“HAVING MADE MY ESCAPE AND DELIVERED MYSELF TO U.S. AUTHORITIES, DO HEREBY SOLEMNLY RENOUNCE ALL ALLEGIANCE TO THE SO CALLED CONFEDERATE STATES…”: 1863 OATH OF RENUNCIATION AND ALLEGIANCE, SWORN BY A CONFEDERATE OFFICER AFTER DEFECTING FROM HIS UNIT, CROSSING ENEMY LINES AND TURNING HIMSELF IN TO FEDERAL AUTHORITIES

(CIVIL WAR) ELLIOTT, W.J.B. Oath of Renunciation and Allegiance. No place: no publisher, June 3, 1863. Single sheet of paper (8-1/2 by 14 inches), printed in blue ink on recto and engrossed by two hands.

Fine and rare 1863 Federal Oath of Renunciation and Allegiance administered to a Confederate officer who escaped from his battalion and surrendered to U.S. authorities. This partially printed document was clearly intended to be used to administer the oath to prisoners of war who wanted to change allegiance—certainly a more common occurrence than defectors fleeing from the south to the north. For this highly unusual case, the lines “taken prisoner at” and “now in confinement at” have been crossed out, with the blank space filled in by the defecting Major Elliott to read “having made my escape… and delivered myself to U.S. authorities.”

The oath reads, with the parts completed by hand in brackets: I, [W.J.B. Elliot late Major of 2nd Batt Geo Coverly C.S.A.] County of [Whitfield] State of [Georgia] taken prisoner at [having made my escape] and now in confinement at [and delivered myself to U.S. authorities,] do hereby solemnly renounce all allegiance to the so called Confederate States, and all Military organizations hostile to the United States, and do solemnly swear that I will support, protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States against all enemies, whether domestic or foreign; that I will bear true faith, allegiance and loyalty to the same, any ordinance, resolution or law of any State Convention or Legislature to the contrary notwithstanding; and, further, that I will well and faithfully perform all the duties which may be required of me by the laws of the United States. And I take this oath freely and voluntarily, without any mental reservation or evasion whatsoever, with a full and clear understanding that death, or other punishment by the judgment of a Military Commission, will be the penalty for the violation of this, my solemn oath and parol of honor. And I also swear, that, under no consideration, will I go beyond the military lines of the United States forces. [W.J.B. Elliott, late Maj. 2nd Batt Geo Cov C.S.A.] Subscribed and sworn to before me, this [third] day of [June] 1863. [James Oakes, Lt. Col., 4th U.S. Cavalry, A.P.M. Genl. Illinois] Description. Age [forty years]; Height [five feet 11 3/4 inches]; Color of Eyes [gray]; Color of Hair [Brown]; Characteristics [left blank].”

Archival reinforcement along two folds on verso; faint foldlines, a bit of minor edge-wear. Near-fine condition, very scarce sworn and signed by a Confederate defector during wartime.