men, of
Virginia, afterwards James Lemen, Senior, to go to Illinois as his
agent, was no doubt prompted by his great affection for Mr. Lemen and
his impression that a young man of such aptitude as a natural leader
would soon impress himself on the community, and as the advantages in
the territory were soon to be great, Jefferson was desirous to send
him out, and with the help of a few friends he provided a small fund
to give him, and also his friend who was going to Indiana on a like
mission, to be used by their families if need be, and if not to go to
good causes. There was also another motive with Jefferson; he looked
forward to a great pro-slavery contest to finally try to make Illinois
and Indiana slave states, and as Mr. Lemen was a natural born
anti-slavery leader and had proved himself such in Virginia by
inducing scores of masters to free their slaves through his prevailing
kindness of manner and Christian arguments, he was just Jefferson's
ideal of a man who could safely be trusted with his anti-slavery
mission in Illinois, and this was an important factor in his
appointment.

The last meeting between Mr. Lemen and Jefferson was at Annapolis,
Maryland, on May 2, 1784, a short time before he {p.33} sailed as
envoy to France, and all the terms between them were fully agreed
upon, and on Dec. 28, 1785, Jefferson's confidential agent gave Mr.
Lemen one hundred dollars of his funds, and in the summer of 1786 with
his wife and children he removed and settled in Illinois, at New
Design, in what is now Monroe County. A few years after his settlement
in Illinois Mr. Lemen was baptized into the Baptist church, and he
finally became a minister of the people of that faith. He eventually
became a great organizer of churches and by that fact, reinforced by
his other wonderful traits as a natural leader, he fully realized
Jefferson's fondest dreams and became a noted leader.

In 1789 Jefferson returned from his mission to France and his first
thought was of Mr. Lemen, his friend in Illinois, and he lost no time
in sending him a message of love and confidence by a friend who was
then coming to the West. [5]After Jefferson became President of the
United States he retained all of his early affection for Mr. Lemen,
and when S. H. Biggs, a resident of Illinois, who was in Virginia on
business and who was a warm friend of both Jefferson and Mr. Lemen,
called on him in 1808, when President, he inquired after him with all
the fond