File:Lincoln, the lawyer (1906) (14577369359).jpg

Identifier: lincolnlawy1762hillin (find matches)
Title: Lincoln, the lawyer
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Hill, Frederick Trevor, 1866-1930
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Lawyers Presidents
Publisher: New York : Century Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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eneral misconception of his professionalstanding. The once funny story about thepig-and-crooked-fence case, the old-sledge-and-seven-up trial, and similar time-worn yarns,have been accepted as characterizing his legalexperience; and under such circumstances it isnot at all surprising that serious historians haveregarded his legal training as a negligible quan-tity. Fortunately, however, the records are ac-cessible, and they speak very largely for them-selves. In his twenty-three years at the bar, Lincolnhad no less than one hundred and seventy-twocases before the highest court of Illinois, a recordunsurpassed by his contemporaries; he appearedbefore the United States circuit and districtcourts with great frequency; he was the most in- 248 LEGAL REPUTATION defatigable attendant on the Eighth Circuit andtried more cases than any other member of thatbar; he was attorney for the Illinois CentralRailroad, the greatest corporation in the State,and one which doubtless had its choice of legal
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Lincolns pass as counsel for the Illinois Central Railroad talent; he was also counsel for the Rock IslandRailroad, and other corporations and individuals1with important legal interests at stake; he wassought as legal arbitrator in the great corporation 1Mr. W. Thomas, a lawyer who retained Mr. Lincoln ascounsel in an important litigation, wrote him in December, 1859,as follows: Judge Caton has the Record and he told me that hehad not decided what to do and that he was in doubt, etc. I wantyou and Logan to assist me in presenting this case in such formas to undoubt the Judge. I ought to and must gain this case. Ifyou can be the means of success you will almost bring me underobligation to support the Black Republicans. (From original letter in possession of General Orendorff.) 249 LINCOLN THE LAWYER litigations of Illinois1 and he tried some of themost notable cases recorded in the courts of thatState. Perhaps the most important cause he everhandled was that known as The Illinois Centr

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