Washington Atlee Burpee Jr. was born on October 25, 1894. His father was the founder of the famous Burpee Seed Company, and he became vice-president and treasurer of the company after his father’s death. Burpee also served as president of the Philadelphia Flower Show. He was an avid collector of rare books and manuscripts, including the Lincoln papers, which he donated to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1958. In 1963, he retired from the family business to devote more time to his other interests. He died on January 1, 1966.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until he was assassinated in April 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. During his life he served as a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, and a one-term member of the United States House of Representatives. He secured the Republican nomination and was elected president in 1860. As president he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and promoted the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery.

The Burpee collection of Lincoln papers covers the time period between 1861 and 1865. It consists of thirty-four items, primarily letters received and annotated by Lincoln. Many of the letters concern appointments. There is also a Navy Commission signed by Lincoln.

The collection is arranged chronologically. File names include (in this order): who the letter is from, a general title of the letter, and finally a location if one is given. Each title is followed by a General Note about the item, usually information on when it was endorsed by Lincoln or any other signers.

Publication Information:

Free Library of Philadelphia: Rare Book Department, 2010.11.23

Sponsor:

The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project. Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.

Access Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions:

The right of access to material does not imply the right of publication. Permission for reprinting, reproduction, or extensive quotation from the rare books, manuscripts, prints, or drawings must be obtained through written application, stating the use to be made of the material. The reader bears the responsibility for any possible infringement of copyright laws in the publication of such material. A reproduction fee will be charged if the material is to be reproduced in a commercial publication.

Processing Information:

Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

Gift of W. Atlee Burpee Jr., 1958.

• New England Soldiers’ Relief Association.

• Correspondence
• Military commissions

• Arnold, Isaac Newton, 1815-1884
• Bingham, John Armor, 1815-1900
• Clarke, Sidney, 1831-1909
• Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865
• Curtin, Andrew Gregg, 1815-1894
• Goodwin, John Noble, 1824-1887
• Henderson, John B. (John Brooks), 1826-1913
• Kellogg, Francis William, 1810-1879
• Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
• Nixon, John T. (John Thompson), 1820-1889
• Noble, Warren Perry, 1820-1903
• Smith, Truman, 1791-1884
• Stanton, Edwin McMasters, 1814-1869
• Yates, Richard, 1815-1873