Articles about Tyler and
Smith County, Texas
1863-1865
The loss of the backfiles of the Tyler newspapers to fire in the early twentieth century left a serious gap in primary sources for the Smith County historian. Fortunately, however, other area papers often quoted excerpts of entire articles from the Reporter, States Rights Sentinel, and other local publications. While conducting research for Smith County, Texas, in the Civil War, I compiled a folder of articles from 1860 through 1865 (later expanded to 1875), which mentioned Tyler or Smith County. In later years I have added to this list and started adding column citations.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, January 22, 1863
[Summary: Co.
C, W. T. Smith's Company, Col. Clark's regiment.
Deaths until Jan. 1, 1863: A.
Clayton at Camp Murrah, Texas, April 5, 1862; Noah Ellis in Upshur County, March
27; J. W. Davis at Camp Nelson, Ark., October 30; W. T. Clanton at Camp Nelson,
Ark., October 31; A. D. Roberson at Camp Nelson, Ark., Nov. 13; Jas. L. Saddler
at Camp Nelson, Ark., November 28; John D. Arnnell at Camp Bayou Metre, December
6; Lt. George B. Roberts in Little Rock, Ark., December 6.
Company E—Capt. J. J. Flinn's Company—Amos Lasater at Spring Hill,
Ark., August 16, 1862 [wrinkle in paper]; B. F. Cook, Camp Holmes, Ark., October
18; F. J. Wooley, Camp Nelson, October 26; J. M. Gilley, Camp Nelson, October
28; W. H. Stephenson at Camp Nelson, November 6; John Gilbreth at Camp Nelson,
November 23; C. A. Collins, Little Rock, December 10; John Collins, Camp Nelson,
November 29; J. M. Woodley, November 30.
Company G—Capt. Wm. M. Bradford's Company, Smith County—L. W. Ginn at
Washington, Ark., August 31, 1862; E. P. Gilliam at Camp Holmes, Ark., September
23; J. W. Foshee at Camp Holmes, Ocrtober 18; E. Bozeman at Camp Nelson,
November 10; Alfred Crosby at Camp Nelson, November 14; D. M. Foshe at Camp
Nelson, November 27; J. W. Barbee, Little Rock, November 14.
28th Texas regiment, Co. D Capt. M. V. Smith—Smith
County—R. C. Beavers, August 9, Wood County; Thomas Davis, August 10th,
Lewisville, Ark.; J. A. Watson, October 19th, Camp Holmes, Ark.]
DALLAS HERALD, January 28, 1863
[Summary: Address
copied from Tyler Reporter against extortioners and speculators, part of which
is a letter from R. B. Hubbard, W. B. Ochiltree, C. R. Beatty, O. Young, and
James Raine from the First Brigade Walker's Division camped on the Arkansas
River (also full column of news copied from the Reporter)]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, January 30, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: “The
Battle of Galveston,” poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, February 16, 1863, p. 1, c. 4
[Summary: “A
Valentine,” poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, February 26, 1863, p. 2
Deserters:
Milton Perkins, Smith County, Col. Young's Brigade
T. W. Gofer, Smith County, Clark's Regiment, Col. Randal's
Brigade
Hugh Gilbreth, Smith County, Clark's Regiment, Col.
Randal's Brigade
W. J. Arsot, detailed at Tyler without authority, Randal's
Regiment
J. S. Woodward, Jamestown
J. J. Woodward, Jamestown
Sid Wiley, Starrville
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, March 5, 1863, p. 2
Returned after being declared deserters
Alex Anderson, Camp's Ferry, Smith County
S. Woodward and J. J. Woodward—Jamestown
S. W. Wiley--Starrville
DALLAS HERALD, March 18, 1863
The Tyler Reporter says that an attempt was made on the night of the 9th
inst. to burn the Male College in that place, which was very near being
successful.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, March 19, 1863
The Tyler Reporter of the 12th says:
"We understand that an attempt was made on last Monday night to burn
the Male College in this place, which proved very nearly successful, and would
have been entirely so but for the dampness of the night.
There is a mystery connected with the fate of school buildings in this
place, two having been already burned, and attempts now being made to destroy
the third."
The trustees have offered five hundred dollars reward for the
apprehension of the incendiary.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, March 20, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: “Serenade
Song—In the Light of the Stars,” poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, March 23, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: “Out
in the Snow,” poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, March 23, 1863, p. 4, c. 3
The Tyler Reporter, of the 12th inst., says that on Friday
last there was a considerable hail and rainstorm in that vicinity.
No material damage was done however.
DALLAS HERALD, April 15, 1863, p. 2
The Tyler Reporter brings forward the name of Gen. Henry E. McCulloch,
for Governor.
DALLAS HERALD, April 15, 1863
We have seen an order from Maj. Burton, Act'g Chief Quartermaster of the
trans-Mississippi Department, stating that funds will be transferred to the
Quarter Masters at Tyler, Jefferson, Dallas, and Bonham, Texas, to pay off the
outstanding debts of the Quarter Master's Department. We will publish the order next week.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, April 15, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: "Stealing
Roses Through the Gate," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, April 20, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
The Tyler Reporter, of the 9th last, says Judge Hill of the
Confederate Court says he has no idea of becoming a candidate for Governor, and
would under no circumstance accept the office.
A large number of citizens have solicited Judge Hill to become a
candidate.
DALLAS HERALD, April 22, 1863, p. 2
The Henderson Times claims to have information from good authority, that
so soon as it was known that the Legislature, at the late called session, had
determined to permit the distilleries to continue in operation, those interested
in the business in the Southwest portion of Rusk county, immediately bought up
all the corn for sale in that potion of the county at three dollars per bushel,
and in consequence it is almost impossible for some poor families in that
section to procure bread.—Of course, neighbor; who expected anything better?
Our legislators must have fore seen such results but what difference does
it make who starves, so there is plenty of whiskey!
Let Rome burn—let Nero sing!—Tyler Reporter.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, May 1, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
Under the head of "The Next Governor," the Tyler Reporter says,
though it suggested the name of Gen. Henry McCulloch some two weeks before and
acknowledges its obligation to support him, yet Texas could not find in all her
broad main a better man for that office than Hon. R. A. Reeves of Palestine.
In concluding its remarks upon the "next Governor," the
Reporter thinks too many candidates in this race may disgrace and ruin Texas
forever, and concentration should begin.
Col. O. M. Roberts, of the army in Arkansas, was in Tyler last week.
The Reporter says that neither age nor the hardships of camps appear to
have worsted him. His report of the
army is truly gratifying, they being well drilled, in good condition, and ready
for any emergency.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, May 26, 1863, p. 1, c. 4
[Summary: "Only
a Heart Broken" poem by Mollie E. Moore]
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, May 27, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
The Tyler Reporter publishes advertisements of upwards of thirty
deserters from Captain Taine’s Company, some ten from Capt. Stratton’s
Company, seven from Captain Askew’s Company, seven from Capt. Lilley’s Co.,
three from Capt. Cannon’s Co., and two from Capt. Wilson’s Co., all
belonging to Col. Stone’s regiment.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 12, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: "It
is More Blessed," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 12, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
J. W. Davenport, Tyler, 9th District Deputy Grand Master,
Masonic Lodge.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 13, 1863, p. 1, c. 2
J. W. Davenport, Tyler, 9th District Deputy Grand Master,
Masonic Lodge.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 13, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: "It
is More Blessed," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, June 13, 1863, p. 2
"The annual meeting of the Eastern Texas Baptist Convention will be
held with the Baptist Church in Tyler, commencing Friday before 4th
Sabbath in June. Delegates will
report themselves at the Drug Store of Felton & Wiggins." J. W. Jones, J. T. Hand, Nat. G. Smith, W. S. Walker, Wm. B.
Featherston.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, June 13, 1863, p. 1
Killed at Raymond, Miss., Co. F—W. H. Smith.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, June 13, 1863, p. 2
[Summary: Public
speaking—Hon. M. Graham, 5th Cong. District—Jamestown on
Thursday, June 25 and at Tyler on Saturday, June 27.
"Col. J. R. Baylor publishes a circular in the Tyler Reporter, in
which he announces himself as a candidate for Congress in the sixth District.
It has been suggested that he meant the fifth District; but we presume
this is an error, as it is not supposed that he is ignorant of the district in
which he claims his residence."
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 15, 1863
[Summary: "John
R. Baylor," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
BELLVILLE
[TX] COUNTRYMAN, June 20, 1863, p. 1, c. 1
The East Texas Baptist State Convention meets at Tyler on the 26th
inst.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 23, 1863, p. 1, c. 4
[Summary: "The
Death of Stonewall Jackson," poem by Mollie E. Moore; "A
Remembrance," poem by Mollie E. Moore, inscribed to Miss Neta Irvine]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 24, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: "The
Death of Stonewall Jackson," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 24, 1863, p. 1, c. 3
[Summary: "A
Remembrance," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, July 11, 1863
[Summary: Hon.
M. D. Graham visited Tyler, says Reporter.
Business called us away from town on last Saturday and were therefore
unable to hear the Hon. Mr. Graham speak. We
learn, however, with pleasure that he had an excellent audience, and that his
address was one of the happiest efforts of his life, and that he gave general
and complete satisfaction to all who heard him.
Convincing all that he had not been an idle or unfaithful member of
Congress, but that all his duties had been met and performed with that firmness
and honesty which have ever characterized the man and rendered him so deservedly
popular.]
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, July 11, 1863, p. 1
Ran away Alfred 55 yrs, 5'6"-5'7" blacksmith, $30 reward for
man and mule. L. E. Dupuy or
Marianne Goffe, 7 Leagues Post Office.
DALLAS HERALD, July 15, 1863, p. 2
The Tyler Reporter in noticing the card of withdrawal of Gen. McCulloch
from the race for Governor, says:
"There is now no doubt that the race lies between Mr. Murrah and Mr.
Chambers. We suppose there will be
no other candidates present themselves. We
supported Gen. McCulloch because we preferred him to any man in the race, and
for the same reason we may now express a preference for Mr. Murrah."
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, July 15, 1863, p. 1, c. 4
[Summary: "Slander,"
poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, July 16, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: "Slander,"
poem by Mollie E. Moore]
DALLAS HERALD, July 22, 1863
[Summary: New
tax district #26 Smith County]
[SHREVEPORT] THE SOUTH-WESTERN, July 29, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
[Summary: Account
of battle of Donaldsonville in letter to editor of Tyler Reporter.]
[SHREVEPORT] THE SOUTH-WESTERN, July 29, 1863, p. 2, c. 3
[Summary: Murder
of Capt. Baxter by Sidney Devereux from Henderson Times]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 3, 1863
The Henderson Times says that Capt. Baxter of Starrville was shot and
almost instantly killed by Sidney Devereux of Rusk county, on the 21st
inst. The Times speaks of it as an outrage.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 7, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
The Tyler Reporter says that Gen. Gano has been placed in command of the
cavalry in Texas and that to be organized [illegible]
Gen. Gano won his wreath under Morgan in Tennessee, and is a spirited
officer. He intends to perfect an
efficient cavalry force of 10,000 men out of the militia now organizing.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 8, 1863, p. 1, c. 3
The Tyler Reporter says that Gen. Gano has been placed in command of the
cavalry in Texas and that to be organized [illegible]
Gen. Gano won his wreath under Morgan in Tennessee, and is a spirited
officer. He intends to perfect an
efficient cavalry force of 10,000 men out of the militia now organizing.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 11, 1863,p . 2, c. 3
Smith Co.—Ed. Clark 415; Chambers 192; Murrah 152; Gentry 27; Stockdale
441; Kettrell 63; Darden 58; Steadman 577; Graham 238; Baylor 478.
DALLAS HERALD, August 12, 1863
The Tyler Reporter of the 6th says that 45 Federal prisoners,
all of them officers except two, arrived at that place a few days ago, in charge
of Capt. Richardson, from Brashear City; and subsequently 13 others arrived in
charge of Capt. Montgomery. They
have been sent there for safekeeping.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 14, 1863, p. 1, c. 4
The Tyler Reporter says that Houston has such a miserable name for
extortion, that farmers refuse to send in their supplies.
The name is unjust, Hamilton [rest is illegible]
DALLAS HERALD, August 19, 1863
The physicians of Smith County and some others have determined to do a
cash business except in cases of soldier's families. We hear that the physicians of this county have declared it
their intention to regulate their charges by the price of wheat, per bushel,
which is a good standard and one of which the people can not complain, as they
thus control the matter themselves. Physicians
will make their charges at the old rates when wheat sold for one dollar per
bushel, and demand payment in wheat or its equivalent in money at its present
value.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, August 26, 1863, p. 1, c. 1
The Tyler Reporter says the late militia draft in that county was carried
out with a good spirit, every one evincing a willingness to serve their country
in this time of trial. We trust
this spirit will be manifested everywhere.
There is not the slightest cause for discouragement as long as we are
true to ourselves. All we have to
fear is from ourselves.
HENDERSON TIMES, August 29, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
[Summary: Mr.
Joseph Gaston (Rusk co.) shot and
killed in Tyler last week. “The
hommoside [sic] originated from the usual cause.”]
HENDERSON TIMES, August 29, 1863, p. 1
[Summary: Mollie
E. Moore’s “None but the Brave Deserve the Fair”]
HENDERSON TIMES, August 29, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
[Summary: Mollie
E. Moore in Henderson last week.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, August 29, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: "The
River San Marcos," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[SHREVEPORT] THE SOUTH-WESTERN, September 2, 1863, p. 2, c.
5
The Henderson Times of the 29th ult., says, Mr. Joseph Gaston
o that county was shot and almost instantly killed in Tyler one day during last
week. The homicide originated
from the usual cause.
GALVESTON
WEEKLY NEWS, September 9, 1863, p. 1, c. 1
The Shreveport News, a paper about the size of ours, is now sold at 50 cents per
copy. We shall also be compelled to
advance our price, as we are now paying $100 per ream for paper that only cost
$50 when our present rates were adopted.
The Dallas Herald declines to receive any more subscriptions in consequence of
the scarcity of paper. We trust
that scarcity may not continue long, but for the present we can see no prospect
of any improvement.
The Tyler Reporter does not object to the large number of negroes now being
brought from La. to Texas for security, provided their owners take proper care
of them. But the editor complains
that they are sometimes permitted to do pretty much as they please, and he
states that one Dr. Blackman's negroes committed thefts on a large scale, and
when informed of it, made light of the matter.
The editor hopes that will be remembered as he passes on Southwestward.
DALLAS HERALD, September 9, 1863, p. 2
Congress 5th Cong. District
Smith, 238 Graham, _____ Baylor.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, September 9, 1863, p. 1, c. 1
The Tyler Reporter does not object to the large number of negroes now
being brought from La. to Texas for security, provided their owners take proper
care of them. But the editor
complains that they are sometimes permitted to do pretty much as they please,
and he states that one Dr. Blackman’s negroes committed thefts on a large
scale.
DALLAS HERALD, September 16, 1863, p. 2
[Summary: Quartermaster's
Agents authorized to allow designated rates of freight to parties transporting
Government cotton or other supplies turned over to this office by Maj. T. A.
Washington and temporarily retained by S. Hart—S. H. Boren at Tyler.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 28, 1863, p. 2, c.
4
[Summary: "Minding
the Gap," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 2, 1863, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: "Not
for Thee," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, October 27, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
Federal prisoners—The Shreveport Southwestern says last
Saturday upwards of 460 Federal prisoners lately captured by Gen. Greer at
Morganza, and 19 more from the direction of Monroe, arrived here.
On Sunday they took their departure for Tyler, Texas.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, October 31, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
The Tyler Reporter says the old Federal Courthouse was accidentally
burned on the 21st inst., and also the stable belonging to the Holman
House. Some soldiers quartered in
the second story of the Courthouse were injured in jumping from the windows to
save themselves.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, November 3, 1863, p. 2, c. 3
[Summary: Appointments
of preachers in East Texas Conference 1863.
Tyler district—N. W. Burks, PE, Tyler circuit—J. W. Fields PC, Garden
Valley—Wm. Witcher PC.]
[AUSTIN] TRI-WEEKLY GAZETTE, November 4, 1863, p. 2, c. 2
The Tyler Reporter gives an account of a fire in that place on the 21st
ult., which destroyed the old Federal courthouse, and also a stable belonging to
the Holman House. Some soldiers
quartered in the second story of the Courthouse were injured in jumping from the
windows to save themselves. The
fire was accidental.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 4, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
From the Tyler Reporter, Oct. 22d.
