John M. Johnson to Beriah Magoffin
1861-05-31
- Date of Creation
- May 31, 1861
- Place of Creation
- Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky
- 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
- Box / Folder
- MG5-115 to MG5-116
- CWGK Accession Number
- KYR-0001-019-0062
- Rights
- This image and its transcription are freely available to the public. Images appear courtesy of Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Transcriptions and annotations were created by Kentucky Historical Society staff, volunteers, and interns. When referencing this document, please use our preferred citation.; The use of transcriptions, images, or annotations from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce any material on CWGK is required.
- FTP Identifier
- 32208316
Citation
John M. Johnson to Beriah Magoffin, 1861-05-31, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1859-1862, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, https://discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-019-0062 (December 14, 2025).
Private & confidential
Paducah Ky
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 Genl Pillow 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 cars and where wholely uncontrolable, breaking the cars to pieces, fighting &c. &c. I fear they are a band of plundersers, or Hessians, who will fight under no flag, without the privalege of robbing & plundering as they go Majr Tilghman 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 others, 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
