Description:

Lincoln Abraham

Abraham Lincoln Helps Old New Salem Friend Appeal a Judgment by a Justice of the Peace

Abraham Lincoln, endorsement on Edmund Greer, Appeal Bond, October 20, 1841, filed in case of Elmore v. Bale, Menard County Circuit Court. Includes endorsement written by Abraham Lincoln and signed by Nathan Dresser. 1 p., 7.5" x 12.25". Laminated; tape repair to tear at bottom before lamination; very legible.

Complete Transcript

"Know all men by these presents that We Jacob Bale and Henry Clark Tilman Hornbuckle are held and firmly bound unto Johnson Elmore in the pinel [penal] sum of thirty dollars lawfull money of the United States for which payment well and truly to be made We bind ourselves our heirs and administrators, Jointly severly and firmly by these presents. Witness our hands and seals this 20th day of October AD 1841 The Condition of the above obligations is such that, Whereas the said Johnson Elmore did on the 9th day of Oct. AD 1841 before Edmund Greer a Justice of the peace for the County of Menard Recover a Judgment against the above bounden Jacob Bale the sum of $8.87½ cts from which Judgment the said Jacob Bale has taken an appeal to the Circuit Court of the County of Menard and State of Illinois Now if the said Jacob Bale shall prosecute his appeal with effect, and shall pay whatever Judgment may be rendered by the Court upon dismissel or trial of said appeal then the above Obligation to be void, Otherwise remain in full force and virtue.

Jacob Bale

Henry Clark

T. Hornbuckle

Approved by me at my office this 20th day of October AD 1841

Edmund Greer JP

[Endorsement written by Lincoln:]

Amended by leave of court, and approved by me this 9th of Nov 1841

Nathan Dresser Clerk".


In October 1841, Johnson Elmore sued Jacob Bale for a debt before Justice of the Peace Edmund Greer. Bale apparently did not contest the account of his debt to Elmore but claimed that Elmore had failed to pay him for farm labor and log cutting and hauling that he had done. Greer accepted that Bale owed Elmore $95 and that Bale had proved that Elmore owed him $86.12½, so he awarded Elmore $8.87½. Bale wanted to appeal Greer’s judgment to the Menard County Circuit Court, so Greer wrote out this appeal bond, for which he charged 25 cents.

At the circuit court, Abraham Lincoln represented Jacob Bale. For some reason Henry Clark was not a sufficient guarantor on the appeal bond, so Lincoln asked the court for permission to amend the appeal bond to substitute the name of Tilman Hornbuckle as a surety. Lincoln wrote the necessary endorsement, and Circuit Court clerk Nathan Dresser signed it. At the trial of the case before Judge Samuel Treat on November 10, 1841, Lincoln presented evidence of Bale’s counter-claim of $124.70 against his $97 debt to Elmore. The court accepted the claims and awarded Bale the balance of $27.80.

On December 11, 1841, the court ordered the sheriff to seize enough of Elmore’s property to pay the $27.80 judgment. Nearly three years later, the court issued a second order on October 24, 1844. The sheriff seized a two-horse wagon from Elmore. Two months later, Elmore paid the judgment and recovered his wagon. By this time, however, Jacob Bale was deceased, so his oldest son and administrator Hardin Bale received the payment.

Jacob Bale (1795-1844) was born in New Jersey and moved with his family to Kentucky. He married Elizabeth Davis in 1816 in Green County, Kentucky, and they had at least nine children. He was a Baptist minister and farmer. The Bales moved from Kentucky in 1830 to near New Salem, Illinois. Jacob Bale gradually purchased various parts of New Salem, including the saw and grist mill in 1832, the wool carding mill and the ferry in 1835, and the tavern in 1837. Eventually, the Bale family owned the entire village site.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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