Collection Summary
Abraham Lincoln Papers 1774-1948
1774-1948
MSS30189
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
40,550 items
221 containers plus 11 oversize
48 linear feet
98 microfilm reels
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
United States president and representative
and lawyer from Illinois. Correspondence and other papers relating primarily to Abraham
Lincoln's presidency and the Civil War.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Banks, Nathaniel Prentiss, 1816-1894--Correspondence.
Bates, Edward, 1793-1869--Correspondence.
Blair, Montgomery, 1813-1883--Correspondence.
Brewster, Benjamin Harris, 1816-1888--Correspondence.
Chase, Salmon P. (Salmon Portland), 1808-1873--Correspondence.
Colfax, Schuyler, 1823-1885--Correspondence.
Davis, David, 1815-1886--Correspondence.
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885--Correspondence.
Hay, John, 1838-1905--Correspondence.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875--Correspondence.
Johnson, Reverdy, 1796-1876--Correspondence.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865. Gettysburg address.
Lincoln, Mary Todd, 1818-1882--Correspondence.
McClellan, George B. (George Brinton), 1826-1885--Correspondence.
Meade, George Gordon, 1815-1872--Correspondence.
Morgan, Edwin D. (Edwin Denison), 1811-1883--Correspondence.
Nicolay, John G. (John George), 1832-1901--Correspondence.
Nicolay, John G. (John George), 1832-1901.
Rosecrans, William S. (William Starke), 1819-1898--Correspondence.
Seward, William H. (William Henry), 1801-1872--Correspondence.
Seymour, Horatio, 1810-1886--Correspondence.
Smith, Caleb B. (Caleb Blood), 1808-1864--Correspondence.
Speed, James, 1812-1887--Correspondence.
Stanton, Edwin M. (Edwin McMasters), 1814-1869--Correspondence.
Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874--Correspondence.
Trumbull, Lyman, 1813-1896--Correspondence.
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901--Correspondence.
Wallace, Lew, 1827-1905--Correspondence.
Washburne, E. B. (Elihu Benjamin), 1816-1887--Correspondence.
Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878--Correspondence.
Places
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States--Politics and government--1861-1865.
Titles
Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
Occupations
Lawyers.
Presidents--United States.
Representatives, U.S. Congress--Illinois.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Abraham Lincoln, United States president and representative and lawyer
from Illinois, consist of material received through gift through Robert Todd Lincoln in
1923, Helen Nicolay in 1947, and other gifts, transfers, deposits, purchases, and
reproductions, 1901-2013.
Processing History
The Abraham Lincoln papers were arranged, indexed, and microfilmed in 1960. Subsequent
additions were arranged and described in 1973, 1979, 1985, and 1987 and a finding aid to
the additions revised and expanded in 1996. In 2009 this finding aid was expanded by
including description of the main collection from the published index. Small additions
were arranged and described in 2010 and 2013.
Additional Guides
The microfilm edition of these papers (not including additions) is indexed in the
Index to the Abraham Lincoln Papers
(Washington, D.C.: 1960), prepared as part of the President's Papers Index
Series. The index is available online at [https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/gdclccn.60060014].
A card index for the 1973 Addition is available in the Manuscript Division Reading
Room.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Abraham Lincoln is governed by
the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Abraham Lincoln are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact
the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and
advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Transfers
Selected material has been transferred to the appropriate custodial divisions of the
Library of Congress.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on ninety-eight reels. Consult
reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or
interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to
consult the microfilm edition as available.
Online Content
The papers of Abraham Lincoln are available on the Library of Congress Web site at [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/collmss.ms000005]. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to
consult the online edition as available.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container or reel number, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
History of the Collection
[From
Index to the Abraham Lincoln Papers
(Washington, D.C.: 1960), pp. v-vi]
The story of the Lincoln Papers has often been told, but details vary—sometimes
astonishingly. The most complete account appears in David C. Mearns,
The Lincoln Papers
(Garden City, N.Y., 1948), I, 3-136. An article by the same author which
appeared in the December 1947 issue of the
Abraham Lincoln Quarterly
contains the substance of the story and is reproduced in part in the following
pages. [ [1] ](foot1)
To what was said 13 years ago a few facts may be added. A comprehensive edition of
Lincoln's
Collected Works
was issued after much labor by a devoted editor and staff. [ [2] ](foot2) Many other scholars have studied the
documents, and all may now benefit by their findings.
