Question regarding President's Proclamation

[SgtPen91st]

I'm confused about something. In discovering a new ancestor who fought with a NY Vol Inf unit recently, I read that he "deserted" in May 1863. Further notes state(d) that he was discharged per President's Proclamation. Anyone know what that means?

 

[Battalion]

Sounds like some sort of amnesty.
Does it give the date of the proclamation?

 

[ErnieMac]

I suspect this may be the proclamation referenced. See attached link for entire act.

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Abraham Lincoln. President of the United States, do issue this my proclamation, as required by said act, ordering and requiting all deserters to return to their proper posts; and I do hereby notify them that all deserters who shall, within sixty days from the date of this proclamation, viz, on or before the 10th day of May, 1865, return to service or report themselves to a provost-marshal shall be pardoned, on condition that they return to their regiments and companies or to such other organizations as they may be assigned to and serve the remainder of their original terms of enlistment and in addition thereto a period equal to the time lost by desertion.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=70073

 

[ExNavyPilot]

I concur with ErnieMac. If a soldier deserted, he was still legally considered part of his unit until officially discharged. The Lincoln proclamation gave the deserters the opportunity to officially close out their military service and not remain on the rolls as deserters. Even though the proclamation said they'd have to make up the time they were AWOL from their units, they probably didn't have to spend very long back at their units due to the war ending not long after the proclamation was issued.

 

[SgtPen91st]

Would these individuals be eligible for pension later in life?

 

[ExNavyPilot]

Would these individuals be eligible for pension later in life?

Good question. Deserters definitely were not eligible for pensions--as the Presiden't proclamation stated, they lost the rights of citizenship, couldn't hold positions of trust, etc--but I'm not sure how far the pardon extended. You might be able to check on a site like Fold3 whether your ancestor or a dependent applied and was approved for a pension.

 

[ErnieMac]

Good question. Deserters definitely were not eligible for pensions--as the Presiden't proclamation stated, they lost the rights of citizenship, couldn't hold positions of trust, etc--but I'm not sure how far the pardon extended. You might be able to check on a site like Fold3 whether your ancestor or a dependent applied and was approved for a pension.

It is a good question. Remember that a pension was not given just for a soldier's time of service, but for disability or death resulting from his service. If he was not disabled during his service or could not prove that disability resulted from that service he would not qualify for a pension.