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Jefferson grants pardon to deserters from the Army...
Jefferson grants pardon to deserters from the Army...
Item # 722680
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October 26, 1807
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, & DWASHINGTON ADVERITSER, D.C., Oct. 26, 1807
* President Thomas Jefferson proclamation
* Pardon for military deserters - soldiers
Page 3 has: "A Proclamation" by the President concerning those: "...who have deserted from the army of the United States...has become sensible of their offense & are desirous of returning to their duty, a full pardon is hereby proclaimed...as shall, within four months...surrender themselves to the commanding officer..." signed in type: Th. Jefferson.
Several reward ads for runaway slaves. Four pages, nice condition.
background: Issued on October 15, 1807, Jefferson’s proclamation was a calculated maneuver to strengthen the United States' military posture following the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, which had pushed the nation to the brink of war with Great Britain. By offering a full pardon to any deserter who returned to duty within four months, Jefferson sought to reclaim seasoned soldiers and replenish a chronically understaffed army without the delays of legal prosecution. Beyond the practical need for manpower, the move carried significant diplomatic weight: it allowed the U.S. to take a "clean hands" approach to the issue of desertion, strengthening Jefferson’s moral argument against the British practice of impressment—the forced seizure of sailors from American ships. This act served as a vital piece of the "peaceable coercion" strategy Jefferson favored, attempting to prepare the nation for potential conflict while simultaneously pivoting toward the total trade isolation of the Embargo Act later that December.
Category: Pre-Civil War
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