Lincoln Letters | Page 2

get. And to secure you a fair reward for your labor, I now promise
you that for every dollar you will, between this and the first of next
May, get for your own labor either in money or in your own
indebtedness, I will then give you one other dollar. By this, if you hire
yourself at ten dollars a month, from me you will get ten more, making
twenty dollars a month for your work. In this, I do not mean you shall
go off to St. Louis, or the lead mines, or the gold mines, in California,
but I mean for you to go at it for the best wages you can get close to
home, in Coles County. Now if you will do this, you will soon be out of
debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from
getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you
will be just as deep in as ever. You say you would almost give your
place in Heaven for $70 or $80. Then you value your place in Heaven
very cheaply, for I am sure you can with the offer I make you get the
seventy or eighty dollars for four or five months' work. You say if I
furnish you the money you will deed me the land, and if you don't pay
the money back, you will deliver possession-- Nonsense! If you can't
now live with the land, how will you then live without it? You have
always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you.
On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice, you will find it worth
more than eight times eighty dollars to you.
Affectionately your brother,
A. LINCOLN.

[Transcriber's Note: The following letter to General Grant is contained
in file linc04.jpg]
Executive Mansion, Washington, April 30, 1864.
Lieutenant-General Grant,--
Not expecting to see you again before the spring campaign opens, I
wish to express, in this way, my entire satisfaction with what you have
done up to this time, so far as I understand it. The particulars of your
plans I neither know, or seek to know. You are vigilant and self reliant;
and, pleased with this, I wish not to obtrude any constraints or restraints
upon you. While I am very anxious that any great disaster, or the
capture of our men in great numbers, shall be avoided, I know these
points are less likely to escape your attention than they would be mine.
If there is anything wanting which is within my power to give, do not
fail to let me know it.
And now with a brave Army, and a just cause, may God sustain you.
Yours very truly,
A. LINCOLN.

[Transcriber's Note: The letter from Austin A. King, requesting a
pardon for John B. Corner is contained in files linc005.jpg and
linc006.jpg. Lincoln's note approving the pardon is contained in file
linc007.jpg. As these letters were not transcribed in the print book, I
have not transcribed them here.]

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