New York State and its localities were unhappy with the way the federal government was conducting the draft in the winter of 1865. Governor Reuben Fenton sent a couple state senators to Washington, D.C. to complain to the nation’s chief executive. Apparently President Lincoln met with the New York commissioners shortly before leaving the capital to confer with the Southern peace commissioners.
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in February 1865:
The Quota of the State.
The shockingly blundering manner in which affairs are managed at the War Department is illustrated by the fact that, more than a month after the call for 300,000 more men, an addition of 14,000 is made to the quota of the State. Districts that have counted themselves out of the draft, are counted in again and the mischief is to pay generally.
Governor Fenton disputed the quota numbers
The excitement about the quota pervades all classes, and all are bitter in their denunciations of the incompetent Fry. Gov. Fenton is making an effort to have Fry’s plans modified if not defeated. To this end he commissioned Senators Bell and Andrews to proceed to Washington for the purpose of laying the matter before the President. They have sent to the Governor the following telegram:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2d, 1865. – We obtain the President’s assent to the following proposition that so much of the revised quota as was added to the State of New York by the order of Jan. 24th, say 16,000, be deferred for further investigation; this deferred portion of the quota to be deducted pro rata from the various districts of the State.
This is to be carried out by deduction of 25 per cent. from the quota of each district in the State as assigned Jan. 24th.
The deferred portion is to be subject to further examination and action.
[Signed] [sic]
JAMES A BELL.
GEO.H. ANDREWS.
It may be, with proper efforts, that the excessive quota of the State will be modied [sic]. Let us wait and see.
You can read more about Reuben Fenton’s quota controversy with the administration and his relationship with the president in general at Mr. Lincoln and New York
