November 22, 1855

Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869

Document signed

Title: Pardon of John Marders, convicted of assault.

Convicted of assault; sentenced to 3 months imprisonment and to pay a $1 fine and court costs. No reason given for pardon. (c/s W. L. Marcy)

GLC00045.14

December 14, 1859

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Deborah Wise, convicted of petty larceny.

Convicted of petty larceny; sentenced to 4 months imprisonment and a $5 fine. Pardoned due to her advanced state of pregnancy. (c/s Lewis Cass)

GLC00045.15

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

31 July 1856

Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of John Geary as governor of the territory of Kansas]

Partially printed document signed by Franklin Pierce as President of the United States. Countersigned by William L. Marcy as Secretary of State. Accompanied by paper seal.

GLC00071

circa 1836-1889

Various

Header Record

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

GLC00076

19 May 1836

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to the paper remitting unto the William Davis the fine and costs imposed on him]

Davis was convicted of assault and battery in October, 1833, in the District of Columbia. Fined $5 and ordered to remain in prison until the fine was paid. After two and a half years imprisonment, Davis had petitioned to have the fine remitted since there was no way he could pay.

GLC00076.01

December 27, 1838

Van Buren, Martin, 1782-1862

Document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to affix the seal to the release of George Gausman]

Authority given to Secretary of State John Forsyth.

GLC00076.02

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

January 25, 1854

Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869

Document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to the pardon of Louis Burry].

Loius Burry, convicted of counterfeiting; sentenced to 2 years imprisonment. Pardoned for unstated reasons.

GLC00076.04

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

November 24, 1856

Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William M. Lawery

Noted as private. Andrew Johnson discusses the future path of his political career. He comments on his misgivings about running for office in the spring and summer. He states that he has "all to lose and nothing to make by another canvass of the state," and if he were to "continue in public life...would prefer going to the Senate than to remain where [he is] (Governor of Tennessee)." He believes that the Democrats can carry the state and legislature. Johnson mentions the opposition, Andrew Ewing, among them. He expresses his wish to consult Lawrey and other friends about his course [of action…

GLC00075

January 23, 1858

Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875

Autograph letter signed

Title: to D. J. Patterson

Andrew Johnson discusses appointments and mentions helping a mutual friend, John H. Craff and that the appointment of a "John [Hural] a route agent on the Va [and] E Tenn Rail Road amounts to nothing..." He writes that he is "inclined to think though [James Buchanan] has much more strength through the country than he has in Congress..." and that Buchanan "needs will and decision of character while he seems to have a good deal of it in conversation! but he is timed and hesitating in practice..." He assesses Stephen Douglas's future within the Democratic party. "[Douglas] was of the opinion…

GLC00324

December 12, 1856

Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John W. Geary

President Pierce writes to Geary, the newly appointed Governor of the Kansas Territory, emphasizing the delicacy and impartiality with which matters in the heavily pro-slavery territory should be handled. He covers the removal from office of various pro-slavery officials in the Kansas Territory that Geary and Pierce considered disruptive to their efforts to maintain peace in the territory. He praises Isaac Winston of Virginia, the carrier of this letter, who replaced George W. Clarke as Indian Agent. He reprimands Geary for overstepping his authority by re-arresting Charles Hayes (for the…

GLC00375

1849

Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862

Book signed

Title: A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

First edition printing in original brown pebble cloth. Printed by James Munroe & Co., Boston; New York : George P. Putnam; Philadelphia : Lindsay and Blackiston; London : John Chapman, 1849. Based on a boat trip taken with his brother from Concord, Massachusetts, to Concord, New Hampshire. Book is inscribed on first blank plate, "To Starr King/ from his friend William L. Aeger/ Jan 1859." Also signed in pencil on title page by Edith K. Davis, possibly at a later date.

