known to the Lemen family. Mr. Joseph B.
Lemen relates that a certain party at one time represented to the
family that he had located the papers and offered, for a suitable
consideration, to recover them. This proved to be merely a scheme to
obtain money under false pretenses.[6] Various other accounts are
current of the disposition of the original papers; but as yet none of
them have been located.

The transcripts of the collection, made by James Lemen, Jr., came into
the hands of his son, Joseph Bowler Lemen, who is responsible for the
publication of various portions of the story, including some of the
letters entire. Even these copies, however, are not accessible at the
present time, except that of the Lemen Diary, as located by the
present writer. Joseph Lemen's account of the fate of the elusive
documents is given in full at the end of this publication. He there
states that every paper of any value was copied and preserved, but
even these copies were dissipated to a large extent. He also claims
that all the facts contained in these documents have been published in
one form or another, "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." This Joseph B. Lemen is now far advanced in years,
has long been a recluse, and has the reputation of being "peculiar."
In a personal interview with him, the present writer could elicit no
further facts regarding the whereabouts of the "Lemen Family Notes."
Nevertheless, the discovery of the copy of the Lemen Diary and the
manuscript of Dr. Peck's "History" gives encouragement to hope for
further discoveries, which should be reported to the Chicago
Historical Society.

DOCUMENTS {p.26}

I. DIARY OF REV. JAMES LEMEN, SR.

Ridge Prairie, Ill. June 4, 1867.

The within notes are a true copy of the notes kept by the Rev. James
Lemen, Sr., when in the siege at Yorktown. The original notes were
fading out.

By his son, REV. JAMES LEMEN, Jr.

* * * * *

Near Yorktown, Va. Sep. 26, 1781.

My enlistment of two years expired some time ago, but I joined my
regiment to-day and will serve in this siege.

Quarters, near Yorktown, Sept. 27, 1781.

I was on one of the French ships to-day with my captain. There is a
great fleet of them to help us,