Amnesty Proclamations  "More Pardons Than Executions"

The deprivations and hazards of army life, as well as general war weariness, eroded the initial ardor of many Union volunteers, and they chose to desert rather than continue the fight for the Union. Even though it was a capital offense, one out of every 10 Union soldiers deserted during the Civil War. The problem became so bad and was such a threat to the war effort that the government and top military officials attempted many different ploys to lure men back into the army.

Commanding officers occasionally issued proclamations guaranteeing there would be no punishment for deserters who voluntarily returned to their ranks within a certain amount of time. Those amnesty efforts achieved some success. The most effective amnesty proclamations, however, were the two issued by President Abrah


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