Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-06-11
A LINCOLN PARDON,
Commissioner Wares Interesting Relic
oE kLa N;H:I NH-.

SS'''N''oS'0UST ware interesting Hello
Of the Civil War.
Kansas City Journal: United States
Pension Commissioner f. F. Ware, who
is in Topeka, brought with him an inter-
esting relic of Abraham Lincoln and the
civil war. 1t is in the form Of a pardon
issued by President Lincoln to one David
Levy, a deserter from the federal army,
and the story OF ii goes as follows:
In the summer of 1864 David Levy. q
private soldier, was sent to ono of the
army hospitals while suffering from some
small ailment, which, however, was suf-
hcient to incapacitate him for duty. One
day he disappeared from the hospital. II
was found later that he had deserted and
gone home, his later explanation being
that he thought he could recover his
health quicker II he was among his own
people. In due time he was apprehended
by the military authorities and returned
to the front, going by way of Washington.
While In Washington under guard and
awaiting trial for desertion he managed to
bring his case TO the attention of Presi-
dent Lincoln. The president sent for him,
heard his story, and closed the incident by
giving him a pardon, and from here the
story skips some thirty-eight years.
In December last the pension department
received an application for a pension from
David Levy. In looking up the records In
the adjutant generals office IL was dis
covered that David Levy was carried with
the word "dsserter" opposite his name. He
was informed by the pension officials that
pensions were not for deserters. He re-
piled that II was true that he had been a
deserter, but that he had been pardoned by
the president and had served faithfully un-
til the end Of the war. The pension au-
thorities answered in turn that If he had
a pardon he must produce 1t, as the rec
ords bore no evidence or the existence of
such a document And thereupon Levy
sent the pardon, just as written by the
president, together with the statement
that he had kept it safe all these years.
The pardon is written on a bit of paste
board about the size of an ordinary visit
ing card. The writing, though dimmed by
age, is clearly legible, and would be recog-
niZed at once by those familiar with the
angular hand of the martyred president,
There is no circumlocution or legal YER
biage about 1t. 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 IL, 1865
1t will be observed that technically con-
sidered this is not a pardon, but only the
promise of a pardon. However. DaAd
Levy was able to show that he had faitk
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
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 IL he could be
induced to part with the Lincoln docu-
ment. Levy answered that he would sell
it for IS, and it was purchased by Mr..
Ware at the price named.