Letter from O. Davis to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; June 28, 1865
Title
Letter from O. Davis to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; June 28, 1865
Subject
Mississippi. Governor; Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873; United States. Army.
Description
From the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Governor Sharkey Collection. Letter from O. Davis, a member of the Mississippi secession convention, to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey recommending to him that Union men in Mississippi who served in the United States Army not be allowed to hold office.
Creator
Davis, O.
Publisher
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (electronic version); Mississippi Digital Library. (electronic version)
Date
1865-06-28
Contributor
Funding for this project provided by The Dale Center for Study of War and Society-USM, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Digital Library, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Watson-Brown Foundation
Rights
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Language
English
Identifier
mdah_771-954-04-15
Coverage
1865
Text
Page 1:
Ripley, June 28th, 1865,
Hon W L Sharkey
Dear Sir:
I see by the publishd papers that you are appointed by President Johnson, Provisional Governor of This State.
I desire to express to you the great gratification I feel at your appointment, and to express to you my thanks for accepting this office.
In your high character for ability—probity, justice and moderation the people of the State have a Guaranty that the office will not be administered to advance personal, party, political or sectional interests—but that on the contrary, the whole executive influ-ence will be directed to restoring peace, law and order, and with these prosperity and happiness to the people at the earliest practica-ble moment.
As I know this will be your policy, I desire to offer you in
Page 2:
^advance^ my hearty co-operation. I want no office nor appointment of any kind—but if I can, in a private way, by any local influence I may have, aid you in any way, I desire to do so.
I was, as you may remember, a member of the State Convention of 1861—and voted for the Secession of the State. I have held no office since then, and have remained at home, but my heart has been with the Southern Cause, and I ardently desired its success. I cannot say however that I have expected or even hoped, for a favorable result since the fall of Atlanta
Now however, that our arms have proved unsuccessful, I feel it my duty to return to my allegiance to this U.S. Government, and yield to its policy [a?] fair and candid support.
I thought, and so expressed myself from the beginning, that the institution of slavery was staked upon the result of the war. We have played and lost and I, for one, am willing to surrender this stake.
Page 3:
There are few localities that have suffered as much by the war as this, My County has been a kind of neutral ground, not within the lines of occupation of either army and subject to continual raids from both. our horses all taken, our cattle & hogs all killed—our houses pillaged, & many of them burned—our fields laid waste—our substance all gone: There is much suffering now, & will be more this winter.
We cannot pay taxes—and I hope it will not be the policy of the Government to Collect any until next year.
At present, all who desire to get the oath of Amnesty, have to go to Memphis (80 miles) and pay the prov marshall $1.50—Poor men cannot stand this—I hope a resident officer will ^be^ appointed for this purpose, to reside at each County Seat.
Another suggestion. If Union men only are appointed ^to^ fill offices, they should be those who have remained at home all the time, and not those who
Page 4:
have been in the U.S. army. There is, and will be, for some time much prejudice against Those Southern men who have been in the U.S. army.
I hope you will pardon me for volunteering these sugges-tions. I thought you might not be averse to hear from this corner of our unhappy state.
I should be glad to have any orders on proclamations you may issue, sent to me by mail
Very Truly
your friend
O. Davis.
O Davis
A letter of general advice
Ripley, June 28th, 1865,
Hon W L Sharkey
Dear Sir:
I see by the publishd papers that you are appointed by President Johnson, Provisional Governor of This State.
I desire to express to you the great gratification I feel at your appointment, and to express to you my thanks for accepting this office.
In your high character for ability—probity, justice and moderation the people of the State have a Guaranty that the office will not be administered to advance personal, party, political or sectional interests—but that on the contrary, the whole executive influ-ence will be directed to restoring peace, law and order, and with these prosperity and happiness to the people at the earliest practica-ble moment.
As I know this will be your policy, I desire to offer you in
Page 2:
^advance^ my hearty co-operation. I want no office nor appointment of any kind—but if I can, in a private way, by any local influence I may have, aid you in any way, I desire to do so.
I was, as you may remember, a member of the State Convention of 1861—and voted for the Secession of the State. I have held no office since then, and have remained at home, but my heart has been with the Southern Cause, and I ardently desired its success. I cannot say however that I have expected or even hoped, for a favorable result since the fall of Atlanta
Now however, that our arms have proved unsuccessful, I feel it my duty to return to my allegiance to this U.S. Government, and yield to its policy [a?] fair and candid support.
I thought, and so expressed myself from the beginning, that the institution of slavery was staked upon the result of the war. We have played and lost and I, for one, am willing to surrender this stake.
Page 3:
There are few localities that have suffered as much by the war as this, My County has been a kind of neutral ground, not within the lines of occupation of either army and subject to continual raids from both. our horses all taken, our cattle & hogs all killed—our houses pillaged, & many of them burned—our fields laid waste—our substance all gone: There is much suffering now, & will be more this winter.
We cannot pay taxes—and I hope it will not be the policy of the Government to Collect any until next year.
At present, all who desire to get the oath of Amnesty, have to go to Memphis (80 miles) and pay the prov marshall $1.50—Poor men cannot stand this—I hope a resident officer will ^be^ appointed for this purpose, to reside at each County Seat.
Another suggestion. If Union men only are appointed ^to^ fill offices, they should be those who have remained at home all the time, and not those who
Page 4:
have been in the U.S. army. There is, and will be, for some time much prejudice against Those Southern men who have been in the U.S. army.
I hope you will pardon me for volunteering these sugges-tions. I thought you might not be averse to hear from this corner of our unhappy state.
I should be glad to have any orders on proclamations you may issue, sent to me by mail
Very Truly
your friend
O. Davis.
O Davis
A letter of general advice