Lincoln (2012)

Joseph Cross: John Hay

Photos 

Quotes 

• Abraham Lincoln : Now, here's a sixteen year old boy. They're going to hang him. 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?

  John Hay : Ummm... I don't know, sir, I don't know who you're, uh... What time is it?

  Abraham Lincoln : It's three forty in the morning.

  John Nicolay : [not fully conscious]  Don't... let him pardon any more deserters...

  John Hay : Mr. Stanton thinks you pardon too many. He's generally apoplectic...

  Abraham 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.

  Abraham Lincoln : For cruelty. There'd be no sixteen year old boys left.

  [protracted pause while staring into oblivion] 

  Abraham Lincoln : Grant wants me to bring the secesh delegates to Washington.

  John Nicolay : [fully awaken, sits upright in bed]  So... there are secesh delegates?

  Abraham Lincoln : He was afraid, that's all it was. I don't care to hang a boy for being frightened, either. What good would it do him?

  [signs the pardon] 

  Abraham Lincoln : War's nearly done. Ain't that so? What use one more corpse? Any more corpses?

  [rises to leaves] 

  John Hay : Do you need company?

  Abraham Lincoln : Times like this, I'm best alone.

  [exits]