Elizabeth Howell to Richard Yates

Long Creek

Macon Co Ills.

April 1st 1863

To his exelency governer Richard Yates of Illinois

Much respected sir

Though a woman I make bold to adress your Exelency upon a very importent subject in regard to those wretched home Traittors who are now seeking to bring about a guerrilla mode of warfare in my adopted State of Illinois. an old and respected citizen by name of John Burk who we have been acquanted with several years. Called at my house to day and informed us that upon a piece of open ground within two miles of Shelbyville the home trattors and renegades meet daily for drill. and that there is allready betwen two and three thousand who meet there and their num-

bers are daily increseing. allso within a few miles of the Mr. Birks there lived a Union man who refused to join a party of these Traitors and take an oath against the union, he Telling them he was going to live and die a union man they made reply that he would not live long then. So soon after they rushed in rushed in his house at night and attacked him with knifes. his wife wife picked up the gun and shot one of the Traittorous murderers at that moment one of the rascels split her husband's head open they then killed her. The children (two or three) escaped. The above tragedy was gethered from from the oldest girl (who was 8 years old) but who could not tell who the

the murderers where.

Mr. Burk tells me he heard a renegade from Missouri by name Morgan n. Woods and a sort of Camelite preach tell those Secesh at Shelbyville that they must go North in squads and each man press a gun. and upon there road back to press a horse a peace. and if they didnot know how to do it he could learn them as he had been engaged in bushwacking in Missouri for twelve months. As Mr. Burk said he did not know of any one who had sent you word cartain but supposed they had. I wanted my husband to send you word but he said he thought others had wrote.

but I thought if any had sent you word their proceedings would have been stoped ere this. So I thought

I would myself write to you. And now your Exelcy I conjure you in the name of God. in the name of humanity, in the name of my beloved America. and in the name of our loved ones who are fighting the rebelious South and suffering all maner of hardships for our glorious union. and in the name of Illinoises sacred dead who have been sacrificed upon there country's allter to stop these fiendish proceedings or my loved State becomes like her sister State. Suffering. bleeding. Missisouri Save us. Oh Save us. most excellent Governer from the sufferings our Sister State has endured. and the prayers of Illinois women and children will arise to heaven in your behalf.

respectfully yours,

Elizebeth Howell

P.S. my PO adress is Hopewell Macon Co Ills. I tell you this for fear you may think I am not a responsible person I moreover add that at a Republican meeting held at long Creek School house March 26th for the porpouse of nominating Township offiers. that there the Copperheads cheered for the Chicago Time. Cincinnati Enquirer New York Argus, and Jeff Davis and I shall allso state here the names of there leaders. their president is John Eiger. their secitary is John Myres. their other two or three prominent ones are Benson Myres, John Hughs, and Lewis Timberlain. Now I would make this request of you not to expose neither my name or writeing or myself and husband will severly suffer. perhaps with our lifes.

E. Howell,

Elizebeth Howell

Hopewell---Macon Co.

April 1st/63.

Writes to the Gov. about home traitors. Says they meet daily two miles from Shelbyville for drill and that there are between two and three thousand already. A union man refused to join them and they Entered his house one night---killed both himself and wife. Prays the Gov to use his power to stop this. Gives the names of the leaders and asks the Gov not to expose her name.

[illegible]