Anxious to Keep Border State Kentucky Firmly in the Union, President Abraham Lincoln Approves and Forwards to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton a Petition from Loyal Kentuckians Asking for a Union Military Base in Western Kentucky

An uncommon autograph relating to Lincoln’s efforts to keep a border state loyal

When the Civil War began, it was clear that the border states of Kentucky, Missouri and Maryland held the key to victory. President Lincoln especially thought that maintaining the Union without holding Kentucky would not be possible. He wrote, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game. Kentucky gone, we can not hold Missouri, nor, as I think, Maryland. These all against us, and the job on our hands is too large for us.” So he was always solicitous of Kentucky.

In 1861, citizens of these three border states soon took sides, and in Kentucky, while the official state government remained loyal to the Union, Confederate sympathizers organized a rival government called the Provisional Government of Kentucky, to take their state into the Confederacy. Four major government officers were installed in the offices; governor, lt. governor, treasurer and auditor. This government was recognized by the Confederate government in Richmond, and Kentucky was admitted to the Confederacy on December 10, 1861. For citizens loyal to one side to live where the other side predominated was a hazardous proposition. For Lincoln’s part, he did all he could to strengthen pro-Union Sentiment in Kentucky by supporting any political supporter and opponent who nonetheless supported the war.

In December 1864, a Kentucky citizens’ petition was carried to Lincoln by Parson N. N. Cowgill, addressed “To the Honr. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States,” Hickman, Kentucky, 6 December 1864, 2 pages in which Kentucky loyalists implore the president to establish a military post at Hickman, Kentucky. Because of daily raids by rebel forces, which the Unionists had insufficient power to repel, they ask the Lincoln “to instruct our commander Brig. Genl. Meredith,” with whom they had already consulted, “to make a permanent military post at this place.” The petition states “We are suffering from the…enemy upon us every day and have no power to repel them. We ask of you to instruct our commander Brig Gen. Meredith to make a permanent military post at this place. We don’t ask it for our own protection exclusively, but for the great benefit it will be to the Federal Army; we have a district of country comprising some 6 or 8 counties, (in area) about two hundred miles! it being varied in its products, offers every inducement to the Federal government to have it protected, and let all of its resources be brought forward to sustain our army, our worthy and truly Union friends. Parson N. N. Cowgill can give you a correct topography of our place and country. We would ask of you to extend our most appreciable Commander’s district to the Hatchie River as this point is the natural outlet for all the cotton and tobacco raised in that section of the country!” The petition concludes with the optimistic observation that Unionists “trust in Divine Providence that you may be awakened to our great necessity, and grant us the humble request we have made of you!” The petition was signed, “Many Citizens of Loyalty” of Hickman, Kentucky.

The citizens of Hickman were joined in their petition by General Solomon Meredith, who had led the Iron Brigade at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and was at the time commander of the post at Paducah, Kentucky. On December 9, Meredith added a lengthy note to the integral blank of the petition: “I am personally acquainted with Parson N. N. Cowgill and know him to be an honest, patriotic and loyal man. The petition of which he is the bearer asking that Hickman be made a permanent military post I would most earnestly recommend to be granted. The Government will be benefited equally with the citizens by adopting the course proposed, and the benefit both receive will be so much taken from the enemy who now occupy in little squads of guerrillas the whole country in that vicinity, and run off every thing of value to their army which they can lay hands on.” Meredith added a postscript: “I strongly recommend that a military post may be established at Hickman Ky. by the Secy of War.”

Lincoln received the petition. Then, in an Autograph endorsement signed “A. Lincoln”, the President forwarded the petition to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, with a request that Stanton see the Kentuckians: “Submitted to the Sec. of War who is requested to see the bearer.” Sending the petition on with this language constituted Lincoln’s approval of the request.

In August 1864, Lincoln had declared martial law in this area of Kentucky, suspending the writ of habeas corpus to empower Union commanders such as Meredith to unilaterally arrest Confederate spies, sympathizers and bandits. Hickman did not receive a permanent military post, likely because Stanton felt the suspension of the writ would accomplish the petition’s goals. This policy seems not to have kept the rebels in check, however. On December 13, 1864, H. C. Callett, M.D., wrote to the president from Paducah, reporting that the District of Western Kentucky was still under duress and asking that General Meredith remain in his position: “Since our delegate Parson N. N. Cowgill has left here, we find a change has taken place, in our district, that is producing very great dissatisfaction, and militating very much against, the interest of our, national cause…I can say this to you, without fear of contradiction if you wish to keep down; this deadly malicious feeling in West Ky and Tennessee; don’t remove or make any change in our high and honorable friend Genl. Meredith’s command …” Lincoln retained Meredith to satisfy the loyal citizens of Western Kentucky.

It is also interesting that after referring the petition to Stanton approvingly, with his personal request that Stanton see the petitioners, Stanton nonetheless did not create the base requested in the petition. It shows how Stanton acted to a degree without regard to Lincoln’s feelings, which Stanton often considered interference in his prerogatives.

This is an uncommon autograph relating to Lincoln’s efforts to keep a border state loyal.