FIRE.—On last Wednesday night, about twelve o'clock, a fire broke out
in the "Old Federal Court House" in this place, which entirely
destroyed that building. It was
occupied above at the time by some soldiers as a bed room, and below, we
understand, by some negroes, and through the carelessness of the latter the fire
is supposed to have originated. The
stable attached to the "Holman House" itself was in much danger, and
would certainly have been burned but for the extraordinary stillness of the
night and the efforts of citizens and soldiers present at the time.
The soldiers in the court house were compelled to jump from the second
windows, the fire having reached the stairway before they awoke. Most all of them were more or less injured by the fall, but
no lives were lost. Nearly all
their baggage, clothing, &c., was burned.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 5, 1863, p. 2, c. 1
We have had the pleasure of meeting Capt. G. W. Chilton, just up from the
Rio Grande with 4,000 and odd Enfield rifles, all of which have safely arrived
at this place. They are a timely
addition to our means of defense.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 26, 1863, p. 1, c. 5
The Tyler Reporter has received a sample of pure alum, manufactured in
Grayson county by F. L. Yoakum & Co. Alum
abounds in various parts of the State.
Lt. Parsons of Terrell's regiment was killed in Tyler on the 15th.
The Coroner's inquest makes the killing justifiable.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 9, 1863, p. 2, c. 2
The Tyler Reporter mentions the departure of the Federal prisoners
(non-commissioned officers and privates) for exchange.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 19, 1863, p. 2, c. 2
[Summary: "Moving
On," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
WASHINGTON [ARK.] TELEGRAPH,
December 23, 1863
Married, on the 5th inst., by Rev. N. P. Moore, Miss Carrie M. Peeples, of
Arkadelphia, to Captain G. S. Polleys, C.S.A. of Tyler, Texas.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, December 30, 1863, p. 1, c. 1
We understand that abundance of salt can be had at the salt works at the
Salines, in Smith county at 10 cents a pound, about 175 miles from Navasota and
that it can be hauled and delivered in this city at 50c a pound, with a handsome
profit. but our informant states
that no persons can be induced to employ their teams in hauling salt or anything
else for fear of impressment. . . .
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, January 8, 1864, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: "Of
the Time for Mirth," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[AUSTIN] TRI-WEEKLY GAZETTE, January 29, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
The Tyler Reporter says a man by the name of Echols was killed by the
enrolling officer of Smith county a few days ago, for resisting him.
A negro who had murdered his master was recently arrested in Cherokee
County, brougt [sic] back and executed by the citizens; says the Tyler Reporter.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, February 8, 1864, p. 1, c. 3
The Telegraph line from Shreveport to this city, is now, we learn, nearly
completed, and will be in operation in a few days. The Tyler Reporter says a project is on foot to have place
also put in communication with the line by another line to connect at Henderson.
CHARLESTON MERCURY,
February 9, 1864, p. 1, c. 3
What Texas is Doing.--Through the energy and enterprise of General Kirby Smith,
the towns of Shreveport, La., and Marshall, Tyler, and Houston, Texas, have
become large manufacturing places. There
are already three powder mills in successful operation, and foundries are
working the Texas iron into ammunition for ordnance, and they will soon commence
making heavy guns. This department
is fast becoming self-sustaining.
DAILY MISSOURI DEMOCRAT [ST. LOUIS], February 22, 1864, p.
2, c. 1
Among the officers prisoners at
Tyler, Texas, are Captain F. W. Noblest, 21st Indiana; Lieutenant Frank Sherfy,
do; Lieutenant Colonel Leake, 20th Iowa; Lieutenant Colonel Rose, 26th Indiana;
Captain N. A. Logan, 26th Indiana; Captain R. N. Stott, 26th Indiana; Captain
Wm. J. Wallace, 26th Indiana; Lieutenant McDowell, 26th Indiana; Lieutenant
Robertsee [sic?], 26th Indiana; Lieutenant Collins, 26th Indiana; Captain Adams,
19th Iowa; Captain Sprott, 19th Iowa; Captain Rodrick, 19th Iowa; Captain
Fisher, 19th Iowa; Lieutenant Wood, 19th Iowa; Lieutenant Johnson, 19th Iowa;
Lieutenant Powell, 19th Iowa; Lieutenant Wright, 19th Iowa; Lieutenant Key, 19th
Iowa; Lieutenant Robb, 19th Iowa; Lieutenant Walter, 34th (84th?) Iowa.
MOBILE
REGISTER AND ADVERTISER, March 27, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
[From the Texas Telegraph.]
Of the Time for Mirth.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven....A time to weep and a time to laugh."—Bible.
We
know the time to mourn—we know when tears
Swell 'neath the eyelids—and when sighs have birth;
We know the time, amid life's glooms and fears,
For grief—but oh! when is the
time for mirth?
We
marked the shrinking cheek, the paling brow,
As they we loved passed to the "viewless bourne."
We saw the shadows press—the tide ebb low—
We need no task—we know the time to
mourn!
We
see our idols crumble on their shrines,
We feel our fancies wither like the morn,
We see each star grow clouded where it shines,
Alas! We know too well the time to mourn!
We
know the time to mourn—we feel the knell
That sends its clanging echoes o'er the earth
He bid us weep—we know the time—But tell,
Oh life—canst tell our hearts the time for mirth.
Is
it when household bands group round the door
At eventide, to watch the sun go down?
When twilight shadows dusk the shining floor,
And day, with all its weary cares, is gone?
Say
is it then? alas! what band is
whole?
What hearthstone hath not felt its secret pain?
What household group can hear the curfew toll,
And think not sadly on its "broken chain?"
When
is the time for mirth? is it when
gay
And joyous music fills the banquet hall,
And glancing forms, like airy meteors, stray
And hope and youth and beauty crown them all?
Not
there! for not a heart that gathers
there,
But hath a steel-beaked vulture at its core,
That feeds while yet the fair cheek seems so fair,
While yet the young feet kiss the festal floor?
When
is the time for mirth? is it when
bells
Awake the breathing millions of the earth
With "Victory," and loud the pean swells
Its pride? Oh life!
is that a time for mirth?
Ah
no! far, far, upon the rough field
lying,
How many sleep the last, the dreamless sleep!
And you proud banner in the free winds flying
How red it gleams! so crimson!
let it sweep—
And
let it sweep—and let the bells peal on,
And let the glad cry rouse the echoing earth!
But dirges, for the brave, the lost, the gone,
Will come—and ah!
when is the time for mirth?
Is
it when sunshine lies along the grass,
And roses in the sunshine gaily bloom?
When fragrant jasmines climb the rail? alas!
The shades, the groping shadows—how they come!
We
know the time for grief—we know when tears
Will swell the eyelids, and when sights have birth,
Too oft it comes, griefs, hour, too oft it nears
Our hearts, but oh! when
is the time for mirth?
Mollie E. Moore.
Tyler, Smith county, Texas, Dec. 7, 1863.
WASHINGTON [ARK.] TELEGRAPH,
March 30, 1864
ESCAPE OF YANKEE PRISONERS FROM TYLER, TEXAS.--The New Orleans Times of
the 3d ult., has a lengthy account of the escape and arrival there, from Tyler,
Texas, of Lieuts. Whitsett and Green, of the 26th Indiana, who were captured at
Morganza last fall. We make the
following extract:
Lieuts. Whitsett and Green left Tyler the afternoon before Christmas, and
arrived at Natchez on the 26th ult., making the entire distance of three hundred
and fifty miles in a little over a month, including a week lost at Shreveport.
The manner in which they effected their escape was as follows:
The prisoners at Tyler are confined in a stockade enclosure, but of late
have been paroled to go anywhere they pleased within half a mile of the
stockade. Some Federal prisoners,
(enlisted men,) en route from Houston to Shreveport, with the understanding that
they could from there be sent within our lines, encamped on the evening of the
24th of December, near the stockade at Tyler, and the two lieutenants, being
tired of rebel hospitality, conceived the idea of going off with the Houston
squad. Luckily the revel colonel in
command of the prisoners at Tyler, came in swearing terrifically about some
alleged violation of the parole on the part of some of the officers, and
threatened to take up all the paroles that had been given.
Lieuts. Whitsett and Green became very indignant, and delivered up their
paroles, saying they would not stand it to be talked to in that manner, and that
the people didn't amount to much anyhow. They
then borrowed paroles from two other officers, went outside and quietly mixed in
with the enlisted men on their way from Houston to Shreveport, sending back the
borrowed paroles to the rightful owners. They
marched to the Houston squad to Shreveport, and there remained a week.
Becoming alarmed for fear of detection, or that the prisoners would be
detained, they took informal leave, and crossing Red River struck out in an
easterly direction for Natchez.
Several officers of negro regiments are in confinement at Tyler.
They were kept forty-eight days in iron, but are now treated exactly as
other prisoners. There are over a
hundred officers confined there.
While at the house of Col. Gray, (of the 28th Louisiana, at whose house
the prisoners stopped one night,) they learned that Mouton's division had been
to the Mississippi, at Gaines's Landing, for the purpose of crossing arms and
ammunition from the east side, which feat they successfully accomplished.
They passed within five miles of Mouton at Harrisonburg, on the Ouachita,
and the lost night they passed in rebeldom they slept within hearing of the
drums beating tattoo.
Two enlisted men of the 26th Indiana, named Moorehead and Beach, were
shot by the guard at Tyler, on some trifling pretext.
Moorehead was instantly killed and Beach wounded.
DAILY MISSOURI DEMOCRAT [ST. LOUIS], April 27, 1864, p. 3, c. 2
Escape of Union
Prisoners.
[From the
Brownsville (Texas) Union, April 6]
Seven of the 19th Iowa, who were
captured at Morganzia, September 27, 1863, escaped on the 24th of February, and
reached here a few days ago, having been six months among the chivalry.
After crossing the Atchafalaya,
the prisoners were marched direct to Tyler, Texas, a distance of 420 miles,
which they reached on the 23d of October. Here
they remained until November the 29th, when they were all paroled, except the
officers, and started, as they supposed to our lines, but on the 5th of December
they found themselves at Shreveport, having marched 120 miles over a most
difficult road. The cold was
intense, the rough jagged road being frozen hard, and many of the men entirely
barefoot. At Shreveport the paroles
were temporarily withdrawn, and the prisoners again placed under guard.
They built open barracks and made themselves as comfortable as possible,
and on the 23d of December, were paroled again and allowed passes to go into the
country. For this kindness they
were indebted to Colonel Theard, commanding camp at Shreveport, but in about two
weeks he was ordered to his command in Mississippi, and the prisoners were again
placed under close guard. Colonel
Theard, upon leaving, said to some of our boys that he expected to be captured,
and, from the fact that he is now in New Orleans, having renounced the
Confederacy and taken the oath of allegiance, it is fair to presume that his
expectations were realized.
On the night of the 24th of February, having previously made the
necessary arrangements, a squad of seven men, of the 19th Iowa, slipped the
guard, and bade good-bye to the Confeds. A
Union man, in the rebel ranks, told them where they could find a skiff, which
they procured and started for the mouth of Red river, running at night, sinking
the skiff and laying by during the day. After
one or two nights travel in this manner, they abandoned their scheme of
navigation, and set out, on foot, for the Ouachita river.
They traveled mostly by night and lived as they could, sometimes passing
themselves off as rebel soldiers in order to get food.
On one occasion they found a Union man, who informed them that they were
only three miles from a rebel camp, and were going straight to it.
After enduring many privations and undergoing great fatigue, with clothes
torn off by bushes and branches, feet sore and blistered, and presenting, all
round, the appearance of a general "cave in," our little band of
heroes found themselves, on the 18th of March, on the bank of the Mississippi,
boarding the gunboat Switzerland, on which they went to Vicksburg where they
were furnished transportation to New Orleans.
There are many incidents and
adventures of the journey, which would be of lively interest to our readers, and
which we regret we have not the space to give. We have endeavored to give the main incidents, as narrated to
us, and in conclusion, and in justice to the heroic little band, we publish
their names:
Sergeant W. W. Byers, J.
F. Doughterty, T. F. Paxton, Simon Potkin, J. Nixon, E. P. Taylor, all of
company H, and Serg't J. S. Ragsdale, company I, 19th Iowa.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, May 1, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
We have seen samples of the guns now being manufactured in Tyler Armory,
and pronounce them according to our judgment, the finest army pieces we have
ever seen. The “Hill Rifle” for
cavalry, and the “Texas Rifle” for infantry, are hard to beat, while the
“Short Hill Rifle,” intended for artillery, is a perfect model of beauty and
convenience. Col. Hill, in charge
of ordnance works here, has the very important qualification as an officer of
doing what he undertakes well.—Tyler Reporter.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, May 2, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
The Tyler reporter [sic] says: “Some
of the fruits of our late victory in Louisiana are visible at Camp Ford, in the
shape of about 1700 prisoners, and more are constantly expected.—There are now
at Camp Ford in all, between 2200 and 2300 prisoners, and it is expected that
there will soon be as many as 4000. Most
of these prisoners are the flower of the Federal army, but not withstanding
their bravery and prowess in arms, we assure them that, but for the purpose of
exchange, the Confederacy would rather right than feed them.”
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, May 4, 1864, p. 1, c. 5-6
Under date of April 12th, Capt. Boren, of this place, writes to his
sister (says the Tyler Reporter) as follows: . . .
"Prisoners are being brought in every day.—Before Banks gets his
army safe under the shot and shell of his gunboats, we will capture not less
than five thousand.
"They will all be sent to Texas, and in all probability to Tyler.
If they are sent to Tyler, I wish they may receive just such treatment as
Confederate States soldiers have at their hands.
I could not regret their death by starvation, for as they came up from
Alexandria they devastated the whole country. All
live stock, and all provision of every description, were taken from helpless
women and children. Their furniture
was burnt and broken up. Beds and
every article of clothing was taken or destroyed.
Ladies told me that the Yankees acted so much like fiends, that they were
compelled to seek refuge in the woods, where they remained two days and
nights."
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, May 4, 1864, p. 2, c. 6
We have seen samples of the guns now being manufactured in Tyler Armory,
and pronounce them, according to our judgment, the finest army pieces we have
ever seen. The "Hill
Rifle" for cavalry, and the "Texas Rifle" for infantry, are hard
to beat, while the "short Hill Rifle," intended for artillery, is a
perfect model of beauty and convenience. Col.
Mill [sic], in charge of Ordnance Works here, has the very important
qualification as an officer of doing what he undertakes well.—Tyler Reporter.
[AUSTIN]
STATE GAZETTE, May 11, 1864, p. 1, c. 3
Our friend, J. C. Ragan, Esq., formerly of Pine Bluff, Ark., who has been
assisting us in the office for some months past, and who had to leave us in
consequence of ill health, writes us from Tyler where he has made his temporary
residence for the present, under date of the 26th ult. . . . Mr.
Ragan says: . . . There are some
2200 prisoners confined near hear, and 3 or 4,000 more are expected.
This will have a tendency to raise the price of provisions, as Government
is purchasing all to be had."
HENDERSON TIMES, May 21, 1864, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: J.
S. O. Brooks, Neches Saline lost Jourdan, negro 6’, 24 years “likely and
smart” $500 reward. Probably
going to Yankees”
HENDERSON TIMES, May 21, 1864, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: J.
S. O. Brooks will exchange lime and salt for leather, corn meal or provisions]
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, May 31, 1864, p. 2, c. 2
Excitement at Tyler—Three men Hanged—[The letter from which the
following extracts are taken was not written for publication, but knowing the
writer as we do, we take the liberty of publishing such parts as are of interest
to the public. We know the writer
to be a young gentleman of veracity. He
is on duty at Tyler.—Editor Quid Nunc.]
Capt. J. R. Burnett—My dear friend:--On yesterday evening, about
sunset, were hanged; half a mile from this place; three men, supposed to be
jayhawkers, and of which there is but little doubt.
They were evidently bad men, to say the least of it, and deserved the
fate that befell them. One of them,
the leader of the party, Jim Read, was Sheriff of Collin county; another,
McReynolds, or McRunnels, rather an elderly man, was Chief Justice of the name
of Holcombe. [sic?] The charges
against these outlaws were, as I understand the matter, the entering of a house
of an old lady living Vanzandt county, grossly insulting and robbing her of $800
in specie, and about $1900 in Confederate notes.
