USA > Georgia > The Confederate records of the State of Georgia, Vol 2 pt 2 > Part 22
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Taking these two provisions together, I do not see how any candid man can say that Congress has the power, under the pretext of raising and supporting armies, to place the free exercise of religion and the freedom of the press at the "discretion" of the President. Nor can it be denied that the freedom of both are dependent upon his will, when the law permits no one to publish a paper or to preach the Gospel without a detail from him. What possible connection does the preaching of the Gospel in the City of Milledgeville, or any other place, have with raising and supporting armies ? And why is it necessary that the preacher of the Gospel should, by Act of Con- gress, be mustered into the Military Service of the Con- federate States, and put under the control of the Presi- dent, to be detailed back, in the "discretion" of the President, to preach? Is this the "free exercise of re- ligion ?"
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Is not the freedom of the press abridged when a newspaper can only be published with the consent of the President, and is not the independence and dignity of the legislator lost when he is compelled to enter the Legislative Hall with a detail in his pocket, subject to be ordered out of it at any moment when it suits the interest or caprice of the President? Is this State Sov- ereignty, freedom of the press and free religion?
When Congress enact such a law it converts the re- publicanism of the Confederate States into the despotism of Turkey, makes the President a Dictator and pros- trates the liberties of the country, the independence of the press and the religious privileges of the people, at his feet. Even the Lincoln Government, despotic as it is, has not dared to attempt any such encroachments upon the liberties of the people of the United States.
I wish, in advance, to enter my solemn protest against this monstrous proposition, which, if adopted by Con- gress, will not only endanger the success of our cause by breaking the spirits of our people, which may precipitate counter revolution, but may, and I fear will, engender a strong feeling for reconstruction with the odious Gov- ernment of the North as the only means of escape from a worse despotism. I therefore earnestly recommend the passage of a joint Resolution by this General Assem- bly instructing our Senators and requesting our Repre- sentatives in Congress to vote against, and use all poss- ible influence, to prevent the passage of any such law.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA,
November 18th, 1864.
To M. B. Peters, of Augusta, Ga .:
You are hereby appointed and commissioned agent of the State of Georgia to receive all such goods, including soldiers' clothing, blankets, cotton cards, etc., as the State of Georgia may import at the city of Charleston, S. C., and to ship and store them in safe places as they arrive. You will give diligent attention to this business, and report each importation promptly to the Governor.
This commission to continue in force till revoked by the Governor.
Witness my hand and Seal of the Executive Department, the day and year above written.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA,
November 19th, 1864.
PROCLAMATION.
The whole people understand how imminent is the danger that threatens the State. Our cities are being burned, our fields laid waste, and our wives and children
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mercilessly driven from their homes by a powerful enemy. We must strike like men for freedom, or we must submit to subjugation.
Death is to be preferred to loss of liberty. All must rally to the field for the present emergency, or the State is overrun.
I, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the statute of the State, hereby order a levy en masse of the whole free white male population residing or dom- iciled in this State between sixteen (16) and fifty-five (55) years of age, except such as are physically unable to bear arms, which physical defect must be plain and indisputa- ble, or they must be sent to camp for examination, and except those engaged in the Legislature or Judicial De- partments of the government, which are, by the recent Act of the Legislature, declared exempt from compulsory service.
All others are absolutely required, and members of the Legislature and Judges are invited, to report imme- diately to Major-General G. W. Smith, at Macon, or wherever else in Georgia his camp may be, for forty (40) days' service under arms, unless the emergency is sooner passed.
The statute declares that all persons hereby called out shall be subject, after this call, to all the rules and articles of war of the Confederate States, and on failure to report shall be subject to the pains and penalties of the crime of desertion.
Volunteer organizations formed into Companies, Bat- talions, Regiments, Brigades or Divisions, will be ac-
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
cepted for forty (40) days, if they even approximate to the numbers in each organization which is required by the militia laws of this State, which were in force prior to the last Act.
