https://www.susannahjural.com/cwrgm/files/original/cc1fc2421f6f8bdb2c27734f62e3e305.png 6c6b440a5abc25c50cd0115a0f95f2b5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Memory and Commemoration Subject The topic of the resource Most documents from the height of Civil War memory and commemoration efforts in Mississippi and the larger United States are from the early 20th century. Because of this, they won't be found in the CWRGM collection, which ends in 1882. But CWRGM documents can still help site users think about how the <a href="https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/lost_cause_the">Lost Cause</a> helped erase the memory of white Unionism in Mississippi, of Black military service in the Union armies/navy, and of tremendous socio-economic advances by African-Americans during the era of Reconstruction that were systematically attacked as that era came to a close. The documents in this section help students, educators, researchers, and the public explore the wartime experiences that the Lost Cause helped erase. Some of the earliest examples of wartime dissent that surface in these sample documents occur shortly after the Confederacy passed the Conscription Act, forcibly drafting men into Confederate military service. Instances of this appear in <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/24">July 1862 in Kemper County</a> and <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/25">August 1862 in Lowndes County, MS</a>, and you'll notice that they mostly address perceived inefficiencies of the law or its unfair enforcement. A great example of this is the <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/23">July 1862 petition from Jasper County</a> opposing illegal implementation of the draft, but not the draft per se. In October 1862, however, the Confederate legislature enacted what became known as the 20 Slave Law to ensure that selected slave holders could remain at home to police enslaved populations and ensure that agricultural production continued. For a summary on this exemption and the frustrations it caused, including complaints that this was now a "rich man's war but a poor man's fight," see <a href="https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/twenty-slave_law">this short essay</a>. Evidence of the growing resistance to conscription in Mississippi surfaces in these sample documents as early as the spring and summer of 1863, with an account from Canton, MS, referencing the <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/39">public's sympathy for deserters</a> and another from Union Church in Jefferson County referencing the public's unwillingness to assist in the <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/45">arrest of deserters</a>. As late as the spring of 1865, documents can be found in the collection, like this one from <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/64">Enterprise, MS</a>, noting the need to round up deserters and locals' unwillingness to assist in the process. On the question of Unionism in Mississippi during and immediately following the war, historians estimate that approximately 500 white Mississippians serve in the <a href="http://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/articles/175/mississippi-soldiers-in-the-civil-war">Union Army and Navy</a>, while others expressed their Union sympathies as civilians. Several examples of this exist in these sample documents, but not necessarily in this "Memory and Commemoration" theme. You can find them by doing a keyword search for "Union" at the top of any page in the exhibit. One example of wartime Unionism is found in <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/73">James H. Pierce's July 1865 </a>letter to Governor Sharkey, seeking an appointment in recognition of Pierce's loyalty as a "union man" during the war. A <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/77">similar account</a> of longstanding unionism arrived in Sharkey's office that month from a Macon, MS man. Former Confederates noted Unionist support as well, as this <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/68">June 1865 letter</a> from Ripley, MS demonstrates. O. Davis was a former Confederate who accepted that defeat, noting, "the institution of slavery was staked upon the result of the war. We have played and lost and I, for one, am willing to surrender this stake." But Davis protested the idea that Mississippi men who fought for the Union might receive political appointments in the postwar period, insisting that "There is, and will be, for some time much prejudice against Those Southern men who have been in the U.S. army." One of the most powerful documents in this theme is the <a href="http://susannahjural.com/cwrgm/items/show/66">May 1865 address</a> by Mississippi's last Confederate governor, Charles Clark. CWRGM is digitizing governors' Legislative Ledgers last, so this image is actually from digitized microfilm and doesn't reflect the quality standards of the project. It's also difficult to read, as you will notice from the incomplete transcription. But if you scroll down a bit, you'll see that this is a speech by Governor Clark to the Mississippi House of Representatives. The state had just surrendered to Union forces and all sitting office-holders, from the governor on down, were sent home, with some concerned that they might be arrested. Clark's speech reflects his determination to shape how history remembers their role in the Confederacy, despite insisting that he "shall leave the story of this contest to after times & the pen of the impartial Historian. Its History can not now be written." Instead, Clark presented one of the earliest histories of the war, listing its causes, the best approach for the future, and how the state's role in the Confederacy should be remembered. (Written by Susannah J. Ural, Ph.D.) Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Yazoo City Oct 3, 1862 To The Hon Gov J, J, Pettis Dear Sir Having returned home after serving faithfully in the 18th" Miss Regt through all the hard fighting for 15 months closing after the 7 Days fighting around Richmond Va. beeing 49 years of age and honourably dis-charged, I deem it my duty to inform your Honour that ^there^ is a stout able healthy young man here who it appears has been practicing deception in order to evade the conscrip act by representing to your honour that the Negroes were getting very troublesome in this nobourhood and that he was the only protector of several families, and all of which is false, there is no one in the nobourhood who would sign his petition, and no one who wishes his protection as I herd his motherinlaw say her only son is in the war, His detale patrole is to and end he now branches off by purchasing a pattent to tan leather individually and now intends to learn to make shoes all which is to evade the conscrip act he beeing 26 years of age, speculating in tobacco from the beginning of the war he has said he would not go that he had no Negroes and that the rich might fight, for them Negroes that he did not intind to fight such is the man Robert S. Bates, I leave him under your Honourable consideration and if you think it advisable you can inform, Gen Tupper, Col Hamer of Yazoo City or the Provost Marchill Tyler of Yazoo City who is stout and hearty well known as such, I deem this my duty as an old faithfull Souldier, Allow me to remain your friend and obt Sevt Soldier Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter from discharged soldier to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; October 3, 1862 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context mdah_757-942-10-6 Subject The topic of the resource Confederate States of America. Army.; Draft resisters; Military discharge; Mississippi. Governor; Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867.; Retired military personnel Description An account of the resource From the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Governor Pettus Collection. Letter from a discharged soldier to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus informing on Robert L. Bates, who is avoiding the draft. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (electronic version); Mississippi Digital Library. (electronic version) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1862-10-03 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Funding for this project provided by The Dale Center for Study of War and Society-USM, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Digital Library, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Watson-Brown Foundation Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ Language A language of the resource English Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1862