Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of copied and transcribed letters written by Abraham Lincoln and his associates from 1841-1865 and 1881. Materials were acquired by University of Illinois history professors Theodor C. Pease and James G. Randall.
Theodore C. Pease was a professor of history at the University of Illinois from 1926 until his death in 1948. He served as Director of the Illinois Historical Survey from 1939 to 1948. James G. Randall was a professor of history at the University of Illinois from 1920-1950. Pease conducted extensive research on Illinois history, while Randall was a Lincoln scholar and collector.
This collection contains copied and transcribed letters primarily written by Abraham Lincoln and his associates. Many letters are from the Civil War. Topics discussed include political affairs, military affairs, and wartime financing. Some letters are addressed to acquaintances of Lincoln and are apolitical.
Collection items were acquired by University of Illinois professors Theodor C. Pease and James G. Randall during their research on Orville Hickman, an Illinois politician, for their publication titled The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, 1859-1881. Original items are held in various collections, including those in the Pennsylvania Historical Society: the Society Collection, Jay Cooke Collection, Dreer Collection, Etting Papers, and the E.C. Gardiner Collection. Also included are items from the Hannibal Hamlin Collection at the Maine Historical Society, amongst other sources.
Professors James G. Randall and Theodore C. Pease collected these photostats for their book, The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning. They were deposited into the Illinois Historical Survey circa 1925.