A manuscript acquired by the Library of Congress in 1958 added this new fact: Justice
David Davis wrote to Edward McPherson, Clerk of the House of Representatives, on June
22, 1866, stating that the papers found on President Lincoln's person were sealed by
Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. [ [3] ](foot3) Later the papers were opened in Justice Davis' presence.
Of this he wrote:
My distinct recollection is that all the papers of public importance were retained by
Mr. Stanton & either deposited in the War or State Depts. I think copies were
furnished me & handed to Mr. Nicolay who packed them together with Mr. Lincoln's
private papers in secure boxes. These boxes were sent by the Secy of War under guard
to Bloomington Illinois, my residence & are now in the vault of the National Bank
of Bloomington. They are sealed & when they will be
opened & examined has not yet been determined.
The location of the original documents that were withheld and of the copies is not now
known. The original letter by Justice Davis has been restored to the McPherson Papers in
the Library's Manuscript Division.
In 1959 the microfilm and the index of the Lincoln Papers which had been prepared in
1947 were re-examined. Certain omissions were found in the microfilm—primarily pages
with dockets or notations or endorsements or other contemporary writing. The dates
assigned to a number of documents needed correction in the light of later research. In
addition, some Lincoln documents which had been unaccountably retained by John G.
Nicolay were restored to the President's papers. These have been arranged as "Series
Two" to assure their identification. Miscellaneous acquisitions were arranged in a third
and final series. Three reels (95, 96, and 97) contain the second and third series.
This index has been prepared to include the materials in the second and third series, to
reflect recent research, and to conform to the style of other Presidential Papers
indexes published by the Library of Congress.
There are 14,724 pieces in the Lincoln Papers. The whole collection is now in 194
volumes and 3 manuscript boxes.
The Library began in 1940 to formulate plans which would ensure the safety of its unique
and particularly prized materials. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7,
1941, and the declaration of war on the United States by Germany a few days later,
Archibald MacLeish, then Librarian, directed the evacuation of the specially selected
materials according to plan. [ [4]
](foot4)
The Lincoln Papers, along with other materials, were evacuated from the Library on
December 29, 1941, under the supervision of Alvin W. Kremer, Keeper of the Collections,
to the Alderman Library of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. On August 14,
1944, they were returned to the Library. Lincoln's second inaugural address and two
drafts of the Gettysburg Address, together with certain other "top treasures," were
separately evacuated to Fort Knox, Kentucky. [ [5] ](foot5) They were returned in September 1944. No item was lost or
damaged in the vast evacuation program. Fortunately Washington was not attacked, but the
Library of Congress in 1941 was prepared for eventualities as it had not been in
1814.
In anticipation of the day when the Lincoln Papers could be opened, and in accordance
with the terms of the gift, Dr. St. George L. Sioussat, Chief of the Manuscript
Division, commissioned Dr. C. Percy Powell and Mrs. Helen D. Bullock to arrange and
index the manuscripts. They and all others who assisted in any way in these tasks as
well as in the repair, mounting, microfilming, and binding were enjoined to complete
secrecy. When the collection was opened to the public just after midnight on July 26,
1947, the papers were chronologically organized, attractively bound, indexed, and
microfilmed. The originals have since been available for use under the standard
conditions which govern the use of manuscripts.
A succinct account of the peregrinations of the papers from 1865 to 1923 is contained in
the passages from Mr. Mearns' article previously alluded to:
Immediately after the assassination, Robert Lincoln asked Associate Justice David
Davis to undertake the administration of the estate. The Judge came on from Chicago,
gathered up bonds, securities, and outstanding household accounts, and urged the
prompt removal of the files. They were packed by Nicolay and Colonel Hay, and within
a fortnight were secured within the vault of the National Bank at Bloomington. The
Judge, for reasons not yet discovered, experienced a sense of relief in the knowledge
that they were safely out of Washington, although he did mention his fears lest they
fall into dangerous hands. It is barely possible that he infected Robert Lincoln with
his forebodings, for Robert Lincoln spoke of some which 'would be damaging to men now
living.' That was on April 27th, 1865; on June 6th he wrote that 'the papers relating
to the Administration' were 'in such a confused state' that they could not then 'be
got at.' They seem to have remained subject to the Judge's order until 1874 when
Robert Lincoln directed that they be sent to Mr. Nicolay, in Washington, for use in
the preparation of the authorized biography of his father. They were still in Mr.
