Letter from William M. Pollan to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 20, 1865
Title
Letter from William M. Pollan to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey; July 20, 1865
Subject
Mississippi. Governor; Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873
Description
From the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Governor Sharkey Collection. Letter from William M. Pollan to Mississippi Governor William L. Sharkey concerning his efforts to organize a pro-Union militia in Choctaw County. (Including rosters of all the militia in Choctaw County)
Creator
Pollan, William M.
Publisher
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (electronic version); Mississippi Digital Library. (electronic version)
Date
1865-07-20
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_771-955-05-13
Coverage
1865
Text
Page 1:
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 become the whigs have always been right
Wm M P
Greensboro Mississippi
July 20th 1865
W. L. Sharkey Governor &c
My dear friend 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
Page 2:
and keep down rebelion and keep good order and discipline amongst the negro population We now have ^no^ political association which is secret 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 stronger every 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 arristocratic 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 infrigment upon my rights another says I would be rejoiced to see a war get up between The United States 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 the Union. I have fought for the Union and my son and [niegbers?] with me and would do the same again under similar circumstances as long as this kind
Page 3:
of language is indulged in by the original Secessionists the Union league association cannot be disbanded lest the moment it is disisted 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 oppresion 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 me Yours &c
Wm M Pollan
Page 4:
Appendix to the 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 appeariances the original Secessionists are moving heaven and earth to gain the the ascendency again can they be trusted. I answer no no never for the Lord's sake and the country's sake let us have the Union men and none others the secessionists must repent and learn to do right Wisdom's ways are paths of peace yours again
Wm, M, Pollan
Page 5:
Wm M Pollan has organized the Militia an will report there,
"The Union League"
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 become the whigs have always been right
Wm M P
Greensboro Mississippi
July 20th 1865
W. L. Sharkey Governor &c
My dear friend 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
Page 2:
and keep down rebelion and keep good order and discipline amongst the negro population We now have ^no^ political association which is secret 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 stronger every 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 arristocratic 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 infrigment upon my rights another says I would be rejoiced to see a war get up between The United States 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 the Union. I have fought for the Union and my son and [niegbers?] with me and would do the same again under similar circumstances as long as this kind
Page 3:
of language is indulged in by the original Secessionists the Union league association cannot be disbanded lest the moment it is disisted 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 oppresion 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 me Yours &c
Wm M Pollan
Page 4:
Appendix to the 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 appeariances the original Secessionists are moving heaven and earth to gain the the ascendency again can they be trusted. I answer no no never for the Lord's sake and the country's sake let us have the Union men and none others the secessionists must repent and learn to do right Wisdom's ways are paths of peace yours again
Wm, M, Pollan
Page 5:
Wm M Pollan has organized the Militia an will report there,
"The Union League"