The president responds to Horace Greeley's anti-slavery editorial

Mr. Lincoln dined on August 18 with recently exchanged prisoners of war General George McCall, General Michael Corcoran, Colonel Orlando Willcox and Colonel Alfred Wood. General Halleck and the Secretary of War also were present at the dinner.

At the president's request, I sought out the New York Tribune newspaper containing Horace Greeley's anti-slavery editorial "The Prayer of Twenty Millions" and brought it to the White House. Mr. Lincoln responded to Mr. Greeley by saying. "my paramount objective in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it."

Mrs. Lincoln is inconsolable following the news this week that her brother. Colonel Alexander Todd died of gun shot wounds received at the battle of Baton Rogue.