friends who were acquainted with the nature of his compact
with Jefferson that they would not make it known while he lived.[30]
Under the influence of this feeling on the part of their father, the
family kept the facts to themselves and a few confidential friends
until after the lapse of a century, when the time came to commemorate
the achievements of their ancestor.

How much of the current tradition is fact and how much fiction is hard
to determine, as so little of the original documentary material is now
available. The collection of materials herewith presented consists of
what purport to be authentic copies of the original documents in
question. They are put in this form in the belief that their
significance warrants it, and in the hope that their publication may
elicit further light on the subject. These materials consist of three
sorts, viz.; a transcript of the Diary of James Lemen, Sr., a
manuscript History of the confidential relations of Lemen and
Jefferson, prepared by Rev. John M. Peck, and a series of letters from
various public men to Rev. James Lemen, Jr. The Diary and manuscript
"History" were located by the compiler of this collection among the
papers of the late Dr. Edward B. Lemen, of Alton, Illinois. These
documents are now in the possession of his son-in-law, Mr. Wykoff, who
keeps them in his bank vault. The collection of letters was published
at various times by Mr. Joseph B. Lemen, of Collinsville, Illinois, in
_The Belleville Advocate_, of Belleville, Illinois. The Diary is a
transcript of the original, attested by Rev. James Lemen, Jr. The
"History" is a brief sketch, in two chapters, prepared from the
original documents by Dr. Peck while he was pastor of the Bethel
Church, in June, 1851, and written at his dictation by the hand of an
assistant, as the document itself expressly states. Mr. Joseph Lemen,
who is responsible for the letters, is the son of Rev. James Lemen,
Jr., and one of the editors of the Lemen Family History. The editor of
_The Belleville Advocate_ states that Mr. Lemen has contributed to
various metropolitan newspapers in the political campaigns of his
party, from those of Lincoln to those of McKinley.[31] He also {p.24}
contributed extended sketches of the Baptist churches of St. Clair
county for one of the early histories of that county. He took an
active part in promoting the movement to commemorate his grandfather,
James Lemen, Sr., in connection with the centennary anniver