The Difficulty in Reconstructing Mississippi

Championhilz

First Sergeant
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Mar 18, 2011
Location
Clinton, Mississippi
The following is a letter written to provisional Governor William L. Sharkey of Mississippi immediately after the war by J.M.W. Wilson of Lexington, Mississippi. I think it illustrates quite well why Reconstruction of Mississippi (and other former Confederate states as well) was going to be so difficult. Many whites simply could not conceive of treating blacks in any way other than that of an inferior, with few (If any) rights. I have kept the spelling and punctuation just as Wilson wrote the letter:

Lexington, Miss., July 26, 1865
Hon. W.L. Sharkey
Dear Sir,
Allow me as an old acquaintance and friend to state some of the grievances inflicted upon us a down troden and degraded people by the Provost Marshal at this place. He is incouraging insubordination in the negros by fining or imprisoning every man who attempts to defend himself or his family against the insults, impudence or idleness of the negro. If a negros jaws are box[ed] for impudence, or idleness, all he or she has to do is to run to the Provost and make complaint and the man is arrested, put in jail or fined $50. He will not allow a refactory negro, sent off but requires the man to keep them under heavy penalty or carry them to him for punishment. In all such cases the negros tale has more weight with him than the whitemans.
Yesterday a man was fined $50 for taking hold of and shaking an impudent negro; a few days ago another was fined $50 for striking a negro; one blow for refusing to go to work when he told him. To day a lady is to suffer the indignity of being carried before him for cracking a negro on the head with a fork handle. These things are of daily occurance and the Provost is driving quite a thriving business in the way of fines.
Are these things ordered by the powers that be? If so, please let us know it, I believe we as a people are prepared to suffer or to do anything required of us but the iron rule of this Yankee Provost bears very heavily. Please enlighten us if you can as we believe it is a speculation on the part of the Provost, he tolerates a negro whose house right in the midst of town.
Any attention you may give this will much oblige your friend & humble servant,
J.M. Wilson

N.B., don’t subject me unnecessarily to this mans malevalence, though I am willing to take any responsible necessary in the premises and can make proof of what I herein state.
J.M.W.
(Series 771, Box 955, Folder 6, MDAH)

I believe this J.M.W. Wilson to be James McCreary Wilson, who was a wealthy farmer in Holmes County, Mississippi. In the 1860 U.S. Census for Holmes County, he listed real estate worth $4,400, and a personal estate worth $25,039.
 
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