According to Douglas S. Freeman’s biography, the oath Lee signed on September 25, 1825 upon admission to West Point read:
“I, Robert E. Lee, a cadet born in the State of Virginia, aged 18 years and 9 months, do hereby acknowledge to have this day voluntarily engaged with the consent of my mother to serve in the Army of the United States for a period of five years, unless sooner discharged by proper authority. And I do promise upon honor that I will observe and obey the orders of the officers appointed over me, the rules and articles of war, and the regulations which have been or may hereafter be established for the government of the Military Academy.“
When Lee accepted his promotion to Colonel of the 1st Cavalry Regiment on March 28, 1861, he would have sworn the officer’s oath that had been in effect since 1789. Between 1790 and 1862, military members (both officer and enlisted) swore:
“I, _____, appointed a _____ in the Army of the United States, do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles for the government of the Armies of the United States.“
Then there is the oath Lee swore to the Confederacy within a month of resigning his US Army Commission: from the Gilder Lehrman Institute. While this specific document is from Edwin G. Lee (Robert E. Lee’s cousin), it shows the standard Confederate oath that officers swore:
“I [name] aged [age], born in Virginia, appointed from [location], do solemnly swear or affirm that while I continue in the service I will bear true faith, and yield obedience to the Confederate States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against their enemies, and that I will observe and obey the orders of the President of the Confederate States, and the orders of the Officers appointed over me, according to the Rules and Articles of War.“
Make of this what you will.
This is excerpted from The Civil War Little Black Book.
My latest novel is Howl: WT Sherman’s Monster Hunters which shows a different side of the March to the Sea. I also have a trilogy starting at West Point, through the Mexican War and into the Civil War, based on something I had to memorize at West Point: In 55 of 60 battles in the Civil War, West Pointers commanded both sides. Duty, Honor, Country.
