Washburne, Elihu B. (1816-1887). Papers, 1856-66 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents: Elihu B. Washburne was elected to Congress in 1852, and served eight consecutive terms before becoming minister to France. In letters on Mar. 4, 1856, and Mar. 27, 1862,  he wrote to Thomas Gregg, a newspaper editor in Hancock County, Ill., briefly referring to the "slave power" in the nation and to the Peninsula campaign, his faith in which was "not as strong as I wish it was."  Both letters were acquired by the Illinois Historical Survey in 1912. Also included in the collection is a print of Washburne's speech on Mar. 14, 1866, opposing Congressional support of U.S. participation in  the Paris Exposition of 1867.