Letter from Mississippi State Geologist E. W. Hilgard to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; July 18, 1864

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Letter from Mississippi State Geologist E. W. Hilgard to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; July 18, 1864

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People

Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Hilgard, Eugene W. (Eugene Woldemar), 1833-1916 Louis, H.Pemberton, John C. (John Clifford), 1814-1881 Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Quinche, Alexander J.Thompson, Unknown Van Dorn, Earl, 1820-1863

Events

Confederate States of America--Draft Crime Crime--Burglary Crime--Theft Impressment Impressment--War Material Military Events--Military occupation Military Events--Raid Mississippi. Legislation. Chapter LIV (1861)

Military Units

Mississippi. Militia United States. Army

Organizations

Confederate States of America. Nitre and Mining Bureau Hospitals Mississippi. Executive Department Mississippi. Geological Survey Observatories Universities and colleges Universities and colleges--University of Mississippi

Occupations

Carpenters College teachers Geologists Mississippi. State Geologist Salt workers Surgeons Telegraphers

Places

Jackson (Miss.)Oxford (Miss.)Vicksburg (Miss.)

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[seal]

Oxford, July 18, 1864

His Excy. Gov. Charles Clark.

Dear Sir,

Your proclaimation calling out all attempts, State Officers etc. for 30 days, reminds us that, although I made a report to Gov. Pettus in December last, I have not made any communica-tion to you since your inauguration. While I have not much to report on the progress of the work of the Geol. Survey since then, which is necessari-ly slow (and temporarily suspended since, according to your directions through Mr. Thompson, the Executive Committee placed me in charge of the instru-ments of the University), it may not be amiss to give you a brief state-ment of my position here, in pursuance of the law of Aug. 7, 1861, and the events transpired since then. As I can hardly suppose that the subject has occupied your attention beyond what Mr. Thompson may have incidentally mention, I am naturally desirous of preventing misconstrui-tion, on your part, of any omissions or commissions of mine, under wishing circumstances.

The law above mentioned makes it my duty to provide, during the war, for the preservation of the collections and records of the Survey, and to continue the chemical and office work, to the exclusion of field work; and for this purpose appropriates, for salary & expenditures, $1250 pr. annum.

The execution of this law requires, of course, my continued residence here; which has been uninterrupted since then, save upon special orders of Gov. Pettus, for the examination of salt licks & springs; of salt petre caves, and to aid in the con-struction of nitre beds at Jackson, at the request of the C. S. Nitre Bureau; and for the construction of Drummond Lights on the Vicksburg bluff (too late, unfortunately). I may mention that on the latter service, I was absent 3 months, and returned, in-valided for nearly 4 more, thereafter; having narrowly escaped capture by the Yankees at Jackson, where I was laid up with dysentery contracted at

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Vicksburg.

I was here during the enemys occupation of this place in December, 1862, currently passing for a University appointee; and but for my presence and constant personal efforts, the Survey collection, being then in a separate building, would have been literally "swept" to the four winds. Finding it impossible, between Prof. Quinche and myself, to protect effectually more these two buildings—the Main Building, & Observatory—I finally prevailed upon the Federal surgeon to allow me the partial use of a carpen-ters detail at the hospital, for the purpose of transferring the collections to the Obser-atory; which operation I happily completed, just before the Van Dorn raid.

But while the objects of solicitude was thus brought within smaller compass, the experi-ence of those 3 weeks proved most conclusively the total inadequacy of the best efforts of any one man in watching over the different buildings; so that at the time of the enemy's retreat, Prof. Q. & myself both were utterly wornout with watching & patrolling. Moreover, the presence of one professionally competent, and acquainted with the where-abouts of everything, was rendered painfully apparent by the several requisitions made (for battery, acids, medicial& etc.), the filling of which would, in my absence, have caused the ransacking of the whole building by those who cared little what damage they did. I have therefore considered myself equally necessary here for the safe-ty of the University collections, as of those of the Survey; although not, until re-cently, officially charged with their care. It was with apprehension that I ab-sented myself from them last year; nor dues there seem to be any less rea-son for such, at preseat. Taking this view of the case, Gov. Pettus issued to me a special order, directing militia officers, should I be drafted; to leave me at my post and report the fact to him. Presuming that this arrangement equally meets your views, I remain in statu quo, unlessspecially otherwise ordered by you—I am too deeply interested in the results of my weary labor for many years, even abstracting from their value to the state, to expose or give then up lightly. My un-lucky, printed, but unpublished Report may, by this time, for aught I know, have per-ished in the hands of the finder at H. Louis; but so long as the collections and records remain, there is little lost. Thinking myself as useful here, under ex-

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-isting circumstances, as I could be anywhere, I have heretofore declined three several offers of permanent professional employment (the only kind my health will admit of) in the Conf. service; to which meanwhile, I have tried to render myself as useful as possible, unofficially, in connection with the hospitals, Nitre & Mining Bureau etc. In the course of my official duties, I believe I have rendered some present services in connection with the making of salt in the State, and the prevention of the use of deletucios compounds instead, by numerous analyses furnished to individuals, since the date of my printed circular report to Gov. Pettus on the subject. It has occurred to me repeatedly, that it might be useful to publish the results of a num-ber of these, in some paper, for general information; but the frequent inter-ruption of the mails has somewhat discouraged me. If you think such a course desirable, please notify me to that effect. Aside from these, the regular work of the analyses of soils snails etc. has been progressing steadily, as well as the scanty means at my disposal will allow.

As for the instruments, etc. of the University, it gives me satisfaction to inform you; that although to some extent sadly in need of furbising up, none have as yet suffered in any serious degree. Nor has there been any diminution of the inventory, save some telegraphic apparatus impressed by the enemy, together with some minor appliances, tools etc., partly im-pressed by the hospital, partly burglariously abstacted during the first and last nights of the enemy's occupation; also, a number of articles em-ployed by me in the construction of the Drummond Light at Vicksburg by consent of the Ex. Committee, upon the request of Gen. Pemberton.—It will however, take me some weeks yet to complete the cleaning and inventory.

I am, with the highest respect
Your obedt svt.

Eug. W. Hilgard
State Geologist

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Letter of
D^r Hilgard
as to State University &c at Oxford—