Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

James T. B. Stapp to Abraham Lincoln, 11 June 18491
Vandalia Ills. June 11 1849.Hon. A. LincolnDear Sir.
On my return home from Washington my whig friends in this place (42 out of 47 whigs in the Town) recommended me to Co^l Baker for Receiver at this Place. Upon the receipt of which Co^l[Colonel] B. immediately sent me a recommendation to M^r Ewing for the Office and which letter I forwarded to M^r Ewing.

From the long acquaintance we have had I cannot for a moment believe that you have any unkind feelings towards me, and the object of this letter is merely to say that I hope you will not do anything against me.

It is not the Office I desire so much as it is my wish to Counteract a base attempt on the Part of one or two individuals here to injure my Political Standing with my Party.2

Having understood that you were at Washington I have taken the liberty of addressing you,3 and without a desire on my Part to boast will further say that I believe I could easily have obtained the almost unanimous recommendations of the whigs not only of this County, but the whole Land district if I would have resorted to such means.4
Your friend & obt servt[obedient servant]J. T. B. Stapp

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[ endorsement ]
06/11/1849
Berry, James W. (Fayette Co., IL)Ross, Joshua W.

We know that Doct[Doctor] Stapp was almost unanimously recommended to Co^l Baker for Receiver by the Whig voters of Vandalia
June 11. 1849.Ja^s W. BerryJ. W. Ross P M[Postmaster]
Vandalia Ill[Illinois]5

[ docketing ]
06/23/1849
June 23^d 49
J T. B Stapp for Receiver at Vandalia Ills [Illinois]

1James T. B. Stapp wrote and signed this letter.

2Stapp was vying with Frederick Remann for the office of receiver of the U.S. General Office at Vandalia. James Kennaday and others were working to get Remann appointed, and Kennaday was seeking to hurt Stapp’s candidacy by charging that Stapp was not a Whig. On April 23, 1849, Stapp wrote Abraham Lincoln refuting Kennaday’s claims. Kennaday himself wrote Lincoln on May 2 to state his case against Stapp. Joshua W. Ross expounded on Kennaday’s opposition in a letter to Lincoln on June 8.

3On June 10, Lincoln set out for the nation’s capital. He arrived on or before June 19.
Lincoln made the trip to personally advance his candidacy in the contest to see who would replace Richard M. Young as commissioner of the U.S. General Land Office. Justin H. Butterfield, James L. D. Morrison, and Cyrus Edwards were among the early contestants. Lincoln entered the competition after learning that Butterfield was favored over Morrison and Edwards. See the General Land Office Affair.
The Lincoln Log: A Daily Chronology of the Life of Abraham Lincoln, 10 June 1849, http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1849-06-10; 19 June 1849, http://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1849-06-19.

4Stapp would receive the appointment and hold the position until at least 1851.
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), 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), 141; Illinois Journal (Springfield), 11 July 1849, 1:6; Illinois Daily Journal (Springfield), 4 September 1850, 2:4.

5James W. Berry and Ross signed their names to this endorsement.