Description:

Lincoln Abraham

Abraham Lincoln Gives Legal Advice to Friend Martin L. Bishop Regarding Bishop’s Patent Ownership and Pending Lawsuits 


Autograph Letter Signed “A. Lincoln” on lower half of concluding page of a letter to him. To M.L. Bishop. Esq. Springfield, November 16, 1858. Autograph Letter Signed “M.L. Bishop,” 2.5 pages, 7.75” x 12.75”, on two sheets conjoined at top of each sheet. Bloomington, Illinois, November 12, 1858. To Hon. A. Lincoln who has penned his ALS in reply on the lower half of the third page, beneath Bishop’s letter to him. Slight separation on each sheet where the three horizontal folds cross the centerfold (between lines in Lincoln’s letter). Slightly soiled on Lincoln letter with a blot by Lincoln on a word he rewrote. Lincoln signature lightly smudged. Very good condition.



Martin L. Bishop of McLean County, Illinois, first transcribed the following agreement whereby the rights to an invention was sold to him in 1856 by the inventors for $2400, noted by Bishop to be a “Copy”:



“Whereas we Abraham Marquiss, Ezra Marquiss and Charles Marquiss of Monticello, Piatt County, Illinois and Charles Emerson of Decatur, Macon County, Illinois, did obtain Letters Patent of the United States, for certain improvements in the mode of drawing plows, which letters Parent bear date in the 19th day of February 1856, And whereas Martin L Bishop of McLean County State of Illinois is desirous of obtaining an interest herein, Now this Indenture witnesseth that for and in consideration of the Sum of Twenty four hundred dollars to be paid in hand, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged we have assigned sold and set apart, and by these presents do assign sell and set apart all the right with and interest which we have in said invention as secured to us his said letters patent, for, to and in McLean County in the State of Illinois and in no other place or places whatsoever, the same to be held and enforced by the said Martin S. Bishop his heirs and assigns for their own use and behoof and for the use and behoof of their legal representatives to the full term for which said letters patent are or may be granted as fully and entirely as the same would have been held and enjoyed by us had this assignment and sale not have been made. Witness our hands and seals this 10th day of July 1856. Signed Abraham Marquiss {Seal} Ezra Marquiss {Seal} CharlesMarquiss {Seal} Charles Emerson {Seal}.”



Beneath which Bishop has penned an Autograph Letter Signed “M.L. Bishop” to lawyer Abraham Lincoln who had just lost his Senate race to Stephen A. Douglas on November 2nd. Bloomington, Illinois, November 12, 1858.



In full, “Above please find Copy of County right for ditching machine which I purchased from the parties whose names are attached thereto, and on which right I still owe a portion of the purchase money. They on their part have suffered other parties to infringe on their patent, will not the above assignment of the right to this County be a valid rebut to their claim against me? And as the parties above stated have sued me & they having a Suit now pending in the U.S. Court against others for said infringement will not this act be held as a sufficient cause for Continuance, until the decision of said cause by the U.S. Court. And is it necessary on my part to have the above article recorded in Washington Prior to said decision. Please Answer immediately & oblige. Yours very respectfully, M.L. Bishop.”



Lincoln replies beneath Bishop’s letter to him. “Springfield, Nov. 16, 1858. M.J. Bishop, Esq. Dear Sir: I do not think ‘the above assignment of the right of the County will be a valid rebut to their claim against you.’ I do not think the fact that the Patentees have a suit pending in the U.S. Court can avail you in defence, or for a continuance of their suit against you—Before you can sue, your assignment should be recorded; but the recording has nothing to do with the suits already brought. Yours as ever A. Lincoln.”



Martin L. Bishop (1818-1897) moved to McLean County, Illinois, from Ohio in the fall of 1840. A miller, he owned over 1200 acres. His friend Abraham Lincoln was his attorney. Five years earlier, Bishop had retained Lincoln and sued the Illinois Central Railroad for $5,000 in damages to 20 acres of his land. In April 1854, the jury found for Bishop and awarded $583. There was an appeal, and the court granted a new trial. In the second trial, the court ruled for Bishop and awarded $470 in accordance with the arbitrators’ award. In September 1856, Bishop had retained Lincoln and sued the Illinois Central Railroad in an action of assumpsit. The court dismissed the suit with the railroad paying the costs.



Lincoln’s reply is not in Basler. “The Papers of Abraham Lincoln” website, “The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln” reports that in November 1858, “ Lincoln provided legal advice to Bishop” and summarizes Bishop’s letter: “Bishop purchased the rights to a patent for improvements to a plow from Marquis and others for $2,400. Bishop asked Lincoln for legal advice regarding the validity of his ownership of the patent and his liability for pending law suits involving the invention.” Lincoln’s reply, however (this letter), is not recorded.


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