“support all laws and proclamations . . .”
This oath was James Hicks's first step to reclaiming his land that was held by the Freedmen's Bureau. One of the major activities of the Bureau was the leasing of abandoned and confiscated property. Although their numbers were small, freedmen who had means were allowed to lease land ranging from 10 to 100 acres.
National Archives, Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands