I wrote an article for the Fort Delaware Notes which was published several issues back discussing the variations in the Oath of Allegiance. Send a query to society@fortdelaware.org and I will get you a copy of the article. Essentially, at the end of the war, two oaths were required of certain people. The standard War Department Oath of Allegiance would get you out of a military prison. Confederate soldiers serving in the field when surrendered were released on parole (a kind of oath but not "the oath") to await a proper exchange. This parole was essentially a promise to cease and desist fighting the Federal government until properly exchanged in return for being released to go home instead of being sent to a military prison. The possibility of exchange became a moot point when all Confederte armies in the field had been surrendered. The Presidential Amnesty Oath granted one citizenship in our "new and more perfect Federal union". The language of both oaths evolved over the course of the war, the wording of the two are different, and the use to which they were put depended on the situation. Hence, there are lots of misconceptions about "the oath" out there!

Tell us your ancestor's name, unit of service and place of residence when the war began. Understanding his situation will help with further explanation.

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society
Website: www.fortdelaware.org
E-mail: society@fortdelaware.org