Nicolay's custody when he died in 1901 and appear to have been stored thereafter in
the State Department with the approval of Secretary Hay. When Hay died in 1905,
Robert Lincoln took them to Chicago, where for a time they were housed in his office
in the Pullman Building and, later, in his safe deposit. When Robert Lincoln retired
and came to Washington to live he kept the papers in his Georgetown home in winter,
and in summer they were shipped to his country house in Manchester, Vermont. In the
spring of 1919, probably as an expression of gratitude to the government for the
construction of the Lincoln Memorial, and under the misapprehension that that temple
was nearly completed, Robert Lincoln placed the papers in the Library of Congress on
condition that their presence in the institution should not be made known. On January
23rd, 1923, he conveyed them to the Library by deed of gift, with the stipulation
that they should be withheld from 'official or public inspection or private view'
until after the expiration of twenty-one years from the date of his death. [ [6] ](foot6) He died July 26th
1926.
Searchers interested in Abraham Lincoln and his times may wish to examine the personal
papers listed below. These collections contain a varying number of letters written by
President Lincoln, retained copies of letters written to him, and letters or other
documents referring to him.
-
[Anderson, Robert]
-
[Black, Jeremiah S.]
-
[Blair, Montgomery]
-
[Bromwell, Henry Pelham
Holmes]
-
[Butler, Benjamin F. ]
-
[Cameron, Simon]
-
[Caton, John Dean ]
-
[Chandler, Zachariah]
-
[Chase, Salmon P. ]
-
[Clayton, John M. ]
- Denison, George S.
- Garrett, John W.
-
[Gresham, Walter Quintin]
-
[Herndon-Weik Collection]
-
[Hitchcock, Ethan Allen]
-
[Holt, Joseph]
- Holtze, Henry
-
[Johnson, Andrew]
-
[Lamont, Daniel Scott]
-
[McClellan, George Brinton
]
-
[Porter, Fitz John]
-
[Read, John M.]
-
[Schurz, Carl]
-
[Sherman, John]
-
[Sherman, William T.]
-
[Stanton, Edwin
McMasters]
-
[Stuart, George H.]
-
[Thompson, Ambrose W.]
-
[Trist, Nicholas P.]
-
[Wade, B. F.]
-
[Welles, Gideon]
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
(New Brunswick, 1953-1955), 8 volumes and index volume.
Library of Congress Information Bulletin
, 17 (December 1, 1958), 661-62.
Library of Congress Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions
, 2 (November 1944), 64-75.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1809, Feb. 12
Born, Hardin Co., now LaRue Co., Ky.
1815
1816
Attended occasional classes in rural schoolhouse
1816
Moved with family to Indiana
1819
1820
Additional schooling
1819
1830
Laborer on family farm and for neighbors
1828
Ferryman, Ohio River; helped take a flatboat cargo from Indiana to New
Orleans, La.
1830
Moved with family to Illinois
1831
Helped build a flatboat and ferried cargo from Sangamon County, Ill., to
New Orleans, La.
Clerk, general store, New Salem, Ill.
1832
Elected captain, Thirty-first Regiment, Illinois Militia, in the Black Hawk
War
Defeated in election for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly
1832
1836
Shopkeeper, surveyor, and postmaster in New Salem, Ill.
1834
Elected as Whig candidate from Sangamon County to the lower house of the
Illinois General Assembly
Began to read law
1836
1842
Reelected for three additional terms, Sangamon County representative, Illinois
General Assembly
1837
Admitted to the Illinois bar
Moved to Springfield to become law partner with John T. Stuart in the firm
of Stuart & Lincoln
1841
Partnership of Stuart & Lincoln dissolved
Partnership established with Stephen T. Logan in the law firm of Logan
& Lincoln, Springfield, Ill.
1842
Married Mary Todd
1844
Formed law partnership with William H. Herndon in the firm of Lincoln &
Herndon, Springfield, Ill.
1847
Elected as Whig candidate from Illinois to the United States House of
Representatives
1849
Resumed law practice, Springfield, Ill.
1855
Unsuccessful Whig candidate in Illinois for United States Senate
1856
Joined the Republican party
1858
Unsuccessful Republican candidate in Illinois for United States Senate
1861
1865
President and commander-in-chief of the United States during the Civil
War
1863, Jan. 1
Issued Emancipation Proclamation
1863, Nov. 19
Delivered Gettysburg address
1865, Apr. 15
Died the morning after being shot, Washington, D.C.
