Series 779: Correspondence and Papers. 1865-1868.
Governor’s office. Administration of Benjamin G. Humphreys (RG 27)

Series 779: Correspondence and Papers. 1865-1868.
Governor’s office. Administration of Benjamin G. Humphreys (RG 27)

      Correspondence, reports and requisitions from the administration of Benjamin G. Humphreys, who served as Mississippi.s first Reconstruction governor from 1865-1868. The correspondence is mostly official, with many letters from communities petitioning the governor to pardon individuals in the state penitentiary, as well as letters seeking letters of recommendation and appointments as state commissioners (who were empowered to administer oaths and take depositions and affidavits to be used in the commissioning state), requests for and acknowledgements of receipt of the Mississippi code sent to other states. state libraries, and copies of various military orders.

      Also included are reports from the Lunatic Asylum, State Penitentiary and State Geologist addressed to the governor, as well as a set of papers from Institute for the Blind pertaining to its efforts to reestablish itself after the Civil War and an investigation into the conduct of its wartime superintendent. The penitentiary report contains hand-drawn tables featuring limited descriptive statistics on the convict population in early 1866.

      Also present are requisitions (requests) from other, usually neighboring states, most frequently Louisiana and Alabama, to turn over convicted criminals known to be residing in Mississippi.

See also:
      Series 2058. Lunatic Asylum Annual Reports. 1870-1877.