ALS as president, signed “A. Lincoln,” one page, 7.25 x 8.75, September 21, 1863. Handwritten letter to Major General George Meade, commander of the "Army of the Potomac," in full: "I am appealed to in behalf John H. Williams, Co. D. 4 Regt. Md. Vols., I Corps who is said to be under sentence of death to be executed on the 25th for desertion. The appeal is made on the ground of unsoundness of mind. Please give me briefly the facts and your views." In fine condition, with trimmed edges, and overall archival silking to both sides.
This letter is listed in the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 6, by Roy Basler, who notes: 'The roster of Co. D, Fourth Maryland Volunteers, lists no John H. Williams, but Charles W. Williams who was sentenced to be shot for desertion (Army of the Potomac, General Orders No. 91, September 17, 1863) is listed with the notation 'Died, September 25, 1863.''
During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln struggled with the challenge of dealing with Union Army deserters. A compassionate leader, he generally showed leniency, understanding the pressures soldiers faced—in March of 1863, he proclaimed a general call of amnesty for the 125,000 Union men then missing from their units, absolving them from punishment in exchange for their return. However, he also recognized the need to maintain discipline, and desertion was considered a capital crime. In all, only 147 Union deserters were executed during the course of the war, and it seems that Williams of the Maryland Fourth was one of these unlucky few. By year's end, the war-weary Lincoln had largely ended the practice; when commuting a death sentence in January 1864, Lincoln explained that his decision was made 'not on any merit in the case, but because I am trying to evade the butchering business lately.'
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