They all plead not guilty to the last moment—making no confessions,
Reed said that he had been burned out in his county by men much worse than he
was accused of being, and forced to move his family, a wife and seven children,
to his mother-in-law’s in Vanzandt county.
It seems that the evidence against them was not of the most convicting
nature, as we could get it here; but the party that brought them in were
sufficiently satisfied of their guilt. The
old lady, whose house was broken open and robbed, identified and swore to their
being the men. Reed had in his
pocket, at the time of his arrest, papers from Gen. McCulloch passing him to
some command in Arkansas or Louisiana, he, as he stated, preferring to be in the
army rather than out, exposed as he was. I learn that he carried a company in the service from his
county at the commencement of the war; in fact, no one disputed it that I heard.
The worst feature of the affair in this case is, that he served a term of
three years in the penitentiary of Missouri before coming to Texas.
This he denied, as well as ever having been in Missouri.
I forgot to mention that a young fellow by the name of Davis was brought
in by these persons from Vanzandt, and condemned, and carried out to be executed
with the others, but fortunately, he was to be last hanged, which circumstance
saved his life. As they had but one
rope, they could hang but one at a time, and had to wait till he was dead.
just as they were fixing to execute Davis, a gentleman came up who
recognized him as being a member of his command, and said that he had always
made a good soldier. He was, of
course, released, and is now at Camp Ford.
McReynolds, or McRunnels, has a son out at camp, who is now offering any
price for a wagon to carry his father’s body home, at Rockwall, Kaufman
county.
I have written much more upon this subject than I expected to when I set
out, as you will probably get a more full and correct account of it from other
sources.
About 1500 yankee prisoners were brought in a few days ago, and I heard
Gen. ________ say, just now, others were coming.
There are now over 3,000 prisoners at Camp Ford, near this place.
Lieut. Col. Hill, commanding
post, is quite an energetic and experienced officer.
He was chief of artillery under Lieut. Gen. Holmes, in the District of
Arkansas. I have no more news of
interest.
Truly yours, J. C. M.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, May 31, 1864, p. 1, c. 6
Bonham,
24th May, 1864.
Ed. News.-- . . . Having no news, I may tell an anecdote which may not
have reached you. I can't vouch for
the truth, but I can for the wit. On
the way from Shreveport to Tyler, the officer in charge of the Yankee prisoners,
on calling the roll one morning, discovered that two officers were missing.
The roll was called some little distance from the spot where they had
encamped. A party was sent back to
search for them, and seeing no one, enquired of a woman, whose house was not far
from their camp fires. She said
that she had seen no one, but that her children, a few minutes before, had come
running to the house crying, "Oh ma! they
have killed two of the Yankees and burried [sic] them, and they have come to
life, and are getting up from their graves."
The children had been playing about camp, as soon as it was deserted, and
saw what they related, though the mother paid no attention until the enquiry was
made of her. An examination was
made, and sure enough two shallow graves, in the sand, were discovered, covered
over lightly with sand and leaves, which had, evidently, just been vacated.
Dogs were immediately procured and put upon the trail, and after
purposely running the officers about twenty miles, they were overhauled, tired
nearly to death. "Well,"
said one of the Yankees, "You've got us, and I am really astonished at it,
for I have always understood that trained dogs would only follow the tracks of a
negro." "That is in and
about the truth," said the old farmer who owned the dogs, "but you see
my dogs aint so overly smart, and they cant tell the difference between the
track of a nigger and an abolitionist."
Yours, A.
[AUSTIN]
STATE GAZETTE, June 1, 1864, p. 2, c. 3
Special Correspondence of Gazette.
Tyler, May 16th, 1864.
Editor Gazette.—Twelve hundred and thirty three Yankee prisoners arrived here
from Camden, Ark. yesterday----380 more are expected here to morrow.
They were taken at the fight at Marks' Mill.
These together with those already here will make 4500 free boarders, who
are rather unwelcome visitors to the planters hereabouts; but certainly much
more welcome as prisoners than as conquerors.
These planters, though willing to divide to the last with our own brave
defenders, dislike to stint themselves to feed these despoilers of our country. Some of the prisoners were left at Shreveport—about 1,000
have been sent to Bonham, Fannin Co. Steele
has lost upwards of 5,000 men in Arkansas.
He went from Little Rock with about 15,000 men to overrun South Arkansas
and invade Texas. He got back to
Little Rock with from 3 to 5,000 armed men and a rabble of 2 or 3,000 unarmed
ones, (who in their hasty flight had thrown away their arms to increase their
speed,) without wagons, artillery or provisions.
The railroad from Little Rock to White river was torn up by McRae, who
organized a Brigade from men who had gone to the Yankees to keep out of the
army, and deserters from various brigades.
The Yankees required them to take the oath, which they consented to, but
when they were ordered into the ranks of their army it was more than they
bargained for, so they left, and have been bushwhacking their Yankee friends
ever since. He has about 1500 with
him now, who are redeeming themselves right well.
Many are returning to their commands, who have been shirking duty under
various pretences. Such are the
fruits of the victory in Arkansas. I
saw an officer who came to guard the prisoners—some of whom stood guard over him,
when he was taken prisoner at Arkansas Post.
He says that our soldiers are confident, and enthusiastic, and that the
Yankees were "better whipped in Arkansas, than they were in
Louisiana." Steele is at
Duval's Bluff, on White river, trying to get to the Mississippi river with the
demoralized remnant of his army, harassed by our cavalry, who daily send to
Camden squads of from 20 to 50 prisoners. Little
Rock and Pine Bluff are evacuated by the enemy.
Not having taken down at the time the number of wagons, pieces of
artillery, arms, etc., which have been taken by our troops I fear to trust my
memory; but they were all his army had, except the few they carried with them
back to Little Rock. I understand
from a gentleman just from Bonham that the corps of wheat in that region are not
very good. The corn is late, and
only tolerably good. The crops in
this section of country are tolerably fair—corn rather later, the fruit is all
killed, I believe.
Claude de Mogyns, Jr.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, June 1, 1864, p. 2, c. 2
Excitement at Tyler—Three Men Hanged.—[The letter from which the
following extracts were taken was not written for publication, but knowing the
writer as we do, we take the liberty of publishing such parts as are of interest
to the public. We know the writer
to be a young gentleman of veracity. He
is on duty at Tyler.—Editor Quid Nunc.]
Capt. J. B. Burnett—My Dear Friend:--On yesterday evening, about
sunset, were hanged, half a mile from this place, three men, supposed to be
jayhawkers, and of which there is but little doubt.
They were evidently bad men, to say the least of it, and deserved the
fate that befell them. One of them,
the leader of the party, Jim Reed, was Sheriff of Collin county; another,
McReynolds, or McRunnels, rather an elderly man, was Chief Justice of the same
county; the other was a young fellow by the name of Holcombe. The charges against these outlaws were, as I understand the
matter, the entering of the house of an old lady living in Vanzandt county,
grossly insulting and robbing her of $300 in specie, and about $1900 in
Confederate notes. They all plead
not guilty to the last moment—making no confessions. Reed said that he had been burned out in his county by men
much worse than he was accused of being, and forced to move his family, a wife
and seer children, to his mother-in-law's in Vanzandt county.
It seems that the evidence against them was not of the most convicting
nature, as we could get it here, but the party that brought them in were
sufficiently satisfied of their guilt. The
old lady, whose house was broken open and robbed, identified and swore to their
being the men. Reed had in
his pocket, at the time of his arrest, papers from Gen. McCulloch passing him to
some command in Arkansas or Louisiana, he, as he stated, preferring to be in the
army rather than out, exposed as he was. I
learn that he carried a company in the service from his county at the
commencement of the war; in fact, no one disputed it that I heard.
The worst feature of the affair in this case is, that he served a term of
three years in the penitentiary of Missouri before coming to Texas.
This he denied, as well as ever having been in Missouri.
I forgot to mention that a young fellow by the name of Davis was brought
in by these persons from Vanzandt, and condemned, and carried out to be executed
with the others, but, fortunately, he was to be last hanged, which circumstance
saved his life. As they had
but one rope, they could hang but one at a time, and had to wait till he was
dead. Just as they were fixing to
execute Davis, a gentleman came up who recognized him as being a member of his
command, and said that he had always made a good soldier.
He was, of course, released, and is now at Camp Ford.
McReynolds, or McRunnels, has a son out at camp, who is now offering any
price for a wagon to carry his father's body home, at Rockwall, Kaufman county.
I have written much more
upon this subject than I expected to when I set out, as you will probably get a
more full and correct account of it from other sources.
About 1500 Yankee prisoners were brought in a few days ago, and I heard
Gen. Roane say, just now, others were coming.
There are now over 3,000 prisoners at Camp Ford, near this place.
Lieut. Col. Hill, commanding post, is quite an energetic and experienced
officer. He was chief of artillery
under Lieut. Gen. Holmes, in the District of Arkansas.
I have no more news of interest.
Truly yours,
J.
C. M.
HOUSTON DAILY TELEGRAPH, June 3, 1864 (supplied by James
Wilkins)
“From the Tyler Reporter.
“On last Tuesday the enrolling officers of Van Zandt and Henderson
counties brought to this place a bunch of men, said to be deserters, absentees
and jayhawkers. They were turned
over to the proper authorities here on Wednesday, and a portion of them sent to
the Camp of Instruction. Four of
them, viz: Jas. L. Reed, J. E.
Holcomb, J. M. Reynolds and Jeff. Davis, were said to be jay-hawkers, and had
been followed here by fifty or sixty citizens of Van Zandt and Henderson
counties, who had first arrested them, and who demanded that they should be
turned over to them. The four
prisoners were kept under a guard of regular troops through the day, until near
night, when the citizens above mentioned renewed their demand, took the
prisoners from the guard, and having marched them about three quarters of a mile
from town, hung three of them. The
other, Jeff. Davis, was temporarily released as we understand because there was
some showing made that he had recently been in the army in Louisiana, and
because it did not very plainly appear that he had been associated with the
others. Among the citizens who took part in the arrest and execution
of these men, we noticed many of the best and most substantial men of the
counties above named, and they seemed to understand clearly and fully what they
were doing. They were at least
determined in their course.
“We feel it our duty to say, that as a general thing, we are opposed to
anything like mob-law. It is a
tremendous and dangerous instrument. But
the question in this case must be, whether these citizens, who had ample time
for reflection and judgment, can be called a mob?
We think not. The civil laws
are now comparatively inoperative and it is difficult to arrive at justice in
such cases through the courts. The
country must be protected and defended against lawless and bad men, and the good
citizens of the country must do it. But
in performing this solemn and important duty men cannot be too cautious.
They should know the facts upon which they act; there should not be left
room for reasonable doubt. We
repeat that, in this case, we believe the citizens were satisfied.
There is a think however, to which we demure.
It is said that as the citizens who executed these men were on their way
home, they reported that the citizens of this place and vicinity took Reed &
Co. and hung them. We simply say,
if such a report has gone out, it is false.
Several citizens here were present and witnessed the execution, but we
think not one of them assisted in it. Simply
because they thought the case properly belonged to the citizens of the counties
where these men had committed depredations.
We say further, that the citizens of Smith county will hang jayhawkers,
and will endorse the citizens of other counties in doing so, whenever they are
caught, but they want credit for no more than they do.
We hope there is a mistake about our neighbors having put out such a
report, but repeat, that if so, it is erroneous.”
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, June 8, 1864, p. 1, c. 2
The Tyler Reporter on the 26th May says: “Many of our farmers are now beginning to cut their wheat,
and from all we can learn the yield promises to be very good. We hear of rust in some places, where the wheat is backward,
but do not think it general enough to materially injure the crop.
The corn crops are doing well, and with the amount planted, there can
scarcely fail to be an abundance made.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, June 15, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
We have been pleased to meet in our city Col. George H. Sweet, of the 15th
Texas Cavalry, who is here from Tyler, on important business for his command.
He will return in a day or two. A
portion of his regiment is now on duty at that point.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, June 15, 1864, p. 1, c. 3
Tyler, July 9th 1864
Ed. News—One of our agents of exchange, Capt. Pirchett [sic], arrived
here a few days since, and has been busy making out his rolls for the exchange
of 1000 Yankee prisoners of war. One
squad of them started this morning, and the balance will leave to-morrow morning
for Alexandria via Shreveport. This
number, I am informed, covers all the Yankee Government now has on hand of our
men in this Department, and we still have an excess of at least 4,000, the most
of whom are still at this point. . . .
The Yankees who recently made their escape, and were recaptured by the
dogs, are very bitter in their denunciations of poor Tray. Some of them swear that after the war is over, they intend to
raise dogs just to kill.
The dogs used here are nothing but common fox hounds, yet it is truly
wonderful how they will strike a trail and follow it—five or six of them are
worth more than one hundred soldiers, to catch runaway Yankees or deserters
with, and this is another improvement developed by the war.
The time will come when every Sheriff will have his pack of hounds, kept
by the county, expressly for the purpose of capturing evil-doers.
Fraternally yours,
Alamo.
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL [ATLANTA, GA], June 19, 1864,
p. 1, c. 5
From the Richmond Sentinel, 15th.....copies of the New York Herald and New York
Tribune, of the 11th inst.....
There are some five thousand Union prisoners at Tyler, Texas, which is about one
hundred miles from Shreveport. They
are well supplied with provisions, consisting chiefly of bacon and corn meal.
Major Cowan, of the cavalry division staff, whose capture near Alexandria has
been already mentioned, was compelled to walk nearly all the way from Alexandria
to Shreveport and the entire distance from Shreveport to Tyler.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, July 6, 1864, p. 2, c. 5
Tyler, Texas, June 24th, 1864.
Editor News:-- . . . By the way, perhaps, there is no harm telling your
numerous readers how well our young Confederacy is getting along in this section
in the fabrication of fire arms and ordnance stores generally—articles so much
needed by our gallant soldiers in the great struggle for liberty.
Well, then, I recently had the pleasure to accompany Lieut. Col. G. H.
Hill through the extensive works he has caused to be erected near this formerly
flourishing town, and I was most agreeably surprised to witness the progress
which has been effected. One fine
blacksmith shop runs sixteen forges. In
another extensive brick structure, the machinery for the manufacture of fire
arms rolls daily (Sundays excepted) putting up splendid guns, from the first to
the last screw, and all going on with perfect order and system.
Though this is a Government establishment, I did not see one idle man
about the premises—all was quiet, save the roll of the machinery and the clink
of the hammer.
Capt. Geo. S. Polleys is superintendent of the work here, and deserves
much credit for the orderly manner in which all is carried on.
I do not mention, for particular reasons, the precise number of fire-arms
added to our supply every week from the establishment, but it is by no means
inconsiderable.
Col. Hill is engaged in fabricating nearly everything belonging to the
ordnance department, excepting cannon, round shot and shell; and certainly no
more faithful or skillful officer graces this branch of the service.
It might be well to mention that a great many mechanics employed in these
shops are Master Masons, and this fact, no doubt, accounts to some extent for
the extraordinary good conduct of the laborers, who by dint of their honest
industry and skill will yet live to be called from their many months of labor to
many long years of refreshments, amid the smiles of independence, peace and
plenty, Heaven speed the time!
Col. Scott Anderson is in command of the Post here and the Prison Camp,
which now contains nearly 4800 Yankees. The
Colonel is a gallant officer and well known to Texians.
Everything goes bravely on in this section, and an early peace is
anticipated. There is a good prospect now of effecting an exchange of a goodly
number of prisoners soon.
Fraternally yours,
Alamo.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, July 13, 1864, p. 1, c. 4
Tyler Texas July 5th, 1864
Dear News:--The weather in this part of the Confederate vineyard, is at
present oppressively hot and sultry—winds dry and dusty. Yesterday the Fourth of July, passed without any celebration
among the quiet denizens of old Smith; no mint juleps, sherry cobblery or brandy
smashes with ice; the few who indulged took whiskey straight, for the same
reason that the fox thought the grapes sour.
Last night we had a “small sprinkling” of excitement in the way of a
reliable report from Camp Ford, informing the commander of the Post, that the
Yankee prisoners of war, intended celebrating the Fourth of July by storming the
little picket fence which surrounds their plantation, paying a summary visit to
their numerous overseers (who with muskets in their hands have an eye to their
interests and frequently anticipate their wants) after which they would prepare
to take a journey of more magnitude by way of calling upon their brethren of
“African descent” in lower Louisiana, and on to the Arkansas and White
rivers—their plans were all made known by one of their own number, and the
ever vigilant Col. Anderson, immediately took steps to prevent the attempt as
well as defeat it, should their temerity lead them thus far—by his prompt
action, he no doubt saved those poor deluded fanatics and negro worshippers,
from being “welcomed by bloody hands to hospitable graves.”