All police companies formed in counties for home de- fence, will report, leaving at home, for the time, only those over 55 years of age; and all persons having Con- federate details or exemptions who, by the late decision of the Supreme Court of this State, are held to be liable to State militia service and bound to obey the call of the Governor.
All such refusing to report will be arrested by the police or by the aide-de-camp or other officer of this State, and carried immediately to the front. The necessary employees of railroads now actively engaged, and the necessary agents of the Express Company, and telegraph operators, from the necessity for their services in their present positions, are excused. All ordained ministers of religion in charge of a church or synagogue are also excused.
All railroad companies in this State will transport all persons applying for transportation to the front, and in ease any one refuses, its President, Superintendent, Agents and employees will be immediately sent to the front.
All aides-de-camp and other State officers are required to be active and vigilant in the execution of the orders contained in this proclamation, and all Confederate of- ficers are respectfully invited to aid State officers in their vicinity in sending forward all persons hereby ordered to the front.
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The enemy has penetrated almost to the centre of your State. If every Georgian able to bear arms would rally around him he could never escape.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
PROCLAMATION.
While our noble armies are doing everything in their power to defend our homes and property, and are entitled to the lasting gratitude and active support of the people of this State and of the whole Confederacy, and while the militia have left their homes unprotected and have taken up arms and acted with the gallantry of veterans upon almost every battle field from Powder Springs to Gris- woldville-it is a matter of extreme mortification to know that a large part of our cavalry force, which should hang around and constantly annoy the enemy as he passes through our State and cut off his foraging parties and impede his march, have left their commands and are now scattered in squads and in small bands over nearly half the territory of the State, robbing and plundering the citizens indiscriminately, and taking from the wives and children of soldiers who are in service, discharging their whole duty, the supplies of provisions which are their only means of support.
These predatory bands of thieves and robbers, who devastated the country under pretext of making impress- ments of property for the use of the army, are a dis- grace to the commands to which they profess to belong, and I am sure their conduct meets the unqualified con- demnation and scorn of every true soldier in the army.
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
All other means for the suppression of this indiserim- inate robbery having failed, the people are obliged, as far as they have the ability, to depend upon their natural rights of self-protection by the use of force.
I, therefore, hereby call upon the Justices of the Infe- rior Courts, Clerks, Sheriffs, and all other persons re- maining at home not subject to my last call, to organize and arm themselves as best they can, and wherever a band of these plunderers enter the county and takes the property of any citizen by force to pursue them imme- diately and shoot them down whenever they find them, and to report the facts, if the force is more than they can manage, to Lieutenant-General Taylor, at Macon, who will, while he remains in Georgia, uphold and sustain them by force.
I am authorized by General Taylor to say that he will give the citizens all the aid in his power to slay them when and wherever they are found committing the outrages above mentioned, and in plain cases, where proof of the robbery is satisfactory and the parties can be identified, he will order them shot as soon as they can be appre- hended and the facts established. For this protection the whole people of the State will owe General Taylor a lasting debt of gratitude.
No officer or band of men is authorized to make any impressment of private property without the exhibition of competent authority from the War Department. Till further notice no impressments will be legal unless the party making them exhibits an order from Major Nor- man W. Smith, Major-General Howell Cobb, or, in spe- cial cases, from Major-General Wheeler, over his own
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signature, specifying the necessity and the particular property to be taken, or an order from some General of higher rank than any above mentioned; and then only when there is a strict compliance with the laws of Con- gress regulating impressments.
All who attempt to impress without an order over the genuine signature of one of the officers above men- tioned are robbers, and will be shot down by any one able to do it.
Given under my hand and the seal of the Executive Department, this the 24th day of November, 1864.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
HEADQUARTERS, MACON, GEORGIA,
November 24th, 1864.
IRA R. FOSTER, Quartermaster-General:
You will proceed to the militia camps to be established at Newnan and Athens, and see that such provisions are made for the troops which are to assemble there as will prevent suffering as far as possible.
You will call on Lieutenant-General Taylor before you leave and adopt his suggestions, and ask him to send by you such orders to Confederate Quartermasters and Commissaries, as will secure the supplies necessary. If
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
possible, have the men covered with tents or flies, as they are fresh from their homes.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
HEADQUARTERS,
MACON, GEORGIA,
November 25th, 1864.
