Wilson, Douglas L., ed.; Davis, Rodney O., ed.; Whitney, Henry C. 'Henry C. Whitney to William H. Herndon' in 'Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln' . Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. [format: book], [genre: letter]. Permission: University of Illinois Press
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=herndon525a.html

414. Henry C. Whitney to William H. Herndon.

Lawrence Ks 30th Decr 1866.

Bro Herndon —

Dr Oliver Wendell Holmes of Boston is quite anxious that it should be incorporated in You life of Lincoln the high estimation he had for his poem "The Last Leaf" ^[1]: — of course you Know that it was a great favorite of Mr Lincolns — & Gov. Andrew[ERROR: no link 2:2] of Massachusetts says that in the darkest days of our history while being in consultation with Lincoln that the latter repeated to him the Entire poem: excuse me for mentioning this matter but it is so proper that it should find a place in your life of Lincoln & Dr Holmes is so justly anxious that it should do so that I could not avoid bringing it to your attention

Your Friend
Henry C Whitney

It will not pay you to send for copy of Lincolns entry on the docket in Champaign Co. here is a copy of it: —

"Plea in abatement by B. L. Green a Dft. not servd led Saturday at 11 o' clock A.M. April 24th 1856. stricken from file by order of Court. Demr to Dec. if there ever was one overuled — Defendants who are servd now at 8 o'clock P.M. of the last day of the term ask to plead to the merits which is denied by the Court on the ground that the offer comes too late & therefore only nil dicit judgment is rendered for the Plff against the Defts who are servd in the process:[ERROR: no link 3:3]

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2921