May 28, 1846

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Document signed

Title: [Patent for Matthias Baldwin's combination of the steam whistle and the boiler]

Signed by James Buchanan as Secretary of State. Countersigned by Edmund Burke as United States Commissioner of Patents. Baldwin's written description of the combined steam whistle/boiler is signed by E. W. C. Green and John White as witnesses. Contains a one page diagram depicting Baldwin's invention. Sealed and bound with a light blue ribbon (frayed and torn) and accompanied by a light green paper seal. Elaborate engraved seal at the top of the first page, annotated with the names Henry Stone, Pxt. and Bannerman, Sc.

GLC00063

September 13,1853

McClelland, Robert, 1807-1880

Document signed

Title: [Patent for Matthias Baldwin's improvements in steam engine cut-off valves]

Signed by Robert McClelland as Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned by Charles Mason as Commissioner of Patents. Baldwin's written description of his improvement is signed by Henry Simpson and Daniel McKinley as witnesses. Includes a one page diagram depicting Baldwin's invention. Contains a blue paper seal and light blue ribbon. Top of the first page is decorated with a detailed patriotic engraving along with the notes: Drawn by A.A. Von Schmidt and Eng'd by W.H. Dougal.

GLC00064

01 May 1963

Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, 1917-1963

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Frederic E. Schluter (c/s Robert Kennedy [AG])

Convicted of embezzlement: pardoned since his prison sentence had been suspended, probation extended and fine paid. Also, he had conducted himself in a law-abiding manner.

GLC00067

20 March 1839

Van Buren, Martin, 1782-1862

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of William Field for violations of maritime law]

Countersigned by Secretary of State John Forsyth. Field, master of the schooner Boston, was convicted of illegally landing a seaman and for omitting to deposit his register at the U.S. Commercial Agency at the port of Aux Cayes in Haiti. Since he acted without willful negligence or wish to defraud, penalties were remitted and released from prosecution on payment of costs.

GLC00068.05

04 November 1858

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Charles Barrett, convicted of murder.

Convicted of murder; sentenced to death. Sentence commuted due to Barrett's youth, and because the crime was unintentional, not premeditated, and was done in "...a moment perpetrated under the maddening effects of intoxicating liquor...". (c/s Lewis Cass)

GLC00068.08

January 13, 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of Henry Buschrae, who had been convicted in the District of Columbia of larceny in June 1861].

Buschrae was pardoned by Abraham Lincoln because he had served nearly all of his sentence, because he had been well behaved in prison, because he had been of good character and was drunk when he committed the larceny, because he had "served faithfully as a volunteer soldier in the defense of his country," and because many citizens of the District of Columbia had petitioned him on his behalf. Countersigned by Secretary of State William H. Seward.

GLC00044.02

May 21, 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of Albert Horn, who had been convicted in New York in October 1862 of fitting out the ship, City of Norfolk, for trade in slaves]

Horn was pardoned by Abraham Lincoln because, on the testimony of the physician of the county jail of New York and that of Dr. A. Jacobi, professor in the New York Medical College, and by Dr. T. S. Edwards of New York that Horn was suffering from disease of the lungs and liver which had been aggravated while he was imprisoned and this aggravation would materially shorten his life were his imprisonment to continue. Also because this opinion was concurred in by Robert Murray, United States Marshal for this district and because of the petition of Peter V. King and Simeon Draper of New York, who…

GLC00044.03

November 9, 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of James Dillion, who in New York City had been convicted in June 1860 of mutiny on board the William F. Storer].

James Dillion was pardoned by Abraham Lincoln near the end of his sentence because of his good behavior while incarcerated in Sing Sing Prison, on the petition of citizens, and on the recommendation of the U. S. District Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Countersigned by Secretary of State William H. Seward.

GLC00044.04

November 25, 1864

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of Peter Columbus who, in August 1864 in the Northern District of New York, had been convicted of perjury].

Peter Columbus was pardoned by Abraham Lincoln because he had been sufficiently punished while incarcerated at the Monroe County, New York, Penitentiary and at the petition of citizens. Countersigned by William H. Seward.

GLC00044.05

April 2, 1847

Polk, James K. (James Knox), 1795-1849

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Thomas Gardner, convicted of burglary. Also, includes petitions and receipt of pardon.

Convicted of burglary; sentenced to 3 years hard labor at a penitentiary. Pardoned due to Polk's petition by the jury and judge, and for "...divers other good and sufficient reasons..." (c/s N.P. Trist)

GLC00045.07

March 20, 1860

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of John Litzer, David Frank, William Schmidt, Herman Julius and Charles Hoffman for rape].

Countersigned by Secretary of State Lewis Cass. The men were sentenced in March, 1858. Pardoned by Buchanan for insufficient evidence after a petition was presented to him stating that Victoria Fugleman, who had said the men had raped her, had recanted her testimony.

GLC00045.16

July 30, 1860

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of John Rollins, alias Whit Cissel, for larceny and arson].

Countersigned by Acting Secretary of State William Henry Trescot. Convicted in June, 1854, Rollins was pardoned by Buchanan near the end of his sentence. The reasons given were that Rollins was of good character before his imprisonment, he conducted himself well during his confinement, one of the witnesses against him appeared to have perjured himself, and the petition of the warden and other citizens of the District of Columbia favored the pardon.

