AM21-043, August 1, 1865
Form of Material
Official copy of a telegram from Secretary of War E.M. Stanton providing guidance to Gen. Slocum regarding "the Jackson case," which had created a schism between Mississippi Provisional Gov. William Sharkey and Henry Slocum.
Dates
- August 1, 1865
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
Noncirculating; available for research.
Biographical / Historical
Following the Confederacy's defeat, government rule throughout the South was confused as provisional governments, military commands, and the Freedman's Bureau all vied for authority. Lawlessness was rampant.
In Mississippi, tensions came to a head quickly. Governor Sharkey was adamantly opposed to army authority over civilians. When the army arrested a planter, Joseph Jackson, for killing a freedman based on only one slave's accusation, Sharkey directed Judge Daniel Merwin to issue a writ of habeas corpus securing Jackson's release. General Slocum then arrested Judge Merwin. This telegram was sent to Slocum in the midst of this confusion.
Extent
1 Item
Language of Materials
From the Unprocessed Collection: English
Abstract
An innocuous telegram documenting President Andrew Johnson's deliberations regarding the path Reconstruction would soon take throughout the South.
Provenance
Purchased with Culpepper funds
Date of Receipt: February 2021
- Letter. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Mississippi -- History -- 19th century. Subject Source: Local sources
- Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877). Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Slocum, Henry Warner, Major General, 1826-1894
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Manuscripts and Photographs Repository
118 College Drive - 5148
Hattiesburg MS 39406-0001
601.266.4345
