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99

Abraham Lincoln

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:30,000.00 - 40,000.00 USD
Abraham Lincoln

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Auction Date:2010 Jun 16 @ 10:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Bid online at www.rrauction.com. Auction closes June 16.

ALS as president, signed “A. Lincoln,” one faintly-lined page, both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, Executive Mansion letterhead, May 23, 1863. Letter to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. In full: “In order to construct the Illinois Central Railroad, a large grant of land was made by the United States to the State of Illinois, which land was again given to the Railroad Company by the State, in certain provisions of the Charter. By the U.S. grant, certain previleges [sic] were attempted to be secured from the contemplated Railroad to the U.S., and by the Charter certain per centage of the income of the road was to be from time to time paid to the State of Illinois. At the beginning of the present war the Railroad did certain carrying for the U.S. for which it claims pay; and, as I understand, the U.S. claims that at least part of this the road was bound to do without pay. Though attempts have been made to settle the matter, it remains unsettled; meanwhile the Road refuses to pay the per-centage to the State. This delay is working badly; and I understand the delay exists because of there being no definite decision whether the U.S. will settle its own account with the Railroad, or will allow the State to settle it, & account to the State for it. If I had the leisure which I have not, I believe I could settle it; but prima facie it appears to me we better settle the account ourselves, because that will save us all question as to whether the State deals fairly with us in the settlement of our account with a third party—the R.R. I wish you would see Mr. Butler, late our State Treasurer, and see if something definite can not be done in the case.” In fine condition, with some scattered mild soiling and creasing, a couple trivial brushes to text, and a couple of trivial pin holes to two corner tips.

Accompanied by a portion of the front panel of the original transmittal envelope, 9.25 x 4.5, bearing the imprinted recipient’s office and address, “The Secretary of War, Washington.” Lincoln has penned in the lower left: “Please see Mr Butler, May 23, 1863. A. Lincoln.” Vertical crease passes through the first “e” of “see” and between the “6” and “3” in the date. Perpendicularly penned in the blank area to the right of the addressee: “Referred to the Quarter Master General for Report. Edwin M Stanton.” Stanton signed his name, squeezing the “M Stanton” between the printed words “War” and “Washington.” On the reverse is affixed a 3.5 x 7.75 portion of the docket which had appeared on the envelope’s back. Stanton has rewritten: “Referred to the Quarter Master General for report Edwin M Stanton, May 29th” and has added “Presidents letter in relation to the Illinois RRoad.” Penned under Stanton’s endorsement in an unidentified hand, “Copy furnished by order of Sec of War . to S.M. Douglass Esq., March 31st/66. See letter to Mr D. same date & No 1595 W…for order of Secretary of War.” The letter is handsomely displayed in a 9” x 11.25” red leather over marbled boards presentation folder with inside flaps, titled in gilt lettering on a tan portion the spine “Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed May 23, 1863.”

The Civil War was witnessing several tumultuous battles around the time that Lincoln wrote this letter. Just a few weeks earlier, Confederate troops surprised Union forces along the Rappahannock River leading to the Battle of Chancellorsville, and just a few days before Lincoln signed his name here, Grant began his siege of Vicksburg. Through it all, the Lincoln Administration also had to contend with other affairs of state, including focusing its attention on the Illinois Central Railroad, one of the largest corporations of the day and a company for which Lincoln had represented as an attorney for more than a decade. Lincoln had litigated dozens of cases for the company, becoming a company insider and often riding in a private rail car.

As noted by the president, in order to construct the railroad, the federal government gave Illinois officials a land grant in exchange for monetary compensation to Illinois. It appears, however, that during the war the railroad stopped its payments. On June 3, the quartermaster general, Montgomery C. Meigs, ordered one of his underlings to settle all accounts with the railroad. Much like today’s politicians, even a great leader like Lincoln knew of the importance of taking care of his patrons.

Obviously, Lincoln did not like the delay in settling the matter, noting “the delay is working badly,” ostensibly impeding the movement of troops, so he wrote this letter to his Secretary of War. Lincoln knew he could end the impasse and also knew that the Illinois Central was well aware that he could. After all, he had defended and prosecuted cases for the railroad as a lawyer for eight years and had won a lawsuit against them just six years earlier. Now he was the president of the United States, but he had more important matters to deal with. On the day he wrote this letter, Saturday, May 23, 1863, Lincoln met with Secretary of War Stanton, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Fox, and General Henry W. Halleck, Commanding General of the Army, at the War Department, regarding an attack on Charleston, South Carolina, so, in this letter, he tells Stanton, “If I had the leisure which I have not, I believe I could settle it…See if something definite can not be done in this case.”
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