It is hereby ordered, that a camp for organization of the militia of this State be established under my procla- mation ordering a levy en masse at Macon, one at Albany, one at Newnan, and one at Athens, and that the militia report to the one or the other place as they may find it most convenient, with the least possible delay.
Colonel L. N. Whittle will take charge of the camp at Macon, and assign to duty under him such assistants as he needs.
Colonel B. C. Yancey will take command of the camp at Athens, with Colonel S. P. Thurmond as assistant, if lie can procure his aid, and such other assistants as he needs.
Colonel William Phillips will take command of the camp at Newnan, with Colonel W. S. Wallace as assist- ant, and such other assistants as he needs.
And Lieutenant-Colonel Jones will take command of the camp at Albany, with necessary assistants, unless Major-General Smith has assigned some other officer to said command.
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In case of a change of commanders of either of said camps, notice will be given accordingly.
The commander of each camp will call upon the Con- federate Commissaries and Quartermasters at the place for all necessary supplies. General Beauregard prom- ises to issue the necessary orders to these officers.
It will be the duty of each Commandant of a camp to organize, as rapidly as possible, all who report, into Com- panies, Battalions and Regiments. In all cases where enough men report, they will be formed into a regiment; when not enough for a regiment they will be formed into a battalion or company. The organizations already formed under my proclamation, in Cherokee and North- eastern Georgia, will be maintained if they report as organizations, but in [case] of battalions they must, when it is practicable, unite and form a regiment.
All officers not already in commission in these organ- izations will be elected by the men to be commanded, and the same rule of election will apply in case of all new organizations. Commissions will issue on the receipt of the returns at the Adjutant and Inspector-General's office at Macon. In the meantime, those elected will command as brevet officers. All cavalry organizations will report dismounted. When needed as cavalry in future, they may be remounted. They are not now needed on horse.
The Commandant at camp may excuse necessary phy- sicians, not exceeding three to a county ; the three selected by the Inferior Court wherever a selection has been made by them. All actual millers engaged in the mills as such, when needed at home will be excused. In extreme cases
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
of hardship, where it is the unanimous report of the neighbors that humanity requires it on account of the condition of the family, as in case of a blind or insane wife, etc., temporary exemptions may be granted.
This power is to be exercised with great caution, as it is subject to abuse, and a thorough organization of all persons able to bear arms in this emergency is absolutely necessary.
The Commandant at Athens will confer and consult with Brig .- Genl. Reynolds, who is respectfully requested to give all the aid in his power by couriers to circulate my proclamation and these orders in Northeastern and Cherokee Georgia, and to aid in furnishing supplies to the militia camp.
All persons under fifty years of age who are subject under my previous order to service in Maj .- Genl. Smith's command of militia, and who have failed to report, will be denied the privilege of going into the new organiza- tion, and will be sent forward to their respective com- mands under Genl. Smith. This will not affect the or- ganizations which have been heretofore, under my proe- lamation, been formed in upper Georgia, in the rear of the enemy, if they now report promptly as organizations, but will apply in all other cases. Only those not subject to duty under Genl. Smith will be received in new organi- zations.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
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CONFEDERATE RECORDS
. (Copy.)
HEADQUARTERS,
MACON, GEORGIA,
November 26th, 1864.
All officers of the Confederate service under the com- mand of Lieut .- Genl. R. Taylor,-particularly Quarter- masters and Commissaries-are directed to render all possible assistance to the Qr. Master Genl. of the State of Georgia (Col. Ira R. Foster), in the discharge of his duties under the written letter of instructions from Gov- ernor Brown.
By command of Lieut. Genl. Taylor, 1
(Signed) M. F. BULLOCK, JR., A. A. G.
HEADQUARTERS,
MACON, GEORGIA,
Ordered,
December 5th, 1864.
