Feb. 2, 1865.
To Lieut. General Grant, City Point, Va.
Say to the gentlemen that I will meet them personally at Fortress Monroe as soon as I can get there.
(Sent in cipher at 9 a.m.)
Feb. 2, 1865.
To Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Fortress Monroe, Va.
Induced by a dispatch from General Grant, I join you at Fortress Monroe as soon as I can come.
(Sent in cipher at 9 a.m.)
Before starting, the following dispatch was shown me. I proceeded, nevertheless:
(In cipher.)
The following telegram was received at Washington, Feb. 2, 1865, from City Point, Va., 9 a.m., Feb. 2, 1865:
To Hon. W. H. Seward, Sec'y of State, Fortress Monroe.
[Copy to Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War.]
On the night of the 2d I reached Hampton Roads, and found the Secretary of State and Major Eckert in a steamer anchored off the shore, and learned of them that the Richmond gentlemen were in another steamer, also anchored off shore in the Roads, and that the Secretary of State had not yet seen or communicated with them. I ascertained that Major Eckert had literally complied with his instructions, and I saw for the first time the answer of the Richmond gentlemen to him, which, in his dispatch to me of the 1st, characterized as not satisfactory. That answer is as follows, to wit:
To Thos. T. Eckert, Major and Aid-de-Camp.
Major: Your note delivered by yourself this day has been considered. In reply, we have to say that we were furnished with a copy of the letter of President Lincoln to F. P. Blair, of the 18th of January, ult. Another copy of which is appended to your note. Our intentions are contained in the letter, of which the following is a copy:
{{smaller|In conformity with the letter of Air. Lincoln, of which the foregoing is a copy, you are to proceed to Wishington City for an informal confer-
