To Governor Magoffin

In August, 1861, Governor Magoffin, of Kentucky, urged the removal by  the President of the Union troops which had been raised and were encamped within that State.

To this request he received the following reply:--

WASHINGTON, D. C., August 24, 1861

To His Excellency B. MAGOFFIN, Governor of the State of Kentucky

SIR:--Your letter of the 19th instant, in which you "urge the removal  from the limits of Kentucky of the military force now organized and in  camp within that State, is received.

I may not possess full and precisely accurate knowledge upon this subject, but I believe it is true that there is a military force in camp within  Kentucky, acting by authority of the United States, which force is not  very large, and is not now being augmented.

I also believe that some arms have been furnished to this force by the  United States.

I also believe that this force consists exclusively of Kentuckians, having  their camp in the immediate vicinity of their own homes, and not assailing or menacing any of the good people of Kentucky.

In all I have done in the premises, I have acted upon the urgent solicitation of many Kentuckians, and in accordance with what I believed, and  still believe, to be the wish of a majority of all the Union-loving people  of Kentucky.

While I have conversed on the subject with many eminent men of  Kentucky, including a large majority of her members of Congress, I do  not remember that any one of them, or any other person, except your  Excellency and the bearers of your Excellency's letter, has urged me to  remove the military force from Kentucky or to disband it. One other  very worthy citizen of Kentucky did solicit me to have the augmenting  of the force suspended for a time.

Taking all the means within my reach to form a judgment, I do not  believe it is the popular wish of Kentucky that the force shall be removed beyond her limits, and, with this impression, I must respectfully  decline to remove it.

I most cordially sympathize with your Excellency in the wish to preserve the peace of my own native State, Kentucky, but it is with regret  I search for, and cannot find, in your not very short letter, any declaration or intimation that you entertain any desire for the preservation of  the Federal Union.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN