Letter from James H. Pierce to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 11, 1865
Title
Letter from James H. Pierce to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 11, 1865
Subject
Mississippi. Governor; Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873
Description
From the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Governor Sharkey Collection. Letter from James H. Pierce to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey asking for an appointment to civil government, as he was a loyal Union man during the war.
Creator
Pierce, James H.
Publisher
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (electronic version); Mississippi Digital Library. (electronic version)
Date
1865-07-11
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_771-955-03-08
Coverage
1865
Text
Page 1:
Columbus, Miss., July 11th", 1865,
His Excellency
W. L. Sharkey;
Governor of the State of Miss.
Sir, I entreat you most earestly to allow me the honor of addressing you, and beg that I may receive your kind attention for a few minutes.
I donot wish to trouble you with a naration of all the events which have transpired in the course of my life, but merely to make known to you who I am, what my condition in life is, and my wants,
I am a young man of twenty-four, a Kentuckian by birth, and mostly by training, At the breaking-out of the rebellion, I was complet-ing my education in Texas, I refused to join in the rebellion to destroy the Government I so dearly reverenced. In Jan. 1863, I was reported as being obnoxious to the Southern Confederacy, and soon I received an order from the Secretary of War, to join some regiment at once, or share the fate of a deserter. I came to this side of the river, tore to pieces the order, and my friends, at this place, procured for me the appointment of hospital steward, and from then till the close of the rebellion, I was in a hospital at this place, attending to the wants of the sick and wounded of both sections. Eighteen months since, I married a lady from N. Y. who was a teacher in the Female Institute at this place
Page 2:
when the war commenced, but, for her loyal opinions, she had to resign
I am glad to welcome the old flag back to its proper place, and all I ask, is to be allowed to live under its folds, and to serve it in whatever capacity my services are most needed, Had Secession been successful, I think "it would have proved to be the greatest calamity that co^u^ld have befallen this country, and the greatest calamity to the cause of civil liberty throughout the world,"
I have had the pleasure of reading your Proclamation, and am incouraged to find in it so much consolation to the loyal citizens, I am glad to know that the government is to be purified from its super-abundance of dross, and set on a more certain foundation than ever,
Now, the fact that I have been a loyal man, and that for it, I have been unkindly treated by disunionist and their powers, render me I hope a fit subject upon which your ^pity^ might rest,
I beg you to consider this favorably; and if threre be any position vacant, to the filling of which you will be so condsending as to give me the appointment, it will be most thankfully and greatfully received, and my every energy, time and abilities ^shall ^ be entirely devoted to make my work pleasing and profitable to my country, A situation as clerk in any department, is most desired. I have been urged to ask this favor by several officers of the Army, and the loyal citizens of this place,
Any references as to my honesty, integrity, and abilities, can be had.
The county officers of this county were all elected to their positions on account of their extreme southern politics.
Page 3:
So far as I know, they have, thus far, condemned all proclamations and orders, as being unconstitutional, And some, who spoke to the public, claimed their elections on the grounds of their valuable services done for the rebel cause,
I am, with high consideration,
Your most humble servant
James H. Pierce
Columbus, Miss., July 11th", 1865,
His Excellency
W. L. Sharkey;
Governor of the State of Miss.
Sir, I entreat you most earestly to allow me the honor of addressing you, and beg that I may receive your kind attention for a few minutes.
I donot wish to trouble you with a naration of all the events which have transpired in the course of my life, but merely to make known to you who I am, what my condition in life is, and my wants,
I am a young man of twenty-four, a Kentuckian by birth, and mostly by training, At the breaking-out of the rebellion, I was complet-ing my education in Texas, I refused to join in the rebellion to destroy the Government I so dearly reverenced. In Jan. 1863, I was reported as being obnoxious to the Southern Confederacy, and soon I received an order from the Secretary of War, to join some regiment at once, or share the fate of a deserter. I came to this side of the river, tore to pieces the order, and my friends, at this place, procured for me the appointment of hospital steward, and from then till the close of the rebellion, I was in a hospital at this place, attending to the wants of the sick and wounded of both sections. Eighteen months since, I married a lady from N. Y. who was a teacher in the Female Institute at this place
Page 2:
when the war commenced, but, for her loyal opinions, she had to resign
I am glad to welcome the old flag back to its proper place, and all I ask, is to be allowed to live under its folds, and to serve it in whatever capacity my services are most needed, Had Secession been successful, I think "it would have proved to be the greatest calamity that co^u^ld have befallen this country, and the greatest calamity to the cause of civil liberty throughout the world,"
I have had the pleasure of reading your Proclamation, and am incouraged to find in it so much consolation to the loyal citizens, I am glad to know that the government is to be purified from its super-abundance of dross, and set on a more certain foundation than ever,
Now, the fact that I have been a loyal man, and that for it, I have been unkindly treated by disunionist and their powers, render me I hope a fit subject upon which your ^pity^ might rest,
I beg you to consider this favorably; and if threre be any position vacant, to the filling of which you will be so condsending as to give me the appointment, it will be most thankfully and greatfully received, and my every energy, time and abilities ^shall ^ be entirely devoted to make my work pleasing and profitable to my country, A situation as clerk in any department, is most desired. I have been urged to ask this favor by several officers of the Army, and the loyal citizens of this place,
Any references as to my honesty, integrity, and abilities, can be had.
The county officers of this county were all elected to their positions on account of their extreme southern politics.
Page 3:
So far as I know, they have, thus far, condemned all proclamations and orders, as being unconstitutional, And some, who spoke to the public, claimed their elections on the grounds of their valuable services done for the rebel cause,
I am, with high consideration,
Your most humble servant
James H. Pierce