Civil War and Reconstruction Governors of Alabama

Have made some predatory excursions with small force into this and other counties south of the Tennessee River taking horses and doing other unlawful acts of violence and are now making further demonstrations at Whitesburg Ten miles south of Huntsville on the Tennessee River to cross in force

A portion of the enemy are now on the South Side of the river in Morgan County. They have secured some 10 or 12 Ferry Boats and it is currently assumed that they intend to make a forced march on Tuscaloosa to release the Prisoners there confined and that t hey are securing all the provisions and horses in their reach

We also respectfully suggest that the Governor of Ala consider the propriety of authorizing the arming the citizens who may wish to organize and defend the county under sanctions of law or if he think best send us a force say about Five hundred cavalry to defend the counties on the south side of the river which in our opinion would be sufficient in connexion with such force as such counties could raise

On motion the report of the committee was unanimously adopted.

On motion the Chairman and Secretary were requested to sign the proceedings of this meeting, and forward a copy of the same to the Governor of the State of Alabama.

On motion meeting adjourned

James Lamar Chairmen Thomas Barkley Secy

Resolutions from Marshall Co.

Alabama Butler county May the 18 1862

To the governor of the State whereas you made a Request for troops to go down to Pensacola Florada for thirty days of which I went on the Ninth day of March in Captain McDaniel Company as third Lieutenant and was received as such by Colonel Jones the commander and served as such and my expences was as much as any of the offercers in that company and the captain told me on the 16 inst that I was put down on the pay rol as a private and wanted me to receive pay as such now if hit tis Right to be Received as a offercer and be at the Same expense as the Rest and they draw full pay and me as a private hit tis a strange law now if Colonel Jones had not of Received me as Such I should of then been put as a private and Surved as Such therefore I cannot Receive the pay as Such yours with respect

Archer Cheatham

[note in pencil] The Co. not allowed 3rd Lieut with [unclear?]

A Cheatham Letter letter claiming Pay third Lieutenant in 30 day company from

Answered May 4, 1862

[in left margin] Petition

Camp Shorter, Loachapaka, Ala.

To His Excellency John Gill Shorter:

Sir,

The undersigned citizens of Coosa County and soldiers in the Confederate States Service, respectfully submit this petition to your Excellency for your consideration on the subject of the draft in Coosa County, for Five companies of militia, and present to you a few facts of which you are not probably informed in regard to our county.

First: First from the best information we can gather our County had sent off originally and as recruits in companies raised for Confederate States Service previous to your late call, near Eleven hundred (1,100) men. Your late call for Four hundred and forty (440) men, has been and will be responded to by Eight hundred (800) more, making in the aggregate Nineteen hundred (1900) men in the Confederate States Service from our county.

Second, Two-thirds of our men in this call are married men, who have left their families at home, and made arrangements with the men remaining for their support and protection. In many instances, one militia man has the care of several families on himself, and we feel contented with our lot as long as those on whom our families depend remain for that purpose, but this draft leaves our families in a condition that must call forth some expression from us or we will loose our characters for humanity.

Third: our county has displayed a peculiar pride to raise^{in raising} her quota of men without a draft. She has responded with not far from doubt the number required of her at this time. Many of ^our spirited and high-toned citizens have determined not to await a draft, and our consequently flocking to our companies, all ready in the field, as recruits, having the families submitted to their care by us, to the tender mercies of cormorant speculations of counties, not subjected to this draft for their support another year. They have shown a preferance to serve Three years or the war to a draft for 90 days. We learn that many beats rather than submit to a draft have volunteered en masse and have been drafted to stay at home by committees, appointed for the purpose, displaying courage and spirit of patriotic devotion to the cause of their country, that should not be imposed upon.

Fourth: it is planting season, and 90 days will throw us beyond the possibility of a remedy for the starvation, awaiting many families, unless means unknown to us are provided. Fifteen Thousand (15,000) acres of land will be thrown out of cultivation in our county by this draft. At the lowest calculations, allowing ten bushel of corn per acre, it will deprive Coosa county of onehundred and fifty Thousand (150,000) bushels of corn. Again, we have a large small grain crop to harvest, and this will throw us beyond the possibility of saving it. Your cities are now suffering from the scarcity and high prices of provisions. Your newspaper press in Montgomery has already called upon your Excellency to

-regulate prices by the strong arm of the law. Your draft will produce like state of affairs in Coosa County. Wherever this draft extends to the complete exhaustion of a community of men at one time, it will stop any surplus provisions from leaving that community.

