Letter from North Carolina Governor Zebulon B. Vance to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; September 23, 1864

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Letter from North Carolina Governor Zebulon B. Vance to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; September 23, 1864

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

People

Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Hood, John Bell, 1831-1879 Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870 Vance, Zebulon B. (Zebulon Baird), 1830-1894

Events

Confederate States of America--Draft Military Events--Military desertion

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army

Organizations

Confederate States of America. Congress North Carolina. Executive Department Railroad Telegraph Company

Places

Augusta (Ga.)Georgia Jackson (Miss.)Mississippi River North Carolina Raleigh (N.C.)

Social Identifiers

Impoverished people Military Status--Draftees

Vital Statistics

Disease and illness

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[seal]

State of North Carolina,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Raleigh Sept. 23^d_" 1864.

His Excellency
Gov. Clark
Jackson, Miss.

Dear Sir:

The Legislatures of the various states will soon be in session. It will become them to take such steps in aid of the common cause as the perilous and straightened condition of the country demands. The Great evil of desertion must be broken up if possible provisions must be made to feed the poor, and the feeble and desponding must be en=couraged and inspired with hope; and beyond all els, men must be sent to the Armies of Genls Lee and Hood. To find where and how to get these men is the Great Object of enquiry. Large numbers no doubt, are in the various departments of the Confederate Government, who could be sent to the field, and their pla=ces filled by non=combatants.

It will be for the confederate Government to look after these.

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There are also numbers engeaged in the various state departments, who might be spared, And there is yet a large number of state officers in all the states, withheld from service, not only on account of the necessity for thim in administering the Government but also becaus the principles of state sovereignty, rendered it improper to allow the confederate Government to conscript them. This latter class I suppose to be quite numerous in all the states; and could thier be away prescribed to put at least a portion of them into service without injuring the efficiency of the state Governments, and without infringing upon the rights of the states and their dignity, as sovereigns, they would constitue quite a material re=inforcement to our hard presesed Armies.

It seems indeed desireable.

Beyond doubt, however, it is especially desireable that action on this and all kindred matters, should be uniform, or as nearly, so as possible. It would avoid much discontent, for every man to know that he was required to do only that which

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every one els has to do, and that the burthens of the war are fairly distributed.

In order to attain this uniformity, as well as to consult on any other matter of public concern which might present itself, I beg leave respectfully to suggest a meeting of all the southern Executives on this side of the Mississippi, at some such place as Augusta, Ga. during the coming month of October, when and where some general plan of action might be agreed upon for the releif of the country, and recommended to our several Legislatures.

Should such a suggestion meet with favor at your hands, I would be gre=atly pleased to hear from You in regard to the time and place of meeting.

Any time so far as I can now see will suit me and any place within three days travel by rail.

I am Gov^r
Very Resp^tly
yr obt sv^t

Z. B. Vance

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Gov Z B Vance
N.C.

Ansd (Approvⁱng) by telegram

Oct 9, 64