Letter from R. S. Pryor to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; August 26, 1862

Documents
Letter from R. S. Pryor to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; August 26, 1862

Document Network
Document Metadata

Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Clark, Unknown Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872 Love-joy, Unknown Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Phillips, Unknown Pryor, R. S.

Events

Emancipation and self emancipation Evacuations Military Events--Military discharge Military Events--Military service exemption Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment Wars and Military Conflicts--American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Confederate States of America. Army. Cavalry

Organizations

Confederate States of America--Army Adjutant and Inspector-General's Office Confederate States of America--Congress Confederate States of America--Congress. House of Representatives Confederate States of America--War Department Political Parties Political Parties--Democratic Party (U.S.)Political Parties--Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )Political Parties--Whig Party (U.S.)

Occupations

Conscript Officers Engineers Ferryperson Medical Profession Medical Profession--Pharmacists Postmasters

Places

Alabama--Mobile County. Mobile Bodies of Water--Massachusetts. Boston Harbor Georgia Massachusetts--Suffolk County. Boston Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Lincoln County. Brookhaven Mississippi--Warren County. Vicksburg Tennessee Virginia--Independent City. Richmond

Social Identifiers

Abolitionists African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People African Americans--Historically Free and Newly Freed Draftees

Vital Statistics

Death

Page 1

[seal]

Vicksburg Aug 26—1862

Gov Pettus

Dear Sir

Will you please if you can, settle one question that the Military men differ so much on. I as you know took the Enrollment of the Conscripts of Vicksburg. The law exempts certain persons say [Pilot?], Druggist Engineer ferryman Mail man &c &c and all in the Employ of the Confederate service. Now Sir the 19 section of the law says the Enroller must sign a Conscripts exemption when he is exempt by law, as those I have mentioned but unless he be exempt in such manner the enroller

Page 2

has no power to release him. Such Sir is my version of the law. Will you please be so kind as to inlighten me on the subject I have sign many releases but only where the law releases them. Some think & say I am right many military men do but Maj Clark says they must be at the trouble to go to Brook-haven to him. S I send you a paragraph please send it back with your opinion as that will settle the question. In the Ajutants office Jackson they say I am right that where the law exempts them the Enroller can sign.

Respect Sir

R S Pryor

Page 3

Vicksburg Miss
Aug. 26—1862
R. S. Pryor

Page 4

Editorial note: This document suffers from significant damage. In place of marking every line [page torn], CWRGM transcribed torn words with [?] wherever decipherable to enhance the accessibility of this record.

[page torn]pre-

[page torn] killed [page torn]eighty [page torn]killed. [page torn]hill, the [page torn]'s cav- [page torn]s dis- [page torn]ne of [page torn]o foe. [page rorn]nfield, [page torn]vening [page torn] of one [page torn]d. The [page torn]e with- [page torn] hights. [page torn] received [page torn]hick wood [page torn] view to feel [page torn] two miles, [page torn]pon by the [page torn]e of the en- [page torn]Our cavalry [page torn] to respond [page torn]n minutes, [page torn]ck, the cav- [page torn]an eligible [page torn] in rear of [page torn]rther dem- [possession?] of

[page torn]t the corps [page torn]ward, and [page torn]mile of the [page torn]reconnoiter- [page torn]ck, the corps [page torn]he hill with [page torn]g evacuated [page torn] The num- [page torn] from 15,000 [page torn]aken, among [page torn]he top of the [page torn]Considerable [page torn]s, etc., were [page torn]hat they had

ennessee.
of the Mobile

protect each State. That declar[page torn] -ed immediately after our reverse [page torn] We appealed to the patriotism of th[page torn] the United States to carry out their [resolution?] and that as soon as the Union was restored a[page torn] the laws enforced, the war was to cease. [page torn] not that held out to you? (Yes, yes!) [page torn] any man dare tell you that this war [should?] never close until slavery was extinguished a[page torn] every slave emancipated? (No, no!) Now [page torn] have it as the cry of the abolition party. [The?] abolition party have swallowed the [Republican?] party neck and heels. The conservative [portion?] of the Republican party have not kept the fai[page torn] I put them to the record that when we who we[page torn] called conservative men, Democrats and Whigs of the old school, came to the rescue as [conserv-ative?] men, they came like Bow Peep[page torn] sheep. "We couldn't find them."

What was the cause of this war? [A voice [page torn] "abolitionism."] You must have been told [that?] and you are not far from right. Slavery [was?] just as much the cause of the war as the tea [that?] was thrown out in Boston harbor was the cause of that war. The cause of the war was the un-hallowed ambition of the representative men [page torn] the South, who saw their sceptre departing, a[page torn] the abolitionists of the North. They [concocted?] the scheme between them, and I have the p[page torn] before me.

We have two things to do: First, to put [down?] the rebellion, and next to punish the leader[page torn] You must throw the abolitionists over if [you?] want to save the Union. A leopard is know[page torn] by his spots, and if you want to know an [abolitionist?] look at the record of Congress. I [will?] tell you what caused the rebellion. It was a contest for power. The South wanted a govern-ment for itself, and the East one separate for the nigger. It would have been no difficult task [for?] the Union conservative men to have conquered [page torn] peace had they united. If twenty millions of freemen cannot put down six millions without arming the niggers, let them get out of the way and we conservative Democrats, Old Line Whigs and some Republicans, will do so. Your Love-joy, Phillips, Greeleys say they can't fight this war any longer unless you will arm the niggers. Will you ever consent to do this? [Cries of no! never!]

I have already said [page torn] use of the [page torn]

Page 5

[page torn]ce. The act [provides?] that not over [page torn] of instructions shall be established [page torn] state, each of which is to be assigned to an officer not below the rank of major. The whole duty of this officer is comprised in taking charge of "the enrollment, mustering in, sub-sistence, transportation, and disposition of re-cruits" raised under the act. He is required to make application to the executives of the seve-ral States for permission to employ State officers for the duty of enrollment, and only upon such permission being refused can the War Depart-ment take charge of the matter through its own officials. And "where State officers are employ-ed," says the enactment, "the regulations of the respective States, in regard to military enroll-ment, must be observed as far as applicable."

The 19th section of the law in regard to ex-emptions reads as follows:

"Persons claiming exemption from military duty under this act shall be required by the en-rolling officer to make oath that they are law-fully exempt, and shall be furnished by him with certificate of such exemption."

We think that the true purport of this section [page torn]has been misunderstood to a great extent by [page torn]some of the government officials. Its object is to relieve such parties as are palpably exempt, from the useless trouble of reporting themselves at a distant camp of instruction, and at the same time to save the government from the expenses of their transportation, which in the aggregate is no small item. The practice in Georgia and other States is for the enrolling officers of the various counties to give certificates of exemp-tion based upon certificates of disability obtained from "any regular army surgeon in good stand-ing." This is the true intendment of the law of Congress on the subject and no apology for its evasion ought to be tolerated or accepted.

[page torn]INTELLIGENCE.

p[page torn]

rine[page torn] bro[page torn] tur[page torn] ou[page torn]

L[page torn] ver[page torn] A ge[page torn] this [page torn] the C[page torn] receive[page torn] Rapidan r[page torn] forced by [page torn] ing yeste[page torn]

There [page torn] General [page torn] berlanda [page torn]

The r[page torn] evacuati[page torn]

RICHM[page torn] Captain [page torn] dash into [page torn] the provos[page torn] and eleven [page torn] were in the[page torn]
STRENG[page torn]

EDITORS[page torn] ing statistic [page torn] although yo[page torn] forth the sam[page torn] quence stirre[page torn] battle, yet [page torn] supply[page torn]