Last Saturday night, seven of them undertook to escape by removing two of
the pickets and then stealing way. One
was shot right at the line, but not killed; the other six ran away as fast as
their pedestals would carry them, caught up in tree-tops the same night, and the
other two captured in the same manner the next day. As the trailers came up, the Yanks shouted most lustily:
“here we are boys, come and take us, but please don’t hurt us!”
All is quiet today. Colonel
Scott Anderson is the right man in the right place, and your readers may rest
assured that should any attempt be made, on the part of the prisoners, to over
run the guard, they will be repulsed with most bloody results.
In haste fraternally yours,
Alamo.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, July 20, 1864, p. 2, c. 2
Tyler,
July 9th, 1864.
Ed. News—One of our agents of exchange, Capt. Birchett, arrived here a
few days since, and has been busy making out his rolls for the exchange of 1,000
Yankee prisoners of war. One squad
of them started this morning, and the balance will leave to-morrow morning for
Alexandria via Shreveport. This
number, I am informed, covers all that the Yankee Government now has on hand of
our men in this Department, and we still have an excess of at least 4,000, the
most of whom are still at this point.
Our news from Virginia and Georgia is very fine, but you no doubt have
later dates than we. The signs of
the times are all pointing towards the rainbow of peace.
Great, skillful generals and brave soldiers have given us many glorious
victories. Crops are
splendid—yesterday gave us some fine showers.
The Yankees who recently made their escape, and were recaptured by the
dogs, are very bitter in their denunciations of poor Tray. Some of the swear that after the war is over, they intend to
raise dogs just to kill.
The dogs used here are nothing but common fox hounds, yet it is truly
wonderful how they will strike a trail and follow it—five or six of them are
worth more than one hundred soldiers, to catch runaway Yankees or deserters
with, and this is another improvement developed by the war.
The time will come when every Sheriff will have his pack of hounds, kept
by the county, expressly for the purpose of capturing evil doers.
Fraternally yours,
Alamo.
DALLAS
HERALD, July 30, 1864, p. 1, c. 1
Late on Friday night, the 22d inst., information was received by Col. N. H.
Darnell, commanding this Post, that a body of Deserters from Tyler, had reached
the vicinity of Butler's Bridge, on East Fork, in this county, and were making
their way to the frontier. Preparations
were immediately made to intercept them. Col.
Darnell called together Capt. Smith's company of the Reserve Corps, a part of
Capt. W. H. Darnell's company, and such of the Government operatives and
citizens as could get arms, numbering in all about 80 men, who started in
pursuit about 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon.
Having taken the trail, at the crossing of the Trinity River, at Cedar
Springs, Col. Darnell travelled [sic] all night, and proceeded in coming up with
the Deserters a little before daylight, on Sunday morning, a few miles S. W. of
Cedar Hill, where they had camped, and captured the whole party, with a few
exceptions, who made their escape. They
were brought into town on Sunday afternoon, and started back to Tyler, on
Tuesday. A squad of men from Tyler
who had followed the deserters, was met by Col. Darnell after the capture, and
returned with him to town in whose charge the prisoners were placed.
The whole affair was well arranged, and carried out, and reflects much
credit on the promptness and energy of Col. Darnell, as well as on the soldiers,
the operatives in the Government troops at this place, and the citizens, all of
whom responded with alacrity to the call of Col. Darnell for men.
DAILY MISSOURI DEMOCRAT [ST. LOUIS], August 3, 1864, p. 1, c. 4
Arrival of Federal
Prisoners from Texas.
An Account of
Their Brutal Treatment.
Their Condition on
Arriving at New Orleans.
[Special Dispatch to the Missouri Democrat.]
CAIRO, August 2.--The steamer Continental has arrived from
New Orleans the 26th ult. Papers of
that date give a detailed account of the arrival at New Orleans on the 25th of
the Federal prisoners from the Red River country, nearly a thousand in number.
They were prisoners from many battlefields--the True Delta says many of
them having been from twelve to sixteen months in captivity.
Their story is soon told. They
are one installment from the great prison pen near Tyler, Texas, where from
4,000 to 6,000 are gathered.
We will not sicken the reader with
a recital of the disgusting history of this camp, its fetid atmosphere, its
accumulated filth, its terrible destitution--it can be imagined.
A majority of the prisoners returned belong to the States of Iowa and
Indiana. The 26th Indiana and 19th
Iowa are well represented. Thomas Morehead, company I, 26th Indiana, was cruelly and
wantonly murdered by one of the guards, named Frank Smith, while ten paces
inside of the guard line.
The Indiana troops have marched
110 miles four times from Shreveport to Tyler, for the purpose of being
exchanged, their bare feet being cut with the frozen earth.
Last November, at Camp Ford, they
built huts from brushwood, with which to shelter themselves.
The work was of slow progress from the want and inability to get beyond
the guard lines into the woods for material.
Whenever any of these prisoners escaped they were hunted with
blood-hounds, and in nearly every case recaptured.
On the 24th of March, Colonel Rose
and all the Indiana officers escaped by digging under the stockade; but, after a
night's weary marching, were recaptured by the aid of dogs and brought back.
Lieutenant Collins, one of the number, escaped again, and was again
recaptured, when Lieutenant Colonel Borden, commanding the camp, rebuked the
guards for bringing him back alive, and posted an order to all guards capturing
an escaped prisoner to shoot or hang him on the spot.
These men were marched to
Shreveport under guard of Lieutenant Haynes, commanding a band of conscripts.
So cruel were these men, that when the foot-sore prisoners gave out by
the wayside, they put a lariat around their necks and tied it to their saddles. Most of the officers were in irons, and all suffering for
food, medicines, and clothing. The
rations served each day were a few ounces of beef, Indian meal and salt.
They died off like sheep. A
small quantity of quinine, blue mass and calomel constituted the entire
pharmacopiae of the camp. Two
hundred of these prisoners have been vaccinated for the prevention of small-pox
with virus tainted with the foul leprosy of sin, and are now impregnated with
the loathsome disease.
Immediately upon the arrival of
these men the representatives of the Western branch of the Sanitary Commission,
with the agents of Iowa and Indiana, set themselves busily to work to ameliorate
their condition. Before night they
will be clad, and their immediate wants cared for.
Colonel Kincaid, by the direction
of Governor Morton, made four distinct attempts to send relief to this camp, but
without success.
Kirby Smith has now expressed a
willingness to permit them to be so supplied, and agents of the different States
and the Sanitary Commission will immediately ship a liberal supply of
necessaries, together with stores, for the sick, and a supply of healthy virus
for vaccine purposes.
Decency forbids us to describe the
utter nudity of these men, both officers and soldiers.
Many had not rags enough to cover their nakedness, and their feet pressed
the sharp stones till blood marked their tracks.
They were animated skeletons marching through New Orleans.
Wm. N. McConaughty, private of the
19th Iowa regiment, clerk in the ordnance office, died at New Orleans July 24.
....
CAIRO, August 2.--Nearly 1,000 exchanged Union prisoners
from the Red river country, arrived at New Orleans the 25th.
Although gathered from many commands, the majority of them belonged to
the States of Iowa and Indiana; the 26th Indiana and 19th Iowa being well
represented.
The Delta says they present a most
pitiable appearance, being hatless, shoeless, and many of them without
sufficient clothing to cover their nakedness, animated skeletons, who, as their
feet pressed the sharp stones, blood marked their tracks.
Many of them had been from twelve to sixteen months in captivity.
They are one installment, from the
great prison pen of Tyler, Texas, where from 4,000 to 6,000 are gathered within
a stockade fort, at the rate of a thousand to an acre of land.
Their treatment was cruel and shameful beyond description.
Many of the officers remaining there are in irons, and all are suffering
for food, medicine and clothing.
Two hundred of these prisoners
were being vaccinated for the prevention of small pox with unhealthy virus,
which has inoculated them with the most loathsome disease. Immediately upon their arrival the representatives of the
Western branch of the Sanitary Commission, with the State agents of Iowa and
Indiana, addressed themselves busily to the work of ameliorating their
condition.
Colonel Kimball, by direction of
Governor Morton, has made four distinct attempts to send relief to this camp
without success, but Kirby Smith has now expressed his willingness to permit
them to be supplied, and the agents of the different States and Sanitary
Commission will immediately ship a liberal supply of necessaries, together with
stores for the sick, with a supply of healthy virus for vaccine purposes.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, August 10, 1864, p. 2, c. 3
The Tyler Reporter gives the following as imperfect returns of the
election in Smith county: Roberts,
651, Bell, 51; Reaves, 642, Sayles, 27.
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY GAZETTE, August 24, 1864, p. 1, c. 1
Special Correspondence.
Tyler, July 29, 1864.
Editor Gazette:--About a week ago 150 men of Col. Anderson's Regiment,
who were guard g[sic] the Federal pris ners[sic] near here, organized under a
Lieutenant, and left. Their horses
had come in from grazing the day before, and they are well armed and mounted.
Col. Anderson endeavored to overtake them with a small force, and induce
or compel them toe return, but was unable to overtake them.
They deserted in open day, fell into line at the sound of the trumpet,
and are by this time on the frontier, I presume.
For a day or two the Federals were very insecurely guarded, and some
apprehensions were felt that they would escape and do much damage, but all is
safe now. What should be the
punishment for men so lost to honor as to desert their post, leaving 3000 or
4000 miscreants almost unguarded in the heart of the country, thus endangering
the lives and property of the whole country to pillage and slaughter?
Ex Gov[.] Col. Baylor, member of congress for this district, had just
returned from Richmond, and yesterday evening addressed the people at the
methodist [sic] church. He left
this side of the Mississippi river after the battle of Mansfield, and was there
only during the latter part of the session.
[There follows a lengthy description of his speech, which upbraids Texans
for their unkind and inhospitable treatment of soldiers, the optimism of the
soldiers, bravery of Texas soldiers]
"I understand that in a few days two thousand more of the Federal
prisoners will leave here to be exchanged.
It would be a great relief to this section of country if all were
to be taken away, for they are a heavy burden, added to the necessary demands of
our own army."
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, September 9, 1864, p. 2
Co. C wounded—W. H. Thompson—severe in head, Captured: Lt. B. L. Goodman, Sgt. J. M. Myres, Corporal B. J. Little,
W. J. McClure, W. S. Weeks.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, September 11, 1864, p. 2, c. 5
Wanted—For Field Transportation Dept; Wheelrights, Blacksmiths,
Carpenters, Saddlers, and harness makers.
Mechanics liable to duty in Reserve Corps apply to:
Capt. J. C. Kirby
Tyler
[also 7 others]
[AUSTIN]
STATE GAZETTE, September 14, 1861, p. 2, c. 1
The Huntsville Item says "McKee the great government cotton agent has been
tried at Tyler and found guilty of secret plotting with the enemy.
He has taken an appeal to Gen. Smith, who, it is reported, gave him a
chance for his life and safe conduct to the Yankees, after being sentenced to be
shot on the 26th ult., provided he would tell the General something
he wanted to know." The Item says; the ex-major hardly died on the 26th."
[AUSTIN]
STATE GAZETTE, October 5, 1864, p. 1, c. 4
The Tyler Reporter says a machine has been invented by Lt. Wood, of the Ordnance
Department at that place, for making small shot for birds, squirrels, &c.
The Reporter pronounces it a success, and says it will produce shot with
great rapidity and of the most perfect mould.
BELLVILLE
[TX] COUNTRYMAN, September 13, 1864, p. 2, c. 1
[From the State Gazette.]
Special Correspondence.
Tyler, July 29, 1864.
Editor Gazette:--About a week ago 150 men of Col. Anderson's Regiment, who were
guarding the Federal prisoners near here, organized under a Lieutenant, and
left. Their horses had come in from
grazing the day before, and they are well armed and mounted.
Col. Anderson endeavored to overtake them with a small force, and induce
or compel them to return, but was unable to overtake them.
They deserted in open day, fell into line at the sound of the trumpet,
and are by this time on the frontier, I presume.
For a day or two the Federals were very insecurely guarded, and some
apprehensions were felt that they would escape and do much damage, but all is
safe now. What should be the
punishment for men so lost to honor as to desert their post, leaving 3000 to
4000 miscreants almost unguarded in the heart of the country, thus endangering
the lives and property of the whole country to pillage and slaughter.
Ex Gov. Col. Baylor, member of congress for this district, has just returned
from Richmond, and yesterday evening addressed the people at the Methodist
church. He left this side of the
Mississippi river after the battle of Mansfield, and was there only during the
latter part of the session.
. . . He visited the hospitals every where on his route and at Richmond, and
every where he found the soldiers well attended to; the ladies particularly were
indefatigable in their efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the soldiers.
Go where he would, there he found the ladies favouring the sick, writing
letters for them, or bathing their fevered heads; and at railroad depots he
found always a table set out, and refreshments provided for the hungry and weary
soldier, without money and without price. Nearly
every one was asked who came "are you a soldier?" and often one was
sorry to acknowledge that he was not, and had to stand aside. This kindness is shown, not only in the interior, but where
the ravages of war have desolated the country.
Where hasty cabins are put up amid the ruin of villages, and in all other
places, a soldier can pay nothing; but as soon as he landed on
Texas soil, he saw an Irishman, who had married in Texas, and was
returning to his home with his arm shattered, and a [illegible], with two or
three minie balls in his leg, charged $20 each for staying all night; and a lady
in this State, who had taken in and nursed a sick soldier until he recovered,
learned a short time after, that her son, who was returning home sick and
wounded, died by the road side, because no one would take him in; now she
declares she will never take in another. This
was in Texas. And this is the treatment which these men, who had been three
years and more fighting your battles on the other side of the Mississippi River
meet with here. The soldiers on the
other side had heard that soldiers were not so well treated on this, and asked
him if it was true? He did not wish
to tell a downright lie; so said it occasionally happened.
But he found the occasion was very often.
Farmers object to taking in soldiers, they say, because they miss spoons,
towels, &c., and often in going through the country they are scattered for
miles, taking whatsoever they want. Let
such young men be taken up and black jacked.
Let soldiers remember that to the extent they injure farmers they injure
the army; the farmer must feed the army. Some
say they would as lief have the Yankees as our own soldiers.
The Yankees take all, and our own soldiers leave nothing.
But in the one case, it makes our people determined to drive the invaders
out, and in the other it demoralizes both the farmers and the army.
These were plain truths; as a public man, as their representative, he
would only tell them truth. It was
much more pleasant to say, "we are all right, and doing our duty,"
but, he preferred telling them the truth that the evils may be corrected. . . .
I have given imperfectly the substance of Col. Baylor's talk.
It was plain and to the point.
I understand that in a few days two thousand more of the Federal prisoners will
leave here to be exchanged. It
would be a great relief to this section of the country if all were to be
taken away, for they are a heavy burden, added to the necessary demands of our
own army.
BELLVILLE
[TX] COUNTRYMAN, September 20, 1864, p. 1, c. 4
We find the following valuable recipe, worth more than the price of a year's
subscription, in the Tyler Reporter:
To Make Soda.—To a gallon of strong ley add one quart of salt, and boil down.
This will make good Soda for household purposes.
It can be done directly.
[MARSHALL]
TEXAS REPUBLICAN, October 14, 1864, p. 2, c. 3
Seven or eight hundred Yankee prisoners from the camp at Tyler passed through
this place last week, on their way east to be exchanged.
On Sunday, a fresh lot apparently about an equal number, came in.
They passed by the fine new Methodist church during the afternoon
service, for the negroes. The
servants were dressed up in their Sunday regalia.
A few respectable looking darkies were parading the streets, whose well
fed appearance and attire were in striking contrast with the meagre, miserable
appearance of the ragged, and, in many instances, shoeless specimens of
Yankeedom. The incoming of the Yankees created no commotion of sensation
whatever among the negroes. They
kept their seats in church, the most of them not even condescending to look
around. A few of the sable
daughters, with the curiosity attributed to their sex, turned to gaze at them,
and with a look in which curiosity and contempt were strangely blended.
The Yankees were the best behaved set we have seen.
They passed along without uttering a word.
The neat pretty church, and the well dressed, comfortable looking darkies
evidently attracted an unusual share of their attention, and we have no doubt
were well calculated to have an excellent moral effect upon these abolition
emissaries.
NEW ORLEANS DAILY PICAYUNE, October 27, 1864, p. 4, c. 1
Sickness.
