To George G. Meade1Jump to section
The sentences in the cases of Private John L. Keatly, and James Halter, Company I, Second Delaware Volunteers, are suspended until further orders. Let the records be at once forwarded.
A. LINCOLN.
Annotation
[1] Tarbell (Appendix), p. 402. This telegram is printed without date in the source, but a note from John Hay to Joseph Holt on December 9 instructed Holt to ``order the execution of these men to be suspended until the records can be examined, using the President's signature to your dispatch.'' (Ibid., p. 403). There is no other telegram to which Hay's note can refer, and Meade replied on December 9 as follows: ``Your dispatch of today, suspending the sentences in the cases of Privates John L. Keatly and James Haller, Second Delaware Vols., is received. No proceedings of a court martial in these cases have yet reached me; as soon as communicated with, and as soon as this reply is received I will telegraph you again in the matter.'' (DLC-RTL).
On January 8, 1864, Meade telegraphed Lincoln, ``You telegraphed me on the 9th. Dec. suspending the execution of private Keatley of the 2d. Del. The record in his case has just reached me and as the proceedings are disapproved by the division commander there is no case for my action. Private Keatly will be returned to duty.'' (Ibid.).
No further reference has been found to James Halter or ``Haller.''