New Lincoln Letter Unveiled at ALPLM

A previously unseen handwritten letter by Abraham Lincoln, dated March 16, 1861 — shortly after his inauguration — has been acquired and is now on public display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. According to museum officials, the brief note reveals the president personally intervening to assist his longtime valet and aide, William Johnson, a Black man who had accompanied Lincoln from Springfield to Washington.

In the letter, Lincoln appeals to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles on behalf of Johnson, stating: “The difference of colour between him and the other servants is the cause of our separation.” The president sought an alternate appointment for Johnson after tensions arose among White House staff due to his darker skin.

Museum director Christina Shutt describes the acquisition as “layer upon layer” of insight into Lincoln’s first weeks in office — highlighting his personal empathy, the sensitive racial dynamics at the White House, and the limits of presidential patronage, even for friends. Historians note that Johnson eventually secured a position at the Treasury Department later in 1861, continued to serve Lincoln closely, and accompanied him to Gettysburg in 1863.

The letter was donated to the museum by private collector Peter Tuite in August and immediately placed in the museum’s Treasures Gallery, where it joins other key documents from the Lincoln era. Visitors to the gallery are invited to examine the delicate penmanship, the original stationery and the context of a presidency at the cusp of the Civil War.

Beyond its historical value, the document serves as a powerful reminder of how Lincoln’s personal relationships intertwined with the broader struggle for racial justice in America. By assisting Johnson at the dawn of his presidency, Lincoln demonstrated a hands-on concern for a trusted African American staff member at a time when racial attitudes in Washington were deeply fraught.

The museum is offering special guided-viewing sessions for the letter through early 2026; admission is included in the regular ticket price. Researchers interested in writing about the document are asked to contact the museum’s archives in advance.