John T. Stuart to Abraham Lincoln, 30 January 18491
Springfield IllinoisJanuary 30th 1849Honl[Honorable] A. LincolnDr Sir
I take the liberty of recommending to your particular attention our old friend John H. Morrison. I hope you will be able to aid him in procuring some appointment under the General
Government. He as you are aware is a man of fine business qualities, that he is both
honest and capable and our Whig friends generally would be pleased to see ^him^ appointed to some good office
Your Obt Svt[Obedient Servant]John T Stuart22On March 11, 1849, Abraham Lincoln wrote letters to Secretary of War George W. Crawford, Secretary of State John M. Clayton, and others on Morrison’s behalf. Morrison apparently traveled to Washington, DC,
to press his claim, but in a letter to Lincoln on March 13, he thanked Lincoln for his assistance, and requested his
name be withdrawn from further consideration for a government position. In June 1849,
however, Morrison wrote again asking Lincoln for help in getting the surveyor generalship of California or,
failing that, a clerk position in Washington. Morrison’s 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); Abraham Lincoln to George W. Crawford; Abraham Lincoln to Unknown; Abraham Lincoln to John M. Clayton; John H. Morrison to Abraham Lincoln; John H. Morrison to Abraham Lincoln.
Autograph Letter Signed, 1 page(s), 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.