In 1854 Abraham Lincoln was retained by Cyrus McCormick regarding a patent lawsuit. The case was originally to be tried in Illinois where Lincoln could practice law. Just before the case was set for trial, Lincoln's client and his client's rivals agreed to have the trial conducted in Ohio. Lincoln was paid $1,000 and was in attendance at the trial in Cincinnati, Ohio. McCormick had retained Edward M. Stanton to handle the case. There Lincoln met Stanton and was impressed by Stanton's brilliance. During the US Civil War, Lincoln remembered how well Stanton conducted the patent case and in 1862, Stanton became the second Union secretary of war.