Beschreibung:

LINCOLN, Abraham (1809-1865), President . Autograph legal document, unsigned by Lincoln, who has instead signed the name of Charles Dutcher, to whom he furnished the document as an example, comprising some 213 words in Lincoln's hand. n.p., [Springfield, Illinois], [January 6] 1844. 1 full page, small folio. Fine condition. DEPOSITIONS IN NEW YORK, FOR AN ILLINOIS DIVORCE PROCEEDING A highly unusual legal manuscript, in which Lincoln has meticulously drafted a complete legal certificate for a New York judicial clerk, so that he can submit the the sworn testimony of certain witnesses in a case being tried in Illinois in accordance with Illinois law. The entire document is in Lincoln's hand, beneath his explanatory heading: "To enable the commissioner to conform to our statute, I add the following form for his certificate." Lincoln is careful to place the entire document which follows in double quotation marks: "State of New York County of Columbia, I, Charles B. Dutcher, the commissioner do hereby certify, that previous to the examination of the said witnesses, each of said witnesses, was by me sworn, to testify the truth in relation to the matter in controversy; that said witnesses were then respectively interrogated by me, on all the interrogatories that said witnesses respectively gave the answers thereto, as above reduced to writing by me; and that said depositions were respectively sworn to and signed by said deponents. Given under my hand and seal Charles B. Dutcher." Below, Lincoln directs: "After this certificate is added at the foot of the deposition, they, together with the commission, are to be enclosed and sealed up, and addressed" to "The Clerk of the Sangamon County Circuit Court, Springfield, Illinois." At the bottom he concludes: "Then mailed." The address of the suit in question, "Polly Alger vs. Addison Alger," identifies this as a divorce proceeding that is mentioned in Baringer's Lincoln Day by Day .