Letter from Z. A. Philips to A. M. West; June 26, 1865

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Letter from Z. A. Philips to A. M. West; June 26, 1865

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

People

Grierson, Unknown Lucas, Unknown Philips, Z. A.Raid, Wilson Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873 Unknown, Lucinda West, Absalom Madden, 1818-1894

Events

Convict Labor Convict Labor. Alabama. Leasing Program Convict Labor. Mississippi Crime Crime--Theft Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Parole Emancipation and self emancipation Military Events--Capitulations

Organizations

Alabama--State Penitentiary (Wetumpka)Courts and Judicial Systems Mississippi--State Penitentiary (Jackson)Mississippi--State Salt Works Prisons

Businesses

Factories

Occupations

Blacksmiths Judges Mechanics Woodworkers

Places

Alabama Kentucky Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Holmes County. Durant Mississippi--Lauderdale County. Meridian

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People African Americans--Historically Free and Newly Freed Impoverished People Imprisoned people Military Families

Page 1

Meridian Miss June 26, 1865.

Genl A M West
Durant

My Dear General,

As Judge Sharkey is the Governor of our State, I hope in a short time to see everything tending to its old channel. In view of that fact, and hoping to see you again take a perminent position in the affairs of our country which we so much need, I beg to [bother?] your time a moment.

Amongst the many things that have presented themselves to me is the state Prison, that will have to be rebuilt, Machinery bought, put up & got into operation.

Emancipating the Negroes will require a System of Penitentiaries, the one in Jackson was nearly full, when the courts had but little to do with the Negroes, how will it be now?

Would it not be better rather than experiment a year or two, to select some man capable & of competent judgement to visit the Northern states and examine the state prisons on the labor principle & make a report of each, & from there let a committee get up something that will apply to our state.

The difficulty will be, to work whites & blacks together; a good many years ago I tried to work whites & blacks in a cotton Factory together, but it was attended with great trouble, & finally rid myself of the Negroes altogether.

You owe the citizens, the working white men of the country a duty, so as not to come in competition with them in the articles they manufacture. You will recollect in Jackson the Penitentiary did ordinary Blacksmith work, shoeing horses, making Tables, Bedsteads and all kinds of wood & Iron.

Nothing should be done by Convict Labor that would interfere ~~that would interfere~~ with the ordinary Industry of this country, for you must admit that Labor Concentrated and

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well directed at a cost of 20 or 25 cents a day, and aided by machinery with capitol to back it, will break down any [common?] shop, no matter how much industry or ingenuity the owner may display & particularly where like yourself an honest man & a good citizen, he has a house full of little ones to look after.

Negroe mechanics will soon play out, you can find none North, & in a short time you will find none here. I have always worked a few Negroe mechanics, but only from necessity; though I used them, I always found it cheaper to hire good white men.

There is such a variety of manufacturing, there will be no trouble in selecting such as will suit us—only be careful to manufacture by convict labores Such articles as comes in contact with capitol. I will mention cotten & woollen goods, Blankets, Hats & Shoes, Rope & Bagging, Buckets, tubs & Pails—these are mostly from the products of our country, and the most expensive articles that we require, & would assist very much in reducing the prices of these articles throughout the state. There is no trouble in making it a paying Institution, & still not dabble with the little things, the bread & butter of the poor man=I have seen as good Rope & Bagging made in the State prison in Alabama, as I ever saw on the Rope Walks or Loom sheds in Kentucky.

Fine manufacturing no doubt could be done by convicts, but I expect it would be best, to make only such articles as is required by the people at large—

Now General some one will have to get up this & the sooner the better; I believe I can fill the position as well as any man south, I believe I have made ^nine^ Drawings & had charge of the Erection of more manufacturing buildings & [put?] up more machinery than any man in our country,

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manufacturing & its economy has been my study, I have thought of nothing else; I have made money by it, but it followed as a natural consequence, I never worked for money, only for success. I believe I can do the state full justice & be a credit to myself & friends—I should like very much to have charge of getting up such as I think the state needs—The machinery in the Penitentiary before was not the best, the greater part of it did not suit the thread & cloth made, I could have pointed out to you many defects.

The salt works is still under my charge, mostly trying to keep things together until I am directed what to do—I have some salt on hand—no doubt I will be relieved shortly,

Z A Philips—

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Wilson Raid, Then Grierson, then Lucas, all of them had a share, & between them they left her only one old mule & took everything else of any value, got everything that she had secreted, even took off hers & her daughter underclothing, she did not have when I was there, a knife & fork or spoon except those given her by her negroes. Everything that I had of any value was there & it fared the same as hers—Lucinda saved my summer clothes is all that I have—My sister was very happy, her sons had just returned, they went out at the first sound of the trumpet & got an honorable paroll at the Surrender of country, they have whole [unclear],