Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Daniel Clapp to Abraham Lincoln, 5 April 18491
Danville, Ills April 5/49Hon, A, Lincoln:–Dear Sir:
Learning, by letter from D^r A, G, Henry, of your place, that you have, in all probability, reached home by this time, I take the privilege of addressing you a few lines.2

And, after the fashion of Old Rough & Ready, not to be tedious, I will enquire whether any thing ^to your knowledge,^ has been done in reference to our Land Offices in this place, and if not, what is most likely to be done,

My friends have had a recommendation circulated through our town and vicinity, recommending myself for the appointment of Register of the Land office. Said petition or recommendation has been forwarded to Hon, Thos. Ewing, D^r H, advised me to have one sent to you, but it had been forwarded to Washington before his letter reached me. I should be under obligations if you could aid me in this matter, as I am inclined to the opinion, from what I have seen that appointments will be made

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generally upon the recommendation of the Whig Members of Congress, from the different districts or states.

The petition which has been forwarded to M^r Ewing, in my favor, was signed by upwards of one hundred whigs in this immediate vicinity, embracing nearly all the leading Whigs in the county, not one refusing to sign it, to my knowledge, to whom it was presented. Among the signatures were J H Murphy, J. Probst, D^r S. Humphrey, C. Adams Geo. W Smith, James Smith, H Lamm, D. Froman, W^m Moore, A Church W^m Butler L. Buoy, &c[etc],3

If a lengthy list of signatures would do any good, they can readily be obtained,

Please to answer this without delay,
Respectfully Your Obedient Serv^t[Servant]D. Clapp

[ endorsement ]
Abraham Lincoln

ans^d[answered]4

1Daniel Clapp wrote and signed this letter.

2His term in the House of Representatives at an end, Abraham Lincoln left Washington, DC for Springfield, Illinois, on March 20. He would make his way home via St. Louis by railroad, steamer, and stagecoach, arriving in Springfield on March 31.
The Lincoln Log: A Daily Chronology of the Life of Abraham Lincoln, 20 March 1849, http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1849-03-20; 31 March 1849, http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1849-03-31.

3Adams, Lamm, and Moore could not be positively identified.

4Lincoln wrote this endorsement. Lincoln’s answer to Clapp has not been located. Lincoln’s letter of recommendation, if he penned one, has also not been located.
Clapp would receive the appointment as register in July 1849 and hold the job until March 1853. Incumbent Lunsford R. Noel retained the office of receiver until October 1849, when John H. Murphy replaced him. Murphy would remain receiver until March 1853.
Illinois Journal (Springfield), 3 October 1849, 3:2; Lottie E. Jones, History of Vermilion County Illinois (Chicago: Pioneer, 1911), 1:153-54; 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), 135, 137; 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), 140, 141; 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), 138, 139.