Abraham Lincoln quarterly. [Vol. 5, no. 3]

160 ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUARTERLY
fifteen feet from the Jackson cabin. This old cabin at that
time was in a very bad state of repair and showed age and
was evidently a very old house. My recollection is that this
was a round-log cabin. I do not recollect what became of this
old cabin." 54
This affidavit of Judge Creal is separated from the other
affidavits in the file of the Association. Apparently, it was disregarded, for a separate affidavit was taken from the Judge
on July 7, 19o6, but this second affidavit makes no mention
of his first deposition and is made in reference to a statement
of James L. Walters made many years previously.
The authentication of the cabin by The Lincoln Farm
Association is based on the affidavits of three local residents:
John A. Davenport, Zerelda Jane Goff, age eighty-six, whose
testimony is signed with her mark, and Lafayette Wilson, a
farmer, age sixty-three.
In 1906, Davenport, in his affidavit about the farm deposes
that "in 1875 he moved into the cabin built of logs from the
Lincoln cabin, that when he first came in this County in
1863, it was known by all the old residents that these logs
were taken from the Lincoln cabin at the spring and were the
logs composing the old Lincoln cabin. Affiant says that in
189- [sic] he sold these logs to one A. W. Dennett of New
York. The trade was made with the Reverend J. W. Bigham,
who was acting for A. W. Dennett and these logs were taken
to the Lincoln farm and a cabin rebuilt on the site of the
original cabin. It remained there a year or more and for
reason or purpose it was removed.55
Mrs. Goff, born in 820, made a lengthy statement to the
effect that she had come to Larue County in 1831, and had
MThe affidavits of Judge Creal, Mrs. Zerelda Goff, John Davenport, and Lafayette Wilson are in the original file turned over to the War Department by The
Lincoln Farm Association. These papers are now in the office of the Chief
Historian, National Park Service.
r6 Ibid.