Letter to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; April 13, 1863

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Letter to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; April 13, 1863

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

People

Barry, A. P.Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867

Events

Crime Crime--Theft Employment--Dismissal of Employees Military Events--Impressment Military Events--Impressment. Enslaved people

Occupations

Engineers Plantation Overseers

Places

Military Forts Mississippi--Copiah County. Gallatin

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People Enslavers Impoverished People

Vital Statistics

Death Disease and illness

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Gallatin Miss April 13^th 1863.

Gov Pettus

Sir,

I have been requested by Maj A. P. Bar=ry to address you on the subject of the impress=ment of slaves to work on the fortifications I am aware that any opinion of mine is of small consequence and that the expression of any, may be impertinent, but having a very decided opinion & that opinion happening to agree with that of most persons whom I have heard express an opinion & being requested to give you mine, I venture to do so.

The evils that slave holders complain of are that when their slaves are sent to work on the fortifications, they are taken from the overseers, selected by the owners, by detail of one sort or another, or placed under other overseers—that they are not properly provided with shelter when well and are gravely neglected when sick & not allowed to be sent home or taken charge of by their owners—that for want of proper arrangements in the way of guard &c the personal & bed clothes of the slaves are stolen. The people as far as I Know are willing to send their negroes if they are treated as human beings and worked for the public good, but they feel that they would be derrlict in their duty to God, their country & themselves to allow their negroes to be treated & neglected as they have been heretofore & they further feel that it is a gross abuse of authority to impress their negroes & have them put to waiting upon officers [?] [page torn]loading the goods of speculators, as they & [page torn] informed has been the case [page torn]ublic nesacity. If I may

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be allowed to make a suggestion as to what should be done to remidy these evils if they exist in fact or to satisfy the peoples minds in case their evils are immaginary. I would say that when negroes are impressed you should give the overseer or overseers a writing setting forth that, the negroes are be worked under them alone, shall not be detailed away from their manage=ment & control under any protest whatever shall be sent home when seriously sick or given up to the control of their masters in such cases—that such overseers be authorized to procure suitable shelter for them when the Military authorities fail to do so & detail proper watches or guards for the protecion of the camp & affects—In other words let the engineers point out & lay off the work to be done & then let the overseers take the negroes & do it without molestation from any source whatever & manage them as the dictates of his judgement shall direct & if any overseer is incompetent or negligent let him be dismissed—In this way I am satsified more work will be done, less dis=ease & death among the negroes & the people will always send fuly & promptly slaves when they are called upon & unless some arrangement be made to satisfy the people it will be very difficult to get negroes even after long delays—

I am yr Excelleny
obt Servt

[Ben?][page torn]