Looking Back #106 - Abraham Lincoln, Postmaster

Abraham Lincoln, Postmaster

Abraham Lincoln was postmaster of New Salem, Ill.,
from 1833 to 1836, at a salary of about $25 a year.

It is the ambition of many collectors to acquire
a stampless cover used at this town during the
period while Lincoln was postmaster.

No doubt they are scarce. An extraordinary
Lincoln stampless cover was sold on
February 19, 1952, by the Parke-Bernet Galleries,
New York, at the auction of the great Oliver
R. Barrett collection of Lincolniana, probably
the best known Lincoln collection ever assembled.

This cover was franked, "Free, A. Lincoln, P.M.,
New Salem, Ill., Sept. 22," and addressed to
"Mr. Geo. M. Marsh, Portsmouth, N.H.," all in
Lincoln's own hand. There was no handstamped
postmark. The year was 1835 and the cover,
so franked, is possibly unique. That letter's
contents were also interesting, written by
Matthew S. Marsh (and dated Sept. 17), brother
of the addressee, telling how things were going
in New Salem and adding the comments:
". . . the Post Master Mr. Lincoln is very
careless about leaving his office open & unlocked
during the day -- half the time I go in & get my
papers, etc., without anyone being there as was
the case yesterday. The letter was only marked
25 & even if he had been there and known it was
double he would not (have) charged me any more --
luckily he is a very clever fellow & a particular
friend of mine." Evidently, since Lincoln, as post-
master was also franking his mail free of postage.

The letter is very familiar to Lincoln students,
including Carl Sandberg, who quoted it in one of
his Lincoln books. It brought $1,600, and was
sold to a Chicago book dealer who, it is reported,
was acting for a client. According to file notes
of my own, the cover was found in family
correspondence about 1926.


- George B. Sloane
Sloane's Column
Stamps
March 1, 1952

Note: Sloane subsequently noted that he was
reminded by Herman Herst Jr. that there were
two more letters written by Lincoln, as post-
master, in the sale (though not franked by
signature), one postmarked "Free," and
"Vandalia Ill., Nov. 10 (1835)."