Correspondence from H. Hobbs and Robert Kells to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; October 1864

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Correspondence from H. Hobbs and Robert Kells to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; October 1864

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People

Armstrong, Robert Bennett, Thomas Byrd, Richard Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Clark, P.Conway, John Duncan, James Eshelman, Daniel Hale, T. M.Hobbs, H.Kells, Robert Kells, William H.Olsen, George Smith, John Sproles, Johnson Young, Charles

Events

Finances Finances--Collecting of accounts Legislation. Mississippi Military Events--Military discharge Military Events--Military service exemption Political Office--Appointment to office

Military Units

United States. Army

Organizations

Confederate States of America--Bureau of Conscription Mississippi--Legislature Mississippi--Military Department Mississippi--State Hospital

Occupations

Carpenters Conscript Officers Engineers Gardeners Inspectors Medical Profession Medical Profession--Hospital Employees Medical Profession--Physicians Secretaries Treasurers Watchman

Places

Mississippi--Grenada County. Grenada Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Warren County. Vicksburg

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People Mental Illness

Vital Statistics

Death Disease and illness

Page 1

To his Excellency
Charles Clark Governor
of the State of Mississippi

Sir

In compliance with the Law organising the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum It is made the duty of the Trustees to make an annual report to your Excellency. In the discharge of that duty we herewith hand you the tenth Annual Report of the Operations of that Institution now under charge.

In consequence of the destruction of nearly all of the Books and papers by the Public Enemy in July 1863, all the accounts & vouchers (Since that time) have been kept by Doct^r. Kells the Superintendant at the Institution & who has, since that time, acted as Treasurer as well as Steward.

We therefore respectfully refer you to his full & Satisfactory detailed Report made to us, ~~and~~ marked A. And to the report of The Secretary of the Board Marked B. and made a part of this report & herewith transmitted.

The appropriation of fifty thousand dollars Annually to the Institution by the last regular Session of the Legislature & made payable Quarterly in advance to the order of

Page 2

Doct^r. Kells The Superintendant will about meet the current expenses for the past year. But if the Articles of prime necessity continue to advance in prices as they have done during the year past and Some advantages which the Institution has had Shall fail or be exhausted it will not be Sufficient to do so.

There have not been quite so many Patients in the Institution during the past year as during the two or three preceding years. For the number now under treatment, admitted, cured, discharged, deaths &c we refer you again to the Report of D^r. Kells the Superintendant & made a part of this report. All the Books &papers are now kept at the Asylum as the best place of Safety & Subject to your Inspection or any Agent you may appoint. The Authority or direction given by your Excellency to D^r. Kells to purchase Say fifty Bales of Cotton & fifty two Bales given by Mr. Tho^s. Bennett to the Institution for Protecting the Same number of Bales for him from the Public [Enemy?], will assist very materially and help out the appropriation in defraying the current expenses of the Institution, with your permit & the proper Military Authorities and the approbation of the Trustees, D^r. Kells has carried & exchanged in Vicksburg twenty Seven Bales

Page 3

For Such Supplies as were most needed for the Institution, All of which will fully appear in his report. The Balance of the Cotton is still on hand at the Asylum. No other Cotton has been purchased for the Institution nor have the Trustees authorised any person to purchase any.

The aid given by your Excellency to Doctr. Kells in the war, of procuring Supplies for the Institution is duly appreciated by the Trustees. The present condition of this part of the State makes it almost impossible to procure Supplies without having them brought from a distance. We are pleased to Say that the Mississippi State Lunatic—Asylum Still continues to furnish a pleasant & comfortable home to that unfortunate class of our Citizens for whom it was intended and we have not failed when any thing was going wrong about the Institution to aid the Superintendant in having a full & fair investigation when the circumstances required it. We respectfully refer you again to the reports of the Superintendant & Secretary marked A & B made to this Board & made a part of this report. Wishing that the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum may continue to recieve the fostering care of the State. We remain

