The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1910-10-28
FORMER GOVERNOR
DIED IN SELF-EX|LE
GOV. Pettus Left the State at Close
Of War for Arkansas Wilds
LIVED AND DIED A HERMIT
Left Family and Friends and Only
Faithful Servant Knew Location
of His Lonely Grave.

The Times Democrat of Oct - has
a dispatch from Jackson which states
that Dunbar Rowland, of the Depart
ment of Archives and History, has
letter from ,Altheimer Ark, reminding
him that one of Mississippi's Cover
nors, John J. Pettus, lies buried near
that place in a neglected cemetery,
and asks, why that is permitted to
be-
Referring to his dispatch, Judge
Robert Bowman, of this city, who is
familiar with the history Of that case.
made the following statement in re
gard to it, and it is hoped that the
publicity that viii be given to the case
should result in a movement to have
this distinguished Mississippian re
mains to he removed TO this State, and
his last resting place properly marked:
Judge Bowman said
'fThe last term of Confederate
court of Mississippi was held at Gren-
ada in April 1865 At that time I
was Confederate State s Attorney for
this State, and Gov Isham G. Harris.
of Tennessee, represented a party with
whom the Confeieracy had a contro
vcrsv, and at intervals Of three or four
days we were thrown in close contact.
Tn a conversation between us, Gov.
Harris expressed gloomy forebodings
Of our success. He stated that he
had recently been in Richmond, Va,
where he met President Davis, who told
him that he despaired of foreign tier
vention or aid. Mr. benjamin, Sec
rotary of State had shown him all the
correspondence from European govern
ments declining aid or mediation for
neace, and the Governor said that the
army AMI supplies Of Virginia army
were woefully deficient, and the peo
pie as well as the troops Of the west,
were much demoralized
''Gov Harris said that as long as
there was a semblance Of government
or the remnant of an army, he would
be with them, but when both were ex
tinct he would take refuge in some for
eign land as he believed the United
States would offer up on the gallows
many victims of its vengence, and the
peonle would he burdened with grief
ances and oppression. Many promi-
nent citizens shared, in this opinion of
Gov Harris, and fled to foreign lands
after the surrender.
photographic communication with
Richmond had been cut off by Gen.
Sherman s army but scouts brought to
Gen. Wright, commanding that depart
ment with headquarters at Grenada
newspapers accounts of the surrender
of Gen. Lee
Court adjourned, and on leaving
Grenada l went by railroad TO Canton,
up the street on the court house square
my name was called, and on looking
in the direction from whence the voice
Came, / recognized Gov Pettus sitting
on a stairway in an open hall between
two stores, who invited me to seat
beside him. He stated that Judge
Wilkerson had that morning expressed
gloomy and hopeless prospect for the
success Of the Confederacy, and asked
for my opinion. | repeated what Gov.
Harris had said TO me at Grenada, and
mentioned the reports of Gen Lee 5
surrender, and that Judge Clayton had
in consequence adjourned the Confed
crate Court. Gov. Pettus was then
Colonel of militia regiment stationed
at Canton. The next morning he was
no where to be found in Canton, and
his whereabouts were unknown 10 his
family in Kemper County. and they
never saw or heard of him again He
departed that night and made his way
to his friend, Judge W. r. Harris. of
Bolivar County, and assumed his given
name John jones. A neighbor called
one day and was introduced 10 the
Governor as Col Jones' This visitor