ADS completely in Lincoln’s hand, signed “A. Lincoln,” one page, 7.5 x 5, September 17, 1838. Legal document for the Sangamon Circuit Court of Springfield, Missouri. Lincoln writes: “Jacob Baum & John G. Shelton trading and doing business under the name style and firm of Baum & Shelton vs Peter Van Bergen, Sangamon Circuit Court. I do hereby enter myself security for costs in this case, and acknowledge myself bound to pay or cause to be paid all costs which may occur in this action, either to the opposite party or to any of the officers of this court in pursuance of the laws of this state. Dated this 19th day of September A.D. 1838.” in very good to fine condition, with a professional repair to separated central horizontal fold on reverse, slightly affecting first line of text, but not affecting legibility, an old tape repair to reverse of top right corner, some scattered light soiling and wrinkling, and a few stray ink marks to text.
Baum and Shelton were St. Louis merchants who retained the law firm run by fellow Kentuckians John Stuart and Abraham Lincoln and sued Peter Van Bergen for breach of contract. In 1834, Van Bergen had purchased clothing from the plaintiffs valued at $129.75. The parties apparently reached a settlement, in which Van Bergen agreed to pay $159 in damages. After the case was settled, Lincoln set out to recoup his expenses, leading to the creation of this legal paperwork. Although legal documents in Lincoln’s hand were usually signed with the firm’s name—’Stuart & Lincoln’—the fact that the future president enters himself personally as “security for costs” led him to sign with his far more desirable personal signature, “A. Lincoln.” Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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