President Abraham Lincoln Allows a Southern Boy to Take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States

In all our years in this field, this is the first time we have had Lincoln order this oath specifically for a boy rather than a man

The Oath of December 8 was announced by President Lincoln in his annual message to congress in 1863. In the message, Lincoln declared that he would offer a pardon to any man who would swear, without coercion, his allegiance to the Union. This offer of amnesty provided a general pardon to soldiers of the Rebellion. The oath read, in part, “I do solemnly swear, in 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 thereunder; and that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithfully support all acts of congress passed during the existing rebellion with reference to slaves, so long and so far as not repealed, modified, or held void by congress, or by decision of the supreme court; and that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithfully support all proclamations of the President made during the existing rebellion having reference to slaves, so long and so far as not modified or declared void by decision of the supreme court. So help me God.” Importantly, the permission of Union officials, particularly Lincoln, was required to allow a Rebel prisoner to take the oath of allegiance.

The United States Sanitary Commission cared for the Union’s sick and wounded soldiers and promoted clean and healthy conditions and army camps. It held fairs in certain large cities around the country, mainly in 1863-4, to raise funds for its activities. Lincoln’s personal assistance to benefit these fairs is well known, as he contributed notes, documents and signatures to be sold or auctioned at the fairs. On April 18, Baltimore’s Sanitary Fair was scheduled, and Lincoln arranged to attend. At this Baltimore fair, Lincoln was shown around the fair and spoke about 10:00 pm, after which he had a midnight dinner and retired for the night at a Baltimore mansion. The speech the President delivered at the Fair was his famous speech about slavery, saying in part: “We behold the processes by which thousands are daily passing from under the yoke of bondage, hailed by some as the advance of liberty, and bewailed by others as the destruction of all liberty. Recently, as it seems, the people of Maryland have been doing something to define liberty; and thanks to them that, in what they have done, the wolf’s dictionary has been repudiated.”

The Civil War was a young man’s war, with many soldiers being mere boys. Lincoln had a soft spot for these boys, and it tells a lot about the man that he did so. When a southern youth was captured and asked for freedom in return for signing the December 8 Oath of Allegiance, Lincoln did not hesitate to allow it. That was the situation here.

Autograph note signed, April 18, 1864, the very day Lincoln was in Baltimore at the Fair, saying “Let this boy take the oath of Dec. 8. & be discharged – A. Lincoln.” It shows much about Lincoln’s compassion and character that he seized on opportunities such as this to free southern boys who would take the oath, differentiating them from the men who sought to do so.

In all our years in this field, this is the first time we have had Lincoln order the oath specifically for a boy.