John Hanks

John Hanks was born near Beardstown, and near the Falls at Rough Creek, in Nelson County, Kentucky, on February 9, 1802.

[4][5][nb 1] Their children were William, Louis, Jane, Phelix, Emily, Mary Ellen and Levi.

[10] Hanks served four or six months during the Black Hawk War of 1832, during which time he helped build a fort at Ottawa.

Oglesby wrote certificates of authenticity of 72 "genuine" Lincoln rails that were dispatched on Hanks' behalf.

[15] The Democrats started a rumor that Hanks was not in fact going to vote for Lincoln come election time.

[16] After Lincoln's election, Hanks sought a political appointment in the new administration, again through Oglesby as a letter-writing intermediary, preferring to be an Indian agent.

According to Henry Clay Whitney, Lincoln did give the matter some serious consideration, but did not appoint Hanks to any position.