Both presidents of the North and South issued statements relating to the conduct of the war but with very differing tones. On Saturday, March 26, 1864 Abraham Lincoln clarified his earlier, December 1863 statement on amnesty, explaining that the offer of amnesty did not apply to prisoners of war but only to those who were free and voluntarily came forward to take an oath of allegiance.
Lincoln’s clarification encouraged individuals to pledge their loyalty to the Union. However, on the same day President Jefferson Davis penned letters to the governors of both North and South Carolina, arguing with the chief executives of those states over Confederate trade policies and the allocation and procurement of troops. Once again Lincoln tended to embrace conciliation, while Davis’ comments tended to invite controversy.