Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Ewing, 13 April 18491
Springfield, Ills. April 13– 1849Hon: Secretary of the Home Department:Dear Sir:
Under date of the 7^th Ins^t I forwarded to you, in separate letters, recommendations that Walter Davis be Receiver, and Turner R. King Register, of the Land Office at this place–2 For a personal reason, of no consequence to the Department, I now wish to transpose those recommendations; so that Davis may stand for Register, and King for Receiver.
Your Ob^t Serv^t[Obedient Servant]A Lincoln 3

1Abraham Lincoln wrote and signed this letter.

2From December 1848 to February 1849, Lincoln received several letters urging him to help Turner R. King secure a job at the U.S. General Land Office. Walter Davis was also an early candidate for the job of postmaster of Springfield.
Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Ewing; Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Ewing; Philo H. Thompson to Abraham Lincoln; Samuel R. Baker to Abraham Lincoln; William B. Doolittle to Abraham Lincoln; Richard T. Gill to Abraham Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln to Jacob Collamer; John W. Smith to Abraham Lincoln.

3On May 10, Lincoln reversed himself again, penning a letter recommending King for register and Davis for receiver. In late May, King received the appointment as register, holding the job until 1853. In June, Davis became receiver and would hold the position until 1853.
Niles’ National Register (Philadelphia, PA), 23 May 1849, 1:2; Illinois Journal (Springfield), 6 June 1849, 2:1; 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; 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), 140, 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.