The Tyler Reporter says: The latter
part of the past summer and the present fall have constituted, perhaps, the most
sickly period which has occurred in Eastern Texas for many years.
The diseases have been varied, mostly without apparent cause, and
attended by great fatality, especially among children.
We hope to see a change for the better as cool weather advances.
[MARSHALL] TE XAS REPUBLICAN, October 29, 1864, p. 2
The Tyler Reporter makes the following truthful and forcible remarks:
"Reconstruction! What
does it contemplate? Subjugation,
and all that subjugation means, even as that term falls from the lips of our
bitterest and most malignant foe. It
contemplates and necessarily includes an acknowledgement on our part that we
have been wrong from the hour the first gun was fired in this revolution to the
present moment. It asserts that all
the blood and treasure poured upon the altar has been an unholy offering to the
powers of wrong and egregious error. It
yields the victor's palm to the toe and bids us kneel as suppliant slaves and
beg or mercy at the feet of our masters—a mercy we shall never find. It steps perhaps, the noble war upon the open battlefield and
mangurates an ignoble and crushing war of taxation, or tariffs, of terms without
our will and laws without our consent, in war which will speedily find its way
around every hearthstone, and shade every habitation with the darkness of
despotism. Such is reconstruction;
such its inevitable traits! Reconstruction
upon any terms, with our enemies means nothing short, and will result in nothing
less than immediate or ultimate subjugation!"
[JEFFERSON, TX] CONFEDERATE NEWS, November 4, 1864, p. 2, c. 2
Protestant Methodist Church
Tyler Mission.—A. Rushing, supt., W. P. Wilson, asst.
Next annual [sic] conference to held at Hopewell on Tyler mission, Smith
county, commencing on Wednesday before the third srbbath [sic] in October, 1865.
DALLAS HERALD, November 5, 1864,
p. 1
[Summary:
Commentary from Tyler Reporter on Wigfall's speech on the paying of the
specie tax with specie.]
HENDERSON TIMES, November 5,
1864, p. 2, c. 3
[Summary:
J. S. Brooks wants 100 Negroes—probably for Neches Saline salt works]
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS,
November 18, 1864, p. 2, c. 2
Headquarters Camp Ford Nov. 9, 1864
Ed. news. The following is
the result of an election held in the stockade yesterday by the Federal
prisoners for President of the United States:
For Abraham Lincoln
1614
For George B. McClellan
716
------
Total Vote
2330
Lincoln’s majority 898. Four
or five hundred of the prisoners failed to vote.
I think this is a fair index of what the vote will turn out to be in the
North.
Brazoria.
[MARSHALL]
TEXAS REPUBLICAN, November 18, 1864, p. 2, c. 5
Clothing for Soldiers
Office Chief Clothing Bureau,
T. M.
Dear sir: You are directed to organize in Ark., North La., and Texas,
societies for the manufacture of army clothing. For this purpose you will
adopt such rules and regulations as may appear to you just and proper.
The organizations when completed will be reported to this office, when material
will be distributed to them for manufacture into clothing. Liberal
inducements will be offered by you for all work that may be done, in this
connection.
My object is to create resources for the manufacture of ten thousand suits
monthly. Our necessities are such that it must be done, and I rely on your
energy and the cordial co-operation of our ladies to attend success.
Respectfully,
W. H. Haynes,
Major and Q. M., C. S. A.
Chief Clothing Bureau.
Mr. A. L. Hay,
Agent Clothing Bureau.
In connection with the exchange of Calico and Domestic, for garments of
home-made cloth, I will be at the following places:
Greenwood, Thursday Dec. 8; A. Wright's, 10; Jefferson, 12; Marshall, 14; Ash
Spring, 15; Mrs. Ben Witcher's, 16; Gilmer, 17; Starville, 19; Tyler, 20;
Pittsburg, 23; Mt. Pleasant, 24; Dangerfield, 26; R. Huges, Foundary, 27; Nash's
Foundary, 28; Linden, 30; Douglasville, 31; Bright Star, Saturday, January 1;
Walnut Hill, 3; Lewisville, 5. Other
places in Arkansas will be visited.
At these places I hope to meet ladies from other places, acquaint them with the
work, and have societies formed.
A. L. Hay,
Agent Clothing Bureau.
Nov. 18, 1864.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 2, 1864, p. 1, c.
2-3
For the Tri-Weekly Telegraph.
Smith County, Texas.
}
Nov. 25th, 1864.
}
Editor Telegraph:--Your humble correspondent having tried every possible
means, except the present process, he now respectfully appeals from the military
to you, hoping that you will give publicity to his complaints.
I do not believe in so much partiality being exhibited by our military
officers, without being exposed to the view of an impartial public.
I have made petition after petition to Gen. E. Kirby Smith, Maj. Gen.
Magruder and Maj. Gen. Walker, with the signature of a great many of my
neighbors, in order to try to get home, and it seems impossible for me to make
"the trip." Other men are
continually getting details to remain at home upon far less just and important
pleas than I have presented. My
petitions have been based upon the following weighty reasons:
I am a young man, 23 years of age, am 6 feet two inches high, weight 175
pounds, am as strong as a jackass, was never sick in my life. I am a rich man, I own twenty-[illegible] slaves, a very fine
farm; I was a very rabid secessionist in 1861; made public speeches, exhorted my
fellow citizens to go forward to the post of duty; promised I would see that the
families of those who would go and risk their lives in defence of my
"niggers" should not suffer, and have never though of that promise
since. I am a married man, my wife
is a "very delicate woman," only weighs 160 pounds, cannot walk more
than five miles without resting, she has never been sick either, and
there are only two of us in the family. Now,
I have asked the privilege of this detail that I might go home; have my rich
farm well tilled, make a large crop, and realize annually a large profit.
If I allow this war season to pass without speculating upon the
necessities of the soldiers' families while they are away, I shall not be able
to make more than 1,000,000, whereas, if I am thus indulged by the military, I
can, in a few years, have three times that amount, and also save my precious
carcass from falling a victim to Yankee bullets.
It is true, I would have to give a bond to pay to the Government the
amount of produce required by law; but then by a little smuggling, lying and
concealing, and by extortioning on the soldiers' families who are suffering and
obliged to buy the necessaries of life, I can make that up very easily.
Now a great many poor men, in my neighborhood, who are not worth a
"nigger," who own but very small farms, have sickly wives and a house
full of little children, and nobody to work for them, are in the service,
suffering the hardships of a soldiers' life; but then I can't afford to do that.
I am not used to hard living and would not like to become so now.
More than that, my wife would cry, if I had to remain in the army
and live like a "hog." Again,
these men went into the army at the beginning of the war and I did not go until
I was drafted in the MILITIA last Fall, and then they made me stay in, when my
time was out in the Militia. Now
considering all these things, Mr. Editor, don't you think that Genl. E. Kirby
Smith, on the justice and equality of the law, ought to put a special
"D" on my tail?
Croesus.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, December
7, 1864, p. 1, c. 6
Texas
News in the New York Herald
The New Orleans correspondent of the N. York Herald, dating Nov. 1st,
gives the following Texas items:
. . . Our returned prisoners
state that immense quantities of cotton on wagons pass the stockade at Tyler,
Texas, on its way from Shreveport and vicinity over the long road to Mexico and
Brownsville.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS,
December 12, 1864, p. 2, c. 2
The Tyler Reporter gives an encouraging account of the value of “new
issue” at that place. It says:
“Prices are falling; and are destined to fall still lower; specie does
not now command former rates, but within a few days past we have seen it sold
for fifteen to one, and we look forward with confidence to the no distant period
when it will not command the half of that amount.”
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN,
December 16, 1864
[Summary:
Calico and domestic mentioned in November 18, 1864 article did not
arrive]
HENDERSON TIMES, December 17,
1864, p. 1, c. 4
[Summary:
J. S. O. Brooks wants negroes—probably for Neches Saline salt works]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH,
December 30, 1864, p. 2, c. 3
[Summary:
"Hoods Old Brigade," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, January
10, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
[Summary:
Penitentiary Cloth Given to Counties District 4—Smith, Rusk, Panola,
Harrison, Upshur, Wood, Van Zandt, Marion, Davis, Titus, Hopkins, Bowie, Red
River, Lamar to be delivered May 10th, 1865.]
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, January
10, 1865, p. 2, c. 2
Major Morris R. Reagan, Mail agent for the State, is now in our city,
having come here direct from Eastern Texas, where he has been in the discharge
of his duties. He gives a statement
of a military outrage which we think ought to be made public, and we therefore
give it publicity, not merely at Mr. Reagan’s request, but as duty we owe to
this country. Major R had obtained
conclusive evidence of a mail robbery by a young man acting as deputy postmaster
in Kaufman, and accordingly had the man placed in the custody of the deputy
marshal at Tyler, to await his trial. Meantime,
many efforts were made by the young man’s friends to procure his release, but
without success, when at last Major Hamner, and Captain Miler, both of the C. s.
Army, assisted by three others, attempted to rescue the young man by force from
the civil authorities, on the pretense that he was a deserter; but Major Reagan
states that he has positive proof that it was really not the intention of those
attempting the rescue to hold him as such, but merely to release him from the
arrest. But, whatever may have been
the intention of the rescuers, that could scarcely palliate the flagrant outrage
of an attempt by subaltern military officers to trample upon the civil
authorities of the country in such a high-handed manner.
The attempt of rescue was however defeated by the firmness of Major
Reagan and the deputy marshal, and the accused party is placed under bonds for
his appearance as the next term of court. Maj.
Reagan requests us to state that during the preliminary trial Col. Bradfute had
the prisoner guarded by a file of twenty soldiers, but for which Maj. R thinks
another attempt at rescue would have been made.
GALVESTON
WEEKLY NEWS, January 11, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
Penitentiary Cloth Given to the Several Counties of the State.
From a circular just issued by the financial agent of the Penitentiary,
we find the State has been laid off into six districts, for convenience of
appropriating the quota of cloth to the respective counties, as follows:
1st District.—Chambers, Liberty, Jefferson, Orange, Hardin,
Newton, Jasper, Tyler, Polk, Trinity, Angelina, San
Augustine, Sabine, Houston, Anderson, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Shelby,
Henderson.
2nd District.—Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque,
Brown, Stephens, Burnett, Cameron, Clay, Comal, Comanche, El Paso, Erath,
Gillespie, Hamilton, Hildalgo, Jack, Kendall, Kerr, Lampasas, Live Oak, Llano,
Mason, Medina, Montague, McCulloch, McMullen, Nueces, Palo Pinto, Parker, San
Saba, Starr, Uvalde, Webb, Wise, Wilson, Young, Zapata
3rd District.—Limestone, McClellan, Falls, Milan, Robertson,
Madison, Leon, Brazos, Burleson,
Washington, Grimes, Walker, Montgomery, Harris, Austin, Galveston
4th District.—Smith Rusk, Panola, Harrison, Upshur, Wood,
Van Zandt, Marion, Davis, Titus, Hopkins, Bowie, Red River, Lamar
5th District.—Fayette, Lavaca, Colorado, Fort
Bend, Wharton, Jackson, Victoria, Calhoun, Matagorda, Brazoria, San
Patricio, Rufugio, Goliad, Bee, Karnes, DeWitt, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Caldwell,
Bastrop, Hays, Travis, Williamson, Bell, Coryell
6th District.—Fannin, Grayson, Cooke, Denton, Collin, Hunt,
Kaufman, Dallas, Tarrant, Johnson, Ellis, Navarro, Hill, Freestone
The agent says, "adopting, under advice of the Comptroller, as a
basis, the indigent lists heretofore furnished to the Comptroller's office by
the Chief Justices of the several counties, I have divided the State into six
districts, and will proceed to furnish said cloth as follows:
1st District, 20th February, 1865.
4th District, 20th May, 1865
2nd " 20th
March, "
5th
" 20th June,
"
3rd " 20th
April, "
6th
" 20th July, "
"I would respectfully call your attention [that of the various
county chief justices] to the duties imposed on the several county courts by
this act, in connexion with procuring these goods from the Penitentiary, and
particularly to the 4th section of said act, which makes it the duty
of "the county courts to procure promptly from the Financial Agent of the
Penitentiary the quantity and quality of cloth and thread to which they are
entitled, and to provide transportation for the same to their respective county
seats. This is the more important,
as the Penitentiary has but limited storage room for goods. Under
regulations heretofore adopted at this office, many of the counties made
application for cloth, and paid for it on delivery; while others failed to do
so, or to indicate in any way their desire for the cloth, and consequently
received none. An act approved
November 15th, 1864, requires the financial agent to set aside for
these counties the amount of cloth to which they would have been entitled had
they made application as did the others. The
price to be paid by these counties in C. S.
Treasury notes, new issue, is the same paid by the counties already supplied—osnaburgs
$2.80, cotton jeans $3 per yard. State
treasury warrants will be received in payment at their relative value.
This distribution will be made out of the first cloth manufactured after
the several counties are furnished under the act first referred to in this
circular. Chief justices, however,
if they wish their counties to receive the benefit of this act, are required to
give notice to this office to that effect, within 90 days from the 15th
November last. I shall attempt to
execute faithfully the provisions of the law on this subject; but cannot forbear
saying that in my opinion these goods should have been furnished to the army.
Our destitute and suffering soldiery certainly have claims paramount to
all others."
We also gather from the circular that the factory will be in running trim
about the 15th inst., and of course the resurrection of Huntsville
will be a simultaneous event.—Item.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, January 20, 1865, p. 1. c. 3
The following paragraph from the Tyler Journal, is decidedly patronizing and
fatherly. It is good advice:
Bring Them Back.—Maj. Sanford, of the "Holman House," is of opinion
that the boys have carried that Christmas joke far enough, and his Knives, Forks
and Spoons—a leetle too far. Bring
them back boys, our worthy host is anxious to get up another entertainment, and
he is short of table ware.
[MARSHALL]
TEXAS REPUBLICAN, January 20, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
We have received the first number of the Confederate Journal, published at
Tyler, Texas, by Irven Cowser, and edited by Col. George W. Chilton.
The paper is well printed, ably edited.
Success to it.
DALLAS HERALD, January 26, 1865,
p. 2
We have received the first number of the Confederate Journal, published
at Tyler, Texas, by Irvin Cowsar, and edited by Geo. W. Chilton.
The paper is neatly gotten up and the editorial columns bear the impress
of a graceful pen. Many of our readers will remember the activity and enthusiasm
of Maj. C. in the outset of the war, and will regret to learn that after nearly
four years of arduous service his health has failed him.
Although ordered to lay down the sword, he defiantly grasps the pen,
which is said to be a mightier weapon, and evinces a determination to fight on.
But, alas, Maj. The pen won't kill Feds now!
We commend the Journal to the public, and welcome it to our exchange
list.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH,
January 28, 1865, p. 2, c. 2
Among our editorial contreres we have often wondered which would be
considered the handsomest man, Dodson of the Henderson Times, Chilton of the
Tyler Journal, Carpenter of the Jefferson News, Robinson of the Huntsville Item,
or Cushing of the Houston Telegraph.—Republican.
At sight, Chilton will do us the favor to dry Loughery up on the subject,
and charge to our account.
DALLAS HERALD, February 2, 1865,
p. 2
[Summary:
Tyler Journal backs Judge Thos. J. Devine of San Antonio for governor.]
DALLAS HERALD, February 2, 1865,
p. 1
[Summary:
Confederate Journal published the South Carolina Resolutions and an
accompanying editorial.]
HENDERSON TIMES, February 4,
1865, p. 2, c. 2
[Summary:
Tyler Reporter—Capt. S of Brown’s regiment had his horse’s tail
shaved closely by a prankster, so he made a scabbard of leather and fit it to
the tail. Then he shaved the tail
of another horse and attached the hair to the artificial tail.]
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, February 8, 1865, p. 1, c. 3
Col. Joseph Bates is recommended by a writer in the Tyler Reporter as a
proper and suitable person for the next Governor.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, February 8, 1865, p. 1, c. 2
From the Confederate Journal, January 28th we take the
following well-timed remarks:
Why is that the good feeling which once existed between the soldiers and
citizens of the country no longer exist? It
is apparent to us [all?] that a great change has taken place.
Let it be announced in a community now, that a regiment of cavalry is to
be stationed among them, and a panic seems to overtake them.
Let it be announced that this regiment is gone, and a smile of joy will
illuminate their faces. Why is it?
Whose fault is it? For it is
a fault, and a most grievous, mischievous fault.
