Letter from Sheriff J. V. Thomas to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; August 11, 1865

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Letter from Sheriff J. V. Thomas to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; August 11, 1865

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People

Sampson, T. O.Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873 Thomas, J. V.

Events

Conventions Military Events--Capitulations Political elections Taxation Taxation--Exemption Taxation--Mississippi

Businesses

Railroads and Railroad Companies Railroads and Railroad Companies--Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company (Mobile, Ala.)

Occupations

Law Enforcement Law Enforcement--Sheriffs Lawyers

Places

Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Itawamba County Mississippi--Lee County. Guntown Mississippi--Lee County. Verona

Social Identifiers

Impoverished People

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[seal]

Vernona Miss
August 11^th 1865

W L Sharkey P,, Gov

Dr, Sir, as Cases of hardship^s^ has presented themselfs in reference to the collection of the State Revenue Tax, as lately leved by your honor and in obedience to Article 12, of sd, Levy. I set before you the facts as they are and ask Relief if Consistent with your honor, then are on this Road the M & O R, 6, Small Establishments Capital from $150⁰⁰ to $800⁰⁰ all owned by soldiers whom have Returned Since the Surrender, distitute of Many and Means otherwise, Generally operating upon Borrowed Capital (Those Houses thus I allowed to Set up their small ^business^ Since and about the time 17. July they are all willing to pay say 5 per ct upon Capital invested they think it quite a hard Ship in and thus they Should pay the amt, that other Houses pay with from 2 to $5000⁰⁰ Capital invested if you cannot give Relief I will be compelled to Collect by distress if Collected at all please—~~as the bill~~ as the Tax bill is ~~bill states~~ not as specified or pointed so as to give satisfaction to parties that you would state at what time Cotton is subject to the Tax of $1⁰⁰ pr Bale whether previous

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to the 17 of July or not. I will have to ask further time that at the Meeting of the Convention for when I Returned from Jackson only 2 weeks previous to the Meeting of the Convention I had the County to organize the Election to attend to and the Tax to Collect I have however Suceded in Collecting about $300⁰⁰, and think likely that I will collect 2 or $300⁰⁰ More I would be glad that you would make Some arangement to draw upon me for the amt of funds that I May have in My hand as it would not pay to Come there to Jackson I would sugest a warant ^or orders^ to the delegates from this County, on me for the amt due for Services.

P S. I wrote you last week uppon the Subject that I have written you to day I fully Expected to have gotten an answer from you to day at Guntown if you Should wish any addishional Evidience in Support of what I have written in reference to the 6 Tax Cases of hardship I will Refer your Honor to the Delegation from this County

please Let Me hear from You Soon as ^I^ will have to suspend the Collection until you are heard from Direct to Verona Miss Care of T. O. Sampson Esqr

J V Thomas Shff
of Itawamba County

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in Cases of Absolute Refusal, to pay the Tax I wish to Know what Steps to take, Except uppon Cotton which are [?] and understood

J V Thomas Shff

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J. V. Thomas Telling of some hardships arrising from the tax on Mobile & Ohio RR

You must use dis-cretion—where you think the amt too much reduce to a moderate charge or can remit altogether if right