It was observed that President Lincoln’s “kindness was most marked” when he met with women in distress. Many mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters traveled to the White House to plead for their loved ones who were in trouble—frequently jailed for desertion or held as prisoners of war. This note is an example of a reprieve granted by the president: “Let this man take the oath of Dec. 8, 1863 & be discharged. ALincoln, Dec. 29.1864.”