Henry Eddy to Abraham Lincoln, 19 January 18491
Shawneetown Jan 19th 1849Hon A. Lincoln.Dear Sir,I have a mater of which I dare say you are already apprized) to urge upon you, if consistant with your feelings, and that is the appointment application of our friend Andrew McCallen Esq,[Esquire] of Hardin County, to be Marshal of the new Teritory of California, He was a member of our State convention, from this county & Hardin, a year ago last summer and was our candidate in the south here for Taylor Elector, and as such acquited himself with great credit,2 ^Coppy– Marks—(B)^ You probably became acquainted with him, at Springfield, during the setting of the convention, and if so I am sure you could not fail to
have formed a favorable opinion of him, He is a gentleman, and in my sincere opinion, every way qualified to fill that important office in
the new new State or Teritory, which where good sense and energy will be highly necessary. As for integrity and
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honor, no man Stands higher of my acquaintance. He has made up his mind to emigrate
to California, at any rate, in order to repair his fortunes (somewhat injured by mercantile
losses in this county) and if he could go with this cognomen of Marshal, it would be gratifying to him
and his friends, and would insure a good support to his family young and increasing
as it is,–
I have a rumor that Col Baker is now at Washington and if so I beg you will shew this letter to him, and I would be happy if he should find himself free to aid Mr. McCallen to get this appointment Let me assure you and him that McCallen is our favorite, in all Southern Illinois, for Whatever office he may want from a Whig administration, He has faithfully earned some such promotion,3
Improving in my health & hoping you keep yours in these scary times, (from Cholera)
I remain your friend &c[etc.]Henry Eddy,1Henry Eddy wrote and signed this letter. Editors located this letter enclosed in
a letter from Eddy to John Bell.
2The state convention that Eddy references is the Illinois state constitutional convention,
which produced the 1848 Illinois State Constitution.
Arthur Charles Cole, ed., The Constitutional Debates of 1847
(Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1919), 969; Theodore C. Pease, ed.,
Illinois Election Returns, 1818-1848, vol. 18 of Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1923), 446; Illinois Journal (Springfield) 20 July 1848, 3:3.
3Andrew McCallen did not become marshal of California; Abraham Lincoln and Edward D. Baker instead endorsed McCallen for the position of register of the General Land Office at Shawneetown. McCallen received the appointment and held the job from June 1849
to May 1853.
Niles National Register (Philadelphia, PA), 6 June 1849, 1:1; 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), 139; 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; John W. Norton to Abraham Lincoln; Arthur Charles Cole, ed., The Constitutional Debates of 1847, 969.
Handwritten Transcription, 2 page(s), Box 109, RG 48, Entry 15: Records of the Office of the
Secretary of the Interior, 1833-1964, Divisional Records, 1843-1943, Records of the Appointments
Division, 1817-1922, Field Office Appointment Papers, NACP.