Now it is our opinion, from experience and close observation, that the
citizens and soldiers are alike to blame. There
are bad men in every congregation of men, military or civil, who will, by their
misconduct, bring d[illegible] on their associates.
But common sense and justice [illegible] that we should not hold an
entire body of men responsible for misconduct of a few bad members.
Long exposure to the temptations to viciousness, which camp life
engenders, and the unfortunate inability of the Government to supply the
soldiers with a sufficiency of food, make many more regardless of the rights of
citizens, and less attentive to the proprieties of life, than they otherwise
would be. But the great cause of
nine-tenths of the mischief which is done by the soldiers, is in retaliation of
some evidence of meanness of spirit upon the part of the citizen, which may be
either real or imaginary. The
citizen too often forgets that to the soldier he is indebted for the enjoyment
of all he has, and when he gives, seem to give so grudgingly that he is deprived
of nearly all the benefits of his gift. More
frequently when applied to for a favor, he coldly refuses, under the selfish
plea, of having already exhausted his capacity to give.
What blessing, temporal or spiritual, can that man expect who, surrounded
by comfort and abundance at home, will refuse to entertain the wounded or war
worn soldier, who after years of toilsome exposure to danger and disease, is
returning to his home and family, probably to die? Or, if he gives a reluctant consent that the soldier may stay
with him for a night, will charge him from two to four months wages for the
privilege. We had rather take a camels chance on the needle proposition, than
his for getting to Heaven.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, February 8, 1865, p. 3, c. 2
The Hon. John R. Baylor in a letter from Richmond to the Tyler Reporter
says:
George D. Prentice, of the Louisville Journal, is here to attend the
trial of his son for murder. He
told a member of congress that Kentucky was alive to our cause, and would come
to us finally. His advice to the
South is to resist to the last man, for worse than death awaits us if we are
subjugated.
The same paper in an article upon the re-organization of the cavalry in
Arkansas, says:
The cavalry forces of the District have been thoroughly re-organized,
with large additions of strength. The
re-organization took place in the presence and under the immediate direction of
Gen. Magruder, who has infused into the whole army of the District that spirit
of energy and regard for wholesome discipline, which distinguished him upon the
Peninsula, and rendered him the favorite general of our neighbors, the Texans.
He is very much awake, and we can assure the citizens of Arkansas that
their interests are safe in his hands—that is, as safe as they could be, under
the fluctuating fortunes of war. Our
cavalry forces are today more numerous, better disciplined, and in higher
spirits than they have ever been. Gen.
Fagan commands them. The very name
o this gallant son of Arkansas inspires confidence.
He is a soldier tried and true. For
ourselves, our presentments do not trouble us at all.
Should Reynolds repeat the experiment of Steele, we predict that the soil
of Southern Arkansas will be added to the garlands which commemorated
"Mark's Mill." What a
pity that Marmaduke and Cabell cannot be here to share them!
But such is the fates of war.
Col. Joseph Bates is recommended by a writer in the Tyler Reporter as a
proper and suitable person for the next Governor.
CROCKETT QUID NUNC, February 14, 1865, p. 1, c. 4
We have seen almost all sorts of artificials—artificial flowers,
artificial teeth, hair, noses;--artificial arrangements generally and
promiscuously; but the most artificial artificial that has come under our
observation lately, was an artificial tail to a real horse.
It seems that somebody got a spite at an elegant saddle horse of our
friend Capt. S., of Brown's regiment, and to embarrass the horse or to plague
his owner, shaved his tail closely. But
genius prevailed over malice, and said horse now sports an artificial tail, as
good as the original, and which can scarcely be told from it. The process for repairing damaged tails is easy:
Make a scabbard of leather to fit the remaining stem of the tail; then
shave some other man's horse's tail until you get hair sufficient, which can be
easily fastened on by means of strings, &c.
Immortal genius!—Tyler Reporter.
DALLAS HERALD, February 16, 1865, p. 2
[Summary: The
Confederate Journal warns of invasion of Texas planned with Gen. Steel.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, February 22, 1865, p. 3, c. 2
From the Tyler Journal.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for an Editor to
clothe himself in sackcloth, and sprinkle ashes upon his caput, and shut himself
up in his sanctum in deep mourning and grief, a decent regard for the curiosity
of his friends, male and female, requires that he should make public the causes
which impel him to so strange a course. The
painful news has reached us that our esteemed friend, Rennessaiaer Reed Gilbert,
alias H. P., alias High Private, whilst walking the streets of Houston,
unsuspicious of lurking danger, was, on the morning of the 26th of
January, suddenly seized by a female Lion, which had been petted and
domesticated in that city, and carried off into the forest.
We are informed that some of his friends were immediately informed of the
mishap, and started in pursuit of the captor and captured, towards Courtney, but
they entertained no hope of being able to rescue our friend alive.
Alas, poor Gilbert! He was a
man of parts; wrote reliable news to the Houston Telegraph, and was at times
fond of cracking jokes. We are like
Rachel, weeping because he is not.
What is that we hear? Sold?
Who is sold? "O tempora, O mores!"
Sell an Editor! A man whose
business it is to sell everybody else. Too
bad, too bad. But we rejoice that
Gilbert still lives, and although captured and carried off by a Lyon, it
was a beautiful, harmless one. We
have just received the following announcement, which explains itself:
MARRIED.—In this city, on the 26th inst., by the Rev. J. M.
Curtis, Mr. Rennesalaer Reed Gilbert to Miss Louella Lyon, all of Houston.—Telegraph.
[MARSHALL]
TEXAS REPUBLICAN, February 24, 1865, p. 2, c. 2
On Sunday, about 1200 Federal prisoners, from Camp Ford, at Tyler, passed
through Marshall, on their way to Shreveport, and thence to the mouth of Red
River to be exchanged. We were glad
to see them going home. Perhaps
there were some among them, of virtuous instincts, who have been led estray
[sic] by artful demagogues to make war upon a people who have never injured
them. And there may be others, who
have good mothers and sisters to be rendered happy by their return.
The good book enjoins upon us to lover our enemies, and to be kind to
those who despitefully use us. Sympathy
and kindness to enemies may not be without its reward.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, February 25, 1865, p. 2, c. 2
From the Tyler Reporter.
FIRE.—About 11 o'clock, on Monday night last, the alarm of fire aroused
our citizens from repose. Fire had
broken out in the back rooms of our fellow-citizen, Major George W. Chilton,
supposed to be the result of carelessness on the part of a negro.
Many citizens and soldiers were soon on the spot, but their utmost
efforts availed nothing more than the saving of most of the furniture.
The community sympathize deeply with the Major and his family.
If such lessons as this do not teach our citizens to be careful about
fire, we may well despair of doing so in a newspaper.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, March 4, 1865, p. 2
The Editor of the Confederate Journal of Tyler, Col. Geo. W. Chilton,
states that his residence has been consumed by fire.
By the exertions of the citizens some of the furniture was saved.
BELLVILLE
[TX] COUNTRYMAN, March 7, 1865, p. 1, c. 5
Refugees.
Upon our return from the army, last summer, after an absence from home,
almost unbroken, of three years, we found that a great many changes had been
wrought, not the least observable of which was the great number of new and
strange faces with which we met. We
soon found that many of these were officers and soldiers, assigned to duty and
detailed, in the various military departments of the post, whilst many were our
unfortunate brothers and sisters of Missouri, Ark., La., Mississippi and
Kentucky, who had been driven from their homes, by the ruthless minions of
Lincoln, all of them having suffered greatly in their pecuniary interests, and
many made penniless widows and orphans. These
we learned were called "refugees," and, that with some ungenerous
citizens, it was frequently used as a term of reproach.
This is wrong if for no other reason, because it is uncharitable,
unchristian and heartless.
We came to Texas some fifteen years ago and remember that there was then a class
of men in that country, and coming in from the elder States, who were called
"refugees." It was not
said that they had sought the city of refuge, for protection against a pitiless,
barbarous public enemy, but had found it convenient to use old Sols sleeping
time, to avoid an officer of the law, armed with a little "capias" or
"fi-fa!" It would be well
enough for some of them to remember, although now old citizens, times that are
gone, and exercise a little more charity towards the unfortunate of the present
day. But to view the question in a
different light; "curses like chickens come home to roost," and it may
be that before another harvest is gathered, we who are "old citizens"
may be driven by the same causes which have cast many in our midst, to seek a
home and immunity from carnage, in the land of strangers.
The same uncharitable proscription, applied to us then would be any thing but
agreeable. But leaving out of view
the moral and social wrong, which is committed by the indulgence of this
proscriptive feeling, every thinking man will admit that it is unwise.
The greater the wealth and industry of a State, the lighter will be the
burden of taxation for its support, upon each individual.
The larger the number of intelligent, enterprising families in a
community, the greater are the facilities for education and the [?] enjoyment of
religious privileges. School houses
and churches will spring up as if by magic, where they go; society is improved
in morals and manners and the State is benefited.
So far as our observation, and it has not been very limited, will enable
us to judge, the "refugees," men and women, are even handed with our
older citizens, in all the work of charity, benevolence, and patriotism which
the unfortunate condition of our country requires at their hands. We feel that we speak the mind of a large majority of our old
citizens when we bid them a hearty welcome to Texas, and express the hope, that,
although driven by adversity to seek a temporary asylum with us, the attractions
may be sufficient to induce them to make it their permanent home—Tyler
Journal.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, March 8, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
The Editor of the Confederate Journal of Tyler, Col. Geo. W. Chilton,
states that his residence has been consumed by fire.
By the exertions of the citizens some of the furniture was saved.
DALLAS HERALD, March 16, 1865, p. 2
By Dept. Orders, Capt. Walter Caruth relieves Capt. J. M. Williams, in
charge of the Qr. Master Dept. of this Post.
Whilst we sincerely regret the departure of Capt. Williams, we
congratulate the country and the army, in securing the services of Capt. Caruth,
as his successor, in welcoming whom, our best wish is, that his administration
of the affairs of his office may be as efficient, and as our pleasure in
greeting him is hearty.—Tyler Journal, Feb. 11th.
DALLAS HERALD, March 16, 1865, p. 2
[Summary: Contest
between editors Burnett of the Crockett Quid Nunc, Chilton of the Tyler Journal,
Hamilton of the Tyler Reporter, Reilly of the Kaufman Enquirer, on which is most
"purty." Hamilton—"puty
is only skin deep, and ugly to the bone."
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, March 17, 1865
[Summary: "The
Old Story," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, March 22, 1865, p. 2
The Journal publishes the proceedings of a meeting in Tyler, at which
resolutions were adopted unanimously to the effect, that all the tythe-corn of
smith and adjoining counties had been consumed, and that unless the Federal
prison-camp be removed, suffering must ensue before this year’s crop can be
gathered. The meeting, therefore
resolved to request Gen. E. K. Smith to have said camp removed to a point where
provisions are more abundant, and it was suggested that a suitable place may be
found between the Trinity and Brazos rivers, some 75 miles from Tyler.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, March 22, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
The Journal publishes the proceedings of a meeting in Tyler, at which
resolutions were adopted unanimously to the effect, that all the tythe-corn of
smith and adjoining counties had been consumed, and that unless the Federal
prison-camp be removed, suffering must ensue before this year’s crop can be
gathered. The meeting, therefore
resolved to request Gen. E. K. Smith to have said camp removed to a point where
provisions are more abundant, and it was suggested that a suitable place may be
found between the Trinity and Brazos rivers, some 75 miles from Tyler.
GALVESTON WEEKLY NEWS, March 29, 1865, p. 4, c. 1
The Confederate Journal of Tyler, edited by Col. G. W. Chilton, published
the explanatory letter of Major C. S. West respecting his letter to Mr. Raymond,
and says: "It is a manly and
truthful statement to the facts connected with the letter referred to, which
entirely exonerates Maj. West from the imputation of entertaining any wish to
dissever Texas from the destiny of her sister States of the Confederacy.
Maj. West is a native of South Carolina, and an original and zealous
advocate of the doctrine of State rights. We
have known him long and intimately, and feel sure that he entertains no
sentiment which is not prompted by the highest and purest spirit of
patriotism."
The Journal publishes the proceedings of a meeting in Tyler, at which
resolutions were adopted unanimously to the effect that all the tythe-corn of
Smith and adjoining counties had been consumed, and that unless the Federal
prison-camp be removed, suffering must ensue before this year's crop can be
gathered. The meeting, therefore
resoled to request Gen. E. K. Smith to have said camp removed to a point where
provisions are more abundant, and it was suggested that a suitable place may be
found between the Trinity and Brazos rivers, some 75 miles from Tyler.
Speaking of the nomination of Gen. McCulloch for Governor, the Tyler
Journal says: We do not believe
that General McCulloch would be willing to engage in the scramble, which is
likely to ensue, for the office. Indeed
we should regret to see him leave his present field of usefulness for any
other."
DALLAS HERALD, March 30, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
The citizens of Tyler have held a public meeting and memorialized Gen. E.
Kirby Smith to order the Federal Prison Camp to be removed to some part of the
country where there is a greater abundance of corn.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, March 31, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
[Summary: "God
Shield Our Loved," poem by Mollie E. Moore.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, April 23, 1865, p. 1, c. 5
The Confederate Court began its Spring term here last Monday, the 3rd
inst.—Hon. W. P. Hill present and presiding.
Present, also, J. C.
Fowler, Clerk, T. J. Jennings, District Attorney pro tem, J. W. Mosley,
Marshall, and the Receivers, except Col. Anderson.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, April 21, 1865
[Summary: "A
Welcome Home," poem by Mollie E. Moore for the Tyler Reporter.
Dedicated most cordially to our returned soldiers.]
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, April 25, 1865
Brown’s regiment left his post on Tuesday for [illegible], and, as
veteran soldiers, they have made their track here, as well as elsewhere.—Tyler
Journal.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, April 26, 1865, p. 1, c. 1-2
[Summary: Judge
Hill's charge to the grand jury at Tyler]
[MARSHALL]
TEXAS REPUBLICAN, April 28, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
The editor of the Tyler Reporter has had the kindness to send us the charge of
Hon. W. P. Hill, Judge of the Confederate States District Court, for the Eastern
District of Texas, delivered to the Grand Jury at Tyler, at the recent April
term of that Court. It is an
exceedingly able and lucid exposition of the law, and the duty of the citizen to
his country. The Jury believing
that it ought to be in the hands of every one, have published a large number of
copies in extra form. They have
acted wisely in so doing. We regret that we cannot promptly publish all such
documents. Their tendency is good.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, April 29, 1865, p. 1
[Summary: Extracts
from Judge Hill’s charge to the grand jury at Tyler]
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, April 29, 1865, p. 2
Col. G. W. Chilton has withdrawn from the editorial charge of the
“Confederate Journal” at Tyler. He
states that his health, though not fully restored, is sufficiently so to enable
him to return to his duty in the army, where he expects to remain, to the end of
the war. [includes editorial]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, May 1, 1865, p. 2, c. 2
Our well beloved friend, Geo. W. Chilton, of Gen. Bee's staff, gave us a
call on Saturday. We are sorry to
see him in poor health, though as defiant as ever in his patriotism.
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY GAZETTE, May 3, 1865, p. 1, c. 1-2
[Summary: Judge
Hill's charge to the grand jury at Tyler—lengthy address on the need or
sacrifice for victory.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, May 8, 1865, p. 1, c. 4
[Summary: Closing
potion of the presentment of the late Confederate Grand Jury at Tyler]
DALLAS HERALD, May 11, 1865, p. 2
Our exchanges state that the connection of Maj. Geo. W. Chilton with the
Confederate Journal at Tyler has been dissolved, and the Major has returned to
the army and been assigned to duty on Gen. H. P. Bee's staff.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, May 19, 1865
[Summary: "The
Hornet"—paper in Smith County, first number. "It is of the same order, as neatly printed, and nearly
if not quite, as stupid as the "Jimplechute" or "Houston's
Champion," the latter of which is a champion in that line."]
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, June 7, 1865, p. 1, c. 4
We notice that the Yankee prisoners confined at Tyler, who passed through
Marshall a week ago, on their way home, behaved themselves in an orderly,
respectful manner, and that their countenances exhibited no malevolence or ill
feeling.
--Marshall Republican.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, June 8, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
The following items are from the Shreveport News, May 30th:
On Monday evening, 22d inst., about 1800 Federal prisoners arrived here
from Camp Ford, at Tyler, Texas,
and took their departure for home on Tuesday.
