In the letter Gray discusses the case of Adam Lowry, who was tried and convicted twice, first for stealing a hog and then for stealing a horse. He explains that Lowry "is an object of Executive Clemency" and asks that he be pardoned from serving...
Citizens of the county had asked the governor to excuse Lowry from the remaining part of his punishment: "That he is poor, appears penitent - and that...so far as example or reformation may be considered the objects of punishment, these have...had...
The act makes six provisions for dealing with the Cherokee Indian population of the state during the period of removal. First, it stipulates that U.S. citizens will not be allowed to emigrate to Indian reservations, include those Indians who were...
In the letter Lindsey describes local events to Dellet, who is away from his home in Claiborne. He mentions a recent election; poor economic conditions and the glutted cotton market; the capture of slaves who had run away; and a feud between two...
In the letter Gorin asks Dellet to buy three slaves so she can help pay some of her husband's debt. She wants him to purchase the man, woman, and child for $1,300, and then she plans to take them to New Orleans and hire them out by the day. It is...
During the Mexican-American War, Moore organized and led the Eutaw Rangers, a group of volunteers from Greene County, Alabama. In the diary he describes his war service from May 26, 1846, to May 13, 1847. He mentions troop movements in Mexico and...
In the letter Williams gives his daughter advice as she is "about to enter the intellectual machine shop." He encourages her to control her emotions, focus on her studies, and learn from all her experiences. He mentions a few details about family...
This passage includes a letter written by Gosse, on September 1, 1838. He discusses slavery in Alabama ("a huge deadly serpent"), describing cruel punishments, poor living conditions, and impediments to emancipation. In his view, the institution...
In the letter Bolling gives a detailed account of a recent visit to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. He gives his impression of the structure ("The house is of the strangest plan I ever saw"); describes the poor condition of the burial...
From May 1861 to May 1862 Crenshaw Hall served in the 6th Alabama Infantry. In the letter he discusses recent troop movements; his first night on picket duty; rumors about campaigns and military activity; the relative peace in the area; sickness...
In the letter, written February 11, 1862, Lapsley discusses the supply of coal, saltpeter, and sulphur available to the Confederate government if it decides to establish an armory in Selma, Alabama. He ends by expressing the need for more weapons:...
During the Civil War, Riggs served in Company G of the 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. In the letter he discusses the recent death of his brother, Charlie, who had been sick with typhoid fever: "...it grieved me very much to hear the death of...
From May 1861 to June 1862, John Hall served in the 6th Alabama Infantry. In the letter he discusses the Battle of Seven Pines: "Gen. Rhodes made us a little speech before we got to the field telling us how much the day depended on us &c. We needed...
During the Civil War, Riggs served in Company G of the 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. In the letter he recounts a recent visit with his father, and he discusses the sickness and death he has witnessed during the war: "Dear Sister it is...
During the Civil War, Riggs served in Company G of the 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. In the letter he discusses his poor health; mentions a letter he received from an aunt; and predicts a confrontation with General Buell's forces: ".it is my...
Lucy was the widow of naturalist John Audubon, who was a close friend Mary's husband, Edward. In the letter she mentions that she is recovering from "a most severe illness, produced by sorrows mental and physical." She explains that she will no...
During the Civil War, Alfred Moore served in the 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. In the letter he gives a detailed description of his regiment's involvement in the Battle of Murfreesboro (also known as the Battle of Stones River). He mentions that...
During the Civil War, Semple served as a captain of an artillery battery organized in Montgomery (known as Semple's Battery). He was later appointed a major and transferred to Mobile. In the letter he discusses mutual acquaintances he has seen...
During the Civil War, Jones served in Company G of the 41st Alabama Infantry Regiment; he was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga on September 20, 1863. In the letter he discusses his own poor health ("i hav just bin pewney all this winter") and...
In the letter he describes reaction to a report that Union forces were approaching Tuscaloosa. The alarm was proven false after the cadets were called to arms, but the event demonstrated the city's weakness in case of invasion: "The scouts came...