To Secretary Stanton.
Executive Mansion Washington, December 31, 1863.

HON. SECRETARY OF WAR.

SIR:—Please fix up the department to which Curtis is to go, without waiting to wind up the Missouri matter. Lane is very anxious to have Fort Smith in it, and I am willing, unless there be decided military reasons to the contrary, in which case of course, I am not for it. It will oblige me to have the Curtis department fixed at once.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.