Andrew Johnson became president shortly after Lincoln's assassination. He intended on following through with Reconstruction with the same lenient policies that Lincoln had established prior to his death. It was originally intended by Lincoln that all willing to take an oath of allegiance would be pardoned. President Johnson held to this, but required that all men of wealth and leadership apply for a special Personal Pardon from the President, himself. On 29 May, 1865, Johnson issued a General Amnesty, pardoning all Confederate State citizens that had not been pardoned in the previous years of Lincoln's Reconstruction. With this, a letter of acceptance was required to be mailed back from the recipient of the pardon. Because this General Amnesty did not pertain to men of wealth and leadership, over half of the applications for the Personal Pardon came shortly thereafter. Surprisingly, most pardons dating from 1865 to 1867 were not to soldiers of the Confederacy, but to those who supported the Confederate cause. Finally, on Christmas of 1868, President Johnson made an Unconditional Amnesty for all Confederates. Due to the dates on the pardon and oath, it is understood that Hugh L. Dennard received a General Amnesty. He sent his letter of confirmation and acceptance to Johnson's Secretary of State William Seward on 5 February, 1867. Dennard lived in Perry, Houston County, Georgia in the 1860s and because he qualified for the General Amnesty, he would have owned less than $20,000 worth of land. Hugh L. Dennard was born circa 1800 and died in the 1880s. He was married to Frances Sarah Crocker and had three children: Ervin Dennard, Josephine Dennard, and Mary Frances Dennard. Mary Frances went on to marry the future U.S. Congressman, Dudley Mays Hughes.
From the description of Hugh L. Dennard pardon and loyalty oath, 1865-1867. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 496023942
