Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln to John D. Caton, 21 March 18561
Springfield, March 21. 1856 Hon: J. D. Caton Dear Sir:
M^r C. H. Moore, of DeWitt county, sends you a record asking an order for a supersedeas– If you allow it, M^r Moore himself is abundantly good for surety, and we desire that you name him as such in the order–2
Very truly
Your friend–A. Lincoln

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1Abraham Lincoln wrote and signed this letter.

2Attorney Clifton H. Moore himself wrote to Illinois Supreme Court Justice John D. Caton on March 24, 1856 enclosing the record for an unidentified case in DeWitt County Circuit Court and requesting a writ of error and a supersedeas upon his bond with himself as surety. In American law, a writ of error describes a misapplication or misconception of the law by the court as grounds for review by an appellate court. A supersedeas is a writ issued by a superior court ordering an inferior court to suspend legal proceedings in a particular case. No further correspondence between Lincoln and either Moore or Caton on this subject has been located, nor has the case record enclosed by Moore to Caton.
Lincoln recommended Moore as surety, 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=141710; “Writ of Error”; “Supersedeas,” Reference, Glossary, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Reference.aspx?ref=Reference%20html%20files/Glossary.html.

3An unknown person wrote this docketing.