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287. George Spears to William H. Herndon.
Tallula Ills Nov 3d 1866
Dear Sir
in answer to yours of the 1st of Nov I hasten to answer your enquiries so fair as I can as it regards the time that Doc Duncan came to New Salem I can not give the date he left I think in the fall of 1833 & went to Knox Co, Ills is in Knoxville & is living there yet so fair as I know; 1 Jack Kelso Left Salem in 1837 & moved to Missouria But I never knew the County an Old friend of mine in St Louis was at my hous this Somer past & told me that he was at Kelsoe's house in, Mo but I never asked him the County the Mans name is Z. C. Inghram will write to him & assertain the County & inform you as Soon as posible this man Inghram kept a Store in New Salem at the time that Lincoln & Bery Dunkin & Kelso all lived there and Can give you all the dates, there is no end to his recollections he never for gets any thing that he sees or hears If you write to him tell him that I refered you to him for the information though he is a Strong Democrat yet he will answer your enquiries; I took my horse this morning & went over to the Neighbourhood of Newsalem among the Potters & Armstrongs & made all the enqirys I could but could learn nothing the Old Ladys would begin to count up what had happened in Salem when such a one of their children was born & such a one had a Bastard but it all amounted to nothing I could arrive at no dates only when those Children wer Born Old Mrs Potter affirms that Lincoln did sell Liquors in a grosery I can't Say whether he did or not at that time I had no idia of his ever being President therefore I did not notice his course as close as I should of had. there is a man in Mason County Ills by the name of Henry Sears who was always about Salem he never for gets Dates & can tell you all
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about Lincoln & Berry or any person else that ever lived there If you write to him he could give you the information that you want
My bes respects to your Self & family
George Spears
PS
if you write to Henry Sears his Postoffice is Havanah
Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2732; Huntington Library: LN2408, 1:427 — 28
nts
Notes.
1. This turned out to be a correct location for Duncan.
2. Jack Kelso seems to have moved from New Salem to Jasper County, Missouri, in 1841. He apparently moved again in 1846 to Macon County, Missouri, and again four years later to Atchison County, Missouri. See McKenzie, 185 — 88.
3. The editors could find no evidence that WHH communicated with Inghram.
4. Probably Elizabeth (Armstrong) Potter (1805 — 86), the wife of Edward (Ned) Potter and the sister of Jack Armstrong.