GLC00326

February 25, 1843

Sherwood, Adiel, 1791-1879

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Absalom Janes

Sherwood, President of Shurtleff College, writes to Colonel Janes, a trustee of Mercer University. He writes, "A lady from La. was visiting at Jacksonville a few days ago with a servant girl: an abolitionist decoyed her off & took her into Greene Co. The kidnapper & his father were [laid] under $5,000 bonds to appear at Court. While the friends of the lady were taking [inserted: the girl] to St. Louis to meet her mistress, the [boundary] party arrested them, (I suppose for same offence), but they claimed a trial in Alton & were acquitted. Mean while, the girl was sent across the…

GLC00328

March 24, 1849

Dexter, Andrew Alfred, 1809-1854

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Simon Newton Dexter

Signed as "A. A. Dexter." Docket reads "Rodney B[illegible]." Mentions his father's memoir. Discusses his "planting business" and a successful crop. Writes, "I have now quite a reputation as a planter having made the best crop in the county... I had no overseer or driver- neither did I find it necessary to be with my people in the field, except occasionally. This result I think will compare favorably with free labor at the North... I have now bought me six more hands, making 14 workers of my own, besides house servants..." Discusses a trip to Columbus in which he became sick. Notes that…

GLC00330

1857

Douglas, Stephen Arnold, 1813-1861

Pamphlet

Title: Remarks of the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, on Kansas, Utah, and the Dred Scott decision. Delivered at Springfield, Illinois, June 12th, 1857.

Printed at the Daily Times Book and Job Office. "While the power of Congress to repeal the organic act and abolish the Territorial government cannot be denied, the question may arise whether we possess the moral right of exercising the power, after the charter has been granted, and the local government organized under its provisions." Bound in blue marble paper cover.

GLC00358

1843

Prescott, William Hickling, 1796-1859

Header Record

Title: History of the Conquest of Mexico

Hill, p. 240, BAL 16340, Sabin 65262. The first American edition, second (corrected) printing. In original publisher's cloth. H. Bradley Martin's copy.

GLC00361

1847

Prescott, William Hickling, 1796-1859

Book

Title: History of the Conquest of Peru

H. Bradley Martin copy.

GLC00362

December 19, 1859

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Samuel Galloway

With two postscripts, one initialed. Headed "Private." Introducing John "George" Nicolay (later Lincoln's personal secretary) and describing how he wants the Lincoln-Douglas debates published. In the 1860 presidential election, the debates served as an essential statement of Republican Party principles, especially on the issue of slavery being extended into the territories. Given the importance of the debates, it is unsurprising that Lincoln emphasizes the importance of fidelity in the original speeches: "As they stand there, is precisely the shape I would prefer the publication to be made in…

GLC00365

1860

South Carolina. Convention, 1860-1862

Pamphlet

Title: Declaration of the immediate causes which induce and justify the secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union; and the ordinance of secession.

First edition printed by Evans & Cogswell, Charleston, South Carolina. The report of the committee to draw up the Confederate declaration of independence. Original yellow paper cover as issued.

GLC00373

1860

Marshall, Humphrey, 1812-1872

Pamphlet

Title: Speeches of Hon. Humphrey Marshall & Hon. B.F. Hallett, in the city of Washington, on the nomination of Breckinridge and Lane.

Humphrey and Hallett announce their support for John C. Breckinridge and Joseph Lane for the democratic presidential and vice-presidential nomination in the 1860 election. Printed by McGill & Witherow. Marked "Breckinridge and Lane campaign document No.1."

GLC00267.384

1860

Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862

Pamphlet

Title: Minority report of Mr. Stevens, delegate from Oregon, showing the grounds upon which the regular southern delegation...

Title continues, " ... were entitled to seats in the convention at the Front Street Theatre, Baltimore. Mr. Leach's protest against the exclusion of their delegates." Issued by the National Democratic Executive Committee. Marked, "Breckinridge and Lane campaign documents, no. 2."

GLC00267.385

March 3, 1848

Wilmot, David, 1814-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to B. Darwin Ames

David Wilmot grants Ames's request for an autograph. Apologizes for the delay in his response. References the Wilmot Proviso, writing "For the kind terms in which you have been pleased to speak of my efforts to arrest the progress of Slavery, accept my grateful thanks."

GLC00271