Item description: Resolution, 2 May 1863, from area planters concerning slaves who were being impresssed into Confederate service at Fort Beauregard, La.
More about George W. Logan:
George William Logan (1828-1896) was born in Charleston, S.C., to George William Logan and Anna d’Oyley Glover Logan. In 1849, he moved to New Orleans, La., and, in 1853, he married Marie Telide Soniat du Fossat. Logan, a businessman before and after the Civil War, had interests in the cotton brokerage and exporting firm Logan, Smith, and Claiborne. During the war, he served as a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate Army, commanding a battalion of heavy artillery in Louisiana from 1862 to 1865. The greater part of his service was in the District of Western Louisiana in defense of Fort Beauregard at Harrisonburg on the Ouachita River, near the point where the Ouachita joins the Black River. In September 1863, Logan was ordered to Vienna, La., and, in April 1864, he joined General Kirby Smith in the defense of Shreveport. In March 1865, Logan assumed command at Fort Gallagher near Natchitoches in March 1865 and was paroled in May 1865.
Item citation: From folder 10 in the George William Logan Papers #1560, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Item transcription:
Memorial Petition &
Resolutions passed at a public meeting of the Planters of Morehouse Parish.
on 2nd of May 1863.
Resolved that it is the intention of the Planters of Morehouse Parish, to respond freely to the call of the Military Authority for slaves to work upon the fortifications at Harrisonburg, but in doing so we confidently expect of the Commandant of the Post Col. G.W. Logan to permit the overseers we send to take charge of the negroes from Morehouse during the time they may be at Harrisonburg and returning home. And that they shall not be given any other duties which may cause them to leave the Post so long as our negroes remain there.
Resolved that we have full confidence that Col. Logan will assign to the negroes of Morehouse a ward in the hospital, or a separate building, and that he will place the negroes from this Parish under the medical treatment of the Physician employed by the Planters, and that he will afford him every facility he can for the medical treatment of the said negroes.
Resolved that the Planters of Morehouse Pa. will cheerfully pay the Physician and overseers required in accordance with above Resolution, for their services which our negroes are under their charge.
Resolved that we respectfully request Col. G.W. Logan to have a boat at Point Pleasant Bayou [?] on Wednesday the 11th March to take our negroes to Harrisonburg, as it will be impossible from the present high waters to have them ready for leaving before that time.
The undersigned citizens of the Parish of Morehouse respectfully represent, that reports have been for some time in circulation in their Parish, respecting the treatment which the slave heretofore sent from this Parish to the fortifications at Harrisonburg have received at the hands of the overseers and the surgeon thereon employed, and they have reason to believe from the present disposition of the public mind, that the recent call of Lieut. Col. Logan may not be responded to, requiring one third of the negroes men between the ages of 18 & 50 years, to the great detriment of the public service. They further represent that they have reason to believe from the representatives of Dr. McGraw and Mr. S. Boazeman, that there is much error in these reports, and from a personal knowledge upon the part of many citizens of Lieut. Col. Logan, they are unwilling to believe that he would countenance any derelictions by the parties having immediate control of their slaves, yet the undersigned are not permitted to overlook the dissatisfaction prevalent here, and the injury that may be done the public service unless the dissatisfaction be removed.
Therefore the undersigned respectfully request in view of the matters alluded to that Lieut. Col. Logan may not find it in consistent with the public services, to meet the views set out in the resolutions adopted at a public meeting of the citizens of said Parish held at Bastrop on the 2nd March 1863, a copy of which is hereto subjoined.
The undersigned are confident that if Lieut. Col. Logan shall acceed to the wishes embodied in said resolutions that the call for additional help will be responded to with alacrity by the mass of the people of their parish, and as in duty bound they will every pray.
[list of signees]
