Civil War-dated handwritten endorsement signed as president, "Let this man take the oath of Dec. 8, 1863, & be discharged, A. Lincoln, Feb. 10, 1865," on an off-white 3 x 3.25 slip. In very good to fine condition, with toning from prior display, and an old tape stain along the top edge.
On December 8, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, by which he offered full pardons to any participant in the rebellion who laid down his arms and swore a loyalty oath, agreeing to 'faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the union of all the States there under.' By endorsing this order—just two months before his assassination—Lincoln authorized the release of a Confederate soldier held as a prisoner of war.
Lincoln's whereabouts on the evening of February 10, 1865, are also notable: with Union Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Ambrose Burnside, President Lincoln attended Ford's Theatre—later the site of his assassination—to watch a performance of the comedy Everybody's Friend, followed by a farce, Love in Livery. Washington's Evening Star reported: 'The audience welcomed the distinguished visitors with the most vociferous cheering, the orchestra struck up 'Hail to the Chief,' and for some moments the performance on the stage was altogether suspended. The President and General Grant remained until the close of the programme.'
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