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, June 26, 1865, p. 3, c. 1
From the Crockett Quid Nunc of 21st
“We learn that the Federals have occupied Marshall and that a small
force has gone to Tyler. As yet we
have heard of no early prospect for these parts to be blessed with a small
garrison to keep order, and to collect up Confederate property.”
DALLAS HERALD, July 1, 1865, p. 2
"He also informs us that there was a regiment of infantry at
Marshall, and one company of cavalry at Tyler. Everything was quiet at each of
the above places, and no interference by the troops with the citizens in any
manner."
[SHREVEPORT] THE SOUTH-WESTERN, July 19, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
Our sanctum, yesterday, was enlivened by the presence of Mr. C. L.
Collins, formerly an employee of this office, but now one of the editors and
publishers of the sprightly sheet, the "Tyler Weekly Journal,"
published at Tyler, Texas. If our
merchants consult their interests they will advertise liberally in this widely
circulated sheet.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, July 23, 1865, p. 2
The Tyler Journal of the 8th remarks as follows:
“Maj. Vredenburg with a detachment of the 10th Illinois
Cavalry, have been stationed at the Armory near this place for several weeks,
gathering up government property. The
Major by his pleasant manners and gentlemanly bearing has won the esteem and
good will of the people generally, [sic] we are gratified to learn through the
Major, that both citizens and soldiers are freely returning the government
property taken previous to the surrender of this Department.
Maj. Vredenburg with his file of men left this place on Wednesday last
for Shreveport.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, July 27, 1865, p. 2
We clip from the Tyler Journal of the 15th:
“We notice almost daily large droves of Beef Cattle passing through
this place en route for Shreveport. Another
fine shower blessed us this week. The
prospect for an abundant harvest never was finer. We understand that several lots of corn were sold at 15 cents
per bushel, this, however, was sold by persons who wished to leave the State and
return to their homes.—From all we can learn, corn will not be worth more than
25 cents per bushel.
[SHREVEPORT] THE SOUTH-WESTERN, August 9, 1965, p. 2 , c. 1
WE have received the first copy of the Tyler Reporter, under the
editorial management of Mr. Jas. P. Parsons [sic?] since the commencement of the
war. In his salutatory, he talks
like a sensible and patriotic man, and we wish him success in his undertaking.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 12, 1865, p. 2, c. 2
Jas. P. Douglas, Esq., the old Editor of the Tyler Reporter, after an
absence of four years from his sanctum, having been on service in the
Confederate army, has resumed his old chair; H. H. Hamilton, former editor,
publisher. He favors the early
resumption of civil government in the State, and to this end advises all who are
allowed to do so to quality themselves for the duties of citizens as soon as
practicable. He justly regards
emancipation as a finality, and the new system of labor as fixed on the country;
and advises immediate arrangements to employ the negroes by their former owners,
which he regards as the best plan.
The Reporter expresses a just fear that, the able bodied men deserting
their former masters and leaving the weak and helpless as a burden on the owner,
will cause either great suffering in this class, if turned off, or else great
injury to their former masters if retained.
Something must be done to regulate this matter, in justice to both
parties. Either military orders, or
appropriate legislation, or some arrangement of the Provisional State
Government, must cover the case, or great evil and injustice will ensue.
In the meantime let all be as patient as possible, do the best they can,
and represent the facts to the authorities from all parts of the State.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, August 16, 1865
[Summary: Smith—Samuel
Earle, Chief Justice; Jesse W. Rasberry, District Clerk; E. Sharp, County Clerk;
Arch Ramsom [sic], Sheriff—Appointments by Gov. Hamilton.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 16, 1865, p. 4, c. 4
Appointments
Smith—Samuel Earle, Chief Justice; Jesse W. Rasberry, District Clerk;
E. Sharp, County Clerk; Arch Ramsom [sic], Sheriff.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, August 18, 1865, p. 2
Not an exchange reaches us from any of our sister towns and cities where
troops are stationed, without account of thefts, robberies, and even murders.
We are without law of any description in our city, and have not had a
single act of lawlessness to chronicle. Altogether,
we believe we may claim one of the best communities in the State.—Tyler
Reporter.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, August 18, 1865
[Summary: Tyler
Reporter back in print after brief suspension. Col. Jas. P. Douglas, editor]
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, August 18, 1865, p. 2
Samuel Eade [sic]—Chief Justice, Jesse W. Rasberry—District Clerk, E.
Sharp—County clerk, Arch Ransom [sic]—Sheriff.
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, August 25, 1865, p.
3, c. 3
The Tyler Reporter is received this morning.
It is revived in the name of Wm. F. Hamilton & Co., as publishers,
and Jas. P. Douglas, editor. We
welcome the Reporter as an exchange.
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, August 25, 1865, p.
3, c. 3
In the midst of the great disasters which have overtaken us in our
efforts to achieve a separate nationality, it is very natural that there should
ensue a feeling of great depression. We
hope, however, that this state of depression of public spirit will be only
temporary. This country is the home
of our people, which can never be effaced or destroyed.
The heavy and hostile tread of the Federal army laid waste some of the
fairest and loveliest portions of our land, and where beauty and happiness once
existed, they left dark and dismal desolation.
But these gloomy and heartrending scenes are now to be enacted no more.
The war is closed—though not as we wished, yet it is closed and the
situation, however disagreeable, has to be accepted.
It becomes us then in good faith to accept it—discharge our duty to the
government, to ourselves and to each other, and seek to make ourselves useful,
active and energetic members of society. In
this way, we may hope to accomplish something in restoring happiness and
prosperity to the South—a country which we all love so much, and for whose
independence our noble soldiery fought so gallantly.
We should, therefore, cheer up our own dejected feelings and those of our
friends, and all march on harmoniously together, each seeking to excel the other
in accomplishing whatever is best for our common country.—Tyler Journal.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, August 25, 1865, p. ?, c. 2
The Tyler Reporter furnishes the following items:
Public meetings are being held in different parts of the State, in which
the people give expression to their views of the situation. Governor Hamilton has given his views in his proclamation and
speeches. We think the people
should assemble and give expression to their views, that the time may be
hastened when we shall have a permanent State government.
We propose that the citizens call a meeting at Tyler as early as
convenient.
As Judge Earle is now authorized to administer the amnesty oath, we would
advise our people to come forward at once and take it in good fath [sic].
There is no use in squirming.
Owing to the quantity of rain which fell in the spring season, and the
abundant vegetation, we have been apprehensive of an unhealthy summer and fall.
But we have never known this county more healthy during this season, than
at present; and since the removal of the epidemical presence of the Conscript
Law, the doctors are almost idle.
We are happy to see a spirit among our people, to return to the habits of
old times, in devoting a proper degree of attention to the religious and
benevolent institutions in our midst. The
churches are well attended by patient audiences, and the Sabbath schools are
reviving. The Masonic fraternity
is, we are informed, prosperous, and fulfilling its silent mission of love [cut
off part of line] Templar's societies have survived the war, in this place and
are beginning to resume their former prosperity.
We are rejoiced to know that we have come out of the four years of
terrible war, a better and wiser people.
Resumption of Civil Authority.
We understand that there is no immediate prospect of our Governor calling
the proposed Convention for remodeling the Constitution. Why this important matter should be deferred is a question
which everybody is at a loss to answer. If
there was an insurrectionary or revolutionary spirit still slumbering among the
masses—if, indeed, there was a determination on the part of any considerable
portion of the people to oppose the governmental policy on the subject of
slavery, or any other important subject, then we should counsel a retention of
military authority until these vexed questions, which have cost us more than the
value of every slave in the South, were settled. That a large majority of the people of Texas have been rebels
to the Government in the eyes of the law; have willfully waged war against the
United States, for the purpose of establishing a separate nationality; have
willingly contributed to the secession of the State, and labored, and fought and
bled, with a heroic devotion, to establish a separate government, no one
pretends to deny. If it is the
intention to convince these people of the error of their way, the Government, in
holding them under an odious military form of government is grievously in error.
We do not believe the people of the South, who have given so much to the
cause of secession, will be hasty in changing their opinion as to the honesty of
their past conduct; and no free and liberal government should hold its citizens
responsible for a mere opinion.
But while the opinion on that subject may not undergo a change for many
years, there is less probability of resistance to law and opposition to the
Government in Texas to-day than in Illinois or Ohio.
All the allurements to revolution in the South are removed.
The right prospect of a great Southern republic is gone.
The princely fortunes anticipated as resulting from a free, direct trade
with Europe from the building up of Southern manufactories, and the many other
sources of wealth to result from separation, no longer allure the Southern mind.
The people expect nothing more now than an acquiescence in the policy of
the Government, and are contented to accept the civil rights guaranteed by the
Constitution, and to live at peace with the people of the North.
Most of the other States are proceeding promptly to the framing of new
constitutions, preparing themselves to receive a representation in the national
council, and we see no reason why the people of Texas should be delayed in the
performance of a duty which they are willing and anxious to perform.
If the Government asks the confidence and support of the people of Texas,
let it first withdraw the evidences that we are held in suspicion.
Give us the liberty guaranteed by the United States Constitution, and we
will prove our devotion to law, order, peace and civilization.—Tyler Reporter.
[SHREVEPORT] THE SOUTH-WESTERN, August 30, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
Arrest in Texas.—The Tyler Reporter says that Mr. F. D. Weaver, on
Friday morning, was arrested at his plantation, about three miles from town, by
a detachment of federal soldiers and started off for Shreveport. We understand that the arrest is on a charge that Mr. Weaver
shot a negro man, wounding him in the arm, some time since, which fact has been
reported to headquarters at Shreveport. We
hear it stated that the negro had a wife at Weaver's, to whom he was on a visit
at the time he was shot; that Mr. Weaver ordered him off the premises, and that
his conduct, in this connection, was the occasion of the shooting.—What the
negro's conduct was, we have not learned.
Since the above was in type, we learn from the Henderson Times that Mr.
Weaver made his escape from the authorities before he reached Marshall.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 6, 1865, p. 2, c. 5
Public Meeting Again.—We again call upon the people to assemble in a
mass-meeting, composed of the citizens from all parts of this county, to give
expression to their views on the subjects in which they are now interested.
The people of our county will soon have accepted the conditions o the
Presidents amnesty, and we suppose are now, or in a few days will be, prepared
to exercise the rights of citizens of the United States.
As they have been separated from that Government for more than four
years, it seems most fitting that they should hold a general mass-meting, to
give expression to their sentiments and to the views which they hold concerning
the issues which will be placed before them at no distant day.
Silence at this time might be misunderstood for sullen dissatisfaction,
which would leave the authorities to conclude that we are not ready to join in
good faith in the re-establishment of our State Government, which we feel
justified in saying that the people of this section have already yielded every
point required by the President's policy, and are to-day prepared to carry out
his policy—not from choice, but from necessity.
Our people are too wise to make an effort to accomplish at this day what
they were not able to do when attended by every advantage.
Our people very generally regard the institution of slavery as dead; and
even if they could prolong its existence a few years, under the authority of the
State, do not seek to do so. The
fight for Constitutional rights on that subject is not worth making.
We regarded the institution doomed when Lincoln was elected, unless it
was saved by a separate nationality. We
said so then, and the sequel has proven our view a correct one.
We are ready now to enter into the formation of a State Government;
indeed, we are anxious to do so. We
have seen enough of armies; we desire riddance of the military; we don't fancy
its presence; and we wish to relieve the general Government of this useless
expenditure of treasure. We have
already sufficient tax to pay in liquidating the outstanding debt, without
allowing that debt to accumulate on account of our backwardness in accepting the
terms offered us. We hope the
people throughout the State will take the amnesty oath, and call meetings and
speak out on this subject.—Tyler Reporter.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, September 7, 1865, p. 1
[Summary: Article
from Tyler Journal on the Congressional test oath.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 8, 1865, p. 5, c.
4-5
Justice's Court.—During the past week, we understand, two cases of
theft by colored "citizens" have been brought before Esquire Mathew
Wood. The proof being plain, we
suppose, both were sentenced.—the first, we learn, to receive twenty-five
lashes, and to work on the streets until Christmas; the second, to receive
twenty lashes, and a like dose of street duty.
The "lashes" look a little pro-slavery, but are claimed to come
under the Governor's late proclamation in which he declares all State laws in
operation before secession still in force; we think, however, with this proviso:
"except in so far as these laws may be affected by the emancipation
of slaves," &c. If these gentlemen of "leisure" can be made to
work, we may hope to see great improvements made on our streets soon, as there
will probably be many such cases to dispose of.—Tyler Reporter.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 11, 1865, p. 4, c.
4
The following items we clip from the Marshall Republican,
of September, the 1st:
"Murdered—Major J. M. Barker of Starville [sic], Smith county, was
murdered seven miles east of Marshall, on the Shreveport road, on Tuesday, last,
it is supposed by a man by the name of J. s. Butler, o the same town.
A man by the name of Ed. Duke was in company with Butler, but whether or
not participated in the murder, we are not able to say.
It seems there was an old grudge existing between the parties.
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, September 15, 1865,
p. 2, c. 4
Amnesty Oath.—The people are coming up promptly to accept the
President's amnesty. Judge Earle
informs us that he had already administered the oath to 160 persons.
Smith county will soon be in the Union again—not only mechanically so,
but in good faith. There is much
better feeling existing with the people toward the government than we had
expected. This perhaps originates from the absence of any military [illegible]
in our midst, and the quiet, peaceable manner in which we are permitted to
restore our rights of citizenship. It
is not such a bad thing after all, since men from among [illegible] men who have
been fellow rebels with [illegible] are permitted to do the agreeable in
extending the right hand of fellowship to us as we return to the Union fold.
There is no insincerity among our people in taking this oath.
Ours is an earnest people, and take this oath in good faith,
notwithstanding it may be against their convictions of justice, so far as it
concerns the emancipation of slaves.—Tyler Reporter.
DALLAS HERALD, September 16, 1865, p. 1
[Summary: Smith
in 4th tax district to "provide internal revenue to support the
Government, to pay interest on the public debt, and for other purposes."]
DALLAS HERALD, September 16, 1865, p. 2
[Summary: Application
made by Mr. L. Sherwood and others to the dept. of the Comptroller of the
currency in Washington in behalf of Tyler to establish a bank with $100,000
capital.]
GALVESTON TRI-WEEKLY NEWS, September 18, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
. . . an opportunity is now given our enterprising citizens to
re-establish mail routes through the State.
We call special attention to this fact, and earnestly invite immediate
action thereon. During the
operation of the conscript law seekers of mail contracts were as plentiful as
fleas in Tyler, and we see no reason why a few of them cannot be resurrected
now, when an earnest, energetic mail contractor would be regarded almost as a
public benefactor.—Tyler Journal.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 18, 1865, p. 4, c.
1-2
The Tyler Journal has a strong article in favor of uniting the
South with the conservative party of the North against the radicals, and insists
that "we should so act and demean ourselves in this critical emergency that
the hands of the President may be made strong and terrible, as against this
detestable conglomeration of all the diabolical isms and factions of the
North. The Journal has another fine
article against despondency among the Southern people in consequence of their
depressed condition, and urges a manly effort to recuperate our strength.
The Tyler Reporter has a well considered and well written article
on the "plank" of the platform of the Louisiana conservative
Democratic party, which supports "full and complete amnesty for all
offences relative to the late secession."
He supports that doctrine with great justice and earnestness, as due to
the people of the South, who have sincerely resumed their allegiance to the
Government, and as necessary to a harmonious and permanent re-integration of the
Union. He also united his voice con
amore, with the San Antonio Herald, in favor of the "Hood Homestead
Fund. [no close quotes]
SAN ANTONIO TRI-WEEKLY HERALD, September 19, 1865, p. 1, c.
3
The Tyler Reporter under the head of "Justice's Court" gives
the following:
During the past week, we understand, two cases of theft by colored
"citizens" have been brought before Esquire Matthew Wood.
The proof being plain we suppose, both were sentenced—the first, we
learn, to receive twenty-five lashes, and to work on the streets until
Christmas; the second, to receive twenty lashes, and a like dose of street duty.
The "lashes" look a little pro-slavery, but are claimed to come
under the Governor's late Proclamation. [,] in which he declared all State laws
in operation before secession still in force;--we think, however, with this
proviso: "except in so far as
these laws may be affected by the emancipation of slaves," &c.
If these gentlemen of "leisure" can be made to work, we may
hope to see great improvements made on our streets soon as there will probably
be many such cases to dispose of.
