Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-06-09
A LINCOLN PARDON.
Commissioner Wares Interesting Relic

Commissioned Wares Interesting Relic
of tho Civil War.
Kansas City Journal: United States
Pension Commissioner Il. II. Ware. who
is in Topeka, brought with him an inter
esting relic of Abraham Lincoln and the
civil war. 1t is III the form of n pardon
issued by President Lincoln 10 one David
Levy, "A desertcr from the federal army
and the story of ii goes as follows.
In the summer of 1854 David Levy. a
private snIdirr. WAS sent 10 one OF The
army hospitals while suffering from some
small ailment. which. however, was suf-
iicient to incapacitate him for duty. One
day he disappeared from the hospital 1T
Was found later that he had deserted and
gone home, his later explanation being
that he thought he could recover his
health quicker IL lie was among his own
people. In due time he was npprehended
by the military authorities and returned
10 the front, going by way of Washington.
While In Washington under guard and
awaiting trial for dcsertion he managed to
! bring his cage TO the attention of Iresi-
dent Lincoln. The president sent for him.
heard his story, and closed the incident by
giving him pardon, and from here the
story skips some thirty Eight years
In December last the pension department
received an application for pension from
the adjutant generals office 1t was dis
covered that David Levy was carried with
the word deserter' opposite his name. He
was informed by the pension officials that
pensions We're not for deserters. He re-
piled that 1t was true that he had been a
desertcr, but that he had been pardoned by
the president and had served faithfully un-
I'll the end of the war. The pension au-
thorites answered In turn that IL he had
a pardon he must produce 1T, ms the rec
ortls bore no evidence OF the existence of
such n document And thereupon Levy
/ sent the pardon. just as written by the
president, together with the statement
that he had kept ii safe all these years.
The pardon is written on bit of paste
board about the size of an ordinary visit
ing card. The writing. though dimmcd hy
age, IS clearly lcgible. and would be recog-
niZed at once by those familiar with the
angular hand of the martyred president.
4 There Is no decentralization or legal YER
blage about it. 1t goes straight to the
point as follows:
.'If David Levy shall enlist and serve
/ faithfully for one year, or until otherwise
honorably discharged, l will pardon him
for the past A. Lincoln.
january ~. 1865
1t Will be observed that technically con-
! sidered this is not n pardon. but only the
1 promise OF pardon. However. David
I Levy was aDle TO snow mat he na0 falth-
4 fully carried out the conditions fixed by
the president, and the pension department
corrected the records and granted him a
/ pension.
The matter was brought to the personal
1 attention of Mr.. Ware for decision. He
/ became much interested In the case and
when the pension has been granted he
! wrote to Levy asking him II he could be
induced to part with the Lincoln docu-
ment Levy answered that he would sell
1t for IS, and 1t was purchased by Mr..
| Ware at the price named.