Scope and Content Note for Additions to the Collection
Addenda to the Abraham Lincoln Papers consist mostly of reproductions of government and
military documents made from originals in the holdings of the National Archives and
Records Administration, 1774-1887. Original documents and mementoes which span the years
1834-1948 have also been added to the Lincoln Papers. The Addenda include material
acquired since 1960 and papers omitted as not being integral to the collection when it
was microfilmed and indexed in 1960. The Addenda are designated as [ Series 4 ](series4) and organized in subseries by
the year each addition was processed. Material added to the Lincoln Papers from 1979 to
1987, previously designated as Series 5-7, is now consolidated with Series 4.
The 1973 Addition includes original correspondence, chiefly letters written by Lincoln;
an original autobiographical sketch; reproductions of documents arranged
chronologically; miscellaneous printed matter, including mourning cards and mementoes
such as a pen purportedly used by Lincoln; and notes, envelopes, and photocopies of
documents removed before microfilming from [ Series 1, General Correspondence and Related Documents ](series1). The
autobiographical sketch was written in 1859 at the request of a political supporter,
Jesse W. Fell, who believed that Lincoln might become president if he were better known.
It is not signed, but a statement signed by David Davis, Lyman Trumbull, and Charles
Sumner dated 20 March 1872 certifies that the document was written by Lincoln.
The 1979 Addition, formerly designated as Series 5, includes four original manuscripts
and reproductions of letters, notes, and endorsements by Lincoln. Most of the
reproductions are copies of applications and recommendations for military appointments
made from originals in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
The 1985 Addition, formerly Series 6, consists entirely of reproductions from original
letters and documents at NARA pertaining to Lincoln. The material is organized according
to the government department that created the record. The largest group comes from the
adjutant general's office of the War Department and concerns military commissions.
The 1987 Addition, formerly Series 7, contains three original items and reproductions of
documents from NARA.
Original items in the 1996 Addition include a deed for property held by John and Nancy
Johnston and stepmother Sarah Johnston Lincoln in Illinois dated 1852, a message dated
1861 by Lincoln to Major George Douglas Ramsay, Chief of Ordnance, United States Army,
requesting that he find employment for gunsmiths from Harper's Ferry, and a message
dated 1862 by Lincoln to the surgeon general concerning a mother's request that her son
be discharged. Also included are reproductions of documents from NARA organized
according to the government department that created the record. Most of the documents
are from the War Department. Notable exceptions are copies of a patent application
Lincoln filed in 1849 for a device to lift riverboats over shoals and the report of the
Washington, D.C., municipal police force detective corps on the investigation of
Lincoln's assassination.
The 2010 Addition consists of a legal document from Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois law
practice. The 2013 Addition includes a clipped signature of Lincoln from a memorandum
dated July 29, 1862, concerning a request in person by Mrs. Robert Knight for her
husband to be appointed assessor. A copy of the memorandum is provided. Also included is
a U.S. State Department warrant dated 6 January 1865, for affixing the seal of the
United States to a letter to Dom Pedro II of Brazil, signed by Lincoln.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged in five series:
-
[ Series 1, General Correspondence and Related Documents,
1833-1916 ](series1)
-
[ Series 2, Additional Correspondence, 1858-1865 ](series2)
-
[ Series 3, Miscellaneous, 1837-1897 ](series3)
-
[ Series 4, Addenda, 1774-1948 ](series4)
-
[ Oversize, 1776-1865 ](overs)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm78030189]
Container List
1-94
Series 1, General Correspondence and
Related Documents, 1833-1916
1833-1916
Digital content available
Manuscripts inherited by Robert Todd Lincoln which have been designated "The
Robert Todd Lincoln Collection of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln."
Arranged chronologically. The mounting sheet number which appears in the lower
left-hand corner of recto pages with writing, is, however, the key to finding a
particular document on the microfilm reproduction. When changes in the arrangement
have been required or when new and corrected dates have been assigned, an errata
sheet following this statement gives the pertinent data for a particular reel.
