Abraham Lincoln to Jonathan Haines, 27 March 18581
Springfield, March 27. 1858Jonathan Haines, Esq[Esquire]Dear Sir:This morning, on coming home, I found your letter of the 22nd2 As, to Rugg, I would do nothing now till the suit we have tried, is disposed of fully, or, at
least, more fully than it is–3
As to a suit against Many, I really can not find time to prepare such a suit, until the Spring courts are over–4
Yours trulyA. Lincoln–<Page 2>
2Jonathan Haines’ letter to Lincoln has not been located; therefore, some of the context
for this letter is missing.
3Lincoln is discussing the case Haines v. Rugg. In the fall of 1856, Haines sued George H. Rugg in the U.S. Circuit Court, Northern District of Illinois for infringing upon his patent on a reaper (a kind of harvesting machine). Lincoln
represented Haines and T. Lyle Dickey represented Rugg. The case went to trial in March 1858.
Haines v. Rugg, 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=137748.
4Lincoln worked on legal cases in multiple Illinois counties throughout March, April, and May 1858.
The trial for Haines v. Rugg, heard before Judge Thomas Drummond, lasted just four days. The jury ruled for the plaintiff and awarded Haines $2,300
in damages. Rugg appealed this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case Rugg v. Haines. Lincoln represented Haines until he was elected president in the 1860 Federal Election. Rugg v. Haines commenced December 9, 1862. On December 15, 1862, Justice Roger B. Taney upheld the lower court’s decision and awarded Haines $2,300 in damages as well as
costs expended in the suit.
In July 1858, Haines also sued Wait Talcott, along with the other surviving representatives of Manny and Company, in a separate case for infringement upon his reaper patent. For additional information
on that case, see Haines & Haines v. Talcott et al., Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137699.
Haines and Lincoln exchanged at least eight other letters related to Haines’ legal
cases. Lincoln also wrote or received at least nine other pieces of correspondence
related to the cases.
The Lincoln Log: A Daily Chronology of the Life of Abraham Lincoln, March 1858, April 1858, May 1858, http://thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarMonth&year=1858&month=3, http://thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarMonth&year=1858&month=4, http://thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarMonth&year=1858&month=5; Law Journal, Document ID: 87003; Newspaper Report, Document ID: 132925, Haines v. Rugg, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137748; Mandate, Document ID: 67773; Engrossed Docket, Document ID: 67777; Judgment, Document
ID: 67772, Rugg v. Haines, Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137749; Abraham Lincoln to Jonathan Haines; Abraham Lincoln to Jonathan Haines; Jonathan Haines to Abraham Lincoln; Jonathan Haines to Abraham Lincoln; Jonathan Haines to Abraham Lincoln; Ansel Haines and Jonathan Haines to Abraham Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln to Jonathan Haines; Jonathan Haines to Abraham Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln to Peter H. Watson; Thomas Drummond to Abraham Lincoln; Peter H. Watson to Abraham Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln to Peter H. Watson; T. Lyle Dickey to Abraham Lincoln; T. Lyle Dickey to Abraham Lincoln; T. Lyle Dickey to Abraham Lincoln; T. Lyle Dickey to Abraham Lincoln; Martin R. M. Wallace to Abraham Lincoln.
Autograph Letter Signed, 2 page(s), Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).