Confederate Amnesty Records

United States Civil War, 1861-1865
Getting Started
Beginning Civil War Research Research Strategies Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
General Topics
African Americans Battles Bibliography Christian Commission Cultural Groups Indigenous Peoples Maps and Photographs Manuscript Collections Misc. Records Sanitary Commission State Records Southern Claims Commission Provost Marshals File
Union
Awards Biographies Casualty Records Cemetery Records Census Records Draft Records Navy Pension Records Prisoners of War Service Records Soldiers Homes Unit Histories Societies
Confederate
Amnesty Records Awards Biographies Casualty Records Cemetery Records Census Records Citizens File Navy Pension Records Prisoners of War Service Records Soldiers Homes Unit Histories Societies
Personnel Types
Conf. Regular Troops Union Regular Army Union Volunteers Union Veteran Reserve Corps

United States

U.S. Military

U.S. Civil War

Confederate Amnesty Records

Confederate Amnesty Papers

The "Amnesty Papers" or "Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867" (NARA M1003) were created at the end of the Civil War. On May 29, 1865, Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederates who participated in the war in an amnesty proclamation. The amnesty proclamation, however, included 14 groups of people that were excluded from amnesty. The individuals not granted amnesty had to apply for a pardon from the president. Following the 1865 proclamation thousands of former Confederates submitted applications for presidential pardons.

Eventually, President Johnson gave three more amnesty proclamations and, on Christmas Day, 1868, his final proclamation gave amnesty to all who had participated in the rebellion unconditionally. The applications for pardon and related documents are contained in the "Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867", the "Amnesty Papers".

To learn more about the Amnesty Papers and reasons for exclusion, see an explanation of the records at Fold3.

See the official NARA pamphlet explaining these records in detail at M1003.pdf.

Where to Find the Records

The Amnesty Papers are available online. In the future, these records will be made available at no charge through the National Archives web site. The Amnesty Papers are also available to access at no charge at any library that provides free access to Ancestry or Fold3.com.

Online

• Confederate Amnesty Papers (Fold3) ($)
• Confederate Applications for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867 (Ancestry) ($)
• United States, Civil War Confederate Applications for Pardons, 1865-1867 (FamilySearch) - index with link to the records on Fold3

A wiki article describing the above FamilySearch collection is found at:

United States, Civil War Confederate Applications for Pardons - FamilySearch Historical Records

Libraries

• Locate these records at a library using Worldcat.

National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.