MCLEAN, Va. — The National Archives says a longtime Abraham Lincoln researcher has been caught telling a big lie about Honest Abe.
The Archives said Monday that historian Thomas P. Lowry, 78, of Woodbridge has acknowledged that he used a fountain pen with special ink to change the date on a presidential pardon issued by Lincoln to a military deserter, making it appear that Lowry had uncovered a document of historical significance.
Specifically, Lowry changed the date of the pardon from April 14, 1864, to April 14, 1865. The Archives said the change made it look as if Lowry had discovered a document that was perhaps Lincoln’s final official act before he was assassinated that evening at Ford’s Theatre.
Lowry’s purported discovery in 1998 was hailed by historians. But for several years, archivist Thomas Plante had been troubled by the document. The “5” appeared to be darker and was perhaps covering another number, and the dates didn’t match a previous collection. He shared his concerns with the Archives’ Office of Inspector General, which questioned Lowry, who then confessed.
Calls to Lowry, a retired psychiatrist and a historian who has written numerous books on the Civil War, were not returned Monday.