1
1833 May 1-1850 July 1 [25-454] [
See also Oversize, Container OV 2
](over2)
1833 May 1-1850
July 1
2
1850 July 1-1858 July 9 [455-950]
1850 July 1-1858
July 9
3
1858 July 10-Sept. [951-1425]
1858 July 10-Sept.
4
1858 Oct. 1-1859 Sept. 24 [1426-1934]
1858 Oct. 1-1859
Sept. 24
5
1859 Sept. 25-1860 Feb. 22 [1935-2421]
1859 Sept. 25-1860
Feb. 22
6
1860 Feb. 22-May 26 [2422-2905]
1860 Feb. 22-May 26
7
1860 May 26-July 18 [2906-3331]
1860 May 26-July 18
8
1860 July 18-Sept. 22 [3332-3762]
1860 July 18-Sept.
22
9
1860 Sept. 22-Oct. 28 [3763-4173]
1860 Sept. 22-Oct.
28
10
1860 Oct. 29-Nov. 23 [4174-4620]
1860 Oct. 29-Nov.
23
11
1860 Nov. 23-Dec. 13 [4621-5043]
1860 Nov. 23-Dec.
13
12
1860 Dec. 13-[1860] [5044-5587]
1860 Dec. 13-[1860]
13
1861 Jan. 1-10 [5590-6013]
1861 Jan. 1-10
14
1861 Jan. 10-20 [6014-6456]
1861 Jan. 10-20
15
1861 Jan. 20-29 [6457-6882]
1861 Jan. 20-29
16
1861 Jan. 29-Feb. 13 [6883-7303]
1861 Jan. 29-Feb.
13
17
1861 Feb. 13-Mar. 4 [7304-7714]
1861 Feb. 13-Mar. 4
18
1861 Mar. 4-18 [7715-8208]
1861 Mar. 4-18
19
1861 Mar. 18-Apr. 1 [8209-8665]
1861 Mar. 18-Apr. 1
20
1861 Apr. 1-Apr. 15 [8666-9097]
1861 Apr. 1-Apr. 15
21
1861 Apr. 15-Apr. [9098-9694]
1861 Apr. 15-Apr.
22
1861 May 1-June 3 [9695-10164]
1861 May 1-June 3
23
1861 June 3-July 9 [10165-10707]
1861 June 3-July 9
24
1861 July 9-Aug. 13 [10708-11210]
1861 July 9-Aug. 13
25
1861 Aug. 13-Sept. 17 [11211-11730] [
See also Oversize, Container OV 3
](over3)
