I could freely give my life to save his. Virginia C.

[David Lockmiller]

From a letter in the Portland Advertiser:

One morning early in January, 1864, I took up the Washington Chronicle and read : “The sentence of death recently passed by court-martial upon the four deserters has been approved by the President and Friday, the 29th inst. has been fixed upon for the execution.”

It was now Wednesday and the next Friday was the fatal day. About 10 o’clock a gentleman of my acquaintance came to my room saying there was a woman below whose husband was sentenced to be shot and couldn't I do something to help her?

The woman was indeed there, and in great distress, for her husband was one of the doomed four. He had deserted, nor will I suppress the further fact that this was the second time he had attempted to regain his family, nor the further circumstance - a doubtful palliation - that he had done so while excited with drink.

The writer of the letter tells of the woman's vain efforts to get influence by which an audience with the President could be had; and, of their going to the Executive Mansion and her failure to get an interview with the President by importuning the Secretary.

At length the Secretaries Chase, Seward, and Stanton came out, so that I know the Cabinet meeting is over, and now, is it possible? - the usher approaches us.

"Have you any letters for the President?”

I handed him one - the letter of a little child, the daughter of the condemned. It was the child's one thought, as she had written it without prompting or aid.

To His Excellency the President of the United States:

Most Honored and Excellent Sir - How shall a child like me attempt to write to you on such business as this concerning my father, J. W. C, who is sentenced - Oh! how can I write it - to be shot. Spare his poor life, I beseech you, and many thanks shall be given you. If his life is taken my mother cannot stand this heavy blow, and will soon go also. I am the oldest of five children. I have three sisters under eight years. Do not leave us fatherless, I beseech you. I could freely give my life to save his.

Virginia C.

The usher soon returns, the door, that has seemed of adamant [closure] opens before us, and with a bewildering feeling we enter. The President is sitting near a table, and nearly facing the door, and as he greets us politely, I notice traces of tears upon his face. His voice, too, betrays emotion.

“Mr. President,” I said, with what steadiness I could command, “the husband of this lady, J. W. C, 27th Regiment, - Volunteers, is sentenced to be shot, as you have learned from the letter, and we have come to ask you to spare his life. Men's lives are getting to be precious.”

"I know it but I must do something to keep those fellows, or half of them would run away.”

He said at last: "Now you women may go home comforted. I have telegraphed for them not to be executed until I send an order, and I don't intend to send the order.”

The poor woman at my side could only weep her thanks, but I recalled [her] saying more than once : “We thank you a thousand times, Sir.”

The President rose and dismissed us in a pleasant and cheerful way, but yet with such kindly sympathy in word and manner as I shall always gratefully and affectionately remember.

[David Lockmiller]

How do we find out the subsequent history of this man (my father, J. W. C)?

[RJNorton]

David, you could try contacting the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

https://dchistory.org/contact/

[David Lockmiller]

(07-02-2023 02:52 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  David, you could try contacting the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

https://dchistory.org/contact/

Thank you, Roger. I sent the following email to library@dchistory.org as a Request for Research:


On January 29, 1864, four Union soldiers were scheduled for execution with the specific approval of President Lincoln. One of those to be executed was identified as a soldier from the 27th Regiment, - Volunteers with the initials J. W. C.

Within a week of the scheduled execution, however, President Lincoln sent a telegraphic order blocking the executions until a further order from him. President Lincoln granted the permanent stay of execution on the basis of reading a letter from this man’s daughter who pleaded for his life and offered her own life [in exchange] if only his life were spared. In the letter, she noted that her mother would soon die if he were to be executed and his five children with three sisters, all under eight years old, would be fatherless.

The Washington Chronicle story notice of the impending executions was published in early 1864.

Can you identify the full name of the man with the initials J. W. C.? And, is there any additional information available as to what happened to this man after the stay of execution was provided by President Lincoln?

[David Lockmiller]

Orders Gen. Sedgwick: "Suspend execution of sentence in all the capital cases mentioned in General Orders No. 1 and 2, where it has not already been done. . . . Forward the records in these cases for examination." Abraham Lincoln to John Sedgwick, 26 January 1864, CW, 7:152.

