^'**F fr 
 
 
 
 J^wr' : 
 
 M^jMi 
 
 
 iHaewsflP^a 
 
 
 r</j 
 
 ^^S^^'iSfe 
 
 «^?fMi 
 
 
 — »»>■ 
 
 9C .*■ '• 
 
 
 
 M6»'vjffL 
 
 .r>t*iB-.Si:-
 
 V, y 
 
 s 
 
 I J Li 
 
 </7 
 
 M-, 
 
 I 6- 
 
 -^*~^«&n (jloJL^L 
 
 THE ORIGIN OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY 
 
 "IN 1859, AS THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE REPUBLICAN STATE 
 
 Central Committee, I traveled over the State of Illinois, carrying out 
 
 PLANS FOR A MORE THOROUGH ORGANIZATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, PRE- 
 PARATORY TO THE GREAT CONTEST OF 1SC0. I VISITED A LARGE MAJORITY OF 
 THE COUNTIES, AND NEARLY EVERYWHERE HAD THE SATISFACTION OF LEARNING 
 THAT, THOUGH MANY DOUBTED THE POSSIBILITY OF NOMINATING LINCOLN, 
 MOST GENERALLY IT WAS APPROVED OF. THIS FACT BECAME IN TIM.E VERY 
 APPARENT TO LINCOLN HIMSELF, WHOM I NOT INFREQUENTLY MET IN MY 
 TRAVELS; AND IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR, FEELING THAT 
 PERHAPS IT WOULD 'PAY,' I INDUCED HIM TO PLACE IN MY HANDS THIS 
 EMINENTLY CHARACTERISTIC PAPER." JESSE W. FELL.
 
 <^//y.<t.^>g .-/>7»7< -ft^-. flJla^-. 
 
 LINCOLN'S^ 27 ^ 
 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 
 
 REPRODUCED FROM THE 
 
 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT 
 
 IN FAC SIMILE 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 CURRENT LITERATURE PUBLISHING CO. 
 
 41-45 West 25TH St. 
 1907 
 
 1
 
 
 I WAS born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in 
 Virginia, of undistinguished families — second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, 
 who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks, some of whom now 
 reside in Adams, and others in Macon Counties, Illinois. My paternal grand father, Abraham 
 Lincoln, emigrated from Rockingham County, Virginia, to Kentucky, about 1781 or 2, when, 
 a year or two later, he was killed by indians, not in battle, but by stealth, when he was labor- 
 ing to open a farm in the forest. His ancestors, who were quakers, went to Virginia from 
 Berks County, Pennsylvania. An effort to identify them with the New England family of the 
 same name ended in nothing more definite than a similarity of Christian names in both families, 
 such as Enoch, Levi, Mordecai, Solomon, Abraham, and the like. 
 
 My father, at the death of his father, was but six years of age; and he grew up, literally 
 without education. He removed from Kentucky to what is now Spencer County, Indiana, in 
 ^J^Jjfc eighth year. We reached our new home about the time the State came into the Union. 
 It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. * There I 
 grew up. There were some schools, so called; but no qualification was ever required of a 
 teacher beyond "readin, writin and cipher in" to the Rule of Three. If a straggler, supposed 
 to understand latin, happened to sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked upon as a wizzard. 
 There was absolutely nothing to excite ambition for education. Of course when I came of age 
 I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write and cipher to the Rule of Three, but 
 that was all. I have not been to school since. The little advance I now have upon this store 
 of education, I have picked up from time to time under the pressure of necessity. 
 
 I was raised to farm work, which I continued till I was twenty-two. At twenty-one I 
 came to Illinois, and passed the first year in Mason County. Then I got to New Salem (at 
 that time in Sangamon, now in Menard County), where I remained a year as a sort of clerk in 
 a store. Then came the Black Hawk war; and I was elected a Captain of Volunteers — a sue-
 
 — 
 
 173^ 
 
 ///JtSLtJ £° 
 
 >y\ 
 
 ■ ?*> 7 
 cess which gave' me more pleasure than any 1 'have had since. I went the campaign, was 
 
 slated, ran for the Legislature the same year (1832) and was beaten — the only time I ever have 
 been beaten by the people. The next and three succeeding biennial elections 1 was elected to 
 the Legislature. I was not a candidate afterwards. During this Legislative period I had studied 
 law, and removed to Springfield to practice it. In 1 846 I was once elected to the lower House 
 ot Congress. Was not a candidate for re-election. From 1849 to 1854, both inclusive, 
 practiced law more assiduously than ever before. Always a whig in politics, and generally on 
 the whig electoral tickets, making active canvasses. I was losing interest in politics, when the 
 repeal ot the Missouri Compromise aroused me again. What I have done since then is pretty 
 well known. 
 
 If any personal description of me is thought desirable, it may be said, I am in height, six 
 feet, four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing, on an average, one hundred and eighty 
 pounds; dark complexion, with coarse black hair, and grey eyes. No other marks 
 recollecaS^f Yours very truly, 
 
 A. LINCOLN 
 Hon. J. W. Fell. 
 
 Washington, D. C, March 20, 1872. 
 
