social and political circles; and the further my observations extended the
clearer it became to me that their existence in the south was of a rather
precarious nature. Already in Charleston my attention was called to the
current talk among the people, that, when they had the control of things
once more in their own hands and were no longer restrained by the presence
of "Yankee" soldiers, men of Dr. Mackey's stamp would not be permitted to
live there. At first I did not attach much importance to such reports; but
as I proceeded through the country, I heard the same thing so frequently
repeated, at so many different places, and by so many different persons,
that I could no longer look upon the apprehensions expressed to me by
Unionists as entirely groundless. I found the same opinion entertained by
most of our military commanders. Even Governor Sharkey, in the course of a
conversation I had with him in the presence of Major General Osterhaus,
admitted that, if our troops were then withdrawn, the lives of northern
men in Mississippi would not be safe. To show that such anticipations were
not extravagant, I would refer to the letter addressed to me by General
Osterhaus. (Accompanying document No. 10.) He states that he was compelled
to withdraw the garrison from Attala county, Mississippi, the regiment to
which that garrison belonged being mustered out, and that when the troops
had been taken away, four murders occurred, two of white Union men, and
two of negroes. (He informed me subsequently that the perpetrators were in
custody.) He goes on to say: "There is no doubt whatever that the state of
affairs would be intolerable for all Union men, all recent immigrants from
the north, and all negroes, the moment the protection of the United States
troops were withdrawn." General Osterhaus informed me of another murder of
a Union man by a gang of lawless persons, in Jackson, about the end of
June. General Slocum, in his order prohibiting the organization of the
State militia in Mississippi, speaks of the "outrages committed against
northern men, government couriers, and negroes." (Accompanying document
No. 12.) He communicated to me an official report from Lieutenant Colonel