March 21, 1864: A. S. Mitchell to William T. Sherman

Transcript:

Cincinnati, O.

March 21. 1864

General:

I wish to procure the release of Alex W. Smith, Jr., James D. Harrell, and Joseph B. Douglas–Confederate prisoners, lately sent North from Memphis—on the condition that they take the Amnesty oath as prescribed by President Lincoln. These young men are all minors, two of them were conscripted into the Rebel service, the other was sold into it, as a substitute at the age of 16 years. They all left it voluntarily, and without furlough, with the intention of escaping from that service. They were captured at the Federal lines on their return towards their homes, confined at Memphis + then sent North, as above stated. I regard the case of these young men as in itself meritorious; but I chiefly solicit their release on the grounds of public policy. Lately I went into Tipton County, West Tennessee, under your authority, General, to organize the citizens thereof for self-defence, + to put them in a position to suppress guerillaism & robbery and maintain peace and order in the County without military intervention. In this work I was entirely successful. A large majority of the County enrolled, under your guarantee of favor, and filed their enrollment with Maj. Gen. Hurlbut. I am sure they are going to fight the thing through unaided + in good faith. Among the most prominent & decidedly the most efficient citizens in this good work were Alexander W. Smith, Sr. and John B. Douglas, who have been respectively the presiding County Justice and County Clerk of Tipton Co. for many years. One is the father of one of the prisoners, the other the uncle of the other two. They make this application for the release of their young relatives, & I desire that they should have their petition granted as a reward for their good work, and for the moral effect their success will have in Tipton County, showing as it will to all doubting men, that favors begin to flow to good citizens as soon as friendship to the government begins. Maj. Gen. Hurlbut who examined into this application at Memphis promptly recommended it to your favorable consideration. Not expecting to meet you in Cincinnati I left the papers at St. Louis. I would be glad to have you say to the Secretary of War that you would like to have Maj. Gen. Hurlbut’s recommendation in behalf of these young men carried out, +I will present the original papers with his endorsement in Washington. With sentiment of high regard, I am General, your obt. Servant A.S. Mitchell

Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman U.S.A.

If the statement of facts as to these prisoners is true I have no objection to their release

W.T. Sherman [illeg]

Cincinnati

March 20. 64

Let these three boys take the oath of Dec. 8^th and be discharged. A Lincoln April 14, 1864

Citation: A. S. Mitchell, autograph letter signed to William T. Sherman. Cincinnati: 21 March 1864. AMs 777/1