William Thomas to Abraham Lincoln, 1 December 18481
Jacksonville Ill 1 Decr 1848A Lincoln Esqr.[Esquire]D. Sr.[Dear Sir]On the 21 March last you wrote to Mr Jesse Ruble of this county,2 giving information of the issuing a patent to Jesse Ruble as heir of Jacob Ruble for the North East Quarter of Section 9 Town 53 North Range 23 W[West] in Missouri,3 on Military Warrant No 16.398, and you said the Commissioner of the Genl Land office had promised to make a copy of the patent which you would Send.– Mr Ruble wants the
copy. (he has an offer for the Land, but cannot sell until he obtains the copy,) please
obtain and Send the copy without delay.4
your friendWm ThomasP.S. No news. all well.5[ endorsement
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Abraham LincolnYoung, Richard M.
Abraham Lincoln to Richard M. YoungDear Judge:You see by the above that a copy of a certain Patent is wanted– Please make it out
and send it to me, together with this letter–
Yours as everA. Lincoln6<Page 2>
JACKSONVILLE ILL[Illinois]DEC[December] 2
FREE
Hon. A LincolnWashington cityD.C. [ docketing
]
32198
[ endorsement
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12/18/1848
12/18/1848
Please make out a copy of the patent and send it to the care of Hon. A. Lincoln H. of Reps from Illinois.
Dec. 18. 1848W. Nourse71William Thomas wrote and signed the letter. Thomas also authored the address on the
back page, which was folded to create an envelope for mailing.
4Jacob Ruble probably received this land for his service in the War of 1812. In May 1812, Congress passed an act setting aside public lands as payment for citizens volunteering to
fight the British. Originally, the lands earmarked for distribution were in what
would become the states of Arkansas, Illinois, and Michigan, but in 1816, Congress substituted land in Missouri for that in Michigan.
“An Act to Provide for Designating, Surveying and Granting the Military Bounty Lands,”
6 May 1812, Statutes at Large of the United States 2 (1845):728-30; “An Act to Authorize the Survey of Two Millions of Acres of the
Public Lands, in Lieu of that Quantity Heretofore Authorized to the Surveyed, in the
Territory of Michigan, as Military Bounty Lands,” 29 April 1816, Statutes at Large of the United States 3 (1846):332.
Autograph Letter Signed, 2 page(s), Box 3, Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).