Abraham Lincoln A.D.S. as President Washington, ca. Jan. 10, 1862 P. D. Gurley of Washington requests that Lincoln appoints Robert H. Thompson to the Marines, adding that Thompson's family ...have been true to the Union since the commencement of our troubles... On the verso, Lincoln writes: Mr. Thompson, named within, as I understand, has papers on file, for an appointment in the Marine Corps. he is well recommended, & if he can consistently be appointed, I shall be glad for it to be done. A. Lincoln . References to the Marine Corps during the Civil War are quite uncommon. Light soiling.