With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Virginia Historian Denies Changing Date on Lincoln Pardon Document

WASHINGTON - It was seen as one of President Abraham Lincoln's last official acts before he was assassinated. The date of a pardon for a civil war union solider is being called into question.

Federal officials believe the date on the document was changed to reflect the pardon was signed before Lincoln was murdered at Ford's theater.

The Archives said Monday that historian Thomas P. Lowry, 78, of Woodbridge, has acknowledged that he used a fountain pen with special ink to change the date on a presidential pardon issued by Lincoln to a military deserter, making it appear that Lowry had uncovered a document of historical significance.

Federal officials say Lowry admitted to erasing the '4' in the document and replacing it with a '5'. But when FOX 5 spoke with Lowry by phone on Tuesday, he said he had not changed the document. He says he was bullied into signing a confession by federal authorities who visited his home in Woodbridge....
Read entire article at MyFoxDC