Letter from William M. Pollan to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 20, 1865

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Letter from William M. Pollan to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 20, 1865

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People

Pollan, William M.Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873

Events

Crime Crime--Fraud Crime--Theft Military Events--Military elections Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment

Military Units

Confederate States of America. Army Mississippi. Militia

Organizations

Clubs and Secret Societies Clubs and Secret Societies--Union League of America Political Parties Political Parties--Whig Party (U.S.)

Places

France Mississippi--Choctaw County Mississippi--Webster County. Greensboro

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Historically free and newly freed Military Status--Veterans Political Identities--Secessionists Political Identities--Unionists (United States Civil War)

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[seal]

Greensboro Mississippi
July 20^th 1865

W,^m L, Sharkey Governor &c

My dear freind after my compliments respects &c permit me to State to you I will soon have the whole County of Choctaw organized into companies and will as the Different Companies are organized report them to you in order giving the names of all the privates and officers elected and will humbly request you to commission the officers under the Militia Law of the State my reasons for organizing is in order to be ready for any emergency at all times and under all circumstances to Suppress Crime

I am and ever have been an unconditional union man but before and during the war a pro slave-ry man but that is now out of the Question I am Whig to the bone yet because the Whigs have always been right

W^m L S

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and keep down rebelion and keep good order and discipline amongst the negro population We now have ^no^ political association which is Secrect as all our meetings are held public and the doors always kept open and every person allowed to be present and hear and participate as to disbanding the Union League association that is a matter of impossibility as it is growing Strongerevery day as time moves on and will eventually in my opinion Spread all over the State

I will also add that the reason of its continuation and Spread is that in different parts of the Country your ears are continually Greeted with the utterance of disloyal words from the lips

of the old aristocratic Secessionists and many of their Sons who have been Soldiers in the Confederate army Such as the following

I will damned I believe the war is over yet for I will fight again rather than allow any infringment upon my rights another Says I would be rejoiced to see a war get up between The United State and France I will be damned if I do not help France and give her all the aid and comfort I can Still comes another who says he would rather be a free negro than a Southern man who has fought for Union I have fought for the Union and my Son and [?] with me and would do the Same again under Similar circumstances as long as this kind

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of language is indulged in by the original Secessionists the Union league association cannot be disbanded but the moment it is desisted from the association will naturally distend itself but until then I will unable to disband it though I have already done away with the Secrecy in my county except for moral and religious purposes and to prevent fraud and theft or any kind of rashness against any man or set of men I now undertake to Say that the association has prevented more crime and oppression than the Military and Civil authorities both together I can at any time give the best testimony in the world for all that I Say if you wish a thing will done without delay in form and years &c

W^m M Pollan

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Appendix to open letter

Your Proclamation is all we need and so far as this county is concerned it Shall be obeyed to the letter for nothing short of that will answer the purpose at the present time and it must be obeyed

From appearances the original Secessionists are moving heaven and earth to gain ascendenary again can they be trusted I answer no no never for the Lords sake and the country's sake let us have Union men and none other the Secessionists must repeat and learn to do right Wisdom's ways are paths of peace yours again

W^m, M, Pollan

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W^m M Pollan has organized the Militia an will report them, "The Union League"