Transcription: Civil War Pardon Application of Larkin Davidson

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Larkin Davidson

This is a typed transcription of most of the text from the Civil War Pardon Application of Larkin Davidson, a plantation owner and enslaver, of Muscogee County, Georgia. It was submitted on August 9, 1865. The original can be accessed at: ^[1]

Transcription of Key Components of L.Davidson’s Application for Pardon to Andrew Johnson, President of the United States State of Georgia Muscogee County To his Excellence, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States 1) Your Petitioner, Larkin Davidson, very respectfully presents to the consideration of your Excellency, the following statement of facts upon which he asks for Pardon under the Amnesty Proclamation of Your Excellency, and prays to be restored to all his rights as a Citizen of the United States.

Your Petitioner is forty-nine (49) years of age and is a native-born citizen of the United States—has been a resident of said County of Muscogee for the last Eighteen years, and now is a resident of said County. His occupation has been that of a Planter. He had but very little to do with politics for many years. He never held any office under the government of the United States or any other government. He had no office…….to either a [xxxofficer?] or domestic agent of the [xxxx xx] called the Confederate States. He was a short time in the Militia of the States of Georgia because he was taken from his fields by some Confederate Soldiers and was [pulled? forced] to go into the service.

Your Petitioner comes within only one of the conditions listed in the Amnesty Proclamation of your Excellency, and that one is the 13th clause of the same, However the twenty thousand dollars classing the property of your Petitioner … …consisting mostly of Lands, Plantation stocks and products of Plantation located in said County of Muscogee.

Your Petitioner further says that no proceedings have been instituted, nor are there any new proceedings against him, in any of the Courts of the United States for treason or for conspiring against the government of the United States, or for the confiscation of his property. Nor has the government of the United States taken possession of any [ } time of his property as abandoned for [ ?] of the property of the [ ] so called Confederate States.

Your Petitioner was lately the owner of about Thirty-nine Slaves, all of whom [xxxxx[ …and no longer claims any property in them. He has [ ] treating them as freed men.

Your Petitioner has already been a great sufferer by reason of the Rebellion [?] in his property, and [ ] He prays that the union may have [ ] to him and his family by the clemency of Your Excellency.

Your Petitioner intend to [ ] in the future a peaceful citizen and to conform to any and all the laws of the United States. He is most ready to take the oath prescribed in the said Amnesty Proclamation; and he strongly prays that Your Excellency may grant him a full pardon and as in duty assured he will so pray.

Larkin Davidson

This is followed by a testament like a notary’s statement by the Provost Marshall.

Larkin Davidson then signed a standardized oath that he would…”henceforth faithfully defend the Constitution of the United States and the union of the States thereunder, and that I will in like manner, abide by and faithfully support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves.”

The oath was dated August 9, 1865, and it was also witnessed by the Provost Marshall.

-transcribed by Davidson-16971; 7/7/2022; from a copy of the pardon included in the US Confederate Applications for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867, Muscogee County, pg 1010 to 1014.

Sources

1. ↑ Browse by State > Georgia > Main Series > Ca-De: "U.S., Confederate Applications for Presidential Pardons, 1865-1867"
   Browse by State > Georgia > Main Series > Ca-De
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 7 July 2022)