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[[handwritten]] G. O. 1866 [[/handwritten]]

[[bracket]] GENERAL ORDERS,
No. 1. [[/bracket]]
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,
[[italics]] Washington, January 9, 1866. [[/italics]]

The following communication from the Department of State is published for the information of the Army, and all whom it may concern:

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, [[italics]] Secretary of State of the United States,
To all whom these presents may come, greeting: [[/italics]]

Know ye, that whereas the Congress of the United States, on the 1st of February last, passed a Resolution which is in the words following, namely:
[[italics]] "A Resolution submitting to the Legislatures of the several States a proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States.
"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, (two thirds of both Houses concurring,) [[/italics]] That the following article be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution for the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be valid to all intents an purposes as a part of the said Constitution, namely:
"ARTICLE XIII.
"SECTION 1. Neither slavery not involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
"SECTION 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this artic e by appropriate legislation."
And whereas it appears from official documents on file in this Department that the amendment to the Constitution of the United States proposed as aforesaid has been ratified by the Legislatures of the States of Illinois, Rhode Island, Michigan, Maryland, New York, West Virginia, Maine, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Nevada, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vermont