American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-03-22
WAR DEPARTMENT.
PRovosT MARSHAL GEMS OFFICE
WASHINGTON, March IL, 1865.

WAR DEPARTMENT.
PRovosT MARSHAL GEMS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, March IL, 1865.
CLRCULAR-No g.
In conformity with the proclamation of
the President herewith published, all Of
ficers and employees of this Bureau are
instructed to give prompt attention to the
receiving and forwarding of such deser-
ters as present themselves in accordance
with its provisions.
By TIE PRESIDENT or THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA:
sA Prociamation.''
"Whereas, the twenty first section of
the act of Congress, approved on the third
instant, entitled An act to amend the sew
eral acts heretofore passed to provide for
the enrolling and cal ing out the Nation
al forces, and for otherpurposes, requires
that in addition to the other lawful pen
alties of the crime of desertion from the
military or naval service, all persons who
have deserted the military or naval ser
vice of the United States, who shall not
return TO said service, or report them
selves to a Provost Marshal within sixty
days after the proclamation herein after
mentioned, shall be deemed and taken
to have voluntarily relinquished and for
feited the rights of citizenship and their
rights to become citizens, and such de-
serters shall be forever incapable of hold
ing any Office of trust or profit under the
United States, or of exercising any rights
Of citizens thereof; aud all persons who
shall hereafter desert the military or naval
service, and all persons who, being duly
enrolled, shall depart the jurisdiction of
the district in which he is enrolled, or 30
beyond the limits of the United States,
with intent to avoid any draft in the mil
itary or naval service, duly ordered, shall
be liable to the penalties Of this section.
And the President is hereby authorized
and required forthwith, on the passage of
this act, to issue his proclamation setting
forth the provisions of this section, in
which proclamation the President is re-
Ceiested to notify all desertcrs returning
within sixty days as aforesaid that they
shall be pardoned on conditioned return
ing to Heterogeneous and companies, or
to such other organization ms they may
be assigned to, until they shall have ser
we'd for a period Of time equal to their
original term of enlistment.
Now, therefore, be it known that |.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of
the United States, do issue this, my Proc
amation, as FequiTed by said act, order
ing and requiring all deserters to return
to their proper posts; and do hereby
notify them that all dcserters, 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 Provost Marshal,
shall be pardoned, on condition that they
return to their regiments and companies,
or TO such other organization as they may
be assigned to, and serve the remainder
of their original terms of enlistment, aud
in addition thereto, period equal to their
time lost by descrtion.
In testimony whereof, ] have hereun-
to set my hand and caused the seal of tho
United States to be affixed.
"Done-at the City of Washington, this
eleventh day of March, in tho
T.. s. year of our Lord one thousand
eiglt hundred and sixty-ive, and
of the independence of the Uni
ted States, the eighty-nintb.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
"By the President:
VIM. IL. SEWARD, Sec y Of State"
The records and returns of these de-
serters will be made up in the same man
ner as is provided for in other cases by
existing regulations; except that it will
be noted on the book of desertcrs arrested
opposite the name of the desertors. the
fact of his having voluntarily surrender
ed himself in conformity with the Presi-
dents Proclamation and the number thus
surronderring themselves to bcseparately
stated on the report to this Office.
The Secretary of War directs, that no
reward be paid for the arrest of deser-
ters who may be arrested subsequent to
the receipt of this order by the District
Provost Marshals.
JAMES B. FRY,
Provost Marshal General.
Published by order of Brig. Gen. i.
W. Kinks. A. A. ?. NJ. General, Harris
burg, Pa.
L w KTRKER