A Presidential Pardon for De Villiers-- Part 1

From the 2015 PBS Antiques Roadshow

Ken Sanders of Ken Sanders Rare Books of Salt Lake City, Utah, gave this appraisal to a woman on the popular PBS appraisal show in Tucson, Arizona.  He estimated the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Pardon to Charles Villiers was worthy between $12,00 and $15,000.

It read:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

To all  to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas, it appears that at the March Term, 1861, of the Criminal Court of the District of Columbia,  one Charles  de Villier was indicted and convicted for obtaining goods under false pretences [six], and it was by the said Court sentenced to be imprisoned in the Penitentiary for the period of eighteen months;

And whereas, the said Charles de Villier has now served out more than six months of his said term of imprisonment, and it appears from the certificate of the Deputy Warden of the Penitentiary that "he has been uniformly obedient and faithful to every duty" in the institution.

More.  --Old Secesh

John Beall's Hangman's Noose-- Part 4: Gordon Found Guilty, Sentenced to Hang

Of the 897 slaves,  172 were grown men and 162 were women.  The rest were children, preferred by Gordon because they were too young to rise up against him for his cruelties.

The Erie was captured by the USS Mohican on August 8, 1860.  The slaves were taken to Liberia, the American colony established in West Africa by the American Colonization Society.  It was a settlement of free Blacks from the United States.

Nathaniel Gordon was taken to New York City to stand trial for slave trading and piracy.  After one hung jury, he was found guilty November 9, 1861, and  sentenced to death by hanging on February 7, 1962.

After his sentence was announced, his supporters appealed to President Lincoln for a pardon.  Lincoln was known for his compassion and issued many pardons during his presidency, he refused to grant one to Gordon, even refusing to meet with his supporters.

What Lincoln Said Next.  --Old Secesh

Pleas To Lincoln For John Yates Beall's Life

Same source as previous post.

I have already mentioned the large number of Members of Congress who appealed for Beall's life.

Here are some more:

Abraham Lincoln at the White House, February 23, 1865.

President Lincoln's log of visitors the day before Beall was hanged reflect the heavy volume of pleas  that Lincoln  spare Beall's life, leniency having been Lincoln's tendency with scheduled death sentences.

**  President receives J.W. Forney and W. McLean regarding pardon for J.Y. Beall.

**  Informs Montgomery Blair and friends, who call at the White House,  that if their visit concerns Beall they will not be granted an audience.

**  In evening, O.H. Browning sees Lincoln about Beall.

**  President undecided.    Looks badly and feels badly.

From the Browning Diary.

--Old Secesh

It Happened Christmas 1868: Confederates Pardoned By Johnson

From December 25, 2014, Yahoo! News "Three other big historical events that happened on Christmas Day" by NCC Staff.

President Andrew Johnson pardoned most Confederate soldiers in 1868, in one of the most controversial moves of his presidency.  He had just fought a hard and long battle against his own party, i.e. Radical Republicans.  Earlier in 1868, he had survived a trial in the Senate after he had been impeached in the House.

He issued a general pardon for the Confederates on Christmas Day in 1868 for all who had fought for the Confederacy, provided that all eligible had applied for a pardon.

Actually, this was his 4th amnesty for Confederates and restored civil and property rights and provided immunity from treason charges.  But, it didn't allow former Confederate officials to vote or hold office.

In 1872, the Amnesty Act was amended to allow almost all former Confederates, except a few hundred high-ranking officials (such as Jefferson Davis, to hold public office and vote.

--Old Pardoned Secesh