Lincoln · written by Tony Kushner · 2012

Lincoln wakes Hay over a deserter's pardon and asks what use there is in adding more corpses as the war ends.

Scene 54 of 102 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two

Lincoln
John Hay
John Nicolay

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:12 into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 54

In the final winter of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln risks a fragile coalition and the chance of an early peace to force an amendment abolishing slavery through a divided House of Representatives.

Scenes 1–7
The reelected president balances military command, popular affection and a household wounded by grief.
Scenes 8–13
Lincoln needs a durable constitutional abolition measure and commits to passing it before the term ends.
Scenes 14–16
Radical allies and discreet patronage operatives join the campaign as the amendment enters House debate.
Scene 17
Robert returns, bringing the family's private struggle over his enlistment into Lincoln's public campaign.
Just before
Scene 51
Seward presents Lincoln with the choice of an immediate peace or delaying the delegates to preserve the amendment vote.
Scene 52
Lincoln walks alone through the White House after hearing Seward's alternatives.
Scene 53
Lincoln sits awake at an open window, weighing Grant's telegram against law books and the ticking of his watch.
Scene 54
This scene

54INT. JOHN HAY AND JOHN NICOLAY'S BEDROOM - EVEN LATER

The room is spare and neat. Nicolay and Hay are asleep in their beds.

Lincoln is sitting at the foot of Hay's bed, spectacles on, reading a petition, the others in his lap, pencil in hand.

LINCOLN

Now, here's a sixteen year old boy.

They're going to hang him...

Hay startles awake, then settles. He's used to this.

LINCOLN (CONT'D)

(he reads a little FURTHER:)

He was with the 15th Indiana

Calvary near Beaufort, seems he

lamed his horse to avoid battle. I

don't think even Stanton would

complain if I pardoned him? You think Stanton would complain?

Nicolay stirs in the next bed.

JOHN HAY

Ummm... I don't know, sir, I don't

know who you're, uh... What time is

it?

LINCOLN

It's three forty in the morning.

JOHN NICOLAY

(not waking up:)

Don't... let him pardon any more

deserters...

Nicolay's asleep again.

JOHN HAY

Mr. Stanton thinks you pardon too

many. He's generally apoplectic on

the subject -

LINCOLN

He oughtn't to have done that,

crippled his horse, that was cruel,

but you don't just hang a sixteen

year old boy for that -

JOHN HAY

Ask the horse what he thinks.

LINCOLN

- for cruelty. There'd be no

sixteen year old boys left.

(a beat, then:)

Grant wants me to bring the secesh

delegates to Washington.

JOHN HAY

So... There are secesh delegates?

LINCOLN