All Confederate soldiers gain presidential pardons, Dec. 25, 1868
By ANDREW GLASS
12/25/2018 08:19 AM EST
In the aftermath of the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson on this day in 1868 issued pardons to all Confederate soldiers who fought in that conflict. The president extended “unconditionally, and without reservation ... a full pardon and amnesty for the offence [sic] of treason against the United States, or of adhering to their enemies during the late Civil War, with restoration of all rights, privileges, and immunities under the Constitution and the laws.â€
In his Christmas Day Proclamation, Johnson said his action would “renew and fully restore confidence and fraternal feeling among the whole, and their respect for and attachment to the national [e.g., federal] government, designed by its patriotic founders for the general good.â€
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/25/this-day-in-politics-dec-25-1868-1074077