1861 Aug. 13-Sept.
17
26
1861 Sept. 17-Oct. 3 [11731-12246]
1861 Sept. 17-Oct.
3
27
1861 Oct. 3-15 [12247-12487]
1861 Oct. 3-15
28
1861 Oct. 16-Nov. 3 [12488-12822]
1861 Oct. 16-Nov. 3
29
1861 Nov. 4-Dec. 6 [12823-13276]
1861 Nov. 4-Dec. 6
30
1861 Dec. 6-1861 [13277-13688]
1861 Dec. 6-1861
31
[1861]-1862 Jan. 21 [13689-14099
[1861]-1862 Jan. 21
32
1862 Jan. 21-Feb. 16 [14100-14553]
1862 Jan. 21-Feb.
16
33
1862 Feb. 16-Mar. 14 [14554-15050]
1862 Feb. 16-Mar.
14
34
1862 Mar. 14-Apr. 16 [15051-15542]
1862 Mar. 14-Apr.
16
35
1862 Apr. 16-May 15 [15543-15994]
1862 Apr. 16-May 15
36
1862 May 16-June 11 [15995-16427]
1862 May 16-June 11
37
1862 June 11-July 6 [16428-16844]
1862 June 11-July 6
38
1862 July 6-28 [16845-17295]
1862 July 6-28
39
1862 July 28-Aug. 18 [17296-17741]
1862 July 28-Aug.
18
40
1862 Aug. 18-Sept. 1 [17742-18173]
1862 Aug. 18-Sept.
1
41
1862 Sept. 1-24 [18174-18621]
1862 Sept. 1-24
42
1862 Sept.24-Oct. 18 [18622-19064]
1862 Sept.24-Oct.
18
43
1862 Oct. 18-Nov. 13 [19065-19529]
1862 Oct. 18-Nov.
13
44
1862 Nov. 14-Dec. 5 [19530-19960]
1862 Nov. 14-Dec. 5
45
1862 Dec. 6-22 [19961-20376]
1862 Dec. 6-22
46
1862 Dec. 22-1863 Jan. 1 [20377-20853]
1862 Dec. 22-1863
Jan. 1
47
1863 Jan. 1-24 [20854-21337]
1863 Jan. 1-24
48
1863 Jan. 24-Feb. 16 [21338-21768]
1863 Jan. 24-Feb.
16
49
1863 Feb. 16-Mar. 5 [21769-22225]
1863 Feb. 16-Mar. 5
50
1863 Mar. 5-28 [22226-22698]
1863 Mar. 5-28
51
1863 Mar. 28-Apr. 25 [22699-23154]
1863 Mar. 28-Apr.
25
52
1863 Apr. 25-May 22 [23155-23608]
1863 Apr. 25-May 22
53
1863 May 22-June13 [23609-24090]
1863 May 22-June13
54
1863 June 13-30 [24091-24567]
1863 June 13-30
55
1863 June 30-July 20 [24568-25026]
1863 June 30-July
20
56
1863 July 20-Aug. 7 [25027-25402]
1863 July 20-Aug. 7
57
1863 Aug. 7-27 [25403-25866]
1863 Aug. 7-27
58
1863 Aug. 27-Sept. 15 [25867-26304]
1863 Aug. 27-Sept.
15
59
1863 Sept. 16-30 [26305-26757]
1863 Sept. 16-30
60
1863 Sept. 30-Oct. 12 [26758-27184]
1863 Sept. 30-Oct.
12
61
1863 Oct. 12-31 [27185-27611]
1863 Oct. 12-31
62
1863 Oct. 31-Nov. 18 [27612-28106]
1863 Oct. 31-Nov.
18
63
1863 Nov. 18-Dec. 8 [28107-28573]
1863 Nov. 18-Dec. 8
64
1863 Dec. 9-31 [28574-29025]
1863 Dec. 9-31
65
1863 Dec. 31-1864 Jan. 14 [29026-29474]
1863 Dec. 31-1864
Jan. 14
66
1864 Jan. 14-27 [29475-29905]
1864 Jan. 14-27
67
1864 Jan. 28-Feb. 9 [29906-30351]
1864 Jan. 28-Feb. 9
68
1864 Feb. 9-22 [30352-30787]
1864 Feb. 9-22
69
1864 Feb. 23-Mar. 4 [30788-31247]
1864 Feb. 23-Mar. 4
70
1864 Mar. 4-19 [31248-31672]
1864 Mar. 4-19
71
1864 Mar. 19-Apr. 4 [31673-32121] [
See also Oversize, Container OV 1
](over1)
1864 Mar. 19-Apr. 4
72
1864 Apr. 5-23 [32122-32561] [
See also Oversize, Container OV 4
](over4)
