The 1865 Amnesty Oaths were part of President Lincoln's proclamation of December 1863 that set forth the conditions under which States could be readmitted to the Union. Basically, this required that the State form a government with at least 10 percent of the 1860 voters signing oaths of loyalty and acceptance of the Federal position on slavery. Women*, of course, could not vote at this time. A few women did sign the Amnesty Oath in various counties, due mostly to misunderstanding on the part of both the canvassers and the citizens. At any rate, the Amnesty Oaths were irrelevant, because even though Arkansas and Louisiana met the terms of the presidential proclamation, the Radical Republicans who controlled the Congress refused to re-admit these States to the Union and imposed a much harsher Reconstruction Plan which remained in effect until 1877.
United States of America
County of Montgomery
I Martin V. B. Salyers of Montgomery County, State of Arkansas, do solemnly swear
in the presence of Almighty God that I will hence forth support and defend the
Constitution of the United States of America and the union of states there under
and that I will in like manner abide by and faithfully support all laws and
proclamations which
have been made during the existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation
of slaves. So help me God
S/M. V. B. Salyers
Amnesty Oaths 1865 Ref.
| Martin V. B. Salyers James J. Land M. V.B. Cogburn W. M. Williams Alfred Jones F. M. Morgan Lewis S. Shirley G. D. Goodner Robert J. Pierce Andrew J. Smith Elijah Williams B. M. Singleton W.B. Baggs Ephraim Shipman Edward M. Pate Francis M. McKinney George S. Scott Thomas I. Scott W. A. Morgan L. R. Roberts R E. Morgan William T. Scott J. G. Ellison James B. Gaston Robert J. Whitaker John Voyles James L. Cogburn James Madison Anderson John H. Jeffry D. M. Goodner William J. Cox Alfred P. Alexander, Polk Co. S.J. Preston John Welch, Clark, Co. |
William Tweedle Henry C. Brewer N. J. Floyd Amos Ridge Solomon Jones, Pike Co. Willie Perran Jonathan H. West, Pike Co. William Irvin William G. Anderson Jacob C. Caroll Harman W. Scott Robert McConnell James Cogburn William C. Lovell H. H. Marques Mary L. Strawn Eli Oliver, Crawford Co. Thomas Russell, Pope Co. Philip T. Salyers Soloman Chapman David Blassinger J. H. West David Maberry Robert J. Coleman, Scott Co. Archubald Payne Riley Wheeler James R. Baggs William Smith William Arrington Nathaniel B. Goss King Darias Abernethy Mahlon Rankins George Crawford C. B. Moore The above oaths were recorded between Sept. 19 and Oct. 26, 1865 |
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New list: Oct. 26, 1865: Oct. 30: |
Oct. 31: Nov. 1: Nov. 16: Nov. 18: Nov. 24: Nov. 25: Dec. 9: |
Jan. 4: Sarah Salyers Mary C. Willhite* Rebecca Stringfellow F.M. Lanier Jan. 18: John F. Petty N. A. Penlance Jan. 16: John D. Hopper Jan. 27: P. D. Davis Jan. 29: Thomas Hencont (?) Russell Cogburn Jan. 30: D. M. Beck Julius M. Robins Feb. 27: John Irons James R. Irons March 15: Josephus Perrin March 17: Harriett Tweedle April 20: W. J. McCarroll G. D. Meredith April 17: C. W. Collier April 28: W. F. Kirkes W.J. Holden May 26: Elizabeth Coleman* June 28: A. M. Davis |
July 2: July31: Aug. 2: Aug. 3: |
Loyalty Oaths were administered on both sides. Sometimes
people would give an oath of loyalty to the Union and then fight for the South,
especially in Partisan Units.
If a soldier was caught fighting again (from either side) he would be executed.