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[ endorsement ]
List of Members of the Legislature, of 1855, with thier politics, in the hand writing of Abraham Lincoln, made out by him, and given to me during, that Session of the Legislature, which ^when^ he was a Candidate for the United States senate, & defeated by Lyman Trumbull–
Robert Boal1
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List of Members of the Illinois Legislature in 1855, [1 January 1855]2
Senate
Adams,, Augustus W. Kane
Adams, John H. W[Whig] Stephenson
Arnold, Dr J. D. W. Peoria
Bryan, Silas D. Wayne
Campbell, James M. A. N. D[Democrat] McDonough
Carlin, William D. Adams
Cook, Burton C. A. N. D[Anti-Nebraska Democrat] LaSalle
Corder, A. P. D. Williamson
Davis, Jacob C. D. Hancock
Detrich, J. E. D. Randolph
Gage, George W McHenry
Graham, Ben. D. Henry
Gillespie, Joseph W. Madison
Jernigan, G. R. D. Christian
Judd, Norman B. A. N. D Cook
Kuykendoll, A. J. D. Galatin
Morrison, J. L. D. W. StClair
Morton, Joseph D. Morgan
O'Kean, Mortimer D. Jasper.
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Senate– continued
Osgood, Uri A. N. D Will
Palmer, John M A. N. D. Macoupin
Ruggles James M. W. Mason
Sutphen, H. L. D. Pike
Talcott, Wait W. Winnebago
Watson, William W. Coles–
Democrats 11– Of these, Mr Graham did not vote last winter;3 and MrDetrich has since written a letter against the repeal of the Mo. comp–
Whigs 9
A N. D 5– Of these two classes several4 have gone into the Republican organization–
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H R.
Allen, George T. A. N. D Madison
Allen, William J. D. Williamson
Baker, Henry S. A. N. D Madison
Babcock, A. C. W. Fulton
Bennett, Isaac R. D. Morgan
Bradford, James M.5 D. Clinton
Boal, Robert W. Marshall
Brown, H. A. D. Scott
Brown, Saml W. W. Knox
Cline W. N. D. Fulton
Courtney W. Vermilion
Dearborn Jonathan D. Brown
Day, F. S. A. N. D La Salle
Diggins, Wesley. W. McHenry
Dunlap, M L. W. Cook
Funkhouser, Presley D. Fayette
Foss, Robt H. A. N. D Cook
Foster, George F. A N. D Cook
Gray, G. M. N. W. Massac.
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H. R. continued
Gregg, Hugh D. Jefferson
Grove Henry A. W. Peoria
Holbrook, James C. W. Randolph
Hosmer, P. E D. Perry
Hopkins, C C. D. Wayne
Heath, Randolph D. Lawrence
Holliday, G. H. D. Macoupin
Higbee, C. L. D. Pike
Henderson, T. J. W. Stark
Hills E. O. A. N. D Du Page
Hackney, Ben– W. Kane
Henry, Miles S. W. Whiteside6
Hinch7 D. Galatin
Jones, Albert G W. Coles
Johns, Henry C. W. Piatt
Kinney Wm C. A. N. D StClair
Logan, Stephen T. W. Sangamon
Lovejoy, Owen Ab– Bureau
Lee, Wm M. W. R. Island
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H. R. continued
Little, W. A. W. JoDaviess
Lyman, Wm A. N. D. Winnebago
Lawrence, L. W. W. Boone
Martin, S. H. D. White
Masters, S. D D. Menard
McClain, Dudley D. Edgar
McClure, T. B. W. Clark
McClun, J. E. W. McLean
McCrillis, L. F. D. Jersey
McDaniel, Jonathan D. Sangamon
Morrison, W. R. D. Monroe
Moulton, S. W. D. Shelby
Preston, F. D. D. Richland
Pursley, James M D. Green
Parks, S. C. W. Logan
Parks, G. D. A A. N. D Will
Patten, William A. N. D. DeKalb
Pinckney, D. J. W. Ogle
Rawlings, F. M. D. Alexander
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H. R. continued
Richmond, Henry D. Montg'y
Richmond, J. P. D. Schuyler
Richmond, Thomas A. N. D Cook
Riblett, Henry W. Tazewell
Rice, Wm C. W. Henderson
Sams, T. M. D. Franklin
Seehorn, Eli. D. Adams
Sullivan, H. V. W. Adams
Strawn, David A. N. D La Salle
Strunk, John. W. Kankakee
Sargent, Porter W. Carroll
Swan, Hurlbut W. Lake
Tanner, T. B. D. Marion
Trapp, A. H. A. N. D StClair
Turner, T. J. A. N. D. Stephenson
Walker, George D. Hancock
Wheeler, Alonson K. W. Kendall
Democrats 30–
Whigs. 28
A. N. D. 14.
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Abn[Abolitionist] 1 of the three last classes,8 a great many have gone into the Republican organization
Nebraska Whig 1.
Vacancy 1
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Boal [?]
[Parks?] [?]
Turner [?]
[White?] [?]
Diggins [?]
Swan [?]
Higbee
Gray
Gregg
Lyman
McClure
Little
Pursley
Foster
[Richmond?]
Foss
Dunlap
[?]
Hill
Day
9
1Robert Boal wrote and signed this endorsement.
2Abraham Lincoln wrote the text of this document. Lincoln prepared another version for Samuel C. Parks. The Boal and Parks versions are the only extant copies of several Lincoln prepared for use by his supporters in his bid to become U.S. senator in 1855. Principal variations between these versions are noted in footnotes. The actual date Lincoln prepared this list is unknown; the editors have adopted the inferred date of January 1, 1855--the opening of the Nineteenth Illinois General Assembly.
Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953), 2:296; Illinois House Journal. 1855. 19th G. A., 3; Illinois Senate Journal. 1855. 19th G. A., 3.
3In the Parks version, the phrase “and his district A.N.D over 2000” is written.
4In the Parks version, the word “several” is replaced with the phase “a great many”.
5James M. Bradford was not in the legislature during this time period. James Bradford from Bond County was the only Bradford serving at this time.
John Clayton, comp., The Illinois Fact Book and Historical Almanac, 1673-1968 (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1970), 220.
6In the Parks version, the word “Whiteside” is replaced with the word “Lee”. Miles S. Henry represented both Whiteside and Lee counties in the Illinois House of Representatives.
Illinois Daily Journal (Springfield), 2 January 1855, 2:3.
7Benjamin P. Hinch’s name is shortened to “Hinc” in the Parks version.
8In the Parks version, this clause reads as: “Of these two last classes, many have gone”.
9The Parks version does not include the above partial list. It does include a list of the officers of the Illinois House and Senate.

Handwritten Document, 14 page(s), Bradley University (Peoria, IL).