LINCOLN, Abraham (1809-1865). Autograph letter signed ("A. Lincoln P.M.") as Postmaster, to Blair & Rives. New Salem, Illinois, 3 November 1835.

1 p.; 7 3/4 x 6 in. (197 x 152 mm); docketed on verso; pinholes at corners; light creasing; toning.

A RARE EARLY LETTER BY LINCOLN AS POSTMASTER OF NEW SALEM, ILLINOIS.

In full: "Messrs Your subscriber at this place John C Vance, is dead; and no person takes the paper from the office Respectfully A. Lincoln P.M."

President Andrew Jackson appointed 24-year-old Abraham Lincoln postmaster of New Salem, Illinois on May 7, 1833, a position he held until the post office was closed on May 30, 1836. In this letter, Lincoln informs the publishers Francis P. Blair, Sr., and John C. Rives, that their subscriber, John C. Vance, is deceased and that no one is collecting his paper. The Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library footnotes for this letter suggest that the "paper" referred to was likely The Globe, a popular Democratic political newspaper published in the District of Columbia, though Blair & Rives were also publishers of The Congressional Globe, which was less widely circulated. The footnotes also indicate that the notation below "Blair & Rives" is not in Lincoln’s hand, and it is unlikely that it is related to the content of the letter. Basler indicates that Vance was a local farmer living north of New Salem, whose copy of Kirkham's Grammar Lincoln purportedly utilized for his studies.

The Official Registrar of the United States records that as postmaster, Lincoln received $55.70 in pay in 1835, but his appointment to the role bears far greater significance than a means of income. Besides pay, Lincoln could send and receive letters for free and receive one daily newspaper for free. As postmaster, Lincoln was afforded opportunities that would help pave the way towards his political success. His neighbors came to pick up their mail at the post office—or Lincoln famously delivered it himself—and along the way, the young Lincoln became acquainted with the population of Sangamon County, as they did with him. These connections would help him tremendously as he sought success in pioneer politics. As evidenced in the letter offered here, Lincoln also had access to a wide range of newspapers and periodicals that arrived for subscribers in his county. These publications would have provided Lincoln a more comprehensive view of the world beyond Sangamon County and Illinois, and offered multiple viewpoints on the most pressing societal and political issues of the day. Basler 1, p. 38; Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library D200056.

Provenance:

Oliver R. Barrett; sold, his sale, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 19-20 February 1952, lot 35

Elsie O. and Philip D. Sang Foundation; sold, their sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 14 November 1978, lot 467

Louise Taper, Beverly Hills, California

Exhibition:

The Last Best Hope of Earth: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of America, at the Huntington Library, October 1993-August 1994

Property from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation

This lot is located in Chicago.