Lot 77
JOHN JONES MCRAE
(1815-1868) American politician, antebellum governor of Mississippi and staunch secessionist congressman during the Civil War. A close friend of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. A very rare and historic A.L.S. 4pp. 8vo., Jackson, Apr. 24, 1861, a lengthy report about the movement of Union troops into Cairo, Illinois, written directly to Jefferson Davis just twelve days after the start of the War. In large part: "...Visiting Columbus Ky. on an excursion train from Mobile, to witness...I learned yesterday morning that U. S. Troops, had been sent to Cairo the night previous. As rumors are so uncertain in these times, I went to Cairo to learn the facts for myself. I reached there about 3 o'clock P.M. and found that 750 troops had been sent from Chicago to Cairo. A Company of 80 to 100 men sent back to points on the P. Rd. (Cents Illi) above, to protect the Bridges and parts of the Rd. which were threatened to be destroyed, by Illinoisans from Centralia down, who are disaffected towards Lincoln's War Policy. This left 650 troops at Cairo who were performing drill service thru yesterday. Having arrived on the night before, and having saw recruits, and the Officers undisciplined, there was but little order among them, and they presented a very inferior military looking body. I passed by freely among them, and with a young friend, who interrogated some of the men and the subordinate Officers very closely. The troops are some Militia, with the exception of one Company never having been in ranks, until within a week before resuming for Cairo. The Commanding Officer is a Genl. Swift, of Chicago, who was Captn of one of their Companies there. Part of them are Artillery, the main body Infantry, and with muskets. I saw four pieces of Artillery, Brass pieces on Carriages, 6 pounders I suppose. One of them is placed on the point commanding the Ohio & the Miss. Channels, and they bring up all Boats passing up the River. The Citizens of Cairo were not aware of the coming of the Troops until this arrival. And...any notion they have or others have of their purpose is a dispatch from [Richard]Yates Govr. of Illinois, signed commander in chief, to Genl Swift printed in large letters and posted throughout the town, that he Swift will assure the people of Cairo, that troops are not sent them on account of any distrust of their loyalty to the Union, but to prevent an Invasion from other States. The train which came to Cairo, connecting with the Boat on which I left, brought 560 additional troops, making 1310, including those sent back to protect the Bridges & R Rd. I learned through Judge Milton Brown Prest. of M & O R. Rd. by information rcd. from Officers of the Central Ill. R. Rd. that they had instructions to prepare for the transportation of 5000 troops to Cairo. Judge Brown, Capt. Eli Abbot & myself were together. We learned also that it was the intention of the Govt. to send 10,000 troops to the Missi[ssippi] River opposite St. Louis. The purpose for sending these troops to the points is to repel invasion. But its real object is to subject the control of the Administration, the disaffected sentiment in lower Illinois to overcome the harder sentiment in Missouri & Ky. and moving to take the Control of the navigation of the Rivers, and do whatever is necessary for War purposes. You know better than I do, in a military point of view, what is intended. The express train Central Ill. R. Rd. was overhauled on Wednesday night, and three cases of Maynard Rifles belonging to Tate of Memphis taken out with other articles considered contraband...There is great excitement as well as unanimity among the people in South Ky. & in West Tenn. in favor of Secession and of resisting the occupation of these troops in Cairo. Companies are organizing and arming as far as they have arms ready for the War. I write you these facts, because I suppose you would like to have them from a reliable authority. I went to Cairo special to obtain them, and this letter was half written in Jackson Tenn., where I was assisted, by a call to address the people there, which I did, as also did Judge Brown, where the utmost enthusiasm & entire unanimity prevailed in support of the Confederate Flag, which waved over us...". The 1861-62 invasion of the city of Cairo is almost overlooked within the story of the Civil War. Cairo is strategically located at the convergence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, yet an invasion was little anticipated despite the evidence of Union military activity there. According to several articles, a letter from Senator Lyman Trumball confirms McRae's suspicions evinced herein, namely that by that time 2,700 men and accompanying ordnance had been transported into Cairo from Springfield. Gov. Richard Yates was already ahead of the rest of the country: just after the fall of Fort Sumter on April 13, he ordered troops and munitions to the city. By June 1861, the city was surrounded by 12,000 Union soldiers. Yates rounded up more troops and a formidable arsenal of weapons so that by fall 1861, the city became in essence a huge Union supply base, training center and medical center. U. S. Grant built the city's existing Fort Prentiss into Camp Defiance, which served as a staging area for forays into Missouri and downriver. Judge Milton Brown mentioned in this letter was a congressman from Tennessee and served as the President of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company during the war. A very early Confederate "spy" account forecasting - and lambasting - the forces that would make Cairo the foremost stronghold of the Union. Very good condition.
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