Letter from A. Reynolds to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 12, 1863

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Letter from A. Reynolds to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 12, 1863

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People

Barnes, Unknown Hindman, Thomas Carmichael, 1828-1868 Jones, Unknown Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Reynolds, Arthur E.Winston, John Anthony, 1812-1871

Events

Emancipation and self emancipation

Military Units

United States. Army

Occupations

Politicians

Places

Arkansas--Garland County. Hamilton Arkansas--Pulaski County. Little Rock Bodies of Water--Arkansas. Crooked Creek Bodies of Water--Arkansas. Little Red River Bodies of Water--Interstate. Mississippi River Mississippi--Warren County. Vicksburg

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People Enslavers

Vital Statistics

Disease and illness

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Hamilton Arks, Jany 12^th 1863,

To. J, J Pettus

Dear Sir, It has been some time since I have had the opurtunity of dropping you a line, and there is no certainty of this reaching you it will all together depend on the passage at Vicksburg, If you whip the Feds at that point and keep them from the possession of the Miss River until spring we are all safe, if not we have a dark day for some time to come yet, Hendman has had something of a fight on the frontier of Ark, but there has been no favorable result from it he says he whiped them they say they whiped him I am of the opinion there was not much whip on either side, we have suffered here verry much for the want of somebody her of ability to direct our armies we have picked up a tolerable army if we only had a skilfull Genl to direct them. Hendman is a good Polatician but poore Genl—there has been considerable said here about removing your negroes to red River, and some of them may be gone before this time Jones has been making preparations for some time to take them his own & Gov Winstons—he applied to me to render him what assistance I could in makeing preparation to get them away My health was such and has been for some time

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so bad that I could not render him much assistance I gave it to him as my opinion it would be a bad moove I think your negroes just as safe where they are as they would be anywhere in the southern con=federacy—The previous instructions to Barnes was to build some shantyes some where on crooked creek at some suitable place that he hardy could find himself and store some provisions at it and if the Feds came in the country to hide the negroes out until they left. If they overrun this portion of Arks they will ~~the~~ Red River country also, we have a sufficient army here if they take Little Rock to keep them from foraging on the country, and if the negroes are disposed to run away and go to them they will do it let them be situated where they may, There has allready been so many taken to red River, that supplies has to be hauled from the Arks for them to subsist upon, I do not know what course Mr Jones will pursue the last I heard from him he was waiting the arrival of Gov Winston—I suppose by the time you get this Letter they will have done what they are going to do in the premices—My motto is fight to the last and never surrender

Verry Respectfuly & Truly

A, Reynolds