Letter from L. Johnston to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; February 21, 1863

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Letter from L. Johnston to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; February 21, 1863

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People

Johnston, Walter L.Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Tupper, T. C.

Events

Military Events--Military leaves and furloughs Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment Resignation

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Confederate States of America. Navy Mississippi. Militia Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Battalion, 2nd (1862-1863)Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Battalion, 2nd (1862-1863). Company B Under Review Under Review--Brigades

Organizations and Businesses

Confederate States of America--Quartermaster

Occupations

Clerks Farmers Mechanics Merchants Superintendents

Places

Military training camps--Camp Milldale (Miss.)Yazoo City (Miss.)

Social Identifiers

Enslaved people

Page 1

Camp Milldale
Feb^y 21^st, 1863

To his Excellency John J. Pettus

Sir:—I have been re-peatedly asked by various persons, both belonging and not belonging to my Company, what is to be done in relation to the planting of the next crop? So far as my Company is concerned, all the mechanics, clerks, merchants, and consumers generally have been detailed for certain purposes, while the producer has been kept in the camps. One of the arguments used by Gen Tupper last year to induce the Militia to organize, was, that our crops were laid by and that we might now go into camp and accus-tom ourselves to it, with^out^ much detriment to our interests. To which we readily agreed. But the nature of things now are entirely changed, and our crops are to make, which puts a very different face on things.

I wish you now to answer the question, are these lands to go uncultivated? If so, how, by no one to super-intend the negroes? You can't hire any one, because every man that is any account is now in the army, There may be an occasional instance of a man that might be employed, but in ninety nine cases out of a hundred it is the exception and not the rule. Now, I have two suggestions to make, and that is either to furlough the Minute Men to go home or else to authorize the Captains to call in all the detailed men who are consumers, into camp and let the pro-ducers go home and make their crops, until they return. If some arrangement of this kind is not made, it is no use disguising the fact, that the plant-

Page 2

-ting ^community^ can't be kept in the service.

There is another evil, of which I must complain. There appears to be a power, in yazoo city, behind the throne, greater than the throne itself, They detail men out of my company with as much assurance as if they were Generals or Governors. Clerks are detailed to continue as Clerks in mercantile houses under the false pretense of acting as Quarter Masters in on the Gun Boat. Minute Men are denied passage on steamboats by some upstart who ought to have a musket on his shoulder as well any one else, but being clothed with a little brief authority he arrogates to himself authority that does not belong to him, I could enumerate other evils of which to complain, but a word to the wise is sufficient. And hoping that you may take these remarks under advisement, and give me your views on the subject, so that I may have some rule of conduct by which to be governed, I leave the subject with ^you^

I am compelled to pay the Post Quarter Master cash for every thing I buy from him to eat—the Battalion Quarter Master not having any thing to feed the ~~men~~ officers on, of course when my money gives out I have but one alternative left me and that is, to resighn, which I shall do very presently

Your most obt svt

W L Johnston
Capt Co B. 2^nd Batt 3^d Brigade
Miss, S, Troops