Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Hugh Lamaster and William Phelps to Abraham Lincoln, 16 March 18491
Lewistown March 16^th 1849Hon A LincolnDear Sir
We address this note to you for the purpose of getting you to use your influance to get Joel Wright Esq.[Esquire] of Canton in this county reinstated in the Post Office as P M[Postmaster] at that place, Some time during the administration of M^r Van Buren one Henry Hipple came to Canton and Established a Tippling Shop and very soon thereafter reports were circulated against M^r Wright then P M and we understand forwarded to the department the nature of the charges we never could learn and we further understand that M^r Wright demanded the charges—through The Hon J T Stewart—then Member of Congress—and they were refused2 We understand that a petition will be presented to the department for the reapointment of M^r Wright from his imediate neighbour and in Justice to him and believing that you would take a pleasure in doing what we think conceive to be your duty. We ask of to aid us in getting an Old faithful public Servant placed where we believe every true whig and many of the Democrats of his Town disere3
Respectfully yoursHugh LamasterW^m Phelps

1Hugh Lamaster wrote the letter, which he and William Phelps both signed.

2For more on Joel Wright’s removal as postmaster, see Hugh Martin to Abraham Lincoln.

3Wright received the appointment of postmaster at Canton, replacing Henry Hipple sometime after September 1849, and held the position until 1855.
Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1849 (Washington, DC: Gideon, 1849), *469; Register of all Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1851 (Washington, DC: Gideon, 1851), 526*; Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1853 (Washington, DC: Robert Armstrong, 1853), 498*; Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1855 (Washington, DC: A. O. P. Nicholson, 1855), 330*.