Footprints of Abraham Lincoln: Presenting many interesting facts, reminiscences and illustrations never before publishedHobson, J. T. (Jonathan Todd)
History
Footprints of Abraham Lincoln: Presenting many interesting facts, reminiscences and illustrations never before published
Hobson, J. T. (Jonathan Todd)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Anecdotes
A story has been reported that the introduction of an almanac in the
Armstrong trial was a piece of trickery on Lincoln's part; that an
almanac of 1853 was used with all the figure 3's changed to 7's. This
was not necessary, for the almanac of 1857 answered the purpose, and,
besides, Mr. Lincoln was not a dishonest lawyer.
Others have claimed that no almanac was used at all in the trial.
George Cary Eggleston, a noted author, is reported as putting a
discount on it, and intimates that the story arose from an incident
connected with a trial in the early 'fifties at Vevay, Indiana,
witnessed by himself and his brother Edward, the author of the "Hoosier
Schoolmaster," and other popular novels. He says his brother, in
writing the novel, entitled "The Graysons," exercised the novelist's
privilege, and attributed this clever trick to Abraham Lincoln in the
days of his obscurity.
Part First of Honorable J. H. Barrett's "Life of Lincoln" was prepared
for the press in June, 1860, just after Mr. Lincoln's nomination for
the presidency, and only two years after the Armstrong trial, and there
the trial is mentioned in full, with the almanac incident. How does the
George Cary Eggleston account jibe with these facts? His brother Edward
simply stated an historical fact in attributing the almanac incident to
Lincoln, and it was not the exercise of a novelist's fancy.
In order to secure additional facts in the Armstrong case, I recently
wrote to the postmaster at Havana, Illinois, for the names of the
lawyers, if yet living, who were associated with Mr. Lincoln in the
case. The following letter was received, which is here given for its
historic value:
"HAVANA, ILLINOIS, August 22, 1908.
"REV. J. T. HOBSON, DEAR SIR:—Your letter directed to the
postmaster of this place, dated August 18, 1908, was handed to
me by the postmaster, Mr. Oscar Harpham, and he requested me to
answer your letter.
"You ask for the names of the lawyers in Havana, who, in
connection with Abraham Lincoln, defended Duff Armstrong in the
Circuit Court of Cass County, Illinois, held in Beardstown, in
1858. In answer, I will state that the undersigned, Lyman Lacey,
Sr., was one of the two lawyers who was employed to defend said
Armstrong. Our firm name was Walker and Lacey, and we were
practicing law in Havana, Mason County, Illinois, at the time in
partnership, and had been so engaged at the time of the trial
since 1856. Mr. Walker's given name was William. In 1865, Mr.
William Walker removed to Lexington, State of Missouri, where he
practiced law, and was county judge part of the time, and, a few
years ago, died.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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