Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln to George W. Crawford, 11 March 18491
Washington, March 11. 1849Hon– Secretary of War:Sir,
There is not now a sin[gle] Whig Clerk from Illinois in any of the D[epart]ments here unless it be J. M. Lucus, rece[ntly] appointed by Judge Young in the Land Offic[e][.]2

I hope that in the Course of time that the [Illi]nois Whigs may be allowed to share in those [offices.] Therefore I will place in your hands the follo[wing] names;

John H Morrison, Wyoming Stark Co. I[ll]

Benjamin F. James Tremont

Victor B. Bell M^t Carmel

These are all excelle[nt] Clerks, of good habits and unimpeachable [mor]al character
Your Ob^t Serv^t[Obedient Servant]A. Lincoln–3

<Page 2>

[ docketing ]
John H. Morrison.
Benj.[Benjamin] F. James
Victor B. Bell.
Ill^s–[Illinois]
Clerkships.

[ docketing ]
03/13/1849
March 13/49[1849].
242

1An unknown person wrote the body of this letter. Abraham Lincoln wrote the dateline, address line, and closing. He also signed his own name.

2Josiah M. Lucas was a clerk in the General Land Office in Washington, DC.
Josiah M. Lucas to Abraham Lincoln; Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), 1:298.

3On the same date, Lincoln wrote letters to Secretary of State John M. Clayton and others on behalf of John H. Morrison, Benjamin F. James, and Victor B. Bell. James pressed Lincoln in April, May, and June about an appointment. Morrison apparently traveled to Washington, DC, to press his claim, before requesting his name be withdrawn from further consideration. In June 1849, however, Morrison wrote again asking Lincoln for help in getting the surveyor generalship of California or, failing that, a clerk position in Washington.
Neither Morrison, James, nor Bell appear in the official registers of the officers and agents of the federal government for 1849, 1851, and 1853, so apparently they did not receive appointments.
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); 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); 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); Abraham Lincoln to John M. Clayton; Abraham Lincoln to Unknown; Stephen T. Logan to Abraham Lincoln; John H. Morrison to Abraham Lincoln; Benjamin F. James to Abraham Lincoln; Benjamin F. James to Abraham Lincoln; Benjamin F. James to Abraham Lincoln.