Abraham Lincoln to Samuel D. Marshall, 11 November 18421
Springfield, Nov. 11th 1842–Dear Sam.Yours of the 10th Oct.[October] enclosing five dollars was taken from the office in my absence by Judge Logan who neglected to hand it to me till about a week ago, and just an hour before I took
a wife–2 Your other of the 3rd Inst is also received–3 The Forbes & Hill case, of which you speak has not been brought up as yet–4
I have looked into the Dorman & Lane case, till I believe I understand the facts of it; and I also believe we can reverse
it– In the last I may be mistaken, but I think the case, at least worth the experiment;
and if Dorman will risk the cost, I will do my best for the “biggest kind of a fee”
as you say, if we succeed, and nothing if we fail–5 I have not had a chance to consult Logan since I read your letters, but if the case
comes up, I can have the use of him if I need him–6
I would advise you to procure the Record and send it up immediately– Attend to the
making out of the Record yourself, or most likely, the clerk will not get it all together
right–7
Nothing new here, except my marrying, which is to me, is matter of profound wonder–
Yours forever–A. Lincoln<Page 2>
SPRINGFIELD [Il.[Illinois]]N[OV[November]] 12Samuel D. Marshall Esqr[Esquire]ShawneetownIllinois–
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18
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[rec?] 102.
1Abraham Lincoln wrote the entirety of the letter, including the address on the back
page, which was folded to create an envelope for mailing.
2Marshall’s October 10, 1842 letter has not been located. Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd were married on November 4, 1842.
5In 1826, the Gallatin County Probate Court awarded John Lane over $1,000 due him by Christopher Robinson’s estate. The court failed to execute the judgment, and in 1841, Lane sued the estate’s
heirs, William and Nancy Dorman, who were represented by Samuel D. Marshall. In September 1842, the Gallatin County Circuit Court ruled for Lane, and the Dormans retained Lincoln to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled for the Dormans, basing its opinion upon Lincoln’s arguments.
Lincoln also successfully represented the Dormans in another Supreme Court appeal
following a second attempt by Robinson’s estate and heirs to collect the debt. In
February 1845, the Dormans signed a bond promising to convey to Lincoln a one-third
interest in 160 acres of the Robinson estate’s land if they won the case. Lincoln
never took possession of the land, and in 1853, he and Mary Lincoln sold the land
to Dorman for $100.
Dorman et ux. v. Lane, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137092; Dorman et ux. v. Yost, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137093; “Dorman et ux. v. Yost,” Daniel W. Stowell et al., eds., Papers of Abraham Lincoln: Legal Documents and Cases (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008), 1:259-300.
6Logan was not officially involved in the Dorman appeals.
Dorman et ux. v. Lane, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137092; Dorman et ux. v. Yost, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137093; “Dorman et ux. v. Yost,” Daniel W. Stowell et al., eds., Papers of Abraham Lincoln: Legal Documents and Cases, 1:259-300.
7To begin the appeal process, Marshall obtained a transcript of the circuit court case
on November 17, 1842, and mailed it to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Circuit Court Transcript (Document ID: 73127), 17 November 1842; Assignment of Errors,
Joinder (Document ID: 4586), [December 1842] , Dorman et ux. v. Lane, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137092; Daniel W. Stowell et al., eds., Papers of Abraham Lincoln: Legal Documents and Cases, 1:271.
Autograph Letter Signed, 2 page(s), Lincoln Collection, Chicago Historical Society (Chicago, IL).