Letter to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; July 12, 1862

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Letter to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; July 12, 1862

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People

Butler, Wiley J.Ellis, George W.Evans, J. H.Hamar, Unknown Lamar, A. N.Lawhorn, Z.Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Sutton, B. F.

Events

Commemoration--Memorialization Military Events--Military elections Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment

Military Units

Mississippi. Militia Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's)Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's). Company A Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's). Company B Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's). Company F Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's). Company G Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's). Company I Mississippi. Militia. Minute Men Infantry Regiment, 1st (King's). Company K

Occupations

Medical Profession Medical Profession--Pharmacists Medical Profession--Surgeons

Places

Bodies of Water--Mississippi. Yazoo River Military training camps--Mississippi. Camp at Yazoo River Raft Mississippi--Copiah County Mississippi--Hinds County. Bolton Mississippi--Madison County Mississippi--Rankin County Mississippi--Yazoo County

Vital Statistics

Disease and illness

Page 1

To his Excellency Governor John J. Pettus,

The memorial of the undersigned officers of Minute Men of Madison, Rankin and Copiah, on behalf of themselves and their men, would respect=fully represent to your Excellency that on Tuesday the 8^th day of July the Minute Men of said Counties being Six companies and as yet unorganized, were ordered to proceed to the Raft on the Yazoo River and placed under the command of Lt Colonel Hamar of the Militia of Yazoo County. [gap] That said compa=nies proceeded according to said order to the designated place and found the place destitute of a surgeon and Medicine and sufficient water suitable for drink-ing purposes. That the location and the water is unhealthy for men accustomed to upland counties as most of us and our commands are and will result in our opinion in soon rendering a great number useless at present and perhaps for=ever, by reason of sickness. That said companies took up the march for said Raft, under the im=pression that their services were immediately wanted there and that not more than ten days would be ~~required~~ consumed in their march stay and countermarch to Bolton their place of rendezvous. That since our arrival at said Raft, we conclude from the best information we can gather that our stay is to be indeffinite Under the impression that a pressing exigency required our services here, we cheerfully waived our legal right to be organized and Commanded by the proper officers elected by us, but as we believe no such pressing necessity exists and in view of the deficiencies and unhealthfulness of our present

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~~situation~~^location^, we respectfullly request you as the comman=der-in-chief of the state troops to in consideration of our situation and legal rights, to cause such orders to be made that we shall not be re=quired to remain about longer from the place of our rendezvous than the said period of ten days—We demand it as a right under the statute that after reaching our rendezvous we should be organ=ized into a regiment and elected our field officers and insist that there is no authority to assign us officers except by our consent—We have consented to serve in this expedition ten days and ^shall^ ~~we do not consent~~^consider it a great hardship to be compelled^ to serve in it longer.

Camp at Raft July 12^th 1862.

A N Lamar Capt Co B R C min men
B. F Sutton Capt. Co. A R. Co. M. Men
J H Evans Capt Co A. M Co M Men
Z Lawhon Capt Co B, M, Co, M Men
George W Ellis Capt. Co A. Copiah Minute Men
W J Butler capt co B copiah Minuet men

From the Captains of the Yazoo mounted men.

They wish to return from their unhealthy situation on the Raft, to their place of rendezvous and organize into a regiment, and elect their own Officers. They think their services are not needed on the Yazoo River.