Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Certificate of Discharge for Urban Alexander, 4 October 18321

I CERTIFY, ThatUrbin Alexandervolunteered and servedas a privatein the Company of Mounted Volunteers under my command, in the Regiment commanded by Col. Samuel M. Thompson, in the Brigade under the command of Generals S. Whiteside and H. Atkinson, called into the service of the United States by the Commander-in-Chief of the Militia of the State, for the protection of the North Western Frontier against an Invasion of the British Band of Sac and other tribes of Indians,—that he was enrolled on the21^stday ofApril1832, and was HONORABLY DISCHARGED on the7^thday ofJunethereafter, having served48 days2
Given under my hand, this4^thday ofOctober1832. A. Lincoln Capt.

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[ endorsement ]
Thompson, Samuel M.

I am confident that the within named Urbin Alexander received no Blanket from the United States while he was in Service
Samuel M Thompson
Col

[ docketing ]
37.74

[ docketing ]
U. Alexander

1Abraham Lincoln signed and filled in the blanks of this partially printed document.

2At the outbreak of the Black Hawk War, Lincoln volunteered for the Illinois state militia. On April 21, 1832, Lincoln and other men from the New Salem area were mustered into a company in the 4th Regiment of Illinois Mounted Volunteers, and the members of the company elected Lincoln as their captain. When his month of service ended, Lincoln re-enlisted twice, for twenty and thirty days respectively, serving as a private both times. He was discharged finally on July 10, 1832.
Muster Roll of Abraham Lincoln’s Company of Mounted Volunteers; Muster Roll of Captain Elijah Iles’ Company of Mounted Volunteers; Muster Roll of Captain Jacob M. Early’s Company of Mounted Volunteers; Ellen M. Whitney, comp., The Black Hawk War, 1831-1832: Illinois Volunteers, vol. 35 of Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1970), 1:176-78, 227-30, 544-46.