Executive Mansion, Washington,
Major-General Sedgwick → : January 26, 1864.
Your letter of January 22, received. Suspend execution of sentence in all the capital cases mentioned in General Orders No. 1 and 2, where it has not already been done. I recapitulate the whole list of capital cases mentioned in said orders including those cases in which execution has been heretofore, as well as those on which it is now suspended.

Private John Wilson, Company D, Seventy-first Pennsylvania; Private James Lane, Company B, Seventy-first New York; Private Joseph W. Clifton, Company F, Sixth New Jersey; Private Ira Smith, Company I, Eleventh New Jersey; Private Allen G. Maxson, Company D, First Michigan; Private John Keatly, Company I, Second Delaware; Private Daniel P. Byrnes, Company A, Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania; Private Samuel Tyler, Company G, Third New Jersey; Private Robert Gill, Company D, Sixth New York Cavalry.

Forward the records in these cases for examination.

A. LINCOLN.

Major Eckert:

Please send above dispatch. JNO. G. NICOLAY.

[Steve]

I found out what happened with Private Clifton. Apparently the review of his court-martial by President Lincoln didn't go particularly well. While the letter from his daughter Virginia may have stopped him from being executed, he was sent to Ft Jefferson in Florida by May 2, 1864. He wasn't released until July 3, 1865, three weeks before Samuel Mudd and the others arrived.

After being dishonorably discharged he went back to New Jersey with his wife Hannah and kids and worked in the construction/building trade. He died on September 12, 1901 in Ocean City, New Jersey at around age 75. His widow, Hannah tried to apply for a widow's pension but, predictably, was denied.

His oldest daughter Virginia, who wrote to President Lincoln pleading for his life, married a Samuel Armpriester in 1869. She would've been 16 in January 1864. According to unsourced family trees on Ancestry.com, which I haven't been able to verify, she died a year after her father, in 1902 in her mid-50's.

[David Lockmiller]

(07-03-2023 07:08 AM)Steve Wrote:  I found out what happened with Private Clifton. Apparently the review of his court-martial by President Lincoln didn't go particularly well. While the letter from his daughter Virginia may have stopped him from being executed, he was sent to Ft Jefferson in Florida by May 2, 1864. He wasn't released until July 3, 1865, three weeks before Samuel Mudd and the others arrived.

After being dishonorably discharged he went back to New Jersey with his wife Hannah and kids and worked in the construction/building trade. He died on September 12, 1901 in Ocean City, New Jersey at around age 75. His widow, Hannah tried to apply for a widow's pension but, predictably, was denied.

His oldest daughter Virginia, who wrote to President Lincoln pleading for his life, married a Samuel Armpriester in 1869. She would've been 16 in January 1864. According to unsourced family trees on Ancestry.com, which I haven't been able to verify, she died a year after her father, in 1902 in her mid-50's.

Thank you very, very much for doing this, Steve. That is all amazing work. I would never have been able to do anything like this.

I was concerned that Private Clifton may have been sentenced to a long prison term and for a period long after the war ended. And, with the assassination of President Lincoln, he might have been lost to his loving family, and he to them, throughout the children's formative years. If so, in practical terms, it would have been as if he had been executed.

Again, thank you for your great work and the excellent findings of fact.

[RJNorton]

(07-03-2023 09:46 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  Again, thank you for your great work and the excellent findings of fact.

Steve, I second David. Terrific research on this topic. I was thinking the answer to David's question was most likely lost to history. But thanks to you, it's not.

[David Lockmiller]

(07-03-2023 01:20 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Steve, I second David. Terrific research on this topic. I was thinking the answer to David's question was most likely lost to history. But thanks to you, it's not.

I agree with Roger's statement: " I was thinking the answer to David's question was most likely lost to history. But thanks to you, it's not."

[Steve]

I've decided to look up the fates of all the soldiers on the memorandum found by David to see how many of them Lincoln spared from execution. I've only just started and won't finish until after the holiday.

But one of the soldiers on the list with Pvt Clifton has one of the most fascinating Civil War service records, timeline wise, I've ever seen. Since we only have dates of events and lack the stories behind them (like with Clifton), one's imagination can go into overdrive conjuring up scenarios of how the events of 1864 unfolded the way they did for this soldier.

