Abraham Lincoln to John T. Stuart, 3 April 18401
Dear Stuart:
Mr James Lynn, of Buffalo Heart Grove, wishes to procure a pension— He says he enlisted in Logan county Ky. in William Bradford’s company of the 17th Regiment— of United States Infantry— At Louisville was transfered to Captain’s Croghan’s company, was under him at the seige and battle of Fort Meigs, and received a wound at that time (May 5th 1813) Was then transfered to Captain Holt’s company, and has the certificate affidavit of Samuel Wydick of the same company that he was wounded at the time and place aforesaid Also the affidavit of Thomas Morgan,2 an ensign in Bradford’s company, as to his enlistment and wound as above mentioned— Also the Affidavit of Dr’s Elkin & Darling, as to the character of the wound, its disabling effects &c. &c[etc. etc].
Mr Lynn wishes you to see Col[Colonel] Croghan and get an affidavit from him, as to the above facts, or so many of them as he can recollect—
Mr Lynn’s name was not noted on the rolls as a disabled man, as he learns; and he wishes Col Croghan to account for that fact, which he supposes he can do— When you have done this, write to Mr Lynn at this place, telling what will be proper for him to do, to get his pension—3
Nothing new here now— Harrison going ahead4
Yours foreverA. Lincoln
1Abraham Lincoln wrote the text of the letter and his signature.
2Might be Thomas Morgan of Sangamon County, Illinois.
3There is no evidence that Lynn received a pension in his lifetime. After his death, Sarah his wife made application for a widow’s pension, but it is not known if she received any compensation.
4Lincoln was making reference to the 1840 presidential election. William Henry Harrison would carry Sangamon County with 62 percent of the vote, but Martin Van Buren would carry Illinois with 51 percent of the vote.
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), 117, 119.

Autograph Letter Signed, 1 page(s), RG 15, A1, Entry 3: Records of the Bureau of Pensions and the Pension Service, Bureau of Pensions Correspondence and Pension Bounty-Land Case Files Relating to Military Service Performed Between 1775 and 1861, Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Service in the War of 1812, 1812-1910, NAB.