William A. Elkin et al. to Thomas E. Bramlette

KYR-0002-022-0029.xml

Accession Number

KYR-0002-022-0029

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department of Military Affairs

Collection

37th - 76th Regiments Enrolled Militia Primary Source Documents (1861-1866)

Item Location

Box 80, Folder 863-64 GREEN COUNTY Recruiting & Raising Company, 46th Rgt. Ky. Militia

Place of Creation

Summersville, Green County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

30 November 1863

Dates Mentioned

1863-11-30

Summersville Green Co. Ky.Nov 30^th/63
His Excellency Thos E. Bramlette. Gov of Kentucky,

The purpose of this address is to inform you that a MrG. J. Ralston. in the early part of the last week, Stuck up notices at various places throughout our county, Notifying all men between the age of 18 & 45, years to meet at their various voting places for the purpose of organizing the Militia. Two of the five Districts of the county were notified to assemble at their voting place at the widow Susan DeSpains, at 10 Oclock. A. M. on last Friday, (giveing three days notice) under penalty of haveing to report at Frankfort Ky. in fifteen days: Which resulted as follows, about 100 men attended, from the two Districts that poll upwards of 400 votes, Those in attendance were very nearly all firm uncompromising Union men. Mr Ralston came up some time after the appointed hour, and after dividing the men into two companies, and making a public address in which he informed the men that the purpose of the meeting was to Organize the State militia by Order (as he said) of our Hoⁿ Go^v of Ky, he proceeded to adminster the oath to the men in line, to be found on page 17^th Article V. I. in State Guard Law, informing those who refused to take said oath that they would be compelled to leave the State. We have ^since^ made an examination of S^d Law and we can find nothing in it to warrant S^d Organization as there has been no Election of Col or Lieu^t Col in our county at any of the late elections held since the passage of sd Law and we have seen no Order in the public newspapers either from your Excellency or any of your staff, ordering the
organization of the enroled Militia of this State, and it is now generally believed, and publicly reported throughout the county that he had no such order or authority from your Excellency or staff to either Organize or adminster such oath or obligation, and that his object may be ^to^ try to hold the Loyal Citizens as subject to his order and bound by their oath, this has created great and general dissatisfaction among the people, The Loyal people here are all submission to the Laws of the State and the powers that be, and are ready and willing to do their full part of anything that the emergencies may require and that the Honorable Go^v of their State might demand at their hands, and you would confer a favor not to be forgotten, and bring the loyal citizens of our vicinity under lasting obligations to your Honor, by dropping us a line of explanation on this subject.

We are with the
greatest Respect
Your O^bt humble servt
Wm A, Elkin.
D. P. Mears
John N Money
Jas F Thompson
Wm L,, DeSpain
Cap^tC H Blevins Ret,, offr

P, S, Enclosed you will find one of Mr Ralston's Notices, Please direct to Summersville Ky to any one of us.

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