A new Abraham Lincoln message written in President Lincoln's own hand has been discovered by the National Archives. The letter, dated July 7, 1863, was penned by Abraham Lincoln to his General-in-Chief Henry Halleck expressing his belief that if Gen. George Meade could follow up on his recent victory in Pennsylvania (referring to the Battle of Gettysburg) by defeating Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's army, the Civil War would be over. Unfortunately, Lee's army soon managed to escape the clutches of General Meade and crossed the Potomac at Williamsport, Maryland, into Virginia, and the Civil War raged on until the spring of 1865.

The short and sweet letter would probably be of little importance to most people deciding what was important to save for future generations, but the fact that it was written by Abraham Lincoln and concerns the Civil War makes this discovery a "significant find" in the words of Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein. It was recently found among the Adjutant General's Records in the stacks at the National Archives. I find it interesting that such an important document, as well as other yet undiscovered treasures, have been hiding at the National Archives. If even they are still locating such important documents, just imagine what treasures might still await you on your ancestors if you remain persistent and creative in your search!