22 August 1775

Lynch, Thomas, 1749-1779

Document signed

Title: Receipt for 50 pounds

Partially printed. Provided by South Carolina as legal compensation for an executed slave belonging to Lynch's father, Thomas Sr.

GLC04815

18 April 1906

Schmitz, Eugene E., fl. 1857-1906

Broadside

Title: Proclamation by the Mayor

Broadside declaring martial law by the Mayor, in the aftermath of the San Fransico earthquake. Authorizes security forces to kill looters, requests citizens to remain at home from dark until dawn, and has directed that electricity and gas remain off. Warns citizens of the dangers of broken chimneys and leaking pipes and fixtures. Housed with 4967.03 inside 4967.02, a book.

GLC04967.01

1861

Object

Title: ["Death to Traitors" anti-Confederate token showing Jefferson Davis hanging]

The face shows a body hanging from a tree with the inscription "Jeff Davis." The obverse is inscribed "Death to Traitors" and "Becker."

GLC04986

October 21, 1944

Wayne, Anthony, 1745-1796

Header Record

Title: [Twenty-two orders of the day including pardon of all who were under sentence of death].

Written as general in command of the United States Army in Greeneville, Ohio.

GLC04864

circa 1861-1865

Photograph

Title: Execution of a colored soldier

Black deserter named Johnson hanging on gallows. Title from inscription on verso. Numeric notation: "59."

GLC05111.01.0441

circa 1861-1865

Brady, Mathew B., 1823-1896

Photograph

Title: Execution of a Deserter [stereocard]

Black soldiers appear in the image. Inscription on verso: "War Views. Execution of a Deserter, Alexandria, Va. No. 4014."

GLC05111.01.0828

circa 1861-1865

Photograph

Title: Execution of a colored soldier

Image of corpse hanging from gallows. Inscription on verso: "Execution of Johnson, a colored soldier." Numeric notation on verso: "99."

GLC05111.01.0921

17 September 1862

Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893

Letter signed

Title: to M. Jefferson Thompson

Proposes an exchange of prisoners in response to Confederate General Richard Taylor's threat to execute ten Union prisoners from the 8th Vermont regiment. Refers to the deprivation of some property on Taylor's plantation and remarks that he believes it very unjust of Taylor to allow personal feelings to get involved. Makes no threat of retaliation and informs that he will not harm the prisoners he has captured. Written on stationary from the headquarters of the Department of the Gulf. 1 black and white bust engraving of Benjamin F. Butler.

GLC05025

1802

Header Record

Title: Legal documents pertaining to the Easter Plot of 1802 [Decimalized .01-.16]

An archive of legal documents related to the Halifax County, Virginia trial of slaves following Sancho's Rebellion, also known as the Easter Plot of 1802. Includes six indictments, five mittimus warrants, one arrest warrant, and four writs of summons. Sancho, a participant in Gabriel's Rebellion of 1800, instigated a slave uprising intended to take place on or around Good Friday 1802. The ferment spread through southern Virginia (including Halifax County), and northeastern North Carolina. In his book "Gabriel's Rebellion: The Virginia Slave Conspiracies of 1800 & 1802," Daniel…

GLC06338

1865

Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882

Photograph

Title: The Execution of Mrs. Surratt and the Lincoln assassination conspirators

Contemporary print of the famous Brady negative, showing the bodies hanging. Printed with red margin mounts by Taylor and Huntington. Brady photograph catalog list on back of the mount.

GLC06341

December 1859

Wentworth, William, fl. 1859

Broadside

Title: Brown hung

Calling town meeting at Wentworth Hall on 9 December to discuss the hanging of John Brown. "All (not excluding the ladies) are invited to attend." William Wentworth was the chairman of the event.

GLC06354

30 December 1859

Broadside

Title: John Brown still lives!

Calling a meeting to discuss John Brown, his raid, and slavery. "Hon. E. Graham, of Dewitt, Iowa, and A.J. Grover, Esq., of Lasalle county, Ill., will speak On Brown's Invasion! And the Present Aspect of the Slavery Question...B. C. Golliday, who was with Brown in Kansas, will be present." Notes "All are invited, not excepting ladies"

GLC06355

9 April 1847

Scott, Winfield, 1786-1866

Broadside

Title: [General orders no. 101 regarding the trial of a free African American man]

Isaac Kirk, referred to as "a free man of color" and "a resident and citizen of the United States," is charged with, convicted of, and sentenced to hang for the rape of Maria Antonias Gallegas, a Mexican woman. Duplicate of GLC00911.02.

GLC06366.02

9 July 1864

Brownlow, William Gannaway, 1805-1877

Newspaper

Title: Brownlow's Knoxville whig and rebel ventilator. [Vol. 1, no. 27 (July 9, 1864)]

Colored troops in Union and Confederate armies, includes information on the death of General Polk, a campaign ad for Lincoln's election, anti-equality and anti-emancipation articles, John Morgan's raid into Kentucky, Sherman's orders to shoot any and all stragglers who fall behind.

