Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1 [1824-Aug. 28, 1848].

To William H. Herndon1Jump to section

Washington, December 5, 1847.

Dear William: You may remember that about a year ago a man by the name of Wilson (James Wilson, I think) paid us twenty dollars as an advance fee to attend to a case in the Supreme Court for him, against a Mr. Campbell,2Jump to section the record of which case was in the hands of Mr. Dixon3Jump to section of St. Louis, who never furnished it to us.4Jump to section When I was at Bloomington last fall, I met a friend of Wilson, who

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mentioned the subject to me, and induced me to write to Wilson, telling him I would leave the ten dollars with you which had been left with me to pay for making abstracts in the case, so that the case may go on this winter; but I came away, and forgot to do it. What I want now is to send you the money, to be used accordingly, if any one comes on to start the case, or to be retained by you if no one does.

There is nothing of consequence new here. Congress is to organize to-morrow. Last night we held a Whig caucus for the House, and nominated Winthrop of Massachusetts for speaker,5Jump to section Sargent of Pennsylvania for sergeant-at-arms,6Jump to section Homer [Horner] of New Jersey doorkeeper,7Jump to section and McCormick of District of Columbia postmaster.8Jump to section The Whig majority in the House is so small9Jump to section that, together with some little dissatisfaction, [it] leaves it doubtful whether we will elect them all.

This paper is too thick to fold, which is the reason I send only a half-sheet. Yours as ever, A. LINCOLN.