Team of Rivals at reply #15
Letter from Lincoln at #16
Mary B. Chesnut diary entry at #17
George Templeton Strong at #18
and Major Sedgwick still out in the wilds of Colorado here, along with Pres. Buchanan's reply to his departing Treasury Secretary.
FORT WISE, December 10, 1860.
My dear sister:
Our winter of discontent has not as yet been made glorious by a mail, although the sun has favoured us almost daily for the last four months.
A messenger starts to-day for Denver City, and I will direct this to him, trusting that it may reach you in the course of the winter. Does it not seem strange that you can send and receive answers to letters from Europe sooner than from this post, even under the most favourable circumstances? I have nothing important to write. The only event we look forward for is for fair weather to help us finish our quarters. So far we have little to complain of, and two weeks more will enable us to shelter ourselves from the uncertainty of the storms that sometimes do occur here. Yesterday a snow-storm came up that foreboded a violent one, but this morning the sun came out, bright and pleasant, and the snow, although in considerable quantity, is fast disappearing, and by to-morrow we can resume our work. The hunters are all out after deer and antelope, and with any luck will get enough to last a month at least.
If we receive no mail, we escape the excitement and turmoil of the election, that seems to have disturbed everything in the States, if it has not broken you to pieces. We have heard of Mr. Lincoln's election and the probable difficulty he will experience, if not direct opposition, to his inauguration. It seems lamentable that this Union that we have boasted of and glorified so much should be broken up, but I hope our next news will be more satisfactory. How a disruption will affect me I cannot foresee; probably would result in my leaving the service at once. I do not feel quite ready to do this, but when I am ready I want to, in looking back, if I have any cause of regret, have no one to blame but myself.
Believe me, as ever,
JOHN SEDGWICK.
SOURCE: George William Curtis, Correspondence of John Sedgwick, Major-General, Volume 2, p. 29-30
https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/05/major-john-sedgwick-to-his-sister_15.html
WASHINGTON, 10 December, 1860.
MY DEAR SIR: I have received your communication of Saturday evening resigning the position of Secretary of the Treasury which you have held since the commencement of my administration. Whilst I deeply regret that you have determined to separate yourself from us at the present critical moment, yet I admit that the question was one for your own decision. I could have wished you had arrived at a different conclusion, because our relations both official and personal have ever been of the most friendly and confidential character. I may add that I have been entirely satisfied with the ability and zeal which you have displayed in performing the duties of your important office.
Cordially reciprocating your sentiments of personal regard, I remain, very respectfully, your friend.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
Hon. HOWELL COBB.
SOURCE: Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, Editor, The Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1911, Volume 2: The Correspondence of Robert Toombs, Alexander H. Stephens, and Howell Cobb, p. 518; “The Resignation Of Secretary Cobb. The Correspondence,” The New York Times, New York, New York, December 14, 1860.
https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/08/james-buchanan-to-howell-cobb-december.html
Major Sedgwick is discovering that in a Colorado winter it can be snowing one day and warm and sunny the next.