The herald., 1894-01-07
His Action in the George d.
Prentice Case.
Letters Found in the Government
Archives.
Strong Appeals of a Union Father In
Behalf OF His Confederate
Son-An Affecting
Incident.

l recently found q singularly interesting
not to say dramatic, letter, written owe
80 years ago, by the famous and &c
centric editor, George D. Prentice, t.
President Lincoln.
On piece of soft newspaper, while
evidently laboring under the stronges
emotions and acting on the impulse o
the moment, with his editorial pencil
Mr.. Prentice hastily penned the follow.
ing impassioned appeal to the president
of the United States:
LOUISVILLE, April 2S. 1868. President
Lincoln-DEAR SIR: 1t is a long time
since | wrote you. In some things
have differed with you. think you
know | have differed with pain, with
great pain. I have tried to serve my
country. ! know that l have served it.
| WILL not undertake to say how much.
Mr.. Lincoln, have great favor to ask
Clarence ]. Prentice, God help him, was
major in the confederate service. A
few weeks ago he came into Kentucky,
and, being cut of from his command,
he came by night to his home to see me
and his mother and his baby. He was
seen coming and in few hours arrested.
mother at Columbus. He desires, [
know, to serve no longer in the war.
He would be great loss TO the Confed-
crates, for he has been one of their most
effective officers.
do not suppose, Mr. Lincoln, that
you could parole my boy, upon his
taking the non-oompatant's oatn, to re-
main in the United States, though l
should be most happy if you could.
But / ierventiy appeal TO you 10 let
him 60, upon his taking the simple
oath, anywhere outside OF the United
States and the rebel confederacy. l
know his plans. His mother will go
With him, and he will never bear arms
against us again. will be surety for
this with fortune and life. l have writ
ten to General Burnside to let my son
remain in Camp Chase till hear from
you. Please let it be coon, for l am
most unhappy. Ever your friend,
GEORGE d. PRENTICE.
This letter vividly recalls one OF the
saddest phases in the civil war in par
TALLY illustrating its effects upon society
in the border states, and especially in
Kentucky, where it not only caused dis
cord among neighbors and friends, but
Qehuiy lcuue duQ DIehCuSd III lhIulll6H.
George d. Prentice, long resident OF
Kentucky, but born in Connecticut, was
a union man within limitations, where
as his only son at the outbreak of the
rebellion cast his fortunes with the CON
federacy. John j. Crittenden, the old
senator and distinguished publicist,
himself a unionist, howbeit much given
to compromises in the interest of peace,
Oh ~ 4 AnA \ &.
of his sonE, Thomas L. Crittenden, was
conspicuous union mRjor-general, while
another son, George B. Crittenden, edu-
Gated at West Point, held major-gen-
erals commission in the confederate SER
vice. He was the personal friend of Ell
ferson Davis.
Both brothers were unfortunate in
their military ambition. In his first
battle, which occurred at Mill Springs-
by q strange coincidence on his native
Kentucky soil-where George B. Critten-
den commanded the confederstes, he
was badly wounded and routed, and
thereafter fell into disrepute with his
government. On the union side Gen.
Thos. l.. Crittenden practically disap-
peared from view after his unaccount-
able disaster at Chicamauga.
tration of how Kentucky families were
split up in tie war time. The greatest
Breckinridge Of them all, Robert ]. =
was an incorporating nnion man,
whose vast personal influence was
largely potential in holding Kentucky
firm. His nephew, John G. Brecsin-
ridge, ex-vice-president, was from the
beginning a leading spirit of the con-
fada hnt in,
commanding troops as q major general
in numerous battles, oltentimes sue
cessfully, and going down in the final
wreck as its secretary of war. He, too,
was popular Kentuckian, but he failed
to carry any considerable number over
with him in 1861. Some OF the Younger
Breckinridges were also facing each
other from opposite sides of the belli-
gerent lines.
An appeal like that of Prentice's
seldom failed of ready response in
Mr.. Lincoln's sympathetic heart. The
masses knew him, and to him direct the
entreatles and petitions OF the i'm
prisoned and the condemned always
went. Immediate movements in be-
half of Major Prentice are apparent in
the records, although no personal order
corning this case is found
Mr.. Stanton, the secretary of war, was
man of entirely different mould--unre-
lenting and infexible in the upholdipg
of rigorous measures for thesuppression
of the rebellion, even in their applica-
tion to individual cases. He viewed
every confederate as an actual criminal !;
as sort of pernonal enemy, and had
very little compassion for those in limbo.
And they seldom appealed to him for
clemency.
But Mr.. Stanton understood the good
presidents womanish weakness in the
presence of human suffering, and
yielded his own judgment and preiu-
dices to personal request or orders OF
the president in behalf Of prisoners and
other unfortunates in the hands OF the
military.
An inquiry as to the status and pre-
vious history OF young Prentice was
directed by the secretary to the Judge
| advocate general of the army. This
was Joseph Holt, Mr.. Buchanan'a last
secretary of war, another Kentuckian
with stiff, unyielding union back bone,
and one, too, having an intimate knowl-
edge OF bluegrass politics, who, un-
like Mr.. Lincoln, was not willing TO be
deceived or eweryed frem the straight
line OF precedent and practice by emo
tonal appeals, such as that Of Mr.. Prem.
tlce in behalf Of an only child.
In answer, the stern old Judge advo-
"a "a lor rQI faA f-It t.--