ADS, signed “Lincoln,” one page, 7 x 6, no date [circa 1836–1837]. A handwritten legal brief summarizing the dismissal of the case Beverly Allen vs. Alexander Lindsay, Morris Lindsay, and Isaac Lindsay, which involved “Trespass … on promises.” The main body of the document reads as follows: “It is agreed between the parties that this suit be dismissed at the cost of the defendant, Alexander Lindsay.” Lindsay has signed his approval beneath Lincoln’s signature. The lower portion of the document bears an ink notation in another hand, signed “Jas. H. Matheny, Judge” and dated November 3, 1880, as follows: “The above is one of Mr. Lincoln’s first papers as an attorney at law, about the year 1836.” Matheny (1818–1890) was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1836 and soon after opened a legal practice in Springfield. When Lincoln arrived in Springfield in 1837 to pursue his own legal career, Matheny described him thus: “When he first came among us his humor and wit boiled over.” The two rented office space in the same building, and their association as professional colleagues soon grew into a close friendship. Lincoln’s regard for Matheny was such, in fact, that Matheny served as best man at Lincoln’s wedding to Mary Todd on November 4, 1842, and he later became Lincoln’s manager as the Great Emancipator embarked on his political career. Matheny’s reminiscences, later recorded by biographer Ward H. Lamon, provide an essential understanding of Lincoln, particularly in regard to his views on spirituality. In commenting on Lincoln, Matheny plainly described him as an “infidel” and “often, if not wholly ... an Aetheist,” and noted that the young Lincoln attacked the Bible for its contradictions and “on grounds of reason.” After serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Civil War, Matheny was elected Judge of the County Court of Sangamon County. The confluence of factors in the present document—a relic from the dawn of Lincoln’s career, airtight, first-person documentation, and a personal association of the highest significance—make for an item of exceptional interest and rarity. In fine condition, with faint uneven toning and a touch of mild handling wear. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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