Lorenzo P. Sanger to Abraham Lincoln, 12 June 18581
St. Louis June 12. 1858Hon A. LincolnDr[Dear] SirI intended going to Springfield to-day to see about our suit with Cochran & Hall,2 but in passing through the Steam Boat I fell through the Hatchway (10 feet) & hurt
myself so severely that I am unable to get out of house, & may not be, for several
days though I hope to get out early in the week.– I write to request, that in case
the suit should be called that it may be put off until I am able to get there.3 Messrs[Messieurs] Stewart & Edwards told me last week that they did not think they were ready to try the case this term
but should be governed by their clients–4 I know that neither party are prepared to try the case properly & if plaintiffs
do not ask for a continuance, we shall– I think they will consent to a continuance,
which is best for both.
Truly YoursL P. SangerI have written Stuart & Edwards The case can be settled if we meet.5<Page 2>
[Envelope]
SAINT [LOUIS MO[Missouri]]
[JUNE?] 1[2?]Hon. A. LincolnSpringfieldIll[Illinois]
[JUNE?] 1[2?]Hon. A. LincolnSpringfieldIll[Illinois]
2Sanger was a defendant in the case of Cochran & Hall v. Camp et al. in which Abraham Lincoln was one of the attorneys for the defendants. The case commenced
in the U.S. Circuit Court for the Southern District of Illinois in October, 1855 and concerned a dispute over ownership of lands near the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad. The firms of H. C. Seymour & Company and Sanger, Camp & Company had joined together to purchase $6,000 worth of U.S. government land warrants for
1,080 acres along the railroad for the purpose of land speculation. Irvin Camp, a partner in Sanger, Camp & Co., held the title to the warrants in order to locate
the land and purchased the property in his own name. George W. Cochran and James C. Hall acquired H. C. Seymour & Co.’s interest in the lands and subsequently claimed that
they had not received their due percentage of the land and sued to convey the 1,080
acres. Camp retained Lincoln and William H. Herndon, who were unable to effect a compromise but continued as attorneys in the case until
Lincoln’s election as president in 1860.
In February of 1858 Camp had also written Lincoln about this case, and enclosed a letter from Newton D. Strong, another attorney for the defendants.
Cochran & Hall v. Camp et al., Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137521.
3Cochran & Hall v. Camp et al. was continued at the 1858 June term of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Southern District
of Illinois, with Lincoln’s fellow counsel Joseph G. Bowman listed as the defendants’ attorney of record at that time. The case was continued
several more times before being settled in June of 1863, when the court found for
the plaintiff and ordered Camp to convey his interest to Cochran, who had purchased
Hall’s interest.
Judge's Docket, Document ID: 63324; Decree, Document ID: 63325; Decree, Document ID:
63366, Cochran & Hall v. Camp et al., Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137521.
4John T. Stuart and Benjamin S. Edwards were two of the attorneys for the plaintiffs
in Cochran & Hall v. Camp et al.
Cochran & Hall v. Camp et al., Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Details.aspx?case=137521.
Autograph Letter Signed, 2 page(s), Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).