Petition to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; Undated

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Petition to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; Undated

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People

Barber, Isaac J.Blackwell, C. G.Blackwell, J. G.Blackwell, Josiah Carsie, Edward Cocke, G. D.Floyd, J. M.Huey, R. W.McLaurin, L.McLellan, T. R.McRee, W. C.Morris, H. M.Myer, A.Owens, John Owens, Stephen Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Spencer, F.Sullivan, T. G.Tullus, C. W.Ward, W. J.Watkins, William

Events

Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Trial Finances Finances--Collecting of accounts Finances--Debt relief Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment Weather and Natural Events--Drought

Military Units

Confederate States of America--Military Service (Branch Unspecified)Confederate States of America. Army

Organizations

Courts and Judicial Systems Courts and Judicial Systems--Probate courts Mississippi--Legislature

Occupations

Clerks Judges Law Enforcement Law Enforcement--Sheriffs Lawyers Postmasters

Places

Mississippi--Smith County. Raleigh

Page 1

[seal]

To his Excellency
John. J Pettus
Governor of Miss.

We the undersigned Your petitioners. Citizens of Smith County. would respectully Petition Your Excellency. to Convene the Legislature. of the State. And Solicit Your recommendation to that body when Convened. the enactment of a law—Suspending the Collection. & debts by venture of Execution, &c. ^for the period of time by said Legislature to the fixed^ for various reasons. mainly from the fact. the war is upon us. Our volunteers are in the field in our Country's Cause. they must & should be Supported. a great deal of the money that was in the County have been expended. to equip & uniform them. Others will have to be equiped & uniformed if this war progresses.—And from an other Consideration—. if the Courts of the County—are Continued to be held. there would be but few Causes that Could be tried—from the fact, that either the Counsels of the parties litigant or their witnesses (in many cases) are volunteer, and are now in the army—a Continuance of Such Causes would see the result. The expenses upon the County of holding the Courts—and but little effects through the Channel. for which the Courts of the County are—and have bin established; an other consideration, this war is bearing

Page 2

more heavily upon this portion of the State; from the fact. that the Crop near almost a failure here last year. in Consequence of the unusual drauth. especially in the way of Corn. This Section of Country hasid been mainly dependent upon other portions ~~of Country~~ for breadstuffs thus far, during the present year and which have greatly exhaused the moneyed means of the Citizens to Supply the deficeincy; And a rigid eenforcement now of the Civil law. in the Collection of debts by Execution. would work a Severe and ruinous hardship to many of our good—and paying Citizens; their property will be Sacrifized—their debts unpaid—their property from them gone.—Concentrated into the hand of a few—and in a Comparative Sense Extremely ^very^ few Shilocks of the County. Whose God is gain—whether in war or Peace. Appealing to Your Excellincy to exercise the powers in you vested, to endeavor to have enacted Such a law. as will best protect ^us, &^ our Citizens, State and Confederacy—when all things Considered. We remain your Respectfully—petitioners.

William Watkins Sheriff
W, J, Ward
H. M, Morris
C, W, Tullus
John Owens

L,, M^cLaurin
T G Sullivan
Stephen Owens

Page 3

J M Floyd P. Judge
Josiah Blackwell
A. Myer
C. G. Blackwell
R W Huey
F Spencer, Clerk Smith Co
Isaac J. Barber Dpt. Clk.
G. D. Cocke Dept P. M.
Edward Carsie
J. G. Blackwell
W. C. McRee
T. R. M^cLellan

Page 4

Petition from the Citizens of Raleigh Smith Co to Call the Legislature.