Letter from J. H. Maury to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 2, 1865

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Letter from J. H. Maury to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 2, 1865

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People

Farrar, A. K.Fulkerson, George F.Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885 Humphreys, Benjamin Grubb, 1808-1882 Jackson, Unknown Maury, James H.McClelland, Unknown Murdoch, John Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873 Taylor, Unknown Walker, Nelson S.Willis, Daniel

Events

Appointment to office Crime Crime--Robbery Crime--Theft Criminal Procedure--Pardon Guerrilla warfare Military Events--Capitulations, Military Military Events--Invasions Military Events--Military occupation Political elections Taxation Taxation--Confederate States of America

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Mississippi. Militia United States. Army

Occupations

Police Provost Marshals Sheriffs

Places

Bruinsburg (Miss.)Natchez (Miss.)Port Gibson (Miss.)Rocky Springs (Miss.)Rodney (Miss.)

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Port Gibson 2 July 1865

Hon W. L. Sharkey

Dear sir

I am prompted by the annoyances prevelent in this community to make this communication. We have for more than two years been infes-ted by thieves robbers & Jayhawkers. About the time of Taylors surrender this town was occupied by Col Jackson comman-ding 3 or 400 troops who kept order and behaved well; hearing they were to be withdrawn we peti-tioned the commander at Natchez to leave a part of them for our protection. I would now cheerfully sign a dozen petitions to have them all withdrawn, from the rumors all around us, they are a band of thieves. A morning hardly ever dawns, without reports of cotton being stolen from some body the night before, and these reports

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have increased, are increasing and ought to be diminished, for the yan-kee soldiers become every day bolder in their depredations. As a member of the community and from what I hear every day I state these things with certainty; while I confess that as a witness I could testefy nothing, for I dont know and could not recognise a single yankee in the place. Cant you have them immediately removed? Cant you give us an effective civil mag-istracy? Can you give us a provost martial with military assistance? Daniel Willis our sheriff is a worthy citizen & a very clever man, but officially a cypher. He abandoned the office on the invasion of Grants army & left us many months without a sheriff. About the time when measures were taken to collect taxes ~~again~~ he was a candidate & again elected. He appoin-ted a deputy to collect taxes & get com-missions; but his face has rarely been

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seen. Will we not need an effective sheriff? I have two or three gentlemen in my mind whose names I will give you if they agree to it when I see them. Could'nt you authorise a sheriff to act under your appointment without giving security? the right kind of ment don't like to give security, especial-ly in such times as these. If you give us a militia or military police you ought to appoint the officers with instructions to raise the right kind of men—such men as will not in their turn become robbers. I am now going out to get the names of men that will do for sheriff captain & lieutenants.

I went down to see my men to recommend, & heard that ~~this morning~~ 2 Bales of cotton were stolen this morning out of a waggon in town by the Yankee soldiers, the 2 Bales were recovered but the thieves were not

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punished & their immunity implies a strong insinuation against the officers George H Fulkerson & Nelson S. Walker were captains of the C. S. army who have returned home with noble repu-tations. they would perform the duties of sheriff provost m. or captain effec-tively & Judiciously. Gen B. G. Humphreys will be home next saturday, but ^here I remember^ he is not yet pardoned. Capt M^cClelland ^& A. K. Farrar^ near rocky springs & John Murdoch below here would make good lieut-enants. If you think of establish-ing with, as a military police, three squads of 10 men each, posted at rocky springs, here, & near Bruinsburg or Rodney, might be sufficient. The pri-vates if possible ought to be selected men & not voluntary. We have enough young men returned from real service—noble boys, who would probably fill the ranks & have not been ~~temted~~ ^tempted^ by urges such as ~~[illegible]~~ ^we^ have seen in this region. With great respect &c

Ja H Maury