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Abraham Lincoln to Grant Goodrich, 18 April 18471
Peoria, April 18th 1847.Friend Goodrich;
Yours of the 24th March was received in due course; but being so busy with our own court, with preparations to go on the circuit, and with the "pleasant and painful" war-news, that I have neglected an answer till now–2 Not to be tedious, I concur with you entirely in your inclination to take no further testimony in New-York– Bring down with you to court, all the home testimony you can, on all the points, and let the cases rest upon that–
This, of course, is ^to^ depend upon whether you discover any new fact, which may make it proper to take testimony in New-York–3
Yours Truly.A. Lincoln
1Abraham Lincoln wrote and signed the letter.
2Grant Goodrich’s letter of March 24 has not been located.
The “pleasant and painful” war-news Lincoln references relates to John J. Hardin, who died at the Battle of Buena Vista, which was otherwise a victory for the American military forces in the Mexican War.
Amy S. Greenberg, A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), 160-61.
3In 1847 and 1848, Lincoln partnered with Grant Goodrich as attorney in three federal court cases involving fraud and misrepresentations in the sale of land.
Grant Goodrich to William H. Herndon, 9 December 1866, Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis, eds., Herndon’s Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998), 509; Anderson v. Lawrence, 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=140938; Dayton v. Lawrence, 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=140937; Voce v. Lawrence, 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=137642.

Copy of Autograph Letter Signed, 1 page(s), Abraham Lincoln Association Files, Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).