This Inside the Vaults video short details the altering of an original Lincoln document by independent researcher Thomas Lowry.
Lowry admitted that he smuggled a pen into the research room in the National Archives building in Washington, D.C., and used it to change the date on a pardon issued by Lincoln to Union soldier Patrick Murphy, who had been sentenced to death by court martial.
Lowry changed the year so that Lincoln's signature was dated April 14, 1865, the day Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theater. Lowry then claimed he had found what was likely the final document signed by President Lincoln before his death, granting life to a condemned man.
Former Chief of Reference Trevor Plante and Investigative Archivist Mitch Yokelson discuss the case in this video from the National Archives.
Inside the Vaults includes highlights from the National Archives in the Washington, DC, area and from the Presidential libraries and regional archives nationwide. These shorts present behind-the-scenes exclusives and offer surprising stories about the National Archives treasures. See more from Inside the Vaults at http://bit.ly/LzQNae.