GLC06107.09

14 May 1865

Wilson, James Harrison, 1837-1925

Broadside

Title: [Extract from Transcript Extra]

Headlined "Jeff. Davis, His Staff, Family & Others, Captured!" Written by Brevet Major General James H. Wilson for Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. Says calvary under his command captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Says they will be kept in Macon for the night and then forwarded under a strong guard. Accompanied by two cartes de visite depicting Davis wearing woman's clothes. One is titled "The Last Ditch" (10.4 x 6 cm.) and depicts Davis lunging at a cavalryman with a knife. The other is titled "A Distinguished Arrival," (10.1 x 6.2…

GLC06107.36

24 September 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George G. Meade re: stay of execution for two Union privates

Also requesting the facts of the cases. Signed twice (the second time on a postscript). Lincoln stays the execution for two privates, one whose name Lincoln can't remember in the 1st Regiment NJ Vols., and one of Private Daniel Sullivan in the 13th Mass. Sullivan had been sentenced to be shot for desertion. The other man has not been definitively identified but may be Daniel Drights (or Driggets) (1st NJ, convicted of desertion 17 Sept. 1863).

GLC06039

7 August 1841

Tyler, John, 1790-1862

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of Lorenzo Dow for the murder of a ship captain].

Countersigned by Secretary of State Daniel Webster. Dow was convicted for the murder of Captain William C. Langdon of the Brig "Francis" while at sea and sentenced to be hung. Pardoned because he was "...a fit subject for the interposition of the Executive Clemency."

GLC05976

6 January 1776-4 September 1777

Howe, William, 1729-1814

Manuscript document

Title: [British adjutant's orderly book]

Orderly book of British Commander-in-Chief William Howe, oblong quarto, in the handwriting of six or seven soldier-clerks. Details daily orders, official memoranda, court martials, provisions, directives on the control of civilians, embarkations and landings of troops, and more. Among the historic events described are the siege and evacuation of Boston (from 5 March 1776 for 20 pages) and the execution of Nathan Hale (22 September 1776) who is unnamed. "A Spy from the Enemy by his own full confession, apprehended last Night was this day Executed at 11 oClock in front of the Artillery Park…

GLC05983

29 November 1859 - 2 December 1859

Header Record

Title: John Brown letter and broadside [decimalized .01-.02]

Letter written by John Brown shortly before his death, and broadside for a funeral service to him.

GLC05925

29 November 1859

Brown, John, 1800-1859

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary Stearns

Written three days before his execution. He asks to be "spared from having any mock; or hypocritical prayers made over me, when I am publicly murdered: & that my only religious attendants be poor little, dirty, ragged, bare headed, & barefooted Slave Boys; & Girls led by some old gray headed Slave Mother...Farewell, Farewell." Docket reads "please mail this to her." Addressed to "Mrs. George L. Stearns." Mary's husband George was a member of The Secret Six, the group that financed Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry.

GLC05925.01

2 December 1859

Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862

Broadside

Title: Martyrdom of John Brown

Program created by Thoreau for the funeral service for John Brown to be held in the Concord Town Hall on December 2nd. Event will include "Reading of pertinent passages. Selections from Brown's last words. Service for the death of a martyr." Also contains a "Dirge" in Brown's honor, written by Sanborn to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" The first verse states "To-day beside Potomac's wave, Beneath Virginia's Sky, They slay the man who loved the slave, and dared for him to die." Concord was the home to many of Brown's most famous and ardent supporters. The dirge is misdated 30 December at…

GLC05925.02

May 1777

Knox, Lucy Flucker, 1756-1824

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes a very detailed letter to her husband in Morristown, New Jersey during the American Revolution. Discusses the arrival in Boston of General Charles Tronson du Coudray, a French military engineer "who stiles himself Commander in Chief of the Continental Artillery" (Knox's current position) and claimed the appointment was from Silas Deane. Discusses the illness of Henry's brother William ("Billy") and her "fear we shall lose him, or at least that the humour in the blood has taken such deep root, as to embitter his future days." Also comments on various items she sent to Knox.…

GLC05895

20 May 1782

Greene, Nathanael, 1742-1786

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written by Major General Greene to Major General Knox. Is happy to hear about Knox's promotion. Thought that he might be able to work with Knox on the coming campaign, but says the circumstances have been changed by British Admiral George Brydges Rodney's victory over Comte de Grasse's French fleet near Dominica at the Battle of Saintes on 12 April 1782. Says Sir Henry Clinton will undoubtedly push operations in the South. Says he heard that Knox thinks there will be a British evacuation and has delayed sending supplies as a result. Had to use some harsh discipline, including hanging a…

GLC02437.01424

7 June 1782

Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written by Hamilton after he left the Army to Major General Knox. Letter details Hamilton's opinions against retaliation for the execution of American Captain Joshua Huddy at the hand of New York Loyalists (this is reference to the well-known Huddy-Asgill Affair). Hamilton says any retaliatory killing would be "derogatory to the national character." He claims there is no precedent for such a killing and that it would be "wanton and unnecessary." Says America's affairs "are now in a prosperous stream and so vigorous," that it would be foolish to tarnish the nation's reputation. Says that this…

GLC02437.01442

7 June 1782

Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804

Manuscript letter

Title: to Henry Knox

Later copy of letter from Alexander Hamilton to Henry Knox in GLC02437.01442, for which a transcript is available. Written by Hamilton after he left the Army to Major General Knox. Letter details Hamilton's opinions against retaliation for the execution of American Captain Joshua Huddy at the hand of New York Loyalists (this is reference to the well-known Huddy-Asgill Affair). Hamilton says any retaliatory killing would be "derogatory to the national character." He claims there is no precedent for such a killing and that it would be "wanton and unnecessary." Says America's affairs "are now…

GLC02437.01444