Fielding Hurst Archives

Personal Correspondence

Back to Personal Correspondence index

Fielding Hurst to Samuel R. Rodgers, July 27, 1865

Purdy July 27th 1865

Saml R Rogers Esqr

Dear Sir

Excuse me for troubling you to enquire what Steps you have taken in my Suit   get it up all wright and let me Know when your courts come off and if I can I will be at Knoxville at the trial. I will be able to bring any account of proof   men are here who lay in Jail with me and Knows all my Suffering   you can write me by the way of Nashville Johnsonville and Crumps landing Ten. River   we have a mail that Runs by private conveyance from this place to Crumps Landing Ten. R  Judge How is your health   mine is improving  How does the Secesh enjoy things up your way   taking it quiet down here but mad as hell I believe my Seat in the Senate will be filled by a damned traitor who is opposed to the Franchise law

Old friend one more subject; in all this part of the country  the Rebels took off all the property of the Union men and their families and in turn the Federal forces took all the Secesh Stock and under the law of Congress it woks hard on the Union party for instance  and old Reb gets up two of his conquered brethren proves his loyalty and the loss of his property at from fifty to one hundred per cent more than it ever was worth and under the act gets his exorbitant price paid by the government while union men have no way to get one cent   this must be remedied  how can it be done  let me hear from you

I am with much Respect
your friend and
Humble Servant

Fielding Hurst

Source:
MS-0021 The O.P. Temple Papers (Box 2, Folder 11, Item 18)
University of Tennessee Special Collections

Notes:
Samuel R. Rodgers was a fellow Tennessee state senator and speaker of that legislative body during Fielding Hurst's brief tenure.

John Aldridge succeeded Hurst as senator representing the Twenty-First District, which encompassed Hardeman, Hardin, and McNairy counties.

The first part of this letter refers to a lawsuit Hurst was trying to pursue with Rodgers as his attorney. He have been trying to seek some sort of compensation for his "Suffering" at the hands of local Confederate authorities.