GLC00045.17

1809-1951

Various

Header Record

Title: Collection of 48 documents relating to presidential pardons (collection #3). See decimalized entries. [Decimalized .01-.48]

GLC00045

January 18, 1865

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Pardon of Robert Warrax by Abraham Lincoln]

Convicted of counterfeiting, Warrax was pardoned because of new evidence. Also signed by William H. Seward.

GLC00068.09

17 March 1917

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of John Burton, who was convicted of grand larceny]

John Burton, alias Samuel R. Martin, alias Dr. Engelman, was pardoned by Wilson to restore his civil rights, no reason for pardon mentioned. Countersigned by Thomas W. Gregory. Printed document with blanks filled in by hand.

GLC00068.19

07 November 1963

Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, 1917-1963

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Melvin Edwards (c/s Robert Kennedy [AG])

Convicted of a violation of the US Code; pardoned since an additional 6 years of prison would "not serve the ends of justice."

GLC00068.24

circa 1836-1889

Various

Header Record

Title: Collection of 16 items relating to pardons (collection #5). See decimalized entries. [Decimalized .01-.16]

GLC00076

15 June 1846

Polk, James K. (James Knox), 1795-1849

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to the pardon of David McKittrich, master of the British Barque Envoy].

GLC00076.03

19 March 1860

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Document signed

Title: [Authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to the pardon of Diogenes Wetmore for fraud].

No reason given for pardon. Includes petitions and tranmission

GLC00076.05

1840

Littlefield, E., fl. 1840

Pamphlet

Title: The Democrat's almanac and people's register for 1841.

Almanac with a summary of the life of Martin Van Buren, appealing for his election in 1840. Published by E. Littlefield, 122 Washington Street. Title page includes contents: "Containing, in addition to the usual calendar pages, a brief sketch of the life of Martin Van Buren; table of the electoral votes for presidents from Jefferson to Van Buren; the times of holding the elections; and the votes polled at the most recent contested elections in the several states: and also several paragraphs of well-selected politcal matter." Sewn binding, with two large stitches on the left side.

GLC00267.182

1856

Cluskey, Michael W., fl. 1856

Pamphlet

Title: Buchanan and Breckinridge. The Democratic hand-book, compiled by Mich. W. Cluskey, of Washington City, D.C. Recommended by the Democratic national committee. The success of the Democracy essential for the preservation of the Union and the protection of the integrity of the Constitution.

Compiled to disprove the "unprecedented charges against the Democratic candidate..." Selections are from the works of Democratic leaders "who represent the uniform and united opinions of the Democracy, North and South..." Includes the Missouri Compromise, a letter from Thomas Jefferson, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and an extract from the will of Andrew Jackson among others. Printed by R. A. Waters. Glued and sewn binding. Missing both covers.

GLC00267.197

1832

Pamphlet

Title: To the people of the United States.

An attack on Andrew Jackson during the 1832 Presidential election. For the first four pages ("To the people of the United States), no author is cited. Pages 5 and 6 contain an address by Samuel Tucker "To the surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolution," in which Tucker accuses Jackson of violating the Constitution. Pages 6, 7, and 8 contain an extract from a letter by John Andrew Schulze, former Governor of Pennsylvania, dated 16 October 1832, in which Schulze attests that Jackson is unfit and unqualified for reelection. Bound with string.

GLC00267.178

January 1836

Jackson, Isaac R., ?-1843

Pamphlet

Title: A sketch of the life and public services of William Henry Harrison.

Pro-Harrison campaign document. Written as "an acceptable service to those, who are not familiar with the life of this distinguished man, to place before them the following brief sketch of his biography and public services." States that the sketch is primarily based on the biographical works of Dawson and Judge Hall. Missing both front and back covers. Sewn and glued binding.

GLC00267.179

1840

Cushing, Caleb, 1800-1879

Pamphlet

Title: Outlines of the life and public services, civl and military, of William Henry Harrison

Campaign biography for the 1840 election, which Harrison won. Dedicated to the people of the third district of Massachusetts. Described by the author as "[a] brief retrospect of his career, civil and military, while it exhibits the character and acts of any able statesman, a high-minded patriot, a brave soldier, and a successful commander, will approve and justify the confidence and respect of his countrymen, in proposing to raise him to the eminent post of Chief Magistrate of the Union." Sewn binding, with two large stitches on the left side.

GLC00267.180

1843

Abell, Alexander Gurdon, 1819-1890

Pamphlet

Title: Life of John Tyler, president of the United States, up to the close of the second session of the twenty-seventh congress:...

Title continues: ...including some of his most important speeches while a member of the House of Representatives and the of the Senate of the United States, and his principal messages and other public papers as chief magistrate of the union. A collection of the speeches and public papers of John Tyler. Cover includes a quote from Shakespeare: "According to his virtue let us use him." Also includes the following in Latin: "Magna est veriras et praevalebit." Engraved portrait of Tyler opposite the title page. Engraved by A. L. Dick from a daguerreotype miniature by A. Morand. Printed…

GLC00267.183