Without further ado, the Civil War service record timeline of Pvt Robert Gill of Company D, 6th New York Cavalry

- Born in Ireland

- 28 August 1861, enlisted in the 6th NY Cav for three years at Troy, New York

- 16 December 1863, reenlisted in the same company

- 13 January 1864, sentenced to be shot to death for desertion, to be carried out on Jan 29th

- 26 January 1864, President Lincoln issues a temporary stay to review the case

- 28 January 1864, Special Order issued with Lincoln granting Gill a full pardon and returning him to his unit

- 14 September 1864, captured as a prisoner of war near Berryville, Virginia

- 24 September 1864, listed as "paroled" at Varnia, Virginia
(How was this possible? The prisoner exchange was still stopped at this time)

- 26 September 1864, arrives at Camp Parole

- 26 October 1864 to 26 November 1864, granted furlough

- At the same time dropped from the rolls of the 6th NY Cav (maybe the Army was preparing to medically discharge Gill?)

Unfortunately, there are no pension applications filed for Gill's service and I wasn't able to link any Robert Gill to this specific service record, so what became of him after the war may be lost to history.

[David Lockmiller]

(07-04-2023 04:34 AM)Steve Wrote:  I've decided to look up the fates of all the soldiers on the memorandum found by David to see how many of them Lincoln spared from execution. I've only just started and won't finish until after the holiday.

But one of the soldiers on the list with Pvt Clifton has one of the most fascinating Civil War service records, timeline wise, I've ever seen. Since we only have dates of events and lack the stories behind them (like with Clifton), one's imagination can go into overdrive conjuring up scenarios of how the events of 1864 unfolded the way they did for this soldier.

Without further ado, the Civil War service record timeline of Pvt Robert Gill of Company D, 6th New York Cavalry

- Born in Ireland

- 28 August 1861, enlisted in the 6th NY Cav for three years at Troy, New York

- 16 December 1863, reenlisted in the same company

- 13 January 1864, sentenced to be shot to death for desertion, to be carried out on Jan 29th

- 26 January 1864, President Lincoln issues a temporary stay to review the case

- 28 January 1864, Special Order issued with Lincoln granting Gill a full pardon and returning him to his unit

- 14 September 1864, captured as a prisoner of war near Berryville, Virginia

- 24 September 1864, listed as "paroled" at Varnia, Virginia
(How was this possible? The prisoner exchange was still stopped at this time)

- 26 September 1864, arrives at Camp Parole

- 26 October 1864 to 26 November 1864, granted furlough

- At the same time dropped from the rolls of the 6th NY Cav (maybe the Army was preparing to medically discharge Gill?)

Unfortunately, there are no pension applications filed for Gill's service and I wasn't able to link any Robert Gill to this specific service record, so what became of him after the war may be lost to history.

13 January 1864, sentenced to be shot to death for desertion, to be carried out on Jan 29th

- 26 January 1864, President Lincoln issues a temporary stay to review the case

28 January 1864, Special Order issued with Lincoln granting Gill a full pardon and returning him to his unit

So, by Virginia Clifton's action to save her father's life, she also saved another deserving man's life and probably never knew it.

And, it probably brought much relief to President Lincoln.

Thanks for doing this, Steve!!! I was wondering what might be the consequences of President Lincoln's actions in this regard.

[Steve]

It turns out none of the men were shot for desertion. A month later Lincoln commuted all the pending death sentences for desertion (which he had not already acted on) to imprisonment at Ft Jefferson for the remainder of the war. This included a larger group of deserters than just the soldiers on our list. I'll get back with the fates of the individual soldiers on the list soon.


General Orders, No. 76.
War Department, Adjutant-General's Office
Washington, February 26, 1864.

Sentence of Deserters.

The President directs that the sentences of all deserters, who have been condemned by Court Martial to death, and that have not been otherwise acted upon by him, be mitigated to imprisonment during the war, at the Dry Tortugas, Florida, where they will be sent under suitable guards by orders from army commanders.

The Commanding Generals, who have power to act on proceedings of Courts Martial in such cases, are authorized in special cases to restore to duty deserters under sentence, when in their judgment the service will be thereby benefited.

Copies of all orders issued under the foregoing instructions will be immediately forwarded to the Adjutant General and to the Judge Advocate General.

