William H. Carlin (1818 - 1865), the eldest son of Rebecca Huitt and
Thomas A. Carlin (later the 6th gov. of Illinois), was an attorney in
Quincy, IL, and was elected an Illinois state senator in 1854.
Although he was a long-time Democratic Party activist, he supported
Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln's unsuccessful 1858 campaign against
Stephen A. Douglas for U.S. Senator from Illinois. The issues in that
campaign were, of course, precursors to the issues in the 1960
Presidential election.
One of the 1858 Lincoln/Douglas debates took place in Quincy, and W.
H. Carlin later gave a speech in support of Lincoln's candidacy. Since
W.H.C. was a respected local leader, his support for Lincoln was not
insignificant.
In late December of that year, W H Carlin wrote to Abraham Lincoln
about that speech. A copy of that letter, from the Abraham Lincoln
collection at the Library of Congress, is now available on The Carlin
Archives at
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/documents/lettertolincoln.htm .
For more information about William H. Carlin; his wife, Rebecca Gill,
and their descendants, see William J. Erickson's excellent website at
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/e/r/i/William-J-Erickson/BO
OK-0001/0009-0003.html#CHILD3 .
Other applicable URLs:
||||| The Thomas Carlin / Elizabeth Evans Family
(This includes their son, Thomas A. Carlin, and their
grandson, William H. Carlin, and descendants)
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/septs/thomas1774.htm
||||| Governor Thomas A. Carlin: A Brief Biography
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/bios/GovThomasCarlin.htm
||||| Rebecca Huitt Carlin: A Brief Biography
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/bios/RebeccaHuitt.htm
||||| Carlins in Early Illinois
http://www.attorney.carlin.net/states/illinois.htm