Griffin Garland to Richard Yates

Atilla Williamson Co Ill May 29th 1861

Hon Richard Yates

Dear Sir

I wrote to you on the 25th of last month about the traitors in our County seat & I now write to you again on the same subject by the urgent request of many union men boath Republicans & Democrats & we sincerely hope that you will thoroughly investigat the whole business & crush out treason at home as well as abraud.

On the 25 inst a No of our Citizens in Marion met by agreement a No of others at Wardsvill about 9 miles south of town & formed a secetion company of 85 men, elected their officers & wer then addressed by James Pulley our Rept, John A Clemeson, our states Atorney, Robert Hunley & John Cunningham & I am informed that they all made as strong secetion speaches as they were caipable of making & that they aided & assisted the 85 rebells & that some of them went with them to the Ohio river & saw them safely land in Paduch Ky on their way to Memphis Tenn to fite under Pillow & against our Country.

G. Garland

I was in Marion on Yesterday the 28 inst & was informed that thes same pretious rascals were trying to form an otherer company with fair prospects of success, for Jeff Davis. & I was urged & pressed on all sides & by all parties to write to you & get you to thoroughly investigate the whole business & bring all of their leaders to justice for if you do not attend to this business & effectually put down treason here God only knows what will become of us down here in Southern Ill. The Union cause is now gainning ground here every day & we have almost a majority in this Co, but the Devils in human form do but little else but drink whiskey & hatch treason & if they were well treated according to their Crimes & be put where all traitors ought to be we would not only [have tried?] in Marion but would soon have a large majority of Union men in this Co. Do not understand me to say that I was an eye witness to the above statements but I can find men who were & I believe the evidence is abondant against them & can be procured when needed. I did here our States Atorney say that the last treason acts that our legislature passed could or would

not be enforced in this Co & our Clerk of our Circuit Cort agreed with him & I did here Jim Pully say about the middle of last april with an oath that he would vote for Dick Yates Malitia bill if he Yates or Lincoln would attempt to make Cairo a military point for if they did attempt to do so the railroad would be destroyed & the bridges torn up. I have their Marion section resolutions that they passed last April, but I cannot go in to particulars. Something must be done & that speadily, Can you send a rigiment to Marion & proclaim Martial law catch the ringleaders, take them where justice will be done them say Springfield & try them, if you cannot do these things cannot the Martial Mr Phillips bring a few companies with him, catch them & they be tryed in the u.s. district Cort for I do assure you that it would be worse than nonsense to try them in this Williamson Co. I cannot mail this letter at Atilla my post office address for if I did it would pass through Marion & the post office there is in the hands of the traitors, Patrick Lang ought to be made P.M. at Marion immediately, he is not only a good Republican & union man but is responcible, honest &

& capible of discharging the duties of of a post Master, but whilst those traitors remain undisturbed he dare not recive the apointment for if he were to, it would cost him his life. Lang is a merchant in Marion & lives in daily dread of being mauled simply because he supported our national & state ticket & still holds on to it. If you write to me please direct your letter to Fitts Hill Franklin Co Ill. A good many beleive that if these things continue & the traitors are not arrested & put in close quarters & their treason crushed out that bandit parties will be formed & our property stolen, houses burned & the union men murdered & sutch things are not unlikely for most of the traitors are out of money, out of credit deep in debt & but little to live on & too lazy to work. Once more, I asks you in the name of the Union men of this Co to attend to these apealls immediately & Immediately put an end to their treason.

Your sincere friend

Griffin Garland.

To the Hon

Richard Yates.