1864 Apr. 5-23
73
1864 Apr. 23-May 13 [32562-33061]
1864 Apr. 23-May 13
74
1864 May 14-27 [33062-33362]
1864 May 14-27
75
1864 May 28-June 17 [33363-33815]
1864 May 28-June 17
76
1864 June 18-July 4 [33816-34262]
1864 June 18-July 4
77
1864 July 4-22 [34263-34694]
1864 July 4-22
78
1864 July 22-Aug. 7 [34695-35122
1864 July 22-Aug. 7
79
1864 Aug. 7-25 [35123-35561]
1864 Aug. 7-25
80
1864 Aug. 25-Sept. 6 [35562-35984]
1864 Aug. 25-Sept.
6
81
1864 Sept. 6-16 [35985-36403]
1864 Sept. 6-16
82
1864 Sept. 17-Sept. [36404-36885]
1864 Sept. 17-Sept.
83
1864 Oct. 1-13 [36886-37219]
1864 Oct. 1-13
84
1864 Oct. 14-22 [37220-37508]
1864 Oct. 14-22
85
1864 Oct. 22-Nov. 2 [37509-37888]
1864 Oct. 22-Nov. 2
86
1864 Nov. 3-11 [37889-38203]
1864 Nov. 3-11
87
1864 Nov. 12-22 [38204-38605]
1864 Nov. 12-22
88
1864 Nov.. 22-Dec. 5 [38606-39039]
1864 Nov.. 22-Dec.
5
89
1864 Dec. 5-22 [39040-39469]
1864 Dec. 5-22
90
1864 Dec. 23-1865 Jan. 16 [39470-40078]
1864 Dec. 23-1865
Jan. 16
91
1865 Jan. 17-Feb. 9 [40079-40550]
1865 Jan. 17-Feb. 9
92
1865 Feb. 9-Mar. 2 [40551-41025]
1865 Feb. 9-Mar. 2
93
1865 Mar. 3-25 [41026-41430]
1865 Mar. 3-25
94
1865 Mar. 25-1916 Apr. 18, undated [41431-41751]
1865 Mar. 25-1916
Apr. 18, undated
95-97
Series 2, Additional Correspondence,
1858-1865
1858-1865
Digital content available
Correspondence retained by John G. Nicolay, Lincoln's secretary, that remained
with the Nicolay Papers (received by the Library in 1947) until August 1959, when
it was removed and reincorporated with the Lincoln Papers.
Arranged chronologically.
95
1858 June 30-1862 Sept. [41751-42358]
1858 June 30-1862
Sept.
96
1862 Oct. 4-1864 July 2 [42359-42954]
1862 Oct. 4-1864
July 2
97
1864 July 14-1865
1864 July 14-1865
97
Series 3, Miscellaneous, 1837-1897
1837-1897
Digital content available
Single or small numbers of manuscripts which have been acquired by the Library of
Congress from a variety of sources.
Arranged chronologically.
97
1837 July-1897 May 17, undated [42955-43663] [
See also Oversize, Containers OV 5
](ov5) and [
OV 6
](ov6)
1837 July-1897 May
17, undated
4:1-14
Series 4, Addenda, 1774-1948
1774-1948
Digital content available
Chiefly reproductions of government and military documents made from originals in
the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1774-1887; also
original documents and mementoes which span the years 1834-1948. Includes material
acquired since 1960 and papers omitted as not being integral to the collection
when it was microfilmed and indexed in 1960.
Organized by the year each addition was processed.
4:1
1973 Addition
Originals
Correspondence and miscellany, 1835-1864, undated [
See also Oversize, Containers OV 7
](ov7) and [
OV 8
](ov8)
Lincoln autobiographical sketch with letter to Jesse W. Fell, 20
Dec. 1859
4:2
Reproductions [
See also Oversize, Containers OV 9
](ov9) and [
OV 10
](ov10)
1774-1861
4:3
1862-1863
4:4
1864-1866
4:5
Miscellany
Printed matter and mementoes, 1856-1948, undated [
See also Oversize, Container OV 11
](ov11)
4:6
Material removed from Series 1
4:7
1979 Addition
Original correspondence, 1848-1863
Reproductions
Applications, appointments, and commissions
A-C
4:8
D-L
4:9
M-S
4:10
T-Z
List of multiple appointments
Correspondence, 1840-1865
Inventory of material copied by the National Archives and Records
Administration
Miscellany
4:11
Checklist of Abraham Lincoln Collection of Oliver R.
Barrett
4:12
1985 Addition
Reproductions
Appointment and resignation record book, 1861
Correspondence, Sept. 1854; Aug. 1863-June 1864,
undated
Justice Department, general records, 1864-1865
Interior Department, Office of the Secretary,
1863-1865
Navy Department, Office of Naval Records and Library,
1861-1864
Treasury Department
Civil War Special Agencies and the Treasury,
1862-1865
General records, 1864
War Department
Adjutant General's Office
Appointment, Commission, and Personal Branch
B-O
(5 folders)
4:13
P-W
(3 folders)
Endorsement and recommendation lists
General and unit records, 1861-1887
Commissary General of Prisoners, 1865
Headquarters of the Army, 1863-1864
Judge Advocate General (Army), 1863-1865
Quartermaster General, 1864
Secretary of War, 1861-1865
U.S. Army Continental Commands, 1861-1865
Miscellany, 1813, circa 1838, 1863, undated
4:14
1987 Addition
Originals
