Chapter XIV: Unpublished Official Documents

A Discovery—Documents of Historic Value—Lincoln Owned Land in
Iowa—Copy of Letters Patent from United States, under James
Buchanan, to Abraham Lincoln, in 1860—Copy of Deed Executed by
Honorable Robert T. Lincoln and Wife in 1892—Other Transfers—The
Present Owner.

A few months ago I learned through a newspaper that Abraham Lincoln, at the time of his death, owned land in the State of Iowa, by virtue of his having served in the Black Hawk War of 1832. He was given a land script, good for one hundred and twenty acres, which he located in what is now Crawford County, Iowa. Having never heard of this before, I went to Denison, the county-seat, and, through the law and abstract office of Shaw, Sims & Kuehnle, obtained the information where the records could be found in the county recorder's office. The above-named Shaw is the Honorable Leslie M. Shaw, ex-Governor of Iowa and ex-Secretary of the United States Treasury under President Roosevelt.

Through the kindness of the county recorder, W. E. Terry, I was allowed to copy the records in the case. Probably Abraham Lincoln never saw the land, but because of their historical value the records are here given. The first is the letters-patent from the United States to Abraham Lincoln. Record D, page 18. Original Entry, page 125.

"THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

"_To All Whom, These Presents Shall Come, Greeting_:

"WHEREAS, In pursuance of the Act of Congress, approved March
3, 1855, entitled An Act, in addition to certain Acts, Granting
Bounty Land to certain officers and soldiers who have been engaged
in the military service of the United States, There has been
deposited in the General Land Office, Warrant No. 68645, for
120 acres of land in favor of Abraham Lincoln, Captain Illinois
Militia, Black Hawk War, with evidence that the same has been duly
located upon the east half of the northeast quarter, and northwest
quarter of the northeast quarter of section eighteen, in Township
eighty-four, north of Range thirty-nine west, in the district of
Lands subject to sale at Council Bluffs, Iowa, containing one
hundred and twenty acres, according to the official plat of the
survey of the said land returned to the General Land Office by the
Surveyor General, the said tract having been located by the said
Abraham Lincoln.

"Know ye, That there is, therefore, granted by the United States
unto the said Abraham Lincoln, heirs, and assigns forever.

"In Testimony, whereof, I, James Buchanan, President of the United
States of America, have caused these Letters to be made Patent,
and the seal of the General Land Office to be hereto affixed.

"[SEAL.]

"Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the tenth day
of September, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred
and Sixty, and of the Independence of the United States the
Eighty-fifth.

"By the President: JAMES BUCHANAN.

"By J. B. LEONARD, _Sec._

"G. W. GRANGER, _Recorder of the General Land Office_.

"Recorded vol. 468, page 53."

The following copy of the warranty deed from Robert T. Lincoln and wife to Henry Edwards is recorded in Deed Record 13, page 208. Robert T. Lincoln at this time was minister from the United States to Great Britain, under President Benjamin Harrison's administration:

"WARRANTY DEED.

"Filed April 26, A. D. 1892, at 2:10 P.M., W. W. Cushman, Recorder.

"_Know All Men by These Presents_:

"That we, Robert T. Lincoln and Mary H. Lincoln, his wife, of
Cook County, and State of Illinois, in consideration of the sum
of Thirteen Hundred Dollars ($1,300) to us in hand paid by Henry
Edwards, of Crawford County, and State of Iowa, do hereby sell
and convey unto the said Henry Edwards the following described
premises, situated in the County of Crawford, and State of Iowa,
to-wit:

"The east half of the northeast quarter, and the northwest quarter
of the northeast quarter of section eighteen (18) in Township
eighty-four (84), north of Range thirty-nine (39), west of the
Principal Meridian.

"And we covenant with the said Henry Edwards that we hold said
premises by good and perfect title, that we have good right and
lawful authority to sell and convey the same, that they are
free and clear of all liens and all encumbrances, whatsoever,
excepting the taxes levied, or to be levied, for the year 1892,
and excepting also a lease of said land expiring on or about the
fourth day of May, A. D. 1894, and we covenant to warrant and
defend the title to said premises against the lawful claims of
all persons, whomsoever, excepting as against the said taxes, and
the said lease, the obligation and discharge of both of which are
hereby assumed by the said Henry Edwards.

"The said Robert T. Lincoln hereby declares that his title to said
land is wholly by descent, and derived as follows, namely:

"That Abraham Lincoln, the patentee of said land, died on the 15th
day of April, 1865, intestate, leaving heirs surviving, his widow,
Mary Lincoln, and his two sons, Robert T. Lincoln and Thomas
Lincoln, and no other heirs; that said Thomas Lincoln died on the
15th day of July, A. D. 1871, in the nineteenth year of his age,
intestate, and unmarried, leaving him surviving as his only heirs
his mother, said Mary Lincoln, and his brother, said Robert T.
Lincoln; that said Mary Lincoln died on the 16th day of July, A.
D. 1882, intestate, and a widow, leaving her surviving as her sole
heir, said Robert T. Lincoln; and that the estate of said Abraham
Lincoln, Thomas Lincoln, and Mary Lincoln were successively duly
administered according to law in the county court of Sangamon
County, in the State of Illinois, and that all claims against them
were duly paid and discharged.

"Signed the twenty-second day of March, A. D. 1892.

"ROBERT T. LINCOLN.
"MARY H. LINCOLN.

"UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

"Legation of the United States of America at London on this 22d
day of March, A. D. 1892, before me Larz Anderson, a secretary of
the Legation of the United States of America at London, aforesaid,
came Robert T. Lincoln and Mary H. Lincoln, his wife, personally
to me known to be the identical persons whose names are affixed
to the above instrument as grantors thereof, and acknowledged the
execution of the same to be their voluntary act and deed for the
purpose therein expressed.

"Witness my hand and the seal of said Legation the day and year
last above written.

"The Legation of the United States of America to Great Britain.

LARZ ANDERSON,
"_Secretary of Legation_."

On the 20th of April, 1892, the above-named Henry Edwards sold the land to Enoch T. Cochran, consideration $1,500. Recorded May 2, 1892, Deed