Circular letter requisitioning enslaved men for defence of the Confederacy

A circular with letters from William Smith, Governor of Virginia, and George W. Munford, Secretary of the Commonwealth, to County Courts throughout Virginia. The document consists of printed black text on a single sheet of paper, folded to form four pages and then folded again into thirds.

The first page of the document is a letter from the governor establishing his authority to requisistion enslaved men and put them to work building fortifications. It is dated [January 22, 1864] in the top right corner and addressed at left to [To the Honorable the County Courts / of the several Counties named in the annexed schedule]. It notes [The President has asked for the number of slaves as apportioned in the annexed schedule. You will please make provision for the number assessed to your County.].

The second page contains a letter from the Secretary of the Commonwealth that outlines instructions for sending the requested impressed enslaved men to Col. W. H. Stevens in Richmond. Among other instructions, the letter notes that railroad companies should be given three days notice and that "the expenses of Sheriffs or others in collecting slaves will be paid on production of receipts" as well as to "send meat for their slaves, when possible."

The third and final page of the document titled [List of Counties, with the number of Slaves called for, being the third Call under Act passed March 13, 1863] and consists of a schedule of Virginia counties and how many enslaved men they are ordered to send. The schedule has columns for the population of enslaved persons in the 8th census, the number of enslaved persons assessed in 1862, the number of enslaved persons between 18 and 55 years, the calculation of 20 percent of the number of enslaved persons falling in that age category, the "No. of slaves furnished" in former calls and under the act of October 3, 1862, the quota caleld for in the first call under the March 1863 act and the quota now called for with this document.

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