<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-01'>Thursday, February 1, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Smith continues his argument in <name type='case' key='L03414'>Gilman et al. v. Hamilton et al.</name> Lincoln concludes argument for appellants. At later date court affirms lower court decree.
<bibl default='NO'>Record; 16 Ill. 225.</bibl>
         </p>
         <p>
[Traffic with points north of Springfield on railroad is finally 
resumed, but with difficulty.
<bibl default='NO'>
               <title>Illinois Journal</title>, 2 February 1855.</bibl>]
</p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-02'>Friday, February 2, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lincoln has another Supreme Court case, <name type='case' key='L02702'>People v. Blackford et al.</name>, appealed from Circuit Court of Sangamon County. He argues and submits case for appellees, while D. B. Campbell appears for appellants.
<bibl default='NO'>Record; 16 Ill. 166.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline> 
            <date value='1855-02-03'>Saturday, February 3, 1855.</date> 
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield,
  IL</place>. </dateline>
         <p> Representing defendants in error in 
  <name type='case' key='L01001'>Edmunds v. Mayers &amp; Mayers</name>, Lincoln
  argues his last case of term in Supreme Court. Patent rights to "horological
  cradle"&#8212;device to relieve mothers of cradle-rocking&#8212;are involved.
  Williams and Lawrence represent plaintiff. Court's decision later reverses
  lower court decree. <bibl default='NO'>Record; 16 Ill. 207.</bibl> 
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-05'>Monday, February 5, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lot 4 in Block One of Old Town Plat&#8212;security for which Lincoln 
held, and which was foreclosed November 21, 1854, is sold at door of 
court house by master in chancery. Lincoln bids it in for $628.54, 
that being total debt, interest, and costs.
<bibl default='NO'>Record.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-08'>Thursday, February 8, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Legislature elects Lyman Trumbull U.S. senator. On first ballot 
Lincoln receives 44 votes, Shields 41 and Trumbull 5, but it is soon 
apparent that Matteson, not Shields, is real choice of Nebraska men 
and enough Anti-Nebraska men to elect him. Realizing his own defeat, 
Lincoln throws votes to Trumbull and elects him on tenth ballot.
<bibl default='NO'>
               <xref from='ROOT' url='http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;rgn=div1;view=text;idno=lincoln2;node=lincoln2%3A312' targOrder='U' to='DITTO'>Abraham Lincoln to Elihu B. Washburne</xref>, 9 February 1855, <title corresp='books_Basler2'>CW</title>, 2:304-6.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-09'>Friday, February 9, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lincoln writes Washburne explaining how Trumbull's 5 votes triumphed 
over Lincoln's 44. "It was Govr. Matteson's work. . . . I regret my 
defeat moderately, but I am not nervous about it. I could have headed 
off every combination and been elected, had it not been for 
Matteson's double game&#8212;and his defeat now gives me more 
pleasure than my own gives me pain. On the whole, it is perhaps as 
well for our general cause that Trumbull is elected."
<bibl default='NO'>
               <xref from='ROOT' url='http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;rgn=div1;view=text;idno=lincoln2;node=lincoln2%3A312' targOrder='U' to='DITTO'>Abraham Lincoln to Elihu B. Washburne</xref>, 9 February 1855, <title corresp='books_Basler2'>CW</title>, 2:304-6.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-13'>Tuesday, February 13, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Trumbull gives victory party. Lincoln's attendance, though 
unrecorded, can be assumed. Trumbull's election was his handiwork, 
and to stay away would give Lincoln the appearance of poor loser and 
lukewarm opponent of slavery extension.
<bibl default='NO'>John M. Palmer Papers, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-15'>Thursday, February 15, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lincoln fetes Anti-Nebraska members of legislature. Journal (February 
16, 1855) describes event: "A large number of anti-Nebraska members 
of the Legislature met on yesterday, and partook of a dinner provided 
by the liberality of Mr. Lincoln, at which there was besides good 
eating, good speeches made, and excellent sentiments offered. The 
affair passed off very pleasantly." Lincoln buys castor oil and 
calomel.
