Thomas Clements to Logan & Lincoln, 19 March 18451
Logan & LincolnDear Sir^s^Please pay to James Burtle out of the proceeds of a Judgment obtained by me against Thomas John C Cloyd, the amount of his account against me and this shall be your sufficient warrant2
Springfield
March 19. 1845
Thos Clements<Page 2>
[ endorsement
]
03/19/1845Logan & Lincoln
03/19/1845Logan & Lincoln
We accept the within, on condition that Burtle's account is not to exceed ten dollars,
and agree to pay accordingly; when
the amount of the judgement comes to our hands–3
March. 19. 1845–Logan & Lincoln[ endorsement
]
Logan & Lincoln
Logan & Lincoln
The Clerk will please pay Mr Burtle Ten Dollars out of the judgment Clements vs Cloyd & take in and file this
order–4
Logan & Lincoln2In July 1844, Clements hired Logan & Lincoln to sue his son-in-law Cloyd in order
to regain some lost property. A jury found for Clements and awarded him $24.88 in
damages. Clements’ letter, or “sufficient warrant,” granted his lawyers authority
to assign his court judgment to a third party.
Clements v. Cloyd, 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=138680; John Carroll Power and S. A. Power, History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois
(Springfield, IL: Edwin A. Wilson, 1876), 206.
3Out of the $24.88 court judgment for Clements, Logan & Lincoln likely took $14.88
for their legal fee, leaving $10 for Clements to assign to his debt to Burtle.
4Since Logan & Lincoln asked the clerk of the Sangamon County Circuit Court to pay the $10 to Burtle, Clements may have lost a legal judgment to him.
Autograph Letter Signed, 2 page(s), Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).