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Lot #11
Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed as an Attorney in Springfield, Illinois

Autograph letter by Abraham Lincoln as a 'prairie lawyer'—"I guess we will have to take the deposition of the man on the land"

Estimate: $12000+

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Server Time: 9/28/2024 08:22:32 PM EDT
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Description

Autograph letter by Abraham Lincoln as a 'prairie lawyer'—"I guess we will have to take the deposition of the man on the land"

ALS signed “A. Lincoln,” one page, 7.75 x 9, May 22, 1858. Handwritten letter to "W. H. Davenport," in full: "Yours of the 14th is just received. In your case at Danville, I got just so far, and no farther, that to be ready to take testimony for the next term—I guess we will have to take the deposition of the man on the land. (I forget his name just now). We want to prove by him that he was not notified of his entry being canceled. At this sitting I write Judge Harriott about your father's business." In fine condition, with some scattered light soiling. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed by Abraham Lincoln to William H. Davenport in Eureka, Illinois, postmarked at Springfield.

This letter is recorded in the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. II, edited by Roy P. Basler. The recipient, William H. Davenport, was a farmer near Eureka, Illinois, and brought a legal case against Lafayette H. Sconce and William C. Don Carlos concerning a fraudulent land registration made by Don Carlos while a clerk in the Land Office at Danville, Illinois. Davenport retained Abraham Lincoln and Shelby M. Cullom to represent him in the case, which was ultimately decided in his favor on November 24, 1860.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
  • Dates: September 28, 2024 - October 16, 2024





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