Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 7.djvu/545

64 necessary; but the preservation of the crops, order and safety require that a certain number of active men should remain within the State."

On May 2, 1863, President Davis telegraphed Governor Pettus: "Can you aid General Pemberton by furnishing for short service militia or persons exempt from military service, who may be temporarily organized to repel the invasion?" The stout-hearted and iron-willed war governor answered back the same day: "The people are turning out, from fifty to sixty. Mississippi is more seriously threatened than ever before. Reinforcements necessary. Send me arms and ammunition. Our people will fight."

And so, from 60,001 free white men in the State in 1860-61 between ages of 21 and 50, Mississippi on August 1, 1863, had furnished to the Confederacy 63,908 volunteer soldiers. (See House Journal, November, 1862, and November, 1863, appendix, p. 76.) There has been no such exhibition of patriotism since Bruce and Wallace left the craigs of Scotland for battle.

After the surrender of Island No. 10, General Beauregard ordered the destruction of cotton along the Mississippi river, to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy, and apprehensions were entertained that Vicksburg might soon be attacked by the Federals. Some troops were sent there, and fortifications were begun under Capt. D. B. Harris, chief of engineers. Colonel Autry was at this time military commander at Vicksburg.

Capt. Ed. A. Porter reported from Holly Springs, June 6th, that, acting under orders, he had caused to be burned in Fayette, Shelby and Tipton counties, Tenn., and Marshall and De Soto counties, Miss., upwards of 30,000 bales of cotton, meeting with little opposition from the planters, who were generally ready to make this sacrifice for the good of the country. Col. N. B. Forrest was also directed to perform this work of patriotic destruction south of the Tennessee river.