Letter from Colonel John McGuirk to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; January 16, 1864

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H^d Q^rs 3^rd Reg^t Miss State Cavly Fitzgerald's Farm Panola Cty Miss January 16^th 1864

Govenor

I have Since the reception of your order Countermanding the Transfer of My Regiment, desir-ed to be united with the forces of the State of Miss, as I am in my present Status, very unpleasantly Situated, It was a desire to avoid the annoyances consequent upon the amalgamation of State and Confederate forces that prompted me to request your predecessor to Transfer my Regiment to the Confed-erate Service. So far as I am concerned I am in Service for My Country and it matters not with me what you call it State or Confederate, So it accom-plished the object, which is to defend our Soil—I have a good Regiment, and although raised in this Sec=tion I bring as many men on duty as any Regt in Gen^l Chalmers command. This Regiment has Sustained the character of Mississippi and demonstrated that the forces of the State, are if properly handled equal to any in the field. The Regiment has won a name I desire to perpetuate it. They have reputation, and desire to preserve it. I feel that under the leadership of

General Gholson they can (if they act their part well) main-tain a good character. Therefore I desire to be with, for honor, or blame, the commander of the State forces, unless I can in everything be equal to the forces with which I and my command associate.

This I regret to Say was^is^ not the case, and this was the reason I desired Transfer. I need many things for my command that Should have been furnished, but I have been unable to obtain them on account of our Military Status—The Guns in our hands are condemned Muskets, and we can not obtain others, (not withstanding new Regiments are being armed with "good guns") on account of the fact that we are State Troops. I have a Veteran Regiment and inequalitiy has (as you know) a demoralizing tendency.

The term of State Service of my Regi-ment with Soon expire, it desires to have its Status fixed and hoped its conduct will entitle it to all the bene-fits the law and your excellency's favor can confer. My Regiment has been and can Still be as effective as State Troops as any Confederate Regiment provided the officers do their duty and carry into execution the provisions of the law.

In this Section where your Excellen-cy has appointed Several persons to raise companies, Battalions, and Regiments, it could be made the basis

of the force, and enable the detachments to cluster around it, and organize Battalions, and Regiments, and Thereby become more effective, from the fact that a wholesome Supervision would be held over the conduct of those authorized to raise commands—

There is an abundance of Forage in this Section and Many men might be brought into the Service which will be otherwise lost to it, unless the State created a Rendervous near here for the organization of its army—

My Regt was organized with eight (8) companies. I have now Nine (9) My aggregate is

	723 Men
Absent without leave	119 "
Present Sick and on duty	604 "

I desire to reorganize under the provisions of the act—I believe to Keep this command together would be to the interest of the Service—I desire to report directly to General Gholson in order that the State may know the condition of this Regiment the manner in which it is provided and every-Thing pertaining to its organization and arrangement

Resp^t. Govenor Your Ob^t. Servant

Jno: M^cQuirk Col 3^rd Reg^t State Cav

To His Excellency Cha^s Clarke Govenor & Commander in Chief State of Missⁱ,,

this communication has been Submitted to all the officers of the Regiment and unamis-mouly concured in—

Jno McGuirk Col 3^rd Miss Cavalry

Col M^cQuirk