Mackay, Cornelia A., correspondence and Lincoln autograph,
1864
Reproductions
Bramlette, Thomas E., transcript of letter, 1864
Interior Department, letter to the secretary from Lincoln, 20
Mar. 1861
Springfield, Ill., merchants and businessmen, petition,
1856
Treasury Department
Correspondence (photocopies of transcripts),
1864-1865
Cotton and Captured Property Records, 1864-1865
Executive order and correspondence, 1864
Internal Revenue Service, Direct Tax Commission, record of
transactions, 1863
Petition of A. D. White, et al., endorsed to the Treasury
Department, June 1864
Telegram from War Department endorsed to the Treasury
Department, Apr. 1864
War Department
Judge Advocate General, 1861-1863
Provost Marshal, 1864-1865
Quartermaster General, 1862-1864
Secretary of War, 1862-1864
1996 Addition
Originals
Messages, 1861-1862
Property deed, 1852
Reproductions
Detective Corps, Metropolitan Police, Washington, D.C., report on
investigation of Lincoln's assassination, 1865
Letter to Messrs. Williams regarding unpaid bill at the Willard
Hotel, Washington, D.C., 1861
Patent Office, application for device to buoy river vessels over
shoals, 1849
Treasury Department
Captured Cotton and Abandoned Property records,
1864-1865
Executive officers file letters, 1865
Internal Revenue Service, 1863
Special Agents records, 1864-1865
War Department
Adjutant General, Appointment, Commission and Personal Branch,
1862-1864
Engineer Department, records concerning construction of a
railroad on Sandy Hook Shore, N.J., 1865
Judge Advocate General, petition for clemency by Fountain
Brown, 1864-1865
Quartermaster General, consolidated file, 1863
Press copies of telegrams, 1864
2010 Addition
Legal document from Lincoln's Springfield,
Ill., law practice, 1850
2013 Addition
Clipped signature of Lincoln and copy of
memorandum, 1862
U.S. State Department warrant for affixing
the seal of the United States to a letter to Dom Pedro II of Brazil, signed
by Lincoln, 1865
OV 1-OV 11
Oversize, 1776-1865
1776-1865
Original correspondence and facsimile reproductions, certificates, pardons, a
petition, a poem, pen, and printed matter.
Unarranged and described according to the series and containers from which the
items were removed.
OV 1
Letter, Lincoln to Albert G. Hodges,
1864, April 4 (Series 1, Vol. 150, Reel 71)
1864, April
4
OV 2
Plat of road survey, 1834,
June (Series 1, Vol. 1, Reel 1)
1834,
June
OV 3
Proclamation, New York City bank
officials to Lincoln, 1861, August 15 (Series 1, Vol. 53, Reel
25)
1861, August
15
OV 4
Petition, children of Concord,
Massachusetts, to Lincoln, 1864, April 5 (Series 1, Vol. 150, Reel
72)
1864, April
5
OV 5
Poem by Lincoln, attached to a letter
to Andrew Johnston, 1846 (Series 3, Vol. 204, Reel 97)
1846
OV 6
Ceremonial copy of the 13th Amendment,
1865, February 1 (Series 3, Vol. 205, Reel 97)
1865, February
1
OV 7
Certificates and pardon,
1862-1863 (Series 4, Container 4:1, not filmed)
1862-1863
OV 8
Pardon, 1864 (Series 4,
Container 4:1, not filmed)
1864
OV 9
Facsimile reproductions of
correspondence, 1855-1861 (Series 4, Container 4:2, not
filmed)
1855-1861
OV 10
Miscellaneous facsimile reproductions
and printed matter, 1776, 1861-1865 (Series 4, Containers 4:2-4,
not filmed)
1776,
1861-1865
OV 11
Pen used by Lincoln,
undated (Series 4, Container 4:5, not filmed)
undated
Selected Bibliography
[From
Index to the Abraham Lincoln Papers
(Washington, D.C.: 1960), pp. vi-vii.]
Bullock, Helen D., "The Robert Todd Lincoln Collection of the Papers of Abraham
Lincoln,"
Library of Congress Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions
, 5 (November 1947), 3-8.
Bullock, Helen D., "The Papers of John G. Nicolay, Lincoln's Secretary,"
Library of Congress Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions
, 7 (May 1950), 3-8.
Mearns, David C., "The Lincoln Papers,"
Abraham Lincoln Quarterly
, IV (December 1947), 369-85.
Mearns, David C., "The Story of the Papers,"
The Lincoln Paper
s (Garden City, N.Y., 1948), I, 3-136.
Randall, J. G., "The Opening of the Lincoln Papers,"
Lincoln The President
(New York, 1952), III, 429-46.
Sandburg, Carl,
Abraham Lincoln, The Prairie Years and The War Years, One-Volume Edition
(New York, 1954), viii.
Thomas, Benjamin P., "Lincoln Literature,"
Abraham Lincoln, A Biography
(New York, 1952), 529-30.