Letter from D. S. Pattison to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; January 13, 1861

[seal]

Port Gibson 13 Jan 1861

Hon J. J. Pettus. Gov. Miss,

Dear Sir.

I take the liberty of writing on a subject I have no doubt your vigilant eye has already embraced; it is this that in case the General Government should get possession of the Fortresses below New Orleans, or blockade the mouths of the Mississippi River, we can still have an outlet to the Gulf by opening Bayou Manchac; In that case, the pos-session and fortification of Ship Island and all those other small Islands lying just off the main Land, would be of immense importance Also the Islands outside, and commanding the months of

the Lafouche, and Berwicks Bay; this latter in high water, would enable us by going up Bed, and into and down the Atchafalaya River to the Gulf, to have another chance for esenternal communications. The first one sug-gested I think preferable, of once established, to the route by New Orleans. Let us by all means fortify Ship Island, and some point on shore, so as to keep vessels from coming inside of the Island, and cutting off com-munications with the shore. I do not enlarge upon the importance of these matters, but merely suggest them; your own mind, I have no doubt, will take the whole suspect in at a glance.

Respectfully

D. S. Pattison.

D. S. Pattison on block ading the mouth of the Miss. River & opening Bayou Mashae