Letter from Mrs. S.B. Mathews in Camden, Alabama, to Thomas H. Watts in Montgomery, Alabama
Item
Identifier
Q0000142397_Q0000142398
Title
Letter from Mrs. S.B. Mathews in Camden, Alabama, to Thomas H. Watts in Montgomery, Alabama
Rights
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Type
Text
Creator
Mrs. S.B. Mathews
Date
1863-11-28
Description
In the letter, Mrs. Mathews writes to the Governor to get him to release her overseers who have been called up to the Militia. As she is a widow she fears rebellion from enslaved workers should she not have a competent and experienced overseer.
Format
.pdf
Language
eng
Place
Camden (Ala.)
Publisher
Alabama Digital History Archives
Contributor
Marc McAlister, Josh Nover
transcription
Hon. T.H. Watts
Sir:
The Militia Law taken from
me my overseer, knowing it impossible to have them
exempted I appeal to you as cheif Commander of the
State of Alabama to examine my case and have them
detailed.
I have two plantations in this State and am com-
-pelled to have overseers as I am a widow and have
no one to assist me in attending to my business
The men I have overseeing are not men who have
taken up this occupation to escape going to the Army
one of them has overseed in this county (Wilcox) for
thirteen years, the other overseed for me in Miss
-issippi for four years. Both are good men and
excellent overseers, without them I would be com
-pletely broken up. Indeed in the rebellious state
my negroes are in. I consider it unsafe be without
some one to control them, and without some one
will have to sell them. When I brought my negroes
to Ala from Mississippi I could do nothing else
with them but divide the number and put
them on my plantation here, although I disliked
very much to do so, as they were anxious to go to
the Yankees and I was afraid they would corrupt
my other negroes. They needed very strict
Sir:
The Militia Law taken from
me my overseer, knowing it impossible to have them
exempted I appeal to you as cheif Commander of the
State of Alabama to examine my case and have them
detailed.
I have two plantations in this State and am com-
-pelled to have overseers as I am a widow and have
no one to assist me in attending to my business
The men I have overseeing are not men who have
taken up this occupation to escape going to the Army
one of them has overseed in this county (Wilcox) for
thirteen years, the other overseed for me in Miss
-issippi for four years. Both are good men and
excellent overseers, without them I would be com
-pletely broken up. Indeed in the rebellious state
my negroes are in. I consider it unsafe be without
some one to control them, and without some one
will have to sell them. When I brought my negroes
to Ala from Mississippi I could do nothing else
with them but divide the number and put
them on my plantation here, although I disliked
very much to do so, as they were anxious to go to
the Yankees and I was afraid they would corrupt
my other negroes. They needed very strict
control but at that time I had but one overseer
and he a miserable, worthless, creature, has done
more mischeif than can be soon undone, he
has left them demoralized and I consider they
need the strictest control.
I send this letter by a Miss Mayhew, any questions
you may wish to know she can answer
Hoping you will consider my case and have
my overseers detailed. I remain
Very respectfully
Mrs. S.B. Mathews
Camden Wilcox County
Nov 28th/63
Wilcox
County
Mrs. Mathews
overseer
and he a miserable, worthless, creature, has done
more mischeif than can be soon undone, he
has left them demoralized and I consider they
need the strictest control.
I send this letter by a Miss Mayhew, any questions
you may wish to know she can answer
Hoping you will consider my case and have
my overseers detailed. I remain
Very respectfully
Mrs. S.B. Mathews
Camden Wilcox County
Nov 28th/63
Wilcox
County
Mrs. Mathews
overseer