Year: 1863

THO THE SOLDIERS OF THE CONFFD-
u EkATE STATES:,After more than two years OF
warfare scarcely equaed in the number magnitude and
fearful carnage of its battles warfare in which yUur
courage and Orttude have illustrated your country and
attracted not only gratitude at home but admiration
sDr9ad, your enemies continue struggle in which
hna triumph must be inevitable Unluy eated Nh their
recent successes they imagine that temporary
quel your spirit or shake your determination and bey
are now gathering heavy for general invasion in
the vain hope that by desperate effort success may at
length be reached.
You know too WELL my countrymen what they mean by
success Their malignant rage aims at nothing less than
The determination of yourselves your wives and children
They seek to destroy what they cannot punder They
propose the pos of victory that your homes shall Be
partitiOned among the wreches whose arocous cruees
nave stamped ntamy on their government. They design
to lnclte serVe nsurrecon and light the fires OF Iueen
dinrism whenever they reach your homes and they
debauch the inferior hitherto docile and eoulented
o promising indulgence of the vest passions the price
OF reachery Conscious of their inability to prevail by
legitimate warfare not daring make peace lest thev
should be hurled from their seats of power the men who
now rule in Washington refuse to confer on the SUBJ
ect OF putting end TO outages which disgrace age
or to listen to suggestion for conducting the war accord
ing to the usages of civilization. .-.-...' .
citizens alternative is left you but victory or
subugation slavery aud the utter of yourselves YOUR
families and your country The victory is within your
reach You need but stretch forth hands to crasp it.
Fer this and all that is necessary that those who are
called to the field by every motive that move the tu
heart should promptly repair to The post of DUTY
should stand by their comrades now in front of the re
and thus so strengthen the armies of the Confedacy as
to ensure success. The absent from their posts





equality between our force and that OF the invadrrs-and
when with any approach to such equality have We failed
to be victorousS believe that but few of those absent
actuated by unwngness to their country but
that many have found it difficult resst the temptation
of visit to their bones and the loved from whom
they have been hong separated that Others have
temporary attention 0 their affairs with the intention Of
returning and then have shrunk the OF
their violation of duty that others again have left their
posts from resteSsness and desire of change each
quetng the upbradngs of bis conscience by persadn
himself that his individual services could have influence
on the general result,


These and other alhough far less dgraceu than
the desire to avoid danger escape from the sacrices
required by pariOtism nevertheless grievous faults
and place the of our beloved country and every
thing We hold dear imminent peril. repeat that the
men who duty to their country, who have been
called and have yet reported duty or who have
absented themselves from their posts are sufficient in
number to secure US victory in the struggle mpend
ing.


camps in obedience to the dictates of honor and of duty
and thuse who have abSented themselves without
leave who have remained absent beyond the period allow
ed BY their burroughs, to repair without delay their
respective commands, and do hereby declare that grant
general pardon and amnesty to all officers and men with
IN the Confederacy, absent without leave who shall
with the least possible delay return their proper posts
Of duty but will be received for any delay be-
yond twenty days afe the first publication of this proca-
atiOn in the State in which the absentee may be at the
date of the publication This amnesty and pardon shall
extend to all who have been accused who huve been
and are undergoing sentence for absence without
leave or deserton excepting only huse who have been
twice convicted of deserton.


Finally, conjure my cOuntrywomen-the wives moth
sisters and daughters of the COnederacy- use their
apowerul influence in aid of this CALL add one crown
ing sacrifice to those which their patriotism has so freely
and constantly offered their country's altar and to
take care that none who service in the field shall be
sheltered at home from the disgrace of having deserted
their duty their families to their country and O their
God.
Given under my hand and the Seal of the Con-
federate States, Richmond this Is day of Aug


ust in the year of our Lord thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.


JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Blythe President:


J. P. BENJAMIN,


Secretary of State.


August 6 1865 64-wSswIt


~ The papers throughout the Confederate States are
requested copy this proclamation the earliest moment
au for twenty days thereafter and send their bills to the
Private Secretary of The President