Lincoln Editor

              April - June 2006 Volume 6 Number 2
BOSTON IS FIRST MEMBER OF LINCOLN CORPS OF DISCOVERY
Research Associate Kelley A. Boston recently became
the first member of the project’s Lincoln Corps of
Discovery. In February of this year, during a research and
scanning trip to Iowa, Boston discovered a previously
unknown Lincoln document at the State Historical Society
of Iowa in Des Moines. The document was a letter written
by Lincoln to Major General Samuel R. Curtis on November
6, 1862. In the letter, Lincoln informed Curtis of charges
pending against him for speculating in cotton. As was typical
of his relations with his generals, the president apologized
ED BRADLEY AND KAREN NEEDLES JOIN PROJECT STAFF
On June 1, Dr. Ed Bradley joined the Papers of Abraham
Lincoln as an Assistant Editor. Bradley will initially be
searching for Lincoln documents and scanning them at the
National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Bradley
received his B.A. in History from Lafayette College in Easton,
Pennsylvania, and his doctorate in American History from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His
dissertation focused on American military expeditions into
Spanish Texas in the early national era. Bradley is the author
of several articles and encyclopedia entries. After serving as
a researcher and indexer for HarpWeek, he joined the staff
of the Papers of Clarence Mitchell
Jr. as an Assistant Editor.
Also on June 1, Ms.
Karen Needles joined the staff of
the Papers of Abraham Lincoln
as a Research Associate. Needles
received her B.S. in Education
with a major in American History
and her Master’s degree in
Education from Pittsburg State
University in Pittsburg, Kansas.
She has both taught high school and worked with high school
teachers to bring technology to the classroom. Needles
worked at the Library of Congress for three years as an
education resource specialist
before beginning her own business
specializing in research for
historians. Thoroughly familiar
with the resources and procedures
of the National Archives, Needles
will bring valuable experience to
the task of finding Lincoln
documents there.
Working with Editor
Daniel W. Stowell, Needles and
Bradley began the enormous task
of searching for Lincoln documents at the National Archives.
Needles has begun her research with several record groups
from the Treasury Department, while Bradley is searching
two record groups housing the records of the State
Department from the Civil War era. Stowell is focusing on
smaller record groups that have some records from the period
of Lincoln’s life.
and promised to allow Curtis to answer the charges: “I am
sorry to write on so unpleasant a subject. The matter will be
held until I have time to hear from you.”
At a staff meeting in May, Boston received an award
of a brass magnifying glass in an engraved hardwood case in
recognition of her discovery. Membership in the Lincoln
Corps of Discovery is awarded to those researchers who
locate previously unknown autograph documents in Lincoln’s
See DISCOVERY (on page 2)