Letter from Constantine Rea to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 17, 1861

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Letter from Constantine Rea to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 17, 1861

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People

Abert, Charles A.Crawford, A. J.Darn, Unkiwn Lasly?, James Macon, J. H.Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Rea, Constantine Sanders, Unkown Shepherd, Goddard Slemmer, Adam J.Wade, William B.Whitaker, M. H.

Events

Military Engagements Military Engagements--Pensacola, Expedition of, Fla., 1861 Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Confederate States of America. Army. Mississippi. Infantry Regiment (Abert's)United States. Army

Organizations

Pensacola Navy Yard (Fla.)

Places

Forts--Fort Pickens (Fla.)Lauderdale (Miss.)Marion (Miss.)Mobile (Ala.)Pensacola (Fla.)

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[seal]

From Con Rea.
Jan 17^th/61
About guns

Pensacola Navy Yard

Jan 17^th 1861

His Excellency Gov. of the Republic of Mississippi

Dear Sir, I take this ocasion to write you a few lines in explination of the manner in which my company, the Laud. Rifles, came into the possession of the arms of the state. I do this to prevent any misunderstanding about the matter.

Lieut. Sanders came to Marion with a telegraphic dispatch from you to Capt. Wade authoring him to get the arms. These arms were in the posses=sion of the obligors on the bond made to the state for their safe keping and delivery. Sanders applied to them, and they unconditionally refused to give them up unless their bond was can=celled before they parted with the

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possession At this stage of the game I arived home, and having met with Capt. Macon an agent of Col. shepherd of Mobile, who fully [?] me, on the Pensacola expedition. I de=termined to embark in the enterprise, and told Macon he might calculate on my meeting him on his return, on the following day. This was on Thurday and the plan then was to start to Pensacola on the following Saturday, and supprise the Forts at that place. When I got to Marion station, I found that I could without difficulty make up a company, which I commenced doing without delay At this time Lieut Sanders was in-troduced to me, and his mission expla-ined. I told him the guns should go, but that a Lauderdale boy should go with them. I then went to the holders of the guns, and asked that

they might be delired up to me. They refused me ~~as they had refused me~~ as they had refused Lieut. Sanders. Finally the matter was compromised by my giving them my individual bond with Col. Darn, and several others, as securities, indemnifying them against all risks, loss &c.

We now have the guns and expect to make good use of them. This is the whole history of the matter, and I hope you are satisfied with my action in the mat=ter. Capt. Wades Company is fully arm=ed, and he and all his company seem to be fully satisfied with us now, though some of them, a very few though, did not much like the disappointment at first This though, was but natural, and the best of feeling now prevails between the companies

Will you be kind enough to isue and forward our commissions

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at the earliest possible day.

You know we take rank from the date of our commissions, and I don't want to be the Junior Captain always Besides I want to be acknowledged and acredited by a state which I love, and whose honor and glory I will maintain at all hazards with these very same guns which I have taken out of the state without your authority. We are the first company from Mississippi, and though not ordered here, we are in the service and form a part of Col. Aberts Regiment

I do not know when we will make an attack, there are only one hun=dred men at Fort Pickens, and it seems to me that we might take it now, though it is said to be an exceeding strong position, and Slemmer, the com-mandant, says he will defend it to the last. He is a Yankee, and from his blow-ing I dont believe he will fight. Our officers are Con. Rea, Capt. M. H Whitaker 1 Lieut A. J. Crawford 2 Lieut and James Lasly? 3 Lieut

Yours truly
Con. Rea