On April 9th
1865 at the Wilmer McLean house in Appomattox Court House, Virginia, Robert E
Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S Grant. A little over a month later on May 29th
1865, United State President Andrew Johnson issued the Proclamation of Amnesty
and Pardon. There were fourteen classes
of people who had been in rebellion against the Union, whom the Proclamation
excluded. If you were a member of one
these classes, you had to make a special application directly to the President. Lee wrote an application on June 13th
1865, which said, “Being excluded from the provisions of amnesty & pardon
contained in the proclamation of the 29th Ulto; I hereby apply for the
benefits, & full restoration of all rights & privileges extended to those
included in its terms. I graduated at the Military Academy at West Point in
June 1829. Resigned from the U.S. Army April '61. Was a General in the
Confederate Army, & included in the surrender of the Army of N. Va. 9 April
'65.”
Lee was made
the president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia on October 2nd
1865, the same day he signed his Amnesty Oath in compliance with the
Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon. He
did not however receive a pardon nor was his right to citizenship returned.
It would not
be until August 5th 1975 that through a joint Congressional
resolution, President Gerald R Ford signed the paper giving Lee back his right
to be a citizen of the United States.
Robert E
Lee’s Amnesty Oath stated that, “I, Robert E. Lee of Lexington, Virginia, do solemnly
swear in the presence of almighty God, that I will henceforth faithfully
support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the
Union of the states there under, and that I will, in like manner, abide by and
faithfully support all laws and proclamation which have been made during the
existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves, so help me
God."
2 comments:
I HAVE A COPY OF THE AMNESTY OATH SIGNED BY ROBERT E LEE SIGNED OCT 2ND 1865 , HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH ?
ALSO IT'S SIGNED BY CHAS A. DAVIDSON
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