The advance of the Gunboats up the river to New Berne, N. Carolina. Passing the Barricade
Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Presidential Proclamation 80 by President Abraham Lincoln Calling for 75,000 Troops
- 4/15/1861
Description
President Lincoln needed troops to squash what he viewed as a rebellion. So on April 15, 1861, he signed this proclamation asking for 75,000 volunteers from the states to subdue “combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings.” He also ordered the leaders of those “combinations” to return to their homes and called for Congress to meet on July 4.
This primary source comes from the General Records of the United States Government.
National Archives Identifier: 4656013
Full Citation: Presidential Proclamation 80 by President Abraham Lincoln Calling for 75,000 Troops; 4/15/1861; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/presidential-proclamation-80-by-president-abraham-lincoln-calling-for-75000-troops/, April 3, 2026]
Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