Fifth: At this important juncture, twelve weeks are worth all the rest of the year. If our men could even be spared for six weeks, so as to prepare their lands and plant them, the women and children would finish the crops, By making this call as general as possible to meet the requisition, it would fall upon communities in a way, that means might be provided for carrying on farms. If a certain number of men were needed, make a call upon the whole state, and take a few from each community, and preparation could be made by those left for crops. Do not exhaust a particular neighborhood at one call. If more were needed, make other calls, and so until the requisitions were filled. Those counties not called upon now, may not be called upon at all, and even if they are, it may be at a day when they will sustain no loss.

Sixth: if other counties had responded in the same ratio to our own, we would now have in the field between 80 and 100 Thousand men! It falls with a special weight upon our county, for her to be placed on the same footing with other counties, that have not responded to their Country's call.

Seventh: the march of the enemy's army through our midst, would not produce a greater famine than this draft, for they might rob along the public high-way, and in some neighborhoods, but this call enters every house and causes misery in every family.

Eigth: That our Independence depends upon bread, should ring in the ear of every man, woman, and child, from the Governor in the chair of State, to the humblest citizen. Furnish our families, and us with the staff of life, and we will conquer, arms, or no arms! The safety of every city in this State, or even in the Confederate States will not compensate the loss of bread. Rathier than exhaust large grain, raising communities of men at this particular juncture, give up your starving cities, and send the people into the country. It is as necessary at present to raise corn and meat as to manufacture arms, and we should be careful at this critical moment, less we produce direful results upon the country.

Ninth: We do not wish your Excellency to consider this memorial in the light of a complaint at the service required of us as a people; but as the facts have been presented to us, we feel that even handed justice has not been meeted out to our county in this heavy draft upon our people. Coosa County has not had a partial press or influential friends to Harold her deeds to the world. Some of her sister counties are now wearing laurels borrowed from her in the shape of recruits and companies in the service. The noble women of Coosa have sent off to her soldiers in the field, over twnty thousand (20,000) dollars worth of clothing, without a word said, while ⁱⁿ other counties, a pair of gloves or socks, contributed by some lady, reaches the far side of the confederacy in the public press. Our women have contributed in many instances, their last lock of wool, and deprived their little ones of comfortable clothing, to furnish some needy soldier and the out side world none wiser of it. Even now, sir!

Noble women of Coosa are to be seen daily, following the plow handles, to make bread for their little ones in the absence of their husbands in the defense of their country. We do not boast of these deeds done by our people, but wish to show that Coosa has not been idol, tho' nothing has been said about it. We feel that it becomes necessary for us to speak out lest she be striped of the last man. But if in your wisdom, you deem it necessary to continue your course, we submit and we know we speak the sentiments of almost our entire people, when we say, if the service demands it, we will send out the last man between 18 and 45, and if that does not suffice, we will send our boys and Gray-headed fathers, and if the worst comes, we will find women, who now handle the plow, shear and sickle, not slow to take up the musket. Rather than submit to Lincoln's rule or subjugation, we would prefer to see the last one who bears our name or has a drop of our blood in their veins, sink in to one common grave, and leave a barren waste to meet the enemy's eye. Apr^l 1862. Respectfully Submitted Coosa Confederates by Authority Jno M Slaughter Capt E.B. Wood 1st Lieut. W. G. Magsey 2nd " J. C. Taylor " " M. S. Bazemore 1st Serg A. T. [uncelar] 2nd " T. P. Barrett 3d " T. R. Bazemore 4th " J. W. Burt 5th " C. C. Rote 1st Corp A. J. Groom 2nd Corp W. L. Collier 3d " J. M. Calloway 4th " F. M. Robeson Fifer S G Adama Drum ------- Privates WH Adams JM Ayres LB Ashcroft FM Bates SB Baszemone JT Bazemone JM Baxley JT Blankenship Epps Brown JH Bowdon JP Colley JH Chatham EJ Calloway AC Culver GW [unclear] WA Dunnam WH East