Existing comment:
"... the citizens are coming at the rate of from thirty to fifty a day to take the Oath in order to save their property."
-- Robert McConnell, 71st Ohio, September 11, 1862
The Loyalty Oath:
Union military governor Andrew Johnson implemented the Loyalty Oath to the United States after his arrival in Nashville. The signed oath was required of residents to secure travel passes, conduct business, maintain homes and property and in some cases, to buy everyday necessities and food. Some people took the Oath willingly, others took it begrudgingly, and still more tried to ignore it as long as they could. Some women hid their cross fingers in the folds of their skirts, while taking the Oath, thinking it "wouldn't count."
Taking the Oath was Risky:
Residents who took the oath could incur the wrath of local guerrillas who punished those who appeared to support the Union cause. This included the burning of homes, farms, theft of valuables and livestock, and even death. Those who swore allegiance were often treated as outcasts from society. |