state, allow me to urge by all the considerations I have mentioned, & personally by all the power I have, that you give orders for receiving these four additional Regiments into the U.S. Service

Richd Yates

Copy of letter to Lincoln.

May 22 1861