Abraham Lincoln to Maria L. Bullock, 31 August 18551
Springfield, August 31– 1855Mrs Maria L. Bullock:Dear Aunt:The following is a correct statement of your business, so far as I have transacted
it for you–2
The land out of town I had surveyed into separate parcels; and on June 23. 1855 had
it sold at public auction for sums amounting in the aggregate to $1427–92¼ cents–3
On the 25th of June, I received of the purchaser’s in cash, two sums, together amounting to $143.68–
On the same day you deeded to one of the purchasers, John Connelly, senr one parcel of the land;4 and I took from him his two notes with personal security, together amounting to $377—
payable in one and two years, with six per cent interest from date; and also his mortgage on the parcel of land–
On the same day you deeded to Nathaniel Hay the other three parcels of the land; and I took from him his two notes, with personal
security, together amounting to $907–14 cents; payable in one and two years, with
interest from date, at six per cent; and also took his mortgage on the premises–5
Of the $143.68, cash received by me, I paid out for taking acknowledgements of deeds & mortgages, for
...?] aggregate sum of $42.70– And on the 27th of June 1855, I delivered to you a certificate of deposite made at Clark's Exchange Bank for $101–00–
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advertising notice of sale in newspaper, printing notice bills thereof; to auctioneers;
for recording mortgages, and to Surveyor & hands, the ag[The land in town, in connection with some land owned by Elijah Iles, he and I had surveyed into town lots; and a Plat made and recorded ^filed for record^, as Bullocks’ addition to the City of Springfield–6 On the 18th of August 1855, I had your part of the lots sold at public auction, for various sums,
amounting in the agregate to $990–7 Soon after, I received of the purchasers various sums in cash, amounting in the
aggregate to $197– On the 20th day of August 1855, I took from John Cook his two notes, together amounting to $468— payable in one and two years, with six
per cent interest from date; and I took no mortgage from him— & you, on the same day deeded
him his lots–8
On the same day you deeded Patrick Keiley his lots;9 and I took of him his two notes, together amounting to $153, payable in one and two
years, with six per cent interest from date, and also his mortgage on his lots–
On the same day you deeded to William S. Viney his lots;10 and I took his two notes for the aggregate sum of $162, payable in one and two years,
with
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six per cent interest from date; and also his mortgage on his lots–
On the same day you deeded to Elijah Iles ^& to the City for him,^ the lots bid off by him;11 and I took neither notes or mortgage of him, I deducting ten dollars, and he paying
the remainder of his bids, cash down– Of the $197— cash received by me, I paid out
for taking acknowledgements of Plat, deeds & mortgages; for recording same; for advertising & Bills for Sale;
to Surveyor & hands; and to auctioneer, the aggregate sum of $38–10– Also to Matheny's heirs for quit claim deed, to remove cloud from title $50– On the 27th of August I handed you the certificate of deposite at Clark's Exchange Bank for $106–90 cents; and I now hand you two ^three^ dollars, & 8 cents— $2.08 cents
| Aggregate of Sales | $2417–92. | |
| Amount of notes | $2067–14 | |
| Deduction to Iles. | 10–00 | |
| Expenses | 80–80 | |
| Paid Mathenys heirs | 50–00 | |
| Paid you | 209.98 | |
| $2417.92– |
The notes are in my hands, & the mortgages are at the Recorders office subject to
my control– They are all in your name– The taxes of this year I suppose you will
have to pay–
Very truly YoursA. Lincoln2Maria L. Bullock, Mary Lincoln’s aunt, owned property in Springfield, Illinois. Serving as Bullock’s agent, Abraham
Lincoln sold the land to several individuals for a total of $2,417.92.
Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, 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=141281.
3Zimri A. Enos, Sangamon County surveyor, completed several surveys for Lincoln in 1855.
The Lincoln Log: A Daily Chronology of the Life of Abraham Lincoln, 22 June 1855, http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1855-06-22; 27 July 1855, http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1855-07-27.
4John Connelly, Sr. paid $419.98 for slightly more than nine acres.
Deed Record, Document ID: 130000, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281.
5Nathaniel Hay bought approximately twenty-seven acres of land with promissory notes.
Deed Record, Document ID: 129965, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281; Promissory Note of Nathaniel Hay and John Hay to Maria L. Bullock; Promissory Note of Nathaniel Hay and John Hay to Maria L. Bullock.
6Plat Map, Document ID: 130129, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281.
8John C. Cook purchased lots one through four in Bullock’s addition.
Deed Record, Document ID: 129996, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281.
9Patrick Keiley purchased lots seven and eight in Bullock’s addition.
Deed Record, Document ID: 129993, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281.
10William S. Viney purchased lots twenty-four, twenty-five, and twenty-six in Bullock’s
addition.
Deed Record, Document ID: 129995, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281.
11Elijah Iles purchased lots five, six, and nine through twenty-three—seventeen lots
in total—in Bullocks’ addition.
Deed Record, Document ID: 129994; Deed Record, Document ID: 129997, Lincoln sold land as agent for Bullock, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=141281.
Autograph Letter Signed, 3 page(s), Andre De Coppet Collection, Princeton University (Princeton, NJ).