Transcript of page 1: "Executive Mansion, Washington, August 31, 1864. Mr. Louis A. Welton came from the rebel lines into ours with a written contract to furnish large supplies to the rebels, was arrested with the contract in his possession, and has been sentenced to imprisonment for it. He, and his friends complain of this, on no substantial evidence whatever, but simply because his word, only given after his arrest, that he only took the contract as a means of escaping from the rebel lines, was not accepted as a full defense. He perceives that if this had been true he would have destroyed the contract so soon as it had served his purpose in getting him across the lines; but not having done this and being caught with the paper on him, he tells this other absurd story" Transcript of page 2: "that he kept the paper in the belief that our government would join him in taking the profit of fulfiling the contract. This is my understanding of the case; and I can not conceive of a case of a man found in possession of a contract to furnish rebel supplies, who can not escape, if this be held a sufficient ground of escape. It is simply for the accused to escape by telling a very absurd and improbable story. Now, if Senator Morgan, and Mr. Weed, and Mr. Raymond, will not argue with me that I ought to discharge this man but will, in writing on this sheet, simply request me to do it, I will do it solely in deference to their wishes. A. Lincoln." Transcript of page 3: "We respectfully request the President to pardon the within named Louis A. Welton, now at Fort Delaware. Thurlow Weed. I have read Mr. Welton's statement and if it is true, (and I know no reason for distrusting it,) his pardon would be an act of justice. I concur in Mr. Weed's request. H.J. Raymond."
