Feb. 1. 1865 - Wednesday

Mrs. Cutler & Sarah went to Mr. Burgess’s and will spend the night.  William all day at Marietta.  Mr. T. B. Wilcox who had been getting Options on oil territory in West Virginia is here to night.      The Gazzette says that the Constitutional Amendment abolishing slavery has passed the House of Representatives in Congress.  I thank God that he is thus inclining the hearts of our rulers to do away this great sin.  It has already passed the Senate -- and I trust that the State Legislatures will ratify the measure speedily.

Note (from Wikipedia):

The Thirteenth Amendment became part of the Constitution on December 6, 1865, based on the following ratifications:^[76]

1. Illinois — February 1, 1865
2. Rhode Island — February 2, 1865
3. Michigan — February 3, 1865
4. Maryland — February 3, 1865
5. New York — February 3, 1865
6. Pennsylvania — February 3, 1865
7. West Virginia — February 3, 1865
8. Missouri — February 6, 1865
9. Maine — February 7, 1865
10. Kansas — February 7, 1865
11. Massachusetts — February 7, 1865
12. Virginia — February 9, 1865
13. Ohio — February 10, 1865
14. Indiana — February 13, 1865
15. Nevada — February 16, 1865
16. Louisiana — February 17, 1865
17. Minnesota — February 23, 1865
18. Wisconsin — February 24, 1865
19. Vermont — March 8, 1865
20. Tennessee — April 7, 1865
21. Arkansas — April 14, 1865
22. Connecticut — May 4, 1865
23. New Hampshire — July 1, 1865
24. South Carolina — November 13, 1865
25. Alabama — December 2, 1865
26. North Carolina — December 4, 1865
27. Georgia — December 6, 1865

Having been ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states—27 of the 36 states (including those that had been in rebellion), Secretary of State Seward, on December 18, 1865, certified that the Thirteenth Amendment had become valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of the Constitution.^[77] Included on the enrolled list of ratifying states were the three ex-confederate states that had given their assent, but with strings attached. Seward accepted their affirmative votes, brushed aside their interpretive declarations without comment, challenge or any acknowledgment at all.^[78]

The Thirteenth Amendment was subsequently ratified by:^[76]

• Oregon — December 8, 1865
• California — December 19, 1865
• Florida — December 28, 1865 (Reaffirmed – June 9, 1869)
• Iowa — January 15, 1866
• New Jersey — January 23, 1866 (After rejection – March 16, 1865)
• Texas — February 18, 1870
• Delaware — February 12, 1901 (After rejection – February 8, 1865)
• Kentucky — March 18, 1976^[79] (After rejection – February 24, 1865)
• Mississippi — March 16, 1995; Certified – February 7, 2013^[80] (After rejection – December 5, 1865)