XVI. OLD LEMEN FAMILY NOTES, JAMES LEMEN HISTORY, AND SOME RELATED FACTS
(MS. Document in I.B.H.C.,—C102. By Jos. B. Lemen)
In 1857, to save the old "Lemen Family Notes" from loss by careless but persistent borrowers, Dr. B. F. Edwards, of St. Louis, and Rev. J. M. Peck, advised Rev. James Lemen, Jr., to make copies of all and then give the original stock to a friend whom they named to keep as his own in a safe vault in St. Louis, if he would pay all storage charges. But at that time he only gave the most important ones to Rev. J. M. Peck to place temporarily in a safe in St. Louis where he sometimes kept his own papers; though some years later he acted on their advice and making copies of all papers and letters of any value, gave the whole original stock to the party mentioned (we do not recall his name, but it is among our papers) [possibly the J. M. Smith mentioned in Dr. Peck's communication to James Lemen, Jr., July 17, 1857] and he placed them in the safe. Shortly after this their holder died, and they passed into the hands of others who removed them to another safe somewhere in St. Louis; but having no further title in the papers, and having copies of all for use, the family finally lost all traces of the papers and the parties holding them, and have only heard from them two or three times in more than 40 years.
A few years ago, when a history of Rev. James Lemen, Jr., and his father, Rev. James Lemen, Sr., was in contemplation, a reputed agent of the parties whom he then claimed held the old family notes, informed us that the family could have them at any time they wished; and we promised some of our friends who wished to see them that after we had used them in connection with the proposed history, the old stock of papers would be placed where they could see and copy them, if they wished. It was intended to have a few of the more important letters photographed for the James Lemen history; though it was said that some years before some one had a few of them photographed and they were so indistinct as to be worthless; but we hoped for better results. But it finally developed that the reputed agent would expect us to pay him (contrary to our first impressions) quite a round sum of money for the restoration and use of the papers before he would deliver them to us. This awakened suspicions as to his reliability and a detective, to whom we sent his name and number for investigation, informed us that no such man could be found; and undoubtedly he was some dishonest person seeking to obtain money under false pretenses. And so the family, as for many years past, now knows nothing as to the parties who hold the papers or where they are. A singular fatality seems to have awaited all the papers placed at Dr. Peck's disposal or advice. His own papers were generally destroyed or lost, and the old "Lemen Family Notes" placed some years after his death, partly as he had advised, cannot be found. But while Dr. Peck's lost papers are a distinct and irreparable loss, no loss is sustained in the misplacement of the old Lemen notes, as every line or fact of any value in them was copied and the copies are all preserved; and nearly all the more important ones have been published, except a very few, including Rev. James Lemen's interviews with Lincoln, as written up by Mr. Lemen on ten pages of legal cap paper, and that paper will probably be published soon, if it is not held specially for the James Lemen history.
As to that history, it will be delayed for some time, as the writer, who was expected to see to its preparation, was named by the State Baptist Convention as a member of the Baptist State Committee to assist with the James Lemen monument; and much of the matter intended for the history was published in connection with the labors of the State Committee. One object of the history was to secure or to influence that degree of recognition of the importance of the services of Rev. James Lemen, Sr. and his sons, with a few co-workers of the latter, in the early history and interests of both the Baptist cause and the State, on the part of the Baptists, to which the family thought them entitled. But since the Baptists, the "Sons of the Revolution," and others have placed a monument at the grave of the old State leader and Baptist pioneer, the Rev. James Lemen, Sr., it is felt that the object for making the history has already been in part realized. Another circumstance which has delayed it, is the poor health of the writer; so the prospect is that the making of the history will be delayed for some time.
This is written entirely from memory, as the papers and dates to which we refer are not before me, but we will retain a copy and if there proves to be any errors in this one, we will have them corrected. There was such a demand for them that some of Dr. Peck's, Lovejoy's, Douglas's, Lincoln's and some other letters were published, and some of them are included in the papers we send.
Some years ago some one claimed that the old family notes had been found, which led to statements in the papers that they would soon be placed where people could see and read them; but it proved to be a mistake. For the loss of the papers the family do not believe there was any fault with the parties originally holding them, as in fact they had the right to hold them where they pleased, according to the agreement; but that from sudden deaths and other circumstances, they were misplaced.
It should be added that every paper of any value, which was given to the St. Louis parties to hold was copied and the copies preserved, except mere personal, friendship letters, and of these there was quite a large stock; also that much of Dr. Peck's writings and many letters of his and others were loaned out and could not be given to the St. Louis parties to keep, but all of any real value have been copied or published, except the Lemen-Lincoln interviews and some others, and that even some of these copies are loaned out, among them copies of letters from Dr. Peck, Douglas, Lincoln, Lovejoy, if I recall correctly, and others; though the facts or information in them have already been published, except such facts as will be held for the James Lemen history, and we have copies of them, so nothing will be lost.
(Signed) Joseph B. Lemen.
O'Fallon, Illinois,
January 10, 1911.
[N. B. The above communication accompanied the gift of the walnut chest made by the elder James Lemen at Ft. Piggott, which was sent to the custodian of the Baptist Historical Collection at Shurtleff College, early in the year 1913—Compiler.]
REFERENCES
Note 1: See p. [26].
Note 2: Reynolds "My Own Times" and "Pioneer History of Illinois."
Note 3: See "Territorial Records of Illinois" (Illinois State Historical Library, Publication, III.), and compare p. [54] post.
Note 4: See Biographical sketches in "Lemen Family History."
Note 7: See pp. [23], [42], [56].
Note 8: Peck, J. M., "Annals of the West," in loco.
Note 9: See p. [54] post, and Hinsdale, "Old Northwest."
Note 10: Alvord, "Cahokia Records," Introduction.
Note 11: Reynolds, "My Own Times," p. 208.
Note 12: McMaster, "People of United States," II: 30, 31; III: 108; St. Clair Papers.
Note 13: Blake, "History of Slavery," p. 431.
Note 14: See p. [29].
Note 15: See p. [30], and compare No. [16] below.
Note 16: Blake, "History of Slavery," in loco.
Note 17: See pp. [35], [36], [43].
Note 18: See p. [53].
Note 19: See p. [30].
Note 20: See p. [30], and compare, Patterson, "Early Illinois," Fergus Historical Coll., No. 14, pp. 141-2.
Note 22: Reynolds, "My Own Times," p. 170.
Note 23: See p. [36].
Note 24: See p. [55], and compare reference No. [19].
Note 25: See p. [37].
Note 26: See "Centennial History of Madison Co.," I: 52-55.
Note 27: See p. [38].
Note 28: See p. [47].
Note 29: See p. [50].
Note 30: See p. [34].
Note 31: See p. [41].
Note 32: See p. [54].
Note 33: Cf. Smith, J. A., "History of the Baptists," p. 40; Benedict, "History of the Baptists," II: 246-8.
Note 34: See p. [39].
Note 35: See pp. [42], [56] and Peck, J. M., "Father Clark," in loco.