66. Iowa Gov. William M. Stone to Lincoln on appointment of Walter B. Scales as officer in African Corps

66. Iowa Gov. William M. Stone to Lincoln on appointment of Walter B. Scales as officer in African Corps

Letter from Iowa Governor William M. Stone to Abraham Lincoln recommending appointment of Walter B. Scates as Brigadier General with the African Corps (United States Colored Troops). January 20, 1864. Nearly 180,000 African American soldiers served in the USCT, established in 1863 in the wake of the Emancipation Proclamation; white officers commanded all regiments. Scates had been chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 1855 to 1857. Stone was a friend of Lincoln.

1864-01-20

Becki Plunkett and Stephen Vincent

Copyright State Historical Society of Iowa. Information at http://www.iowahistory.org/libraries/services-and-fees/conditions-for-image-reproductions.html

Original scanned at 600 dpi w/ sRGB color space.

State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines

State Archives of Iowa: Record Group 43 (Governor)

10/7/2008

Jan. 20th [186]4 His Excellency[,] President Lincoln. Sir: Allow me to present and urge the name of Walter B[ennett] Scates, assistant adjutant-general of the 13th army corps, for the position of Brig. Gen. of the African corps. For nearly six months I served in the 13th army corps with Col. Scates, as colonel of a regiment and brigade commander, and was brought almost daily into official intercourse with him. My opportunities, therefore, to judge of his merits and capacities were good; and I take great pleasure in saying that I regard him as one of the most industrious, faithful and efficient officers in the service; and I most cordially and earnestly recommend him as being eminently fitted for that particular position. I will also say that I believe he has well earned the favor, and that his promotion would give great satisfaction to the gallant corps with which his name has been so honorably connected. In making this appointment, you would be rewarding the services of an earnest and sincere patriot, an honest, faithful, and devoted soldier of your own gallant state, and subserve the interests of this peculiar arm of the service. Respectfully, your obedient servant, W. M. [William Milo] Stone