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Tippah County Miss
Aug 11. 1865
Hon. Gov Sharkey

Sir, with a degree of backwardness, I write this letter, but being promted by pure mot-ives, I beg you to excuse its imperfections, At the Commencement of the late rebelion, a few of us remained true to the Old Government, after doging the Confederate Conscripters for a few months we went to the Federal lines where we enlisted in different Regts., I with a number of others enlisted on the 24. of July 1862. in Company "I" 11th Ills. Cav. We were discharged at Memphis Tenn, June 9. 1865. Since which time we have returned to our former homes in Tippah County Miss. Those who are acting in ort^h^ority here require us to take the Amnesty Oath., Not that there is any thing in the Oath that we would object to., but it Seams Strang that we Should have to undergo the Same process that a Rebel Soldier does to become a loyal citizen of our native State and county

If you consider this worthy of your notice pleas Send us information on the Subject of what it takes to constitute a loyal citizen.

your Obt. Servt.

My address at presant } W, T, Rowland.
is, Pochahontas,
Tenn

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W T Rowland has been a Federal soldier and is now required to take the Amnesty Oath in Tippah County

All [persons?] [?] [the?] state [?] [?] [to?] [take?] the amnesty oath