 We the undersigned hereby certify that the foregoing statement is in the handwriting of 
 Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 David Davis, 
 Lyman Trumbull, 
 Charles Sumner. 
 
 ^
 
 r }yuj /owd^ c<v-e^v /nrCZ Arzry^s <-w iC^A^^wt-^ <j-f ^^^>^ZOC^, 
 
 I ' ^-^ ^WZ^, /«X*/U J p£r~S^s ptlj- C 
 
 l*^ 6*^v*a-<i^rw CV^-^u^ J^£i^ur>^, , fl^y /\JX^U^uC> &l*^~<xs-~ 
 
 ■— ~— >*-^r> r -~ <f J *\
 
 , , „^ 
 
 C^^-i o>- p-si&*J AJ~j.**^~> f oy^OC ^~m^y ^-a^-j ^-^v 
 
 Qni\Js<-*J f^-t^o #~6-is^j d-*-&0Tr^ /2~e> CA^^o^,- stn-Z. 
 
 £-£xj 

 
 THE CABIN IN WHICH ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS BORN
 
 
 Copyright, 1907, by Current Literature Pub. 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 
 
 BUST BY GELERT, MODELED FROM THE LIFE MASK BY VOLK
 
 fyl^^ C^r^J^ ^ J ^fAa~^ 7^6^. (*^- A
 
 /^*v ^"^7 ^ ty^-4±*^Z. 'JC^.^as /4-*~~*G2> c7 /^c-^aT^JU' 
 
 /ttf-*w (y-A+s/ / Sr 3 & j &**-*«*, f**r*~t ,^C*^»^uZj Lsf-o <r-i~JL) £D>~^>
 
 *1r*~o g^&^-^ ( /HCaxT J /cL*^^, ax^n^o ^^c^ C£i^ 
 
 ^^-C7 jg^ /-^-£, # P-^—*); A^A^S f~~ /^^ t^J^Tf- ^ 


 
 CURRENT LITERATURE 
 
 A BRILLIANT monthly review of world-events. It has been brought 
 by its new editor, Edward J. Wheeler, to the forefront as a magazine 
 of timeliness that appeals to men and women who wish to know*the best 
 that is said and done in all fields of human activity. " Its editorial review 
 of current events," says Dr. R. Heber Newton, "is the best I know." 
 Appleton Morgan, president of the New York Shakespeare Society, calls 
 it "the most valuable monthly periodical printed in an English speaking 
 country." Its pages are brimful of information and discussion on Politics, 
 Science, Religion, Literature, Art, Music and the Drama, and the people 
 who keep the world turning around. It is the magazine that keeps you 
 educated. 
 
 It compels reading by the tremendous interest of its subjects and 
 their cosmic sweep. It gives the best from all periodicals and keeps one 
 abreast of the culture of the age in all lines of thought and achievement. 
 It comes pretty near to being the ideal magazine for every home, of in- 
 terest to every member of the family, being a luxurious necessity and a 
 necessary luxury.
 
 A GREAT CENTENNIAL OFFER 
 
 THE nation will soon celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abraham 
 Lincoln. Anticipating this event, we have prepared the first popular edition ever issued 
 of the Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln. It is practically a complete edition, con- 
 taining a new life of Lincoln by a life long, personal and professional friend, Mr. Henry C. 
 Whitney, who wrote "Life on the Circuit with Lincoln." 
 
 It contains all of Lincoln's early speeches from 1832 to 1858, including the Lost Speech 
 of 1856, delivered with such eloquence that reporters forgot to take notes. It contains all of 
 the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates with contemporary accounts. It contains Lincoln's great 
 political speeches as a national leader, and his famous presidential addresses. All of Lincoln's 
 important state papers and letters are given in full and are so edited and arranged that they are 
 practically self-indexing. 
 
 Vol. I. Life by Whitney. Vol. V. Presidential Speeches. 
 
 Vol. II. Early Speeches. Vol. VI. State Papers. 
 
 Vol. III. Douglas Debates I. Vols. VII and VIII. Letters. 
 
 Vol. IV. Douglas Debates II. Vol. IX. Letters and Anecdotes. 
 
 This magnificent set of books, handsomely bound, is given away with a year's subscrip- 
 tion to CURRENT LITERATURE. The books are sent for inspection before you pay a 
 cent. Full particulars sent upon request. 
 
 CURRENT LITERATURE PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 41 WEST 25th STREET, NEW YORK CITY
 
 %fm-fr~ 
 
 
 Uj&&&~?mm*** 
 
 ' 4 & 8 i &! f* £& . 
 
 ^vr***! 
 
 
 
 -r^cSS^" >" 
 
 ''****' <_>•■ 
 
 
 
 
 -«^ 
 
 £*?&- 
 
 
 ii^ cs^i* 
 
 •«*&*r 
 
 i»a* 
 
 m 
 
 »s* 
 
 
 £&***