Samuel H. Littler to Abraham Lincoln, 16 February 18591
Urbana Feb 16 1859Hon A. LincolnSpringfieldIll.My Dr[Dear] friendI her with Inclose your order which you gave your friend Henry Shew2 you will pleas Send me a draft for the Same and oblige yours3
S. Littler<Page 2>
[Envelope]
[UR]BANA [J]AN[JANUARY]Hon Abraham LincolnSpringfieldI[ll]
1Samuel H. Littler wrote and signed this letter. He also wrote Abraham Lincoln’s name
and address on the envelope in the second image.
2On September 25, 1858, Abraham Lincoln wrote a note on behalf of Henry Chew, pledging to pay $25.00 for “some furniture” if Chew
used the note to purchase furniture but did not pay the debt himself by January 1,
1859. Littler originally enclosed that note in this February 16 letter to Lincoln.
The Library of Congress has kept this letter and the September 25, 1858 note together.
The editors of this project, however, treat each document separately.
Littler also wrote Lincoln another letter January 11, 1859, requesting that Lincoln fulfill his obligation
as a guarantor for Chew and pay the $25.00. There is no evidence that Lincoln replied
to that letter.
3If Lincoln wrote a response to Littler, it has not been located. On February 21,
1859, however, Lincoln drew $25.00 to pay Littler, “for guaranty to Henry Chew.” Lincoln
also added a sentence on the original September 25, 1858 note indicating that he paid the debt and sent a check to Littler.
Harry E. Pratt, The Personal Finances of Abraham Lincoln (Springfield, IL: Abraham Lincoln Association, 1943), 167.
4Lincoln wrote this docketing vertically on the left side of the envelope shown in
the second image.