By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[David Lockmiller]

(07-05-2023 02:51 AM)Steve Wrote:  It turns out none of the men were shot for desertion. A month later Lincoln commuted all the pending death sentences for desertion (which he had not already acted on) to imprisonment at Ft Jefferson for the remainder of the war. This included a larger group of deserters than just the soldiers on our list.

General Orders, No. 76.
War Department, Adjutant-General's Office
Washington, February 26, 1864.

Sentence of Deserters.

The President directs that the sentences of all deserters, who have been condemned by Court Martial to death, and that have not been otherwise acted upon by him, be mitigated to imprisonment during the war, at the Dry Tortugas, Florida, where they will be sent under suitable guards by orders from army commanders.

The Commanding Generals, who have power to act on proceedings of Courts Martial in such cases, are authorized in special cases to restore to duty deserters under sentence, when in their judgment the service will be thereby benefited.

Excellent work, Steve. Thank you for doing this.

[Steve]

(07-03-2023 05:28 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  Private John Wilson, Company D, Seventy-first Pennsylvania; Private James Lane, Company B, Seventy-first New York; Private Joseph W. Clifton, Company F, Sixth New Jersey; Private Ira Smith, Company I, Eleventh New Jersey; Private Allen G. Maxson, Company D, First Michigan; Private John Keatly, Company I, Second Delaware; Private Daniel P. Byrnes, Company A, Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania; Private Samuel Tyler, Company G, Third New Jersey; Private Robert Gill, Company D, Sixth New York Cavalry.

Forward the records in these cases for examination.

A. LINCOLN.

Here are the fates of the other men besides Pvt Clifton (released from Ft Jefferson after the war) and Pvt Gill (pardoned). Clifton and Gill's stories are in the earlier posts above. I didn't look into the biographies of these other men (except for Pvt Maxson) and all I know about them is their military records:

- Pvt John Wilson D co. 71st PA: Imprisoned at Ft Jefferson and released after the war

- Pvt James Lane B co. 71st NY: Imprisoned at Ft Jefferson and dying there on 09 June 1865, just before he was due to be released

- Pvt Allen Maxson D co. 1st Michigan: Imprisoned at Ft Jefferson and dying there date unknown

- Pvt Samuel Taylor G co. 3rd NJ: full pardon granted by President Lincoln; returned to his unit and later mustered out with them

- Pvt Ira Smith I co. 11th NJ: returned to his unit by 12 May 1864; I can't find a record of a pardon for him like I could for Taylor and Gill, but that's the most likely scenario. He remained with his unit and was mustered out with them after the war

- Pvt John Keatley I co. 2nd Delaware: desertion conviction overturned by Division commander as unjust and was returned to his unit before Lincoln could review the case. He survived the war and later received a pension

- Pvt Daniel Byrnes A co. 98th PA: I don't know what happened to him. He deserted in October 1862 and was dropped from the rolls before he was recaptured, presumably over a year later. The Civil War service biographies on Ancestry are mostly created from state records, with Byrnes' bio ending in 1862 before his capture and desertion conviction. There are federal carded civil war service records (created after the war to assist with pension applications) which are currently being digitized but it could be years before Byrnes' record images show up in the database (and the pandemic seriously slowed progress). So probably the only way to get concrete information on his fate right now is to go to the National Archives. With the little information we do have, we can reasonably infer that he very likely was sent to Ft Jefferson. What happened afterwards is anybody's guess. His name is common enough where I can't trace him in other records before and after the war.

[David Lockmiller]

(07-06-2023 03:21 AM)Steve Wrote:  - Pvt Samuel Taylor G co. 3rd NJ: full pardon granted by President Lincoln; returned to his unit and later mustered out with them

- Pvt Ira Smith I co. 11th NJ: returned to his unit by 12 May 1864; I can't find a record of a pardon for him like I could for Taylor and Gill, but that's the most likely scenario. He remained with his unit and was mustered out with them after the war

- Pvt John Keatley I co. 2nd Delaware: desertion conviction overturned by Division commander as unjust and was returned to his unit before Lincoln could review the case. He survived the war and later received a pension

President Lincoln seemed to be much more concerned about justice to Union soldiers than did most of the military commanders.

This morning, I scrolled through the unabridged text of Chapter 35 of Abraham Lincoln: A Life on the Knox College website but did not find any reference to this subject matter. There was a lot going on in this time period.