{"product_id":"civil-war-letter-of-pardon-from-abraham-lincoln","title":"Civil War Letter of Pardon from Abraham Lincoln","description":"Order for the Pardon and Release of John O. Brown by Abraham Lincoln\u003cbr\u003e Signed “A. Lincoln” as President\u003cbr\u003e Body of the document in the hand of Edwin M. Stanton and signed by him as Secretary of War\u003cbr\u003e Ink on War Department letterhead \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Issued during the height of the American Civil War, this extraordinary presidential order bears the signature of Abraham Lincoln and grants a full pardon to John O. Brown, a soldier sentenced to death by court-martial in Indianapolis. Signed “By order of the President, A. Lincoln” on April 1, 1863, the document offers a compelling expression of Lincoln’s authority, restraint and humanity. Few wartime documents bring the personal consequences of presidential leadership into such immediate focus. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The formal order is executed on War Department letterhead in the hand of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who also signed the document beneath Lincoln’s authorization. Its concise language carries enormous consequence: Brown is “pardoned and absolved” from his death sentence and ordered released from imprisonment and discharged from United States service. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Brown’s conviction arose amid an investigation into secret antiwar organizations operating in Indiana. On March 19, 1863, Colonel Henry B. Carrington informed Lincoln and Stanton that the Knights of the Golden Circle had organized to encourage desertion, resist military drafts and “break up the army.” Carrington identified Brown’s arrest and conviction as an important disruption to the organization, while also requesting that his execution be suspended so that he could serve as a witness in a forthcoming federal case. Lincoln’s pardon therefore united mercy with practical judgment, sparing Brown’s life while preserving his potential value to the government’s investigation. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Lincoln remained personally attentive to the case after signing the order. On July 18, 1863, he wrote to Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton to ask what had become of Brown and what action the governor desired. Morton replied that Brown had been unconditionally pardoned and discharged from service. The document is fully recorded in Roy P. Basler’s authoritative \u003cem\u003eCollected Works of Abraham Lincoln\u003c\/em\u003e, the foundational scholarly compilation of Lincoln’s correspondence, speeches and writings. This later exchange reveals the care with which Lincoln followed the individual cases brought before him, even while directing the immense military and political responsibilities of the Civil War. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dated April 1, 1863 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Document: 10 1\/4\" high x 8 1\/4\" wide (26.04 x 20.96 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 17 1\/2\" high x 15 1\/2\" wide x 1 1\/2\" deep (44.45 x 39.37 x 3.81 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e Roy P. Basler, ed., \u003cem\u003eThe Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln\u003c\/em\u003e, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1953, vol. VI, p. 158 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Transcript: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e War Department\u003cbr\u003e Washington City,\u003cbr\u003e April 1, 1863\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Ordered, that John O. Brown, under sentence of death by judgment of a Court Martial at Indianapolis, be and he is hereby pardoned and absolved from the sentence aforesaid; and that he be released from imprisonment and discharged from the service of the United States.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e By order of the President,\u003cbr\u003e A. LINCOLN \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e EDWIN M. STANTON\u003cbr\u003e Secretary of War","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45267731185799,"sku":"32-2958","price":78500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/2471\/0466\/files\/32-2958_1.png?v=1784323305","url":"https:\/\/rauantiques.com\/products\/civil-war-letter-of-pardon-from-abraham-lincoln","provider":"M.S. Rau","version":"1.0","type":"link"}