Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Ewing, 10 April 18491
Springfield, Ills. April 10– 1849Hon: Secretary of the Home DepartmentDear Sir:I have been requested to say something to the Department in relation to the Land offices and officers at Kaskaskia in this state–2 They are a great distance from me, and not in my district; so that my information
is too limited to enable me to speak properly on the question–3 Cols[Colonels] J. L. D. Morrison, and R. B. Servant are two good and true men residing in the district; and I have concluded to indorse in advance, whatever they may concur in saying to the Department in relation to those
offices–
Your Obt Servt[Obedient Servant]A. Lincoln42On February 12, 1849, Richard B. Servant wrote Lincoln urging that Lincoln help Ferdinand Maxwell get an appointment as register of the U.S. General Land Office in Kaskaskia. On April 4, Peter Menard, Maxwell’s uncle, wrote to Lincoln requesting his help with Maxwell’s application. Maxwell himself wrote on April 5 asking for Lincoln’s endorsement.
3Lincoln had represented the Seventh Congressional District, which did not include
Kaskaskia. Kaskaskia was in the First Congressional District, which William H. Bissell,
a Democrat, was elected to represent in August 1848.
Howard W. Allen and Vincent A. Lacey, eds., Illinois Elections, 1818-1990 (Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1992), 8, 125,
126.
4Maxwell did not get the appointment as register in 1849; Jacob Feaman, the incumbent, retained his post until May 1850, when Maxwell received the job.
Maxwell held the position until 1853. John A. Langlois, the incumbent receiver, retained his job until 1850, when Elzey C. Coffey received
the appointment. Coffey held the position until May 1854.
Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of
the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1845 (Washington, DC: J. & G. S. Gideon, 1845), 213, 215; Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of
the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1847 (Washington, DC: J. & G. S. Gideon, 1847), 30, 31; Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of
the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1849 (Washington, DC: Gideon, 1849), 135, 137; The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge, for the Year 1850
(Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown, 1849), 107; Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1887), 7:19; 8:178, 9:327; Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of
the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1851 (Washington, DC: Gideon, 1851), 139, 141; Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the
United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1853 (Washington, DC: Robert Armstrong, 1853), 138, 139; Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the
United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1855
(Washington, DC: A. O. P. Nicholson, 1855), 82.
Autograph Letter Signed, 1 page(s), Box 3, Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).