$2,684
Autograph document, unsigned, in the hand of Abraham Lincoln, with autograph presentation on verso by Lincoln's law partner and biographer, William Herndon, signed and dated 1882. Undated, but circa 1844-1847. Herndon notes to the verso that this document refers to a case between Lincoln's close friend Joshua Fry Speed and Robert Allen, where Speed had bought lands from Allen and is now charging him to be "wholly insolvent." Speed and Lincoln were lifelong friends and roommates for four years in Springfield from the time Lincoln arrived until Speed returned to his family home in Kentucky. Lincoln later appointed Speed's brother James as his attorney general during the Civil War. Also named in this document are Kinzie and Hunter, the latter believed to be David Hunter, who had married into the Kinzie family, and who later became a controversial Union General in the Civil War and was president of the military commission that tried the conspirators in Lincoln's assassination. Creased from folds; browning to most of the text, darkest to the upper righthand corner; small loss to lower lefthand corner and a few small puncture holes, neither affecting text; otherwise fine. Together with a souvenir photograph.
Auctioneer:
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Date:
2010-08-12
