Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/203

dent Davis of the confederacy fled south, and was captured at Irwinville, Ga., by Gen. Wilson's forces, May 10, 1865. He and some other prominent leaders were imprisoned for a time, but no man was punished for participation in the rebellion. On May 29, 1865, the president issued an amnesty proclamation, excepting 14 classes of those most prominent in the rebellion. This was followed by others on Sept. 7, 1867, July 4, 1868, and Dec. 25, 1868, the last making the amnesty universal.—A peculiar feature of the war was the voluntary organizations of citizens to promote the moral and physical welfare of the soldiers. The chief of these were the United States sanitary commission, the United States Christian commission, and the Western sanitary commission, organized in 1861. The sanitary commissions were designed to coöperate with the medical bureau of the war department, and performed valuable services in the prevention of disease, in supplying food, clothing, and hospital stores, in the relief of prisoners, and in other ways. They had branches throughout the north, and received large contributions in money and supplies. The Christian commission was composed of representatives of the young men's Christian associations, and performed services similar to those of the sanitary commissions, together with others of a more strictly religious character. Toward and after the close of the war various societies were organized for the relief of Union refugees from the south, the care of the freedmen, and the restoration of industry and education in the region devastated by war. By the act of March 3, 1865, the bureau of refugees, freedmen, and abandoned lands was created in the war department. (See Freedmen.) The question of emancipation early attracted the attention of the president and congress. On April 16, 1862, an act was passed abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia, and on June 9 another act declared that slavery should not thereafter exist in the territories. The act of July 17 declared that all slaves of persons who should thereafter be engaged in rebellion, escaping and taking refuge within the lines of the army, all slaves of such persons captured, or deserted and coming under the control of the United States, and all slaves of such persons found in any place occupied by rebel forces and afterward occupied by the federal forces, should be free. The same act authorized the president to receive into the military and naval service persons of African descent. On Jan. 1, 1863, the president issued a proclamation, in pursuance of a warning contained in a proclamation of Sept. 22, 1862, declaring free all persons held as slaves within the states or portions of states then in rebellion. (See Slavery.) On April 8, 1864, a joint resolution amending the federal constitution, by declaring that slavery shall not exist within the United States or any place subject to their control, passed the senate by a vote of 38 to 6, and on Jan. 31, 1865, it was approved by the house of representatives by a vote of 119 to 56. This, known as the thirteenth amendment, the secretary of state on Dec. 18, 1865, proclaimed ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the states, and consequently valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the constitution. The first step toward the reconstruction of loyal governments in the seceded states was the proclamation of President Lincoln of Dec. 8, 1863. This promised full pardon, with restoration of rights of property, except as to slaves, to all persons (with some exceptions) who had participated in the rebellion, upon condition that they should take and maintain an oath to support and defend the constitution of the United States and the union of the states thereunder, and to abide by all acts of congress and proclamations of the president having reference to slaves. It also provided that when in any of the seceded states persons, not less in number than one tenth of the votes cast at the presidential election of 1860 in that state, who had taken and not violated the oath and were qualified voters by law of the state in force immediately before secession, should reëstablish a republican government in no wise contravening the oath, such government should be recognized as the true government of the state. Under this scheme governments were organized in Louisiana and Arkansas in the early part of 1864, and in Tennessee early in 1865, but senators and representatives from those states were not admitted to congress. After the close of the war President Johnson recognized these governments, and also recognized Francis H. Pierpont as governor of Virginia, who after the admission of West Virginia had exercised jurisdiction in a few counties adjacent to Washington. On May 29, 1865, President Johnson appointed a provisional governor of North Carolina, and in June and July similar officers were appointed for Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. It was made the duty of the provisional governor in each state to call a convention, the delegates to which were to be elected by those who were qualified voters by the laws in force in the respective states immediately previous to secession, and who had taken the oath prescribed by the amnesty proclamation of the same date, similar to that of Lincoln's, for the purpose of restoring these states to their constitutional relations to the federal government. Conventions were accordingly held during the year in all these states except Texas, where a convention met in 1866. Ordinances were passed abolishing slavery, declaring the debt incurred in aid of the confederacy void, and repealing the ordinances of secession. State officers and congressmen were elected, and the legislatures ratified the thirteenth amendment. But congress did not approve this scheme of reconstruction, and senators and representatives from those states were not admitted.