LOT #43004 |
Current Bid: $625
Abraham Lincoln Autograph Document....
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Description
Abraham Lincoln Pens Instructions on Promissory Note as Trusted Intermediary in Harlan v. Taylor
Abraham Lincoln Autograph Document. Unsigned. One page, 8 x
10 inches, attached to a promissory note signed by John Taylor, 7
3/4 x 4 3/4 inches. Springfield, Illinois; October 12, 1841.Abraham Lincoln gives instructions concerning delivery of the attached promissory note, signed by John Taylor, in connection with the Sangamon County Circuit Court case of Harlan v. Taylor. Lincoln pens, in full:
"Whenever Col. John Taylor shall satisfy us that that [sic] he has paid or discharged the sum of twenty five hundred dollars at the Jacksonville Branch of the Shawneetown Bank, for Levi Harlan, we are to deliver the attached note to Col. Taylor-"
The attached promissory note, signed by Taylor, reads in full:
"Seven months after date I promise to pay to Justus Vairin & Co of New Orleans at the State Bank of Illinois at Springfield Five Thousand nine hundred and nine dollars and eighty six cents for value received.
John Taylor."
The document is recorded in The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln as part of Harlan v. Taylor, a Sangamon County Circuit Court dispute involving land, debt, and an alleged failure to convey property. According to the case file, John Taylor had sold Levi Harlan 219 acres of land and four lots in Petersburg, Illinois, but failed to transfer title as agreed. Harlan subsequently brought suit seeking recovery under the bond.
Lincoln's brief instruction appears to place him in the role of custodian or intermediary, holding Taylor's substantial promissory note pending satisfaction of an obligation owed to Harlan. The note itself, payable to the New Orleans firm of Justus Vairin & Co. in the amount of $5,909.86, represented a considerable financial instrument on the Illinois frontier. Lincoln's memorandum directs that it be returned to Taylor only after proof that $2,500 had been paid or discharged on Harlan's behalf.
Although the precise relationship between the note and the litigation remains uncertain, the document offers a revealing glimpse into Lincoln's legal practice during his partnership with Stephen T. Logan. Beyond courtroom advocacy, lawyers were frequently called upon to manage transactions, hold securities, and facilitate settlements between disputing parties. The use of the phrase "satisfy us" suggests that Lincoln was acting in a position of trust, overseeing an arrangement involving multiple parties and substantial sums of money.
Condition: In overall good condition, on warmly toned paper with some splits along the fold lines in junction with the edges, and offset toning of the edges containing light wear. The two documents hinged with a wafer top left. The inscribed by Taylor on top with light fading and bleed through address on verso. The top leaf with J. Kendall and Sons Leominster embossed paper seal top left. The ink in Lincoln's hand is much stronger and highly legible.
Literature: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln, file ID L05147, document no. 127928.
Provenance:
Lincoln & Logan Law Office (w. 1841-44);
Lincoln & Herndon Law Office (w. 1844-1861);
Herndon & Zane Law Office (w. 1861-c. 1868);
Herndon & Orendorff Law Office (w. c. 1867-c. 1877);
Alfred Orendorff (1845-1909);
Lydia Edna Orendorff Macpherson (1885-1977);
John F. Macpherson (1916-1999) and Julia Orendorff Macpherson Webster (1913-1995), co-owners after 1977;
Present owners, living descendants of Alfred Orendorff.
Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
No minimum bid.
Auction Info
2026 July 30 The Alfred Orendorff Archive: Treasures from the Law Offices of Abraham Lincoln Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6342 (go to Auction Home page)
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