As of June 2026, collections from the former Imagebase site can now be accessed here. All are listed in the Collection Tree and can also be found through the search function. Images from Blacksburg and Virginia Tech reside primarily in the Historical Photograph Collection.

Archived Content Notice: Items on this site tagged "archived" have been archived and are no longer being updated, but remain available for reference and research purposes only. For accessibility support, please go to Virginia Tech's Accessibility Portal.

Memoir 3, Page 24, Amnesty for Deserters

"It pardoned all deserters from the Confederate service, who should report within a limited time."

Jefferson Davis released his proclamation of amnesty for deserters on August 10, 1863 in response to the losses at Gettysburg and the proven inefficiency of the death sentence as a punishment. This proclamation was similar to the one Lincoln had given in March of that year, also pardoning deserters who returned within a given amount of time. Within this proclamation, Davis allowed those who had left the ranks of the service 20 days to return without punishment. All first-time deserters who did return would be sent back to their original post. While it may have encouraged some men to return, it also made many of those who had not deserted angry, as they believed deserters should be punished.