James C. Conkling

James Cook Conkling (October 13, 1816 – March 1, 1899) was an American politician and attorney from New York City.

A graduate of Princeton College, Conkling was admitted to the bar, then moved to Springfield, Illinois.

Twice a presidential elector, Conkling was a State Agent during the Civil War and returned to the Illinois House in 1866.

He was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives during the 1850–52 term to replace Ninian Wirt Edwards.

[1] Conkling was one of four delegates, including Abraham Lincoln, from Sangamon County, Illinois, at the 1856 Bloomington Convention.

[1] In 1863, he read what would become known as the "Conkling Letter", an address written by Lincoln, at a mass gathering in Springfield.