Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Ewing, 15 December 18491
Springfield, Ills– Dec^r 15. 1849.Hon: T. Ewing.Secretary &c–[etc.]Dear Sir:
I understand M^r G. W. Rives of Edgar county, Ills. is an applicant for an Indian Agency; and I wish to say that, while I think his appointment will be generally acceptable to the whigs, it will certainly be gratifying to me–2
Your Ob^t Serv^t[Obedient Servant]A. Lincoln

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[ docketing ]
Indian Agency
George W Rives
Letter of Hon A Lincoln

[ endorsement ]
01/06/1866
Presented to Geo J Barrett by his friend Geo W Rives
Paris Jany 6^th 1866

1Abraham Lincoln wrote and signed this letter. The script in the second image, however, is not in Lincoln’s hand.

2Lincoln enclosed this letter with another letter he wrote to George W. Rives on December 15, 1849, in which he explained his initial hesitancy to pen this letter of recommendation.
In April 1849, Rives had asked Lincoln to recommend him for a patronage position in the Minnesota Territory, or, failing that, for some position in California. Lincoln replied that he was unable to provide Rives a letter, as he had already recommended Anson G. Henry for appointment in Minnesota and did not want to decrease Henry’s chances for success by recommending another party for a position in the same territory. Rives was apparently upset by Lincoln’s refusal, and, as Lincoln noted in his other December 15, 1849 letter to Rives, Lincoln later learned that Rives engaged in “open abuse” of him in the summer of 1849.

Rives’ name does not appear in the official registers of the officers and agents of the government for 1849, 1851, and 1853, so apparently he did not receive an appointment.
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); 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); 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).