Letter from Richard T. Archer to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; June 17, 1863

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Letter from Richard T. Archer to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; June 17, 1863

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

People

Archer, T. Rich Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867

Events

Crime Crime--Arson Crime--Destruction of property Crime--Robbery Crime--Theft Criminal Procedure--Arrest Emancipation and self emancipation Military Events--Military leaves and furloughs United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Confederate States of America. Army. Mississippi. Infantry Regiment, 39th Confederate States of America. Army. Mississippi. Infantry Regiment, 39th. Company E United States. Army

Organizations and Businesses

Plantations Plantations--Anchuca (Miss.)

Places

Claiborne County (Miss.)Copiah County (Miss.)Grand Gulf (Miss.)Hazlehurst (Miss.)Jefferson County (Miss.)Port Gibson (Miss.)

Social Identifiers

African Americans Enslaved people Enslavers Military Status--Military deserters Military Status--Military families

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Auchuca, June 17^th 1863

Gov. J J Pettus,

D^r Sir, This County (Claiborne) is a prey to theives and robbers as infamous as the "Cow-boys" area "Skinners" of the Revolutionary war. Armed organi-zations of men such as Barrys Company of Copiah and individuls alike an engaged in seizing on our stock of mules, horses &C and running them out of reach of the owners. Many have been taken to Hazelhurst and it is said were to have been publickly sold on Saturday, but the sale was postponed until Monday last. Our mules horses and oxen were taken by the enemy and negroes and turnd loos at Grand Gulf and could easily have been reclaimed, but have been seized on by these theives as property captured ~~from~~_from the enemy when rally there was no danger in reclaiming them. In many cases they have been taken from our plantations, and our fences thrown down and stock let into our felds to distry corn potatoes &C an on which we hoped to subsist On sending for some of my mules horses & oxen my negroes found some in possession of white men who rode them off in great haste when claim-ed and refused to give their names. The difference between the Federals ~~is that ?~~ and our citizens is that the latter if they had the courage to do so would possibly robb both enemies and friends but mally robb our people only. Some men of

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property an engaged in these infamous robberies The country is full of deserters from our army most of them it is believed officers and many of hem engaged in these robberies. I was sur-prised to hear a furloughed officer say he would like to join in an expedition of this kind as mo-ney might be made. The demoralization is so great that no power can arrest it unless the Execution can do so. Our property is being removed to such a disance that it will ne-ver be recovered unless the military companies & individuals are made to re-turn it I have lost about 160 negroes about 75 0r 80 horses ^many oxen^ and all my waggons except a two horse waggon recovered, and a market cart. It is charged that the people of Port Gibson aided our negroes in escaping to the enemy and arrested those who attempted to stop negroes on their way to Grand Gulf. I learn that there is such excitement on the part of those who have lost their negroes that it is believed that Port Gibson will be burnt many women and children whose sons husbands and fathers are in the army fighting in defence of the country will be our victims of this outrage. Can you not arrest their lawless proceedings? At least you can take from them the cha-racter of legal military organizations to make capture from the enemy. Claiborne Jeffer-son and Copiah have ben disgraced by these dastardly & infamous men. good men are not able to arrest them.

I am with respect

Rich T Archer