Telegram from William A. Wheeler and Albert Hobbs to Abraham Lincoln, November 1, 1864. The telegram was concerning the case of Nathan Wilcox, a military deserter.
REPOSITORY: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress (Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833-1916.)
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/377/3779800/malpage.db&recNum=0
(click image to enlarge)
Transcript:
Office U.S. Military Telegraph
War Department
The following Telegram received at Washington, 1023 a M, Nov 1 1864.
5 From Malone NY Nov 1 1864
Abraham Lincoln
President US
Mr Nathan Wilcox who is under sentence of death for desertion from the army is my relative + for the sake of his grandparents this large circle of loyal relatives I humbly pray your Excellency to commute his sentence so that his life may be spared He was a member of the twenty second 22d Massachusetts Volunteers
A Hobbs
- Continued –
Hon A Hobbs who signs the above despatch is the Union Senator from the 17th NYork Dist + a good + loyal man to whose representation all good faith + credit may be given
WA Wheeler
Late MC
+++++++
President Lincoln must have agreed to order a stay of execution, as the Library of Congress has futher telegraphs on the matter. On November 2, General Grant telegraphs to President Lincoln General Meade's reply to him, indicating that there's no "Private Nathan Niloan" scheduled for execution, but there is a "Nathaniel M. Wilcox" and he'll stay the execution order accordingly.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/378/3785500/malpage.db&recNum=0&tempFile=./temp/~ammem_yjHO&filecode=mal&next_filecode=mal&prev_filecode=mal&itemnum=4&ndocs=96
General Meade sends his own telegraph to the President, indicating that he will suspend the execution and await further orders:
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http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/P?mal:2:./temp/~ammem_yjHO:: )