The Sleeping Sentinel

"The Sleeping Sentinel" is a 1914 American black-and-white silent film that depicted President Abraham Lincoln pardoning a military sentry who had been sentenced to die for sleeping while on duty.

In the actual incident during the American Civil War, William Scott, a private in the 3rd Vermont Infantry, fell asleep while on guard duty. He subsequently was arrested, court-martialed, and sentenced to be shot. Lincoln heard about the case, pardoned Scott, and returned him to his unit. Scott later died in battle.

The "Sleeping Sentinel" was a melodramatic poem written about this case. The movie shows William Scott actually standing before the firing squad (which never happened). Lincoln happens upon the scene while riding in a carriage, stopping the squad just before it fires.