To Joseph Holt1Jump to section
My dear Sir Washington, May 25. 1863.
Please send me the record, if you have it, of the conviction of John R. Syles, of Ky, as a Spy. Yours truly A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS, DLC-RTL. Lincoln's letter was returned on May 26 by the judge advocate general's office with an endorsement, ``The record in the above case has not been received at this office.'' Lincoln undoubtedly misspelled the spy's name. On May 25, Halleck ordered General Burnside to suspend execution of John R. Lyle ``till further orders'' (OR, II, V, 696). See Lincoln to Burnside, May 26, infra.