Kate Andrews to Richard Yates

Rome, Ill,

Jefferson Co

May 3rd/62

Gov Yates

Dr Sir

You will perhaps think me presumptive in thrusting myself on your precious time, but you will please give me a hearing. You are aware perhaps that Jefferson County is in the main, strong Secesh, and our small village, Rome is ruled by traitors and sent 7 or 8 men to the Rebel Army some 8 or 9 months ago, and one of those, worse than Southern traitors, was wounded & taken prisoner by our men at Pittsburgh & is now in St Louis, his friends from here have visited him & are about getting him home on parole, and we are not going to have it so, we say he shall not live here any more, and have told them we will hang him most assuredly if he comes, but they are strong & we are weak, our men are nearly

all in the army, and they have organized all the Knights of the Golden Circle into Companies & are well armed & prepared to fight for R.W. Carpenter when he is brought home. Day before yesterday they sent a man around to tell us that we should not even talk any more against him or make any threats against him or the traitorous cause, or our blood would be shed & our houses burned, that they were prepared at a moments warning to kill every Lincoln Abolitionist, and have been instructed in every form by them, had to listen to their treason& no way to help ourselves. They all claim to be union men every one of them, but all belong to the H.G.C. and hurrah for Jeff Davis, & do everything against the Union Cause & Union Soldiers, the school teachers even taught the little children that Jeff Davis was the present president & encouraged them to write compositions against our flag the immortal Stars & Strips. We have applied to the Military Authorities time and again but they don't heed such things

I wish you would help us if possible, send a man, shrewd & trusty to Rome & let him pretend to be Secesh

& he can so get inside their organizations & d out things  You would not believe were I to tell you, & then do have them arrested & compelled to quit talking treason. Just to think our boys are in the army, deprived of all comforts & giving their lives even to protect those same traitors not in the south but here at home in our own free beloved State the home of the brave Illinois troops, I will give you the names of some of the meanest traitors at Rome, Doctor Lakin John Cross, Jo Slanitstein (Frenchman) William Carpenter, Henry Caldwell, Saml Caldwell Lige Harmon, William McConnell & Many others too in significant to mention, Dr. Lakins son is all right, seen off & joined our army & his father denies him shelter under his roof.  I do not want any one to know I wrote this or we would be burned out before morning but I will refer you 

to good loyal men to prove there assertions, Citizens of Rome , Doctor Jones Hiram Milburn, James [Lenity?] , and John Maxfield, but do send a Spy please Some of the Union ladies of Rome have sent into Marion County for Revolvers to defend themselves but cannot obtain them yet. I have seen & heard so much of your kindness to our brave soldiers & your strong love for our good cause that I thought surely you would not suffer traitors to rule in any portion of the state over which you are Governor, and I made face enough to tell you thinking if I could do no good thereby it surely would do no harm as my letter does not require a reply

Yours very respectfully

Mrs Kate Andrews

Write that this letter did not come to my notice till to day - that the patriotic spirit she manifests is admirable - but hope that all is now quiet in The "Eternal City" and then send this letter to Hon D.L. Philips and suggest this lady as a valuable correspondent

Miss Kate Andrews

Rome Ills

May 3d 1862

Ans &c