Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Simon Kinney to Abraham Lincoln, 25 April 18491
April 25^th 1849Hon A. Lincoln Esq.[Esquire]My dear Sir.
I wrote you in february last, (I have neither preserved copy or date of my letter) requesting you to favor the appointment of Stephen Smith Esq. to the office of Register of the Land Office at Dixon, Lee Co^y. And apprizing you that I had advised M^r Smith to transmit to you his application recommendations &c[etc]—to be presented or forwarded by you to the proper department.

Will you do M^r Smith and myself the favor to inform me whether the papers above mentioned ever came to your hand? And if so what disposition was made of them by you? Nothing has been heard of them here, since they were sent away.2

I have greatly regretted to hear, that rather strong imputations of indiscretion have been cast upon Col.[Colonel] Baker, in the course he has taken since the inauguration, in relation to his political friends. I have always entertained a high estimation of him.–3
I remain with true esteem
Most Respectfully Yours &cSimon KinneyP.S. Please direct to me at Indiantown Bureau Co^y Ill.–S. K

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PERU Ill.
APR[April] 27Hon. A. Lincoln Esq.SpringfieldSangamon Co^y Ill.

1Simon Kinney wrote and signed this letter, including the address on the second sheet, which was folded to create an envelope.

2Abraham Lincoln neither responded to Kinney’s letter of February 1849, nor this letter.
Stephen Smith did not get the appointment; Silas Noble served as register at Dixon from 1849 to 1853.
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; 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; 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.

3Edward D. Baker had attempted, without success, to get a cabinet position in the administration of Zachary Taylor. Like his predecessor James K. Polk, Taylor apportioned his cabinet selections geographically. Thomas Ewing of Ohio represented the “Old Northwest” as secretary of the interior.
Following his failure to get the cabinet appointment, Baker’s influence over patronage appointment waned, and many Illinoisans who corresponded with Lincoln expressed dissatisfaction with Baker’s efforts on behalf of the state’s candidates for appointments.
Elbert B. Smith, The Presidencies of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988), 52-55; Paul H. Bergeron, The Presidency of James K. Polk (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1987), 23-24; Josiah M. Lucas to Abraham Lincoln; Cyrus Edwards to Abraham Lincoln; Josiah M. Lucas to Abraham Lincoln; Christian B. Artz to Abraham Lincoln.