In 1861, less than a month before the start of the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln took a moment to write a letter confirming that he had indeed met a young George Patten the year before in Springfield, Illinois. George’s classmates hadn’t believed his story about meeting the President of the United States and had mocked him, prompting his teacher to write to the White House to settle the matter.
Lincoln’s reply reads: “Whom it may concern, I did see and talk with master George Evans Patten, last May, at Springfield, Illinois. Respectfully, A Lincoln”
The letter was sold to a private collector for $60,000.