| During the American Civil War, a
young man named Roswell McIntyre was drafted into the New
York Cavalry. The war was not going well. Soldiers were
needed so desperately, that he was sent into battle with
very little training. Roswell became frightened -- he
panicked and ran. He was later court-martialed and
condemned to be shot for desertion.
McIntyre's mother appealed to President Lincoln. She
pleaded that he was young and inexperienced and he needed
a second chance. The generals, however, urged the
president to enforce discipline. Exceptions, they
asserted, would undermine the discipline of an already
beleaguered army.
Lincoln thought and prayed. Then he wrote a famous
statement. "I have observed," he said,
"that it never does a boy much good to shoot
him."
He wrote this letter in his own handwriting:
"This
letter will certify that Roswell McIntyre is to be
readmitted into the New York Cavalry. When he serves out
his required enlistment, he will be freed of any charges
of desertion."
That faded letter, signed by the president, is on display
in the Library of Congress. Beside it there is a note
which reads,
"This
letter was taken from the body of Roswell McIntyre, who
died at the battle of Little Five Forks, Virginia."
Given another chance, McIntyre fought until the end. Most
of our decisions are of a different magnitude than
Lincoln's, but he illustrates that there is always a time
to try again. It never does a boy (or anybody else for
that matter) much good to shoot him. But you might be
surprised at the power of forgiveness!
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