Letter from M. W. Philips to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; April 25, 1865

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Letter from M. W. Philips to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; April 25, 1865

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People

Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Johnston, Joe Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870 Philips, M. W.

Events

Conventions Criminal Procedure--Execution Military Events--Capitulations

Military Units

Under Review

Organizations

Mississippi--Legislature Newspapers Prisons

Places

Mississippi--Newton County. Hickory South Carolina

Vital Statistics

Death

Page 1

Hickory Miss. April 25. 1865

Gov C. Clark,

Esteemed Sir,

I am about to do a very foolish thing, & all I can say is, "Judge a fool according to his folly". I do not dare to advise. I give not my opinions, because I have any pecu-liar right. I do not for notoriety, for really I care as little what folks say of me, as any man alive, who has a desire to do right. And yet why give these lines a record? My dear Sir, I cannot exactly say, yet with a hope they may possibly influence you. I have no idea what to believe. All reports we have come thro Yankee papers, & I would now doubt the Bi-ble if coming now thro that source. But enough is sent a-head to make the best man among us unhappy. I do not be-lieve any material part of Lee's army has surrendered & that Joe Johnston is intact. But, admit it all. I say, yield not & advise individuals, old men of even 80 yrs or 100 yrs of age, never to surrender. What can the Yankees do with us if we refuse? They can take property, & put us in prison, or hang some; well let it be done. I say, I will never take the oath, never be a citizen of the Yankee Gov^t, never vote. It is expected that a Legislature will be called, a convention called, & a petition, to go back. If I was Gov^r, I would never make such a call, never approve of any act calling a convention; bad enough to assent when Confd States do the detested thing. We had bet-ter wait & be the last to act, something may yet turn up. I have seen a game cock when cut down

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no longer able to rise, aye when in [mated?] [?], by the death throes send the steel into his antagonists [hain?], & in death was victorious. This may be our case. At all events, for Gods sake let Miss & my native state So. Ca be the two last that submits, & then not by petition, never—never—Somehow I can but feel cer-tain, that you ^do not^ lack any element of the man for these times, & I feel you will contend as long as I would; yet, there are so many white livered folk at home, so many who think they will save property; so many who get sick at the sight of blood, who would press on you from without & al-most drive you to the hated alternative—~~thus~~ ^therefore,^ as one who loves Miss as my own life, I pray you consent not, & let us wait until all are gone before us. I think as a brave man, I can wait until the choice is given me to "submit or die". I certainly raise my voice against any act, hint, shadow of a shade of an act that would lead the Bandit Gov^t to think I wanted peace on any terms but one—unconditional recognition. I care not how dark the hour is, if we are as one man true, that we will conquer a peace. The Highway robbers may try hanging some, to know we were in earnest, & I say let us try it as long as there be a man to die & then one woman to [stop?] the [?] of Southern gentle-men—Of course I am uneasy. Of course I cannot see what we can do without an army, but I think if we refuse sub-mission God will take us through [bar?] we ^are^ all [shain?] & I at hart know

I am truly your friend.

M W Philips