Letter from Anderson Rutland to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; January 29, 1871

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Letter from Anderson Rutland to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; January 29, 1871

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People

Alcorn, J. L. (James Lusk), 1816-1894 Cameron, Unknown Hewson, H. F.Mahony, Unknown McNear, Unknown Rutland, Anderson Tolbert, Unknown

Events

Convict Labor Crime Crime--Jail Escapes Crime--Larceny Crime--Murder Crime--Shooting Crime--Theft Crime--Threat Criminal Procedure--Arrest Criminal Procedure--Imprisonment Criminal Procedure--Pardon Criminal Procedure--Release Criminal Procedure--Sentencing Secession

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Confederate States of America. Army. Cavalry Under Review

Organizations and Businesses

Farms Jails Mississippi. Executive Department Mississippi. State Penitentiary (Jackson, Miss.)Plantations Plantations--Tinnin Place Prisons

Occupations

Judges Laborers Lawyers Prison Guard Secretaries

Places

Columbia (Miss.)Covington County (Miss.)Jackson (Miss.)Louisiana Marion County (Miss.)

Social Identifiers

Criminal Status--Fugitives from justice Impoverished people Military Status--Draftees Military Status--Military families

Vital Statistics

Birth Death

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Mississippi Penitentiary.
Jackson. Miss.. Jan'y.
January 29^th 1871

To His Excellency
Gov J. L. Alcorn
Jackson
Miss

Sir

Having lately been rearrested and returned to the State Penitentiary as an escaped convict, long after the expiration of the date of the original term of my sentence, and, being ignorant of the laws which govern cases like mine, and too poor to procure legal counsel, I have concluded to lay my case before your Excellency, with the request that, if my present detention is not in accordance with existing laws, you will be kind enough to release me from my present bondage, and allow me to return to my family who are suffering in my absence, and, in order that you understand the true nature of my case, I herewith append the full particulars, which are as follows,

My name is Anderson Rutland I was born of poor but respectable parents in Covington County in this state, I am 33 years old, a farm laborer by occupation, and have a wife and four small children depending upon me

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for a support. At the breaking out of the war I was in such indigent circumstances that I could not leave my family, and therefore remained at home until the year 1863, when I was conscripted, and ordered to duty in the Cavalry company which conscripted me, and having but one poor old horse, I was compelled to take him from my family to ride in the army, but, after being out about a year, the service proved too hard for him, and he died while we were on the march, Being thus left on foot, I was ordered by my commander, to go to a Mr Cameron who lived in the neighborhood, and, whom, he learned had a government horse in his possession, and get the horse, and to follow on and overtake the command, in following out my instruct-ions I got the horse, but had not proceeded far on my Journey when I was overtaken by several armed citizens, who arrested me, took the horse from me, and carried me to Columbia, and put me in Jail, where I remained until September 20" 1864, when I ^was^ taken before Judge M^cNear, charged with having stolen the horse, and, as none of my company were present to prove that I was acting under orders, I was found guilty of the charge of Grand-larceny, and sentenced to the State Penitentiary for the term of 5 years, But as the Penitentiary was broken up about this time, I was not sent,

but was kept confined in the Jail until the 27" of November 1864, when, I was released by the Jailor, on condition that I immediately Join the Army again. I accepted the condition and was released, and as Capt Mahony's Company of the Tenth La, was the first Confederate troops I met, I attached myself to them, and remained with them until the close of the war, after which, I returned to my home in Covington, Co and had not been there but a few months, when I was again arrested by the same parties from Marion. Co. and in Dec" 1865 I was brought to the Penitentiary to serve out the remain-der of the sentence passed on me in 1864. I was kept within the walls doing such labor as was assigned me, until some-time in May 1869, when, I with eleven other (white) convicts was sent to the plantation 3 1/2 miles from Jackson, known as the "Tinnin place,,, for the purpose of making a crop.

On Sunday June 19" 1869 Mr. Tolbert, the guard in charge, took eight of us out to gather blackberries. While in ^the^ bushes one of the men slipped upon him and caught and held him, while three others disarmed him, as it only lacked three months and one day until my term of sentence would expire I did not wish to leave, but they, knowing that I was a Mississippian, and thinking that I would be able to pilot them through the woods, told me, that if I did not go with

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them, they would shoot me, and knowing, that as he, who had the gun, and had made the threat, had already dyed his hands with the blood of a fellow mortal, he would not hesitate to execute his threat if I refused to accompany them, I therefore reluctantly yielded and went with them. (This part of my statement relating to my escape can be con-firmed by one of the parties who escaped at the same time, but has since been captured, and is now in the prison.)

I remained with them one day after escaping when I left them and returned to my home where I remained⁠—striving by hard honest means to support my family, until two or three weeks ago when, I was again arrested for the sake of the reward offered for my apprehension, at the time of my escape,⁠—and brought back to the prison where I now am.

With this statement of facts, I leave my case with your Excellency, as the only one to whom I can appeal for redress, and pray that you will not turn a deaf ear to the appeal, nor pass my petition by unheeded, and, while awaiting your action, I remain your Excellency's

humble petitioner.

Anderson Rutland

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PRECIS.
[gap]

No'.

Executive Office,
State of Mississippi,
County of Hinds

From Anderson Rutland
Address Penitentiary
Dated Jan 29 1871
Received
Answered

Wishes to be pardoned

JAMES L. ALCORN,
Governor.

H. F. HEWSON,
Private Secretary.