John M. Johnson to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-019-0062.xml

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Accession Number

KYR-0001-019-0062

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG5-115 to MG5-116

Place of Creation

Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

31 May 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-05-31

John M. Johnson to Beriah Magoffin, 31 May 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1859-1862, MG5-115 to MG5-116, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-019-0062, (accessed April 20, 2024).

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Private & confidential

Paducah Ky
May 31^st 1861
Nights --
To His Excellency
B Magoffin Governor &c-

Dear Sir, since my dispatches today, I learn that the 3 or 4.00 men mentioned as being destined for Columbus Ky, are certainly there It seems that Gen^lPillow refused to send them, in an organised body, and they disbanded, & got a special train and started up to the Junction of the Memphis & Clarksville with the Mobile & Ohio road, -- they Went up in fright car^s and where wholely uncontrolable, breaking the car^s to pieces, fighting &c. &c. I fear they are a band of plunder^ser^s, or Hessians, who will fight under no flag, without the privalege of robbing & plundering as they go Maj^rTilghman went out there this evening, and I have determined to go tomorrow and if possible have them driven back, I believe
the authorities of Tennesse are profoundly anxious to Keep the peace with us and not to invade our soil themselves, nor permit it to be done by other^s, if they can prevent it; -- but with Such troops as those which I am speaking there seems to be no way of dealing ~~withthem,~~ but to Shoot them, which I would do, if I had the power, I have just learned that Col Austin (the same who was in Frankfort you remember) is at the head of it and that he made a speech in Mayfield yesterday in which he foreshadowed the policy by which he would be governed ~~in a speech~~, a notice of which I send you, cut from the Herald Extra of today -- I am anxious to hear from you and shall be much troubled untill I do,- But be assured of one thing I will do my best to get them out of Columbus

Every thing is quiet here at present, but it is only the quiet that precedes the Storm, in Illinois, they are organesing Companies right oposite to us on the bank of the river
and driving away all the Southern rights men in the state,

I will despatch ^to^ you again tomorrow, & every day afterwards, as long as any thing of interest is happening here

I am very respectfully
Jno M Johnson

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