Saturday, February 21, 2009

Civil War General Order No. 23 - 1863



The following flyer was found among loose county court papers, Caldwell County Clerk's Office, Princeton, Kentucky, in 1999.

Headq, 1st Brigade,
2D Division 23D Army Corps,
Russellville, KY., July 30, 1863

General Order,
No. 23

In order that the Proclamation of the Governor and the laws of the State of Kentucky may be observed and enforced, Post Commandants and officers of this command will see that the following regulations are strictly compiled with at the approaching State election:

None but loyal citizens will act as officers of the election.

No one will be allowed to offer himself as a candidate for office, or be voted for at said election, who is not in all things loyal to the State and Federal Government, and in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war for the suppression of the rebellion.

The Judges of Election will allow no one to vote at said election unless he is known to them to be an undoubtedly loyal citizen, or unless he shall first take the oath required by the laws of the State of Kentucky.

No disloyal man will offer himself as a candidate, or attempt to vote, except for treasonable purposes, and all such efforts will be summarily suppressed by the military authorities.

All necessary protection will be supplied and guaranteed at the polls to Union men by all the military force within this command.

By order of Brig. Gen. J.M. Shackelford, Commanding. J.E. Huffman, Asst. Adjt. Gen.


Oath To Be Taken At The Election.
I do solemnly swear that I have not been in the service of the so-called Confederate States, in either a civil or military capacity, or in the service of the so-called Provisional Government of Kentucky, that I have not given any aid, assistance, or comfort to any person in arms against the United States, and that I have, in all things, demeaned myself as a loyal citizen since the beginning of the present rebellion, SO HELP ME GOD.

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