GDG- their appeal is denied. A. LINCOLN

[Margaret D. Blough]

Lincoln was actually a notoriously soft touch on clemency petitions, provided he was given some reason to believe that justice had to tempered with mercy.  It appears here that not only was he not given any such reason but the allegations against them struck at the very heart of military order and discipline.

Regards,

Margaret

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Dennis Lawrence <denlaw at kc.rr.com> 

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes: 
> 
> 
> Hello, 
> 
> I once read a very poorly reasoned dissertation that cast Lincoln as an 
> unmerciful tyrant. This was one of the examples used, IIRC 
> 
> Dennis 
> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
> Lincoln received the following telegram on August 26 at 4:45 P.M.: ``We the 
> undersigned sentenced to suffer death for desertion on Saturday next, 
> humbly beg that you exercise your authority to commute our sentence, to 
> imprisonment & hard labor, for any term of years, you may see fit, as we 
> each have wives & children, depending upon us. Charles Walter, John 
> Rainese, John Faline, Emile Lae & George Kuhne.'' (DLC-RT 
> 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
> Lincoln replied: 
> 
> To George G. Meade [1] 
> Major General Meade Washington, D.C., 
> Warrenton Va August 27 1863 
> 
> Walter, Rainese, Faline, Lae, & Kuhne appeal to me for mercy, without 
> giving any ground for it whatever. I understand these are very flagrant 
> cases, and that you deem their punishment as being indispensable to the 
> service. If I am not mistaken in this, please let them know at once that 
> their appeal is denied. A. LINCOLN 
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
> 
> 
> At 9:30 A.M. on August 27, General Meade replied to Lincoln's telegram: 
> ``Walter, Rionese, Faline, Lae and Kuhn were to have been executed 
> yesterday. Their execution was postponed by my order till Saturday the 29th 
> that time might be given to procure the services of a Roman Catholic Priest 
> to assist them in preparing for death. They are substitute conscripts who 
> enlisted for the purpose of deserting after receiving the bounty, and being 
> the first of this class whose cases came before me, I believed that 
> humanity the safety of this Army, and the most vital interests of the 
> Country, required their prompt execution as an example. . . . In view of 
> these circumstances I shall therefore inform them their appeal to you is 
> denied.'' (DLC-RTL). 
> 
> Charles Walter (alias C. Zene), John Rainese (alias George Rionese), John 
> Falene (or ``Faline,'' ``Folaney'' as listed on the roster, and alias 
> Geacinto Lerchize), Emile Lae (or ``Lai,'' alias E. Duffie), and George 
> Kuhne (or ``Kuhn,'' alias G. Weik)---all recruits in the One Hundred 
> Eighteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers---were executed on August 29, 1863. 
> 
> 
> 
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