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STATE OF INDIANA,
Adjutant General's Office,
Indianapolis, July 2^d, 1864
Brig Genl Hugh Ewing
Comdg Dist &C
Munfordville Ky
Dear Sir

The unsettled state of our southern border has induced Gov Morton to instruct me to address you and ask your cooperation in remedying if possible the evils

We are repeatedly in receipt of information from reliable Union men on the Ohio river of bands of guerillas ranging through Meade Breckinridge Hancock Davis and adjoining Counties gathering horses and supplies &C which are run through Southward to Forrest and elsewhere. Our people on this side of the river are almost daily threatened by neighbors who are rebel sympathizers in dialy communication with the marauders, with the loss of their stock &C To such a degree have these threats been made that our Union Men feeling they are so exposed and that the means of protection are so remote hesitate to avow their true Sentiments They feel that their property is safer when they posess profess

rebel sympathies than as Unionists. With such surroundings our Union men are depressed and live in hourly terror whilst the rebels are defiant bold and overbearing. This should be changed and we think that with proper correctives on your side of the river it can be effected.

Most Serious complaints have grown out of Lt Fitch's orders restricting trade and personal intercourse between the banks of the Ohio. Very naturally many alliances exist between famelies on both sides of the river. Our union people cannot visit back and forth it is charged while well known rebels and their sympathiz^s^ers visit at their pleasure with passes granted them by Lt Fitch. The case most notorious and which is causing the greatest indignation is that of a Mr Jenningsof Hawesville an outspoken rebel sympathiser who not only has a general pass for himself and family but is said to be authorized to grant any Steamer permission to land at Hawesville and has been known to ship Tobacco &C when no on else could obtain like permission.

Such restrictions very naturally cause great inconvenience in many families and when they are not enforced against men known to be enemies to the government the friends to the government are naturally and justly incensed and besides it draws a line between the two peoples at the river's banks as tho' it were between two distinct Governments the effects of which

cannot but prove in the end disastrous to our cause

We shall endeavor to devise and send such instructions to our State Militia along the river as will serve to allay if possible the general distrust now prevailing and respectfully request you to examine into the condition of affairs on your side of the river and adopt measures to remedy the existing evils there at an early day

Can you not put a force of 200. or 300. men at several different points to curb and keep in check the almost rampant Secessionists there: — say at Brandenburg — Hawesville [...] & Henderson wih instructions to clear the back country of all guerillas and rebel recruiting parites

Permit me also to direct your mind to Lt Fitch's orders restricting trade &C It seems to us they are unjust and unnecessary and ought to be modified at once

Very Resply
Your Obt Serv't
Laz Noble
Adj Gen Ind