That Coln. B. B. Hamilton be furnished immediately, by the Commander of the camp of militia at Macon, with six armed men, such as he may select, to proceed, well armed with at least 30 rounds of ammunition, to Sumter county to bring up under arrest such persons as are em- braced in my late proclamation for forty days' service as militia men.
F
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
Said Hamilton will proceed to said county and arrest all such as I have required to report under the late Aet of the Legislature, and place each person so arrested, who has failed and refused to respond, in the common jail of said county as a deserter, till he can be sent to these Headquarters for trial and punishment.
All, rich and poor, will be required to submit to and obey the law. These orders are to be executed promptly.
JOSEPH E. BROWN,
Gov. & Comdr .- in-Chief.
HEADQUARTERS, MACON, GEORGIA, December 5th, 1864.
Ordered,
That Col. G. W. Lee take with him two good assist- ants and proceed up the State Road, as far as he can safely go, and report to me the condition of the Road with accuracy and care, and report his expenses to the Q. M. Genl., which must be as economical as the service to be rendered will allow, and the same will be paid by the Q. M. General. The report to be in writing, and to give a description of the condition of each section of the Road.
JOSEPH E. BROWN,
Gov. & Comdr .- in-Chief.
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CONFEDERATE RECORDS
(Copy.)
HEADQUARTERS GEORGIA RESERVE AND MILITARY DISTRICT OF GEORGIA,
MACON, GEORGIA,
General Orders
December 7th, 1864.
No. 30.
I. The following military organizations, raised under the authority of Governor Brown and afterwards re- ceived into the Confederate service by General J. B. Hood, to-wit: the Regiment commanded by Col. Findlay, the Battalions commanded by Majors Beall, Murkinson, Graham, McCallum and Ledford, and the Battalion lately commanded by Lieut. Col. Glenn, of Pickens county, (whose commission was revoked because he was reported to Governor Brown as a deserter) under the persons who may have been elected to command it, will be maintained for sixty days from date on discharge of such duties as they may be called upon to perform.
II. After the expiration of the sixty, all men between the ages of 18 and 45, subject to conscription, will report to the proper enrolling officer for assignment to the army in the field-those liable either to militia duty or to serv- ice in the Reserves will remain in the present organi- zations.
III. All persons now in these organizations absent without leave from the Confederate army will return promptly to their commands with the assurance that
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their cases will be recommended to the most favorable consideration of their respective commanding Generals in view of the services rendered by them in these organi- zations, and to carry out this object the officers under whom they have been serving will furnish each one with a statement of his services. After this opportunity fur- ther indulgence to absentees will not be granted.
IV. The officers in command of these organiza- tions are enjoined to be vigilant in the arrest of all de- serters and absentees, and will forward them without delay to the conscript camp at this place.
By Command of MAJOR-GENERAL HOWELL COBB.
R. J. HALLETT, A. A. Genl.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
MACON, GEORGIA,
December 7th, 1864.
I. The above orders of Major-General Cobb have been submitted to my inspection, and I concur in the order that the persons in said organizations who are subject to my command as militiamen remain in the same organization with those subject to his command as Confederate Reserves till further orders, and I direct all such organizations to report to General Cobb and obey his orders in future, as they have heretofore obeyed the orders of General Hood, till further directions from these Headquarters.
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II. All persons in said organizations who belong to the State line, or to the company of State Scouts, who are now absent without leave, will report immediately to their respective commands. Those who obey this or- der by reporting to their commanding officers, or if they cannot reach them, to these Headquarters, within the next twenty days will receive a free pardon, except the deduction of the wages for the time they have been ab- . sent, and one month's additional deduction.
III. All other persons not in said organizations who are so absent without leave, will also report to their re- spective commands within twenty days, and will be ex- cused from any degrading punishment.
JOSEPH E. BROWN. -
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA, December 7th, 1864.
It is reported to me that much of the public property belonging to the State House and the furniture which was left in the Executive Mansion, and much of the property of the penitentiary, including a large lot of leather, have been taken possession of by citizens and negroes in and around Milledgeville.
I hereby order all persons having any of said prop- erty to return it immediately to Wiley C. Anderson, who is hereby appointed to receive and take charge of it.
