Year: 1871




On quiet Sunday afternoon. in the
month of December, 1868, while sojourn.
ing in Juniata county, | was called upon
10y some prominent citizens of that locali-
ty, with letters from soldiers of their ac-
quaintance, conveying the melancholy
intelligence that their comrade in arms,
Joseph r., had been tried by a
court martial on the charge of desertion,
found guilty, aad that the sentence of
death would be carried into effect the
following Thursday. The wife and
some OF the reighbors of the doomed
man were exceedingly anxious that some
effort should be made to save his lite, If
possible, and, as his time was fast ebbing
away, speedy action was imperative. We
decided, after consultation, to make an
affidavit as.to his previous good character
and inolfensive habits of lite, and to get
Governor Curtin, whose support could
always be relied upon in any effort for
the comfort or relief Of Pennsylvania
soldier to apply to the President for par
don. As l was going TO Philadelphia
the next morning. | armed myself with
the testimonials from his neighbors and
stopped at Harrisburg to hand the case
over, agreeably to our arrangements, to
the Governor, and to request his prompt
and friendly interference in the matter
This much, and no more, | had with
great pleasure agreed to do, as | knew
the condemned since boyhood, and often
when a boy myself, waited on him in a
store, when We both lived in Fannei
township, Franklin county. Presenting
the papers and stating tho case briefly to
the Governor, he said .r.


81 cannot assume the responsibility o.
taking charge of the case exclusively
nor do | believe the execution can bt
arrested, unless you see the President anC
have him specially to attend to it Only
few days since soldier from my OWL
region was shot, and his pardon, which
procured, reached the army few hour:
after he was shot. 1t was sad case. a:
he was the only son of his mother, ant
she was widow and having come into
the State at the Battle Of Gettys burg
was tempted to slip off on visit to hi;
mother. | got the pardon, but the ma
chinery was too slow to save his life
and so it is likely to be in this case, ant
unless you go to Washington and SET
that the pardon reaches him in time, ht
will be shot certainly. | will give you
letter to the President, but you mus
carry it in person, and it will be some
consolation for you to know, hereafter
that you were mainly the means of savin.
this poor fellows life.


Not until now did | realize the fearful
responsibility of my position, and ther
appeared to be no escape from the Gov
ernor's positive requirements As Con
gress was not then in session, having ad
journed over the Christmas Holidays
and knowing the great difficulty ther,
was in getting access to the President with
out the aid of member of Congress,


went on to Philadelphia, hoping to &c
one of the city members either to tax
the papers to washington and attend t
the case, or at least to get one of thel
to 90 with me. Not finding any of thel
and there being no time to spare, i wer
on the same night, having previously q
certained that a member of C.agres
from Pennsylvania of my Acquaintance
was there. Hl tu l.'.g a fI7


When the war began, the army regr
lations required that all sentences of cou
martial, imposing the death, should be al
proved by the President of the Unite
States. Several such sentences wei
pronounced on soldiers for desertic
about the close of the first year of tt
war, but such was the great kindness