<bibl default='NO'>Pratt, <title corresp='books_Pratt3'>Personal Finances</title>, 151.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform' type='New'>
         <dateline> 
            <date value='1855-02-16'>Friday,
  February 16, 1855.</date> 
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield,
  IL</place>.</dateline>
         <p>Lincoln writes to Illinois Congressman
  Jesse Olds Norton eight days after Lincoln lost a bid for a U.S. Senate seat.
  At a time when U.S. Senators were elected by state legislatures, Lincoln
  explains to Norton how various Illinois legislators voted. Lincoln, a Whig,
  ultimately lost the race to Anti-Nebraska Democrat Lyman Trumbull, an Illinois
  Supreme Court justice. Lincoln attributes his loss to the "manoevering" of
  Governor Joel A. Matteson, who also sought the Senate seat, and "forced upon me
  and my friends the necessity of surrendering to Trumbull." Lincoln lost, he
  explains, in spite of the fact that he "finally surmounted the difficulty with
  the extreme Anti-Slavery men, and got all their votes, [Owen] Lovejoy's
  included." Trumbull was elected on the tenth ballot after Lincoln advised his
  backers to vote for Trumbull in order to avoid the "<uLine>imminent</uLine>
  danger of Matteson's election." Lincoln writes that his supporters "were taken
  by surprise" by his directive, "Trumbull quite as much as any one else."
  Lincoln explains that in spite of his loss, he is "very happy to find myself
  quite convalescent." <bibl default='NO'>Abraham Lincoln to Jesse Olds Norton, 16 February
  1855, IHi, Springfield, IL.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-19'>Monday, February 19, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lincoln &amp; Herndon files in Sangamon Circuit Court petition for 
partition in <name type='case'>May L. Welles, widow of Charles, v. 
four defendants named Welles &amp; Great Western Railroad</name>.
<bibl default='NO'>Record.</bibl>
         </p>
         <p>
Lincoln has his wheelbarrow repaired ($1) at carriage shop.
<bibl default='NO'>
               <title>Obed Lewis Account Books</title>.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-20'>Tuesday, February 20, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Ritta Angelica da Silva gives Lincoln her promissory note for $125, 
payable in four years with interest at 10 per cent (see June 9, 
1860). To secure note she gives mortgage on Lot 5 in Block Six, 
Welles and Peck's Addition to Springfield.
<bibl default='NO'>Record.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-21'>Wednesday, February 21, 1855.</date> 
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>. </dateline>
         <p> To W. H. Henderson Lincoln
  writes: "I am <uLine>not</uLine> Senator. I have to content myself with the
  honor of having been the first choice of a large majority of the fiftyone
  members who finally made the election." A less good humored man, Lincoln says,
  would not have permitted his many supporters to surrender to Trumbull's five.
  "I could not, however, let the whole political result go to ruin, on a point
  merely personal to myself." <bibl default='NO'>
               <xref from='ROOT' url='http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;rgn=div1;view=text;idno=lincoln2;node=lincoln2%3A313' targOrder='U' to='DITTO'>Abraham
  Lincoln to William H. Henderson</xref>, 21 February 1855,
  <title corresp='books_Basler2'>CW</title>, 2:306-7.</bibl> 
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-24'>Saturday, February 24, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lincoln buys pair of boys' boots ($2.75).
<bibl default='NO'>Pratt, <title corresp='books_Pratt3'>Personal Finances</title>, 147.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>

<div2 part='N' sample='complete' org='uniform'>
         <dateline>
            <date value='1855-02-28'>Wednesday, February 28, 1855.</date>
            <place key='39.8000, -89.6333' teiForm='name'>Springfield, IL</place>.
</dateline>
         <p>
Lincoln files bill in <name type='case' key='L02528'>Alexander et al. v. Darneille et al.</name>
            <bibl default='NO'>Record.</bibl>
         </p>
      </div2>