Letter from John J. Pettus to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; April 20, 1865

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Letter from John J. Pettus to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; April 20, 1865

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People

Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Johnston, Joseph E. (Joseph Eggleston), 1807-1891 Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870 Moray, Unknown Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891 Yerger, William, 1816-1872

Events

Legislation. United States. Congress Legislation. United States. Congress. General Amnesty Act (1865)Military Events--Capitulations Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Confederate States of America. Army. Army of Northern Virginia United States. Army

Organizations

Military Headquarters Mississippi--Legislature Watercraft

Occupations

Judges

Places

Bodies of Water--Interstate. Pearl River Military training camps Mississippi--Attala County Mississippi--Carroll County Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Holmes County Mississippi--Leake County Mississippi--Madison County. Canton Mississippi--Noxubee County. Macon Mississippi--Warren County. Vicksburg Mississippi--Yazoo County

Social Identifiers

Military Deserters

Page 1

(Private)

Head Qrs St M, a,
Canton Miss April 20^th 1865

His Excellency
Cha^s Clark

Maj Moray leaves this evening for Macon & I write by him to give you some idea what is doing here.

I find it impossible to get reports regularly from the several Counties by reason of high water & a want of knowledge of military affairs among the officers whos duty it is to make them

Reports of the organizations in Madison, Yazoo, Carroll Holmes Atalla & Leake have been fowarded, many deserters have come in under the extended amnesty & started to their commands (as repo-ted to me by officers from Atalla & Leake) but whether they have joined their commands or sought some other place

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place of hiding I have no means of knowing.

But few deserters have been found in Madison a camp in the south east corner was visited by swiming hoses over several creeks but the deserters escaped in boats & the militia had no means of folowing as Pearl River covers miles of bottom.

No reports from the swamp Counties & I do not expect any as the waters are so high that I cannot send Canvass to them.

We do not believe here that Genl Lee has surren-dered his army. the Yankees at Vicksburg do not believ it. Judge Yerger had no doubt of its truth when I saw him in Jackson the day you left & thought you were convinsed of the truth of the report—The Yankes say now at Vicksburg

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that Lee surrendered a small portion of his army but found Johnston with his main army & defeated Sherman, I hope no action will be taken until the matter is fully settled on Our recommendation to Call the Legislature

the train is about leaving

Very Respectfully

John J Pettus