Very Respectfully &c

H. Hobbs Prest
Board of Trustees

Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum Oct^r. 1^st. 1864

Page 4

H. Hobbs Pres. of State Lunatic Assylum

Report of Pres. of Board of Trustees of State Lunatic Asylum
Oct.—1864

Page 5

Gov C. Clark

Dear Sir;—I write you a few lines this morning, to advise ^with^ you as what is best to be done for the future, in providing for the Asylum. I sent in my report to the Trustees on the first day of Oct, with as full a Statement as would seem necessary on my part. From the report of the Sec'y of the Board you will see the Institution owes me $2753.⁸¹/₁₀₀—and also for 500 bush of Corn that I purchased for the use of the asylum last winter, & for which I have had no Settlement with the Trustees. At this time we ought to purchase 1000 bush of Corn to make out a supply until next crop time,—3 orto 4500 gals of Syrup for morning meal, as we have no meat there—some sugar as we are about out. Then about the first of the year our stock Cattle will be Exhausted, & the next installment will not more than pay the Salaries & wages and pay

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for meat for the following three months. It is therefore obvious that a portion of the Contingent fund must be used (which is placed at your discretion) or Some of our Cotton must be sold. It 'aoccurs to my mind that it would be most prudent to keep the Cotton and use the Contingent fund as it, may be needed. The Cotton is increasing in price Continually—say from 35^c to $1.50 per pound since Feb. last, and then even we perchance thrown into the federal lines we would be without any resources. It is a matter of Expediency and Safety, I think to do so. I thought, if it met with your views, that you might give an order to draw one half of the Contingent fund & that would pay me off and purchase the Corn, Syrup & sugar, now needed. I have accounted for the Expenditure of the next installment due Dec 2^nd/_Qt. My Suggestion to Keep the Cotton in hand, I trust proceeds

Page 7

from no other notion, than to provide for the wants of the Institution, should it be our misfortune to have Yankee dominion as our portion. If we sill our Cotton now & the Yankees Extend their lines over us—it is evident that nothing but Green-backs could purchase Cotton or anything Else. I trust you will Concur with me in this prudential measure &c. I am Constantly annoyed by the Conscript Officer as to the Employees of the Institution. They have disapproved of all Except five, and that leaves us without an Engineer, Carpenter, Gardener & other attendants. I have not as many Employed now, as has been in prosperous times and twice the labour to perform, and it is ^possible^ to do only partial justice to the necessities of an institution like this Even with our present help. I have some how not liable to Conscription.

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I will send you statement of my present force and hope you will Exempt them in such a way that I will be no longer troubled. At present I have no Engineer (Except a negro), Dan^l. Eshelman Carpenter; W^m. H. Kells, Ass^t. Steward (has three medical discharges); Johnson Sproles, Gardener; John Conway, Supervisor; Richard Byrd, Watchman (over forty five)—Robert Armstrong, P. Clark, George Olsen, John Smith, Cha^s. Young, James Duncan attendants. Mr Young over Conscript age and James Duncan under the age. These persons I hope you will detail for this work—and I repeat it, there no men Can do more than partial justice with this Amount of help. I would also like to have T. M. Hale detailed to travel & get supplies as they are not to be had any-where near the Asylum. My report will Explain to you my V. Burg operations and should I not be able

Page 9

to get the goods out for mens clothing, could ^you^ not arrange it so that I could get two bales of Lowells. I am not unmin^dful of the many Care^s. that surround you,—and I dis-like Exceedingly to be troublesome, but I have no other refuge when my own ability cea=ses. When you made your last visit to Jackson I called on you, but you had left for Grenada. At your Earliest convenience, please let me hear from You trusting these various points, &c.

I remain
Yours very Resp'y

Robert Kells

Miss State L Asylum
Oct 6^th_"/⁶⁴

Page 10

D^r R. Kells
Jackson—
Ands Oct—9, 64