United States Senate Chamber
Washington, March 19, 1865

Mr. President
Sir,
A majority of the members of the Legislature of Ark[ansas] together with nearly all the other State officials sent to me, some time since, a petition addressed to yourself praying the removal of the Asst Special Treasury Agent at Little Rock for reasons therein set forth and which is in the hands of the Sec. of Treasury.

Judge Harper, one of the judges of the Supreme Court, has placed in the hands of Mr. Nicolay to be laid before you, a petition to the like effect, from a large Union Association in Little Rock.

Accompanying the first petition was a letter to me signed by our Sec of State [and] Treasurer, both Judges of the Supreme Court and one or two members of the Legislature asking me to apply for the position in behalf of the Loyal men. Messrs Jacks, Johnson, + Snow of the Congressional delegation also requested me to apply. At first I declined, because I felt a delicacy in putting in my application along with one for the removal of another man. But being subsequently notified by the Union League of Little Rock that they had sent a request for my appointment to the League here (Defunct now) and asking me to consent I decided to do so.

Apart from the request of so influential and so large a number of gentlemen I desire the place more particularly as an endorsement from yourself.

Although I have never had so much as even a disloyal thought in my life (nor does anyone in Ark[ansas] believe that I ever have). Yet I have been much abused here as a Rebel. My enemies at home are endeavoring to induce the belief that you and the entire Govt share these suspicions of me. I therefore desire the appointment as an endorsement from you.

I think you know me well enough to trust me.

Very respectfully
W.M. Fishback

I declined to run for the Senate again because I did not wish the prejudice against me to embarrass the prospects of the State—having thus declined and having given up when elected the Regt which I had raised—but I will not annoy you with a detail of the straightened circumstances in which this Rebellion has left me.

W.M.F.