Letter from F. B. McClelland to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; September 7, 1862

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Letter from F. B. McClelland to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; September 7, 1862

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People

McClelland, F. B.Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867

Military Units

United States. Navy

Organizations

Post offices

Occupations

Hatters

Places

Mississippi--Choctaw County. Pigeon Roost Mississippi--Webster County. Greensboro

Vital Statistics

Disease and illness

Page 1

the 7^th 1862

State of Miss Choctaw County September

Mr Pettus Most Noble governor Sir you will plese to permit me to communicate A few lines to you to let you now that I have invented A in-strument for the purpose of blowing up our Enemies gun boats And for the lack of meens I Am not Able to put them in operation I will Simpely disscribest it to you it is to be castid in A solid piece to be hollow so as to con tain the dis sierd quantity of powder to blow up one of those boats it does not matter what shape it is in tho I choose to have it in the shape of A hatters kettel turned up side down with one si or Edge Strate so as to Attach A Spring hamer & triger to it my mode of keeping the cap dry is to have A hole molded or Milled in the place where it should bee ~~the~~ one half inch & the depth of the length of the tube So as to have the top of the cap levil with the top of the outsid of the instrument the tube is incirted in the center of that hole the cap is put on then A cement ^maid^ of Beeswax & turpintine is melted and pourd A rown the cap so as to cover the cap slightly with the same then the spring hamer and triger is to be placed to or fastened to thees place A box gard is then put

Pigeon Roost.
Choctaw Co
Sep. 7— 1862

F. B. McClelland wants assistance to complete a ma-shine for blowing up Boats.

Greensboro Miss Paid
Sept 12

Ans. 16. Sep. 1862

Page 2

or fastened over the triger hamer & Spring So as to pre vent Dirt trash or Any thing from in ter fair ing with the working of the fiering means A small hole threw the gard for A Small wier—or chane to go threw & fasten to the triger so as to fier the in strew ment where ever it is nessissary for to use the in strewment of the wier is to extend from the land to where the in strewment may be planted in the bottom of the water the chane will cock the hamer & thr ow it at the same time—sir I keep comon g D caps under water for 8 dais And then tried them before 4 of my neighbers to prove that the cement will keep waterproof or keep caps Dry they fierd as clere as if they had not bin neer any dampness

Sir you will see or [?] [?] of this instrament & if you think that An instru ment of the kind can be molded in one solied peice and will be of any im por tent use & you will make me Able to carry owt or put them in operation I will Doe the best I can & will make A model of it——, I am not able scirsly to laber to surport my self & fomerly from the effects of Asthma & rupture last yer I volentierd and in consequence of my Diseas I was registered but if I can be any Advantage to owr confederacy I am willing to doe the verry best I can & if you think that it will doe plese wright to mee & send me A transport & give mee time to make the model & I will try if helth will permit And superintend to the making of them I have all resens to be lieve that they wold be useful
Sir plese to Direct your letter to F B M^cClellan pigeonroost PO Choctaw county

plese excuse my bad spelling & bad writeing for I am not A good scollar and I remain your most humble cirvent

F B M^c,,Clellan