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STATE PAPERS OF GOVERNOR JOS. E. BROWN
If this order is not obeyed promptly, all houses or ` places suspected of having such property concealed in them, will be searched and the persons concealing or keeping such property will be arrested and committed to the common jail of the county till proper legal pro- ceedings can be had for their punishment.
JOSEPH E. BROWN.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, MACON, GEORGIA, December 9th, 1864.
Ordered, That General W. P. Howard retain posses- sion of the Masonic building in Atlanta, and preserve the hall and use the store rooms in it to store State property till further orders, and that he procure wagons and labor on the best terms in his power to collect and store all property of value in and about Atlanta which belongs to the State of Georgia, and all he can of the State Road property, including iron, etc.
JOSEPH E. BROWN, Governor of Georgia.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
MACON, GEORGIA,
December 19th, 1864.
Captain Jones, of Towns county, and Captain Chris- topher, of Union, will report with their respective com-
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panies to Colonel Ledford, till further orders, for such service as he may direct.
JOSEPH E. BROWN, Governor of Georgia.
HEADQUARTERS, MACON, GEORGIA, December 19th, 1864.
General Order
No. -
I. All parts of the State, except the seacoast and a small garrison at Dalton, being relieved from the presence of the enemy, the Reserve Militia, who have responded to the last call of the Governor and are now in camps of organization, who have not been ordered to report to Major-General Smith, are hereby furloughed until further orders from these Headquarters.
II. The organizations completed in camp or at home under special orders, will be maintained subject to any future call which necessity may, in the opinion of His Excellency, demand. In the meantime, they will, under the direciton of the officers commanding in their respec- tive counties, perform police and patrol duty for two days, to-wit: Friday and Saturday in each week. They will extend all needful protection to citizens, and special care will be taken to guard the homes of wives and families of soldiers who have died, or who are in service, from depredations of thieves and marauders. They will arrest all stragglers and deserters, and send them, if Con-
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federates, to the nearest military post-or, if State troops, to the Commandant of the camp at Macon.
III. They will arrest all men under fifty years of age subject to serve with the troops under Gen. G. W. Smith, and send such to the Commandant at Macon to be forwarded to their command.
IV. They will, at all times, act as a county police and arrest all suspicious persons liable to service, ex- amine their papers, and send all such as are attempting to pass without proper authority, to the Commandant of the nearest military post.
V. Officers in command of companies will report weekly to their superior officers commanding Regiments or Battalions and those will make monthly reports to Headquarters.
VI. The militia in any county, who do not conform promptly to these orders, will be held for field duty.
VII. All men in the various counties subject to the call of his Excellency of the 19th ult., and who have failed to report for duty, will be required to perform such extra service in their respective counties as the officers commanding shall deem necessary.
VIII. All armed details sent to various counties to arrest and bring up persons refusing to respond, will report to their respective camps with the persons ar- rested, and will deliver them to the Commandants of the camp, to be reported by them to the Commander-in- Chief for proper action. They will, on their return, do-
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liver their arms to the Commandant of their camps, and then to be released on furlough under these General Orders ..
IX. The Commander-in-Chief takes this occasion to express his thanks to the reserve militia, who have res- ponded with such alacrity to the call of the State in her hour of trial.
By order of
JOSEPH E. BROWN,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief. 1
W. K. DEGRAFFENRIED,
Major and A. S. G.
-
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
MILLEDGEVILLE, GEORGIA, January 20th, 1865.
The 25th Section of the General Appropriation Act, assented to December 18th, 1864, having authorized the State Treasurer to burn, every two months, or oftener, if necessary, in the presence of the Governor, or other persons appointed by him, the State Treasury Notes due on the 25th of December, 1864, and redeemed by him; and also such State change bills redeemed at the Treasury which may be unfit for circulation: I hereby appoint Col. N. C. Barnett, Genl. Stith P. Myrick and Seth N. Boughton, or any two of them, to witness and to certify to the burning of the above named Treasury notes and change bills stated in said Act-and that the
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