Letters from J. P. Harrison to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; August 1865

Documents
Letters from J. P. Harrison to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; August 1865

Document Network
Document Metadata

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

People

Harrison, Edward, Jr.Harrison, J. P.Harrison, Jelson Harrison, Sidney Holt, Joseph Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873

Events

Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Pardon Political Office--Resignation Secession. American Civil War Taxation Taxation--Mississippi

Businesses

Firm of Payne & Harrison (New Orleans, La.)

Occupations

Farmers Judges

Places

Louisiana--Orleans Parish. New Orleans Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson

Social Identifiers

Unionists (United States Civil War)

Page 1

New Orleans Aug 10^th 1865

My dear Gov^r

On reaching town yesterday I found your very kind lad^r of the 17^th insti. & in spite of the weight & cares of business upon you I will venture to try your patiences with a few more lines. On the other side you will find my Circular in which I propose to resume my old business in Company with my Sons on the 1^st Oct. next. Like yourself, I have been put back five & twenty years by the late war which was as unnessary as it was wicked & I have to at ^again^ work for my both food and raiment. Notwith=standing I had no hand in bringing on the war I try not to grumble though I Know it has ruined me—

My only chance is to ~~got~~ go to work, & do the best under the circumstances. But am at present situated I find my hands so tied up that I apprehend that my success in business will be some thing more than trouble unless I am recommended for pardon over your official Signature—I think you will remem=ber the many conversations we had at your house in the 2^nd year of the war—that I had opposed Secession & voted & used my influence against it & held no office nor Coudⁿ under the Confederate Authority—but was employed in farming for the support of my family—I confess that it would be very gratifying to me if it would ^not^ be objectionable to you to write to the President & say to him what you might think proper in my behalf—I have sent on my papers under Cover to Hon. Joseph Holt to be pres=ented & though these papers in an ordrinary case & in ordinary times would be Sufficient for any purpose yet the case with me is so urgent & of so much im=portance, that I should feel obliged for the weight of

Page 2

of your name. If Suitable to your own notions of official propriety to write to the President I would thank you to do so at once & enclose it open to the Hon J Holt to be presented with my other papers.

I am Sorry to be under the necessity of troubling you with my private affairs when the weight of the State is upon you—But you have seen So much of trouble in your time that I begin to hope that you are becoming So accustomed to it as not to care much about it. I cannot help feeling it to be a hard case on me to be Kept out of the use of property & to be made to pay the taxes upon it when I was & am as good a Union Man as the best of them—The truth is that much wrong is done to the Cause by this indiscriminate attack upon & mixing up of Union men with rebels & putting all men in the Southern States on the same footing. I do hope the President will adopt some early cons-ciliatory policy—But I am writing too much

I pray you to forgive this trouble to present my Kindest regards to W^m Sharkey, to set things to rights in Miss as soon as possible, resign & bring W^m Sharkey to the [?]

Ever your obliged friend

J. P. Harrison

To Gov^r W L Sharkey
Jackson

Page 3

New Orleans, August 8th, 1865.

Dear Sir:

The undersigned, of the late firm of Payne & Harrison, will resume the

COTTON FACTORAGE AND COMMISSION BUSINESS,

in this city, on the 1st of October, next. The associates with him in business, his sons Edward, Jelson and Sidney, under the name and style of J. P. HARRISON & SONS. Tendering you their services, I am,

Very respectfully,

J. P. Harrison.

J. P. Harrison,
Edward Harrison, Jr.
Sidney Harrison.

Style of Firm:

J. P. HARRISON & SONS,

51 Union Street, Up Stairs.

Page 4

J P Harrison