We also learn from the Reporter, that the citizens of Tyler, were to
determine by ballot on the fourth of this month, whether they would have their
Town incorporated or not.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, September 20, 1865, p. 2, c.
3
[Summary: Editorial
on the legality of whipping the ex-slave and sentencing him to work on the roads
of Tyler]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 2, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
The following we take from the Tyler Reporter of the 20th.
Our Incorporation.—Now that the people of Tyler have decided, at the
ballot box, that they desire our incorporation laws enforced, we have reason to
hope that they will sustain the officers in their execution. Our past experience proves that the enforcement of strict
municipal laws in Tyler will meet with opposition. There are persons who find them annoying, and who will strive
to throw obstacles in the way of their enforcement; but as the people have
determined in this deliberate way to revive the incorporation, we hope that
those whose duty it is to execute the laws will be earnestly supported and
efficiently aided in the performance of this duty.
Boarding Schools in Tyler.—We would inform persons in the adjoining
counties that if there are any schools in Tyler which will accept students from
abroad, we have not been officially notified of the fact.
Municipal Election.—The election for city officers, on last Monday,
resulted in the election of the following:
For Mayor.—Capt. George S. Polleys.
Aldermen—J. P. Douglas; George Adams; John A. Sanford; B. T. Selman;
Joseph Valentine.
Marshal.—John W. Murphy.
Rain.—The greatest abundance of rain has fallen in this vicinity during
the week.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 2, 1865, p. 3, c. 4-5
[Summary: Long
articles quoting from the Tyler Journal and Reporter on the
uselessness of harboring resentment against the new way of things and
encouraging people to look ahead. Included:
"We regret that such a feeling of indifference exists.
We have formerly urged our people to come forward and take the oath—and
would again urge them to do so. Up
to this time about six hundred have taken the oath in Smith county, out of a
voting population of about 1500." From
the Journal.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 9, 1865, p. 1
[Summary: G.
W. Chilton's card as attorney]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 9, 1865, p. 4, c. 3
The Tyler Journal of September 30th, calls for a
meeting of the citizens of Smith county, on the 14th of October, to
prepare and forward to Gov. Hamilton, a declaration of their loyalty, in order
to hasten the restoration of State government.
The Journal also warmly advocates the support of President Johnson, and
expresses great satisfaction with his course toward the South.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 11, 1865, p. 3, c. 4
[Summary: "A Love Song," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 11, 1865, p. 3, c. 3
[Summary: article
on Mollie E. Moore]
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, October 12, 1865,
p. 2, c. 3
The ladies at Tyler are circulating a petition to President Johnson,
asking the pardon of Mr. Davis. The
Methodists are holding a protracted meeting at Tyler.
Many hard cases are reported converted.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 13, 1865, p. 8, c. 2
Important Trial.—Cols. Donley and Chilton, have just returned from
Canton, Van Zandt County, we learn from them, that the trial for commitment of
certain prominent citizens of Van Zandt County, will commence on next Monday, at
the Court House in this city. The
gentlemen arrested, are Judge Hubbard, Bolivar Hubbard, Mr. Eanis, Mr. O'Quinn,
and Mr. White. We also understand
that writs have been issued for some fifty or sixty others, all being charged
with having been implicated in the hanging of Reid, Holcomb and McReynolds near
Tyler in August, 1865 [sic].—Tyler Journal, 6th.
The Tyler Reporter, speaking of the same matter, says the hanging
occurred in August, 1864. It says
also that Rev. Jno. McMillan and Mr. Hooper are among the arrested parties.
It says the parties hung were charged with horsestealing, and that many
persons were engaged in the hanging.
DALLAS HERALD, October 14, 1865, p. 2, c. 1
Citizens Arrested.—The following, in eluding some of the most
respectable citizens of Van Zandt county, have been arrested by the civil
authorities of that county: Bolivar
Hubbard, Rev. John McMillan, Judge James Harrison, Mr. O'Quin, W. A. Eanis, and
Mr. Hooper. An attempt was made to
arrest Mr. Wm. White, but he made his escape, being fired upon by the Sheriff's
posse. These persons are charged
with the hanging, by mob law, of Reid, Holcomb, and McReynolds, charged with
horse stealing.—The hanging took place in August 1864, and was done in Smith
county. The trial before a Justice
of the Peace, is, we suppose progressing at this time.
Several lawyers from this place have been employed and are in attendance.
Some twenty-five citizens of Van Zandt were engaged at the hanging and
other arrests will probably be made if the parties now on trial are
committed.—We understand the civil officers are endeavoring to arrest all
parties in that county who took any part in vigilance committees &c., during
the war.—Tyler Reporter.
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, October 14, 1865, p. 2
The Tyler Journal, of the 6th, says:
Cols. Donley and Chilton have just returned from Canton, Van Zandt
county; and we learn from them that the trial for commitment of certain
prominent citizens of Van Zandt
county will commence on next Monday, at the Court House in this city.
The gentlemen arrested are Judge Harris and son, Judge Harper, Judge
Hubbard, Bolivar Hubbard, Mr. Ennis, Mr. O’Quinn, and White.
We also understand that writs have been issued for some fifty or sixty
others, all being charged with having been implicated in the hanging of Reid,
Holcomb, and Mr. Reynolds near Tyler, in August, 1865 [sic].
GALVESTON DAILY NEWS, October 14, 1865, p. 2
Mr. B. C. Sigler running private mail between Henderson and Tyler via
Troupe. Leave Tyler on Friday
morning, arrive Henderson in evening. Leave
Henderson Saturday morning, arrive Tyler in evening.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 16, 1865, p. 6
[Summary: "Glenfruin,"
poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 23, 1865, p. 6, c. 1
[Summary: "Mary,"
poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, October 26, 1865,
p. 2, c. 5
The Tyler Journal publishes the address of Gov. Hamilton in full.
The Journal reports that an attempt was made on the night of the 5th
inst., to burn a stable in Tyler. Had
the incendiary succeeded, it is thought the buildings on one whole side of the
public square, would have been destroyed.
A gentleman named W. F. Ervin, living near Jamestown, in Smith county,
committed suicide early in this month, says the Journal.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, October 30, 1865, p. 6, c. 1
[Summary: "Jefferson
Davis," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 3, 1865, p. 6, c. 1
The Tyler Journal quotes our article on Miss Mollie Moore's poetry, and
then adds:
It is a tribute to genius well deserved, Miss Moore possesses genius of a
very high order, and will unquestionably achieve for herself brilliant and
unfading laurels as a Poetess. She
has already written much that will transmit her name to succeeding ages, and we
doubt no that if she continues to devote herself to her favorite branch of
composition, she will win for herself eminent and imperishable distinction.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 6, 1865, p. 4, c. 2
The following memoranda have just been handed us:
"The dead body of Lt. Robert H. Gaston, of Mr. Sylvan, Jefferson
County, Texas, was recognized on the battlefield of Antietam, by a small bible
found in his pocket, which was buried with him on the field.
[another body]
Dr. Jas. S. Levich
1109 Arch St., Phila.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 10, 1865, p. 6, c. 1
[Summary: "Red,
Red Rose," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
[MARSHALL]
TEXAS REPUBLICAN, November 10, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
The Tyler Journal pays the following merited compliment to Judge W. P. Hill, for
so many years an ornament to the bar of this place:
"We notice that this gentleman has recently been chosen as head of the Law
Department of Soule University, at Chappell Hill, Texas.
A better selection could not have been made.
Judge Hill has long been justly regarded as one of the ablest lawyers in
Texas, and indeed he has very few superiors in the United States.
He is a gentleman of splendid attainments and will meet the expectations
of his friends in this, or in any other position to which they may elevate him.
He is a profound lawyer, an accomplished scholar, and a most amiable and
elegant gentleman."
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, November 16, 1865,
p. 3, c. 5
The Tyler Reporter thinks Austin will soon come up to Houston in the
burglary and robbery line. Looks
so.
DALLAS HERALD, November 18, 1865, p. 4
[Summary: Appointments
of East Texas Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church
Tyler—W. P. Petty]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 20, 1865, p . 8, c. 1
[Summary: "By
the Sea," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 22, 1865, p. 3, c. 3
[Summary: Smith
County to elect two delegates to Constitutional Convention]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 22, 1865, p. 8, c. 2
Judge O. M. Roberts, formerly of the Supreme Court of the State, has been
engaged in the practice of law, since the close of the war, at Tyler.
[AUSTIN] WEEKLY SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCER, November 23, 1865,
p. 4, c. 3
The county of Smith shall elect two delegates.
[to Constitutional Convention]
SAN ANTONIO DAILY HERALD, November 23, 1865, p. 2, c. 3
[Summary: Tyler
Journal—a criticism of a book on the principal generals of the Civil War by
the author of Napoleon and his Marshals, &c.]
SAN ANTONIO DAILY HERALD, November 23, 1865, p. 2, c. 3
We are pleased to learn the following from the Henderson Times:
The "Texas Republican," "Tyler Journal" and Tyler
"Reporter" all commend, in high terms, the enterprise of giving a
concert, in this place on the night of the 17th of this month for the
purpose of raising funds to provide Gen. Ecter [sic] with a home.
[MARSHALL] TEXAS REPUBLICAN, November 24, 1865, p. 2
[Summary: From
Journal—winter fights open in Tyler on the 11th.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 27, 1865, p. 10, c.
1
[Summary: "The
Path That Leads Homeward," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, November 29, 1865, p. 1, c. 5
[Summary: Newspaper
received copies of Col. C. C. Nott's "Prison Experiences in Texas,"
for 5 listed persons, please pick up]
SAN ANTONIO DAILY HERALD, November 29, 1865, p. 2, c. 3
From Tyler.
The Journal has the following upon the subjects of the mails:
Will not some of the enterprising citizens of this part of the country
take upon themselves the task of carrying the mails on the various routes
leading from Tyler to other parts of the State?
The pay is not great, but the necessities of the country require us all
to make personal sacrifices for the public good.
Here we are, thirty-five miles from a stage line, and have to send that
distance every week to the Post Office. This
is a great inconvenience, and the only way to remedy it is for some one who can
afford it, to shoulder the matter and put it through.
The subject is one that we of course have a personal interest in, and we
can well appreciate the inconveniences arising from the want of these
facilities. We hope this state of
things will not last always.
The Reporter says:
The N. O. Picayune, finding the name of Roberts among the Texas refugees
in Mexico, erroneously supposes it to be Judge O. M. Roberts, of this place,
formerly of the S. Court of this State. Judge
R. has not been absent from Texas since the surrender of the Confederate armies,
and is quietly engaged in the practice of law at this place.
DALLAS HERALD, December 2, 1865, p. 1
[Summary: Smith County given 2 delegates to Constitutional Convention.]
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 4, 1865, p. 6, c. 1
[Summary: "Our
Dead," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
SAN ANTONIO DAILY HERALD, December 12, 1865, p. 2, c. 4
From Tyler.
The Tyler Reporter has the following:
Marrying seems to be all the rage now-a-days, and Tyler shares her quota
with her sister towns; and is properly fulfilling the sacred teachings of
Scripture, by "marrying and replenishing" the earth. We, the Local, standing out in the cold, with no endearing
embrace, and none to say "My Dear," &c., can only congratulate the
fortunate and say "a long life" &c. Bully for all young Benedicts.
You have acted like sensible men. Hope
you will succeed in life.
The Supper and Fair, on last Tuesday evening given by the ladies to raise
money to repair the Baptist Church, is said to have passed off well, and with a
pretty heavy collection. It was a
magnificent affair, and is quite creditable to those who got it up.
We always like to encourage anything religious.
The receipts of the evening, we understand, were $71,50 specie; $23,00
greenbacks.
Two Freedmen were committed to jail by his Honor, Mayor Poleiys [sic] for
theft, and are required to wait and see what disposal on the next District Court
will make of them. We are rather
disposed to believe that they were going into the bread business, because of
their stealing about forty bushels of wheat at one whack.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 18, 1865, p. 4, c. 1
The Tyler Journal thins that the small crops of cotton to be raised in
future in the South will be of more benefit to the country than the former
larger crops for the reason that, since the proceeds cannot be invested in
negroes, they may be in manufactories, and thus add to the scarcity of the
staple in the markets of the world, by manufacturing it at home.
It justly says that Manchester and Lowell have made more out of cotton
than ever did South Carolina and Mississippi.
The Tyler Reporter says that Sawyer, Risher & Hall have established a
stage line from Marshal via Tyler, to Crockett. This is a much needed improvement and places Tyler again
within reach of the balance of the world by stage.
An able correspondent of the Reporter wished to see the negro question
solved by the separation of the races. It
may be so, but we fear this generation will never see that or any other
satisfactory solution of the business.
The Reporter says that Tyler is filled daily with wagons of movers, some
coming to Texas as the best country in the world, and others leaving it,
swearing it is the worst.
Quite a correspondence in going on in the Tyler Reporter and Tyler
Journal, between two otherwise spritely writers who conceal their intelligence
in a cloud of unintelligible orthography. Better
write the language, gentlemen. It
looks better, sounds better, and is better.
The Journal is enlarged to a full 24 by 36 sheet.
The Journal urges that there should be no distinction in the laws as to
crime between blacks and whites.—It does not favor the blacks being admitted
to suffrage.
The Tyler Reporter does not believe that the war has changed the
Constitution, and that as secession existed in that instrument, I still exists
there, and hence argues in favor of repealing the ordinance of secession,
instead of amending it. We are
inclined to think friend Douglas will discover before we come in under the
Constitution again, that the war has damaged it quite as much as voting could.
The Tyler Reporter has the following: One of our citizens, Rev. Mr.
Carter, started his wagon and team, a few days since, in charge of a negro boy,
to Mr. Coltharp's mill in Van Zandt county.
Near Hamburg, in that county, five white men on horseback attacked the
negro and drove him from the wagon. One
of the robbers then mounted and drove the wagon some distance from the road into
the woods, where the mules, six in number, were cut out and driven away.
Such occurrences call for the immediate organization of the people of
each neighborhood into police companies, for the purpose of apprehending these
villains. Let the citizens quietly
organize themselves and be always ready to pursue such miscreants and bring them
to justice. Such an organization exists in Tyler, under the control of
our City Marshal and we recommend similar organizations elsewhere.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 18, 1865, p. 8, c. 1
[Summary: "A
Fragment," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
SAN ANTONIO DAILY HERALD, December 22, 1865, p. 2, c. 3
From Tyler.
The Reporter says:
Local sometimes goes to church, and though not much of a christian, is,
nevertheless, very much in favor of good behavior at such places. He therefore marks, with no little ratification, a
considerable change for the better of late in this respect about Tyler, and
hopes for an increase. He remarks,
independently, thus: The man or
woman who does not behave well in church, shows bad raising, or a very great
disregard for good raising.
The hammer, saw and brush are doing their work in Tyler, and improvement
is visible on all hands. Large
supplies of new goods are constantly arriving, much business is being
transacted, and our town is beginning to assume much of its former appearance. Our friends in the country are notified that they can get
almost anything they want here, provided they have the cash to buy with.
The first quarterly meeting of the M. E. Church at this place, was held
here, concluding last Saturday.
A series of meetings is now being held in the Baptist Church here.
The gifted and eloquent Mr. Bayliss, of Marshall, is present, and has
delivered several powerful and impressive sermons.
Considerable interest is manifest among the people.
We welcome back among his old friends, and to his old home, our young
friend Alf. Davis. Four and a half
years of war and absence have made but little change in him, and he appears very
much the same jolly Alf.
S. M. Warner, whilom editor of the Reporter, turned up here all right a
day or two ago, having just returned from a visit North.
HOUSTON TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, December 25, 1865, p. 1, c. 1
[Summary: "Christmas
Hymn," poem by Mollie E. Moore]
SAN ANTONIO DAILY HERALD, December 1865, p. 2, c. 3
From Tyler.
The Tyler Reporter gives us an account of the following bold robbery,
which certainly shows a very supreme contempt for all law in the neighborhood of
Van Zandt county. It says:
One of our citizens, Rev. M. Carter, started his wagon and team, a few
days since, in charge of a negro boy, to Mr. Coltharp's mill in Van Zandt
County. Near Hamburg, in that
county, five white men on horseback attacked the negro, and drove him from the
wagon. One of the robbers then
mounted and drove the wagon some distance from the road into the woods, where
the mules, six in number, were cut out and driven away.
Such occurrences call for the immediate organization of the people of
each neighborhood into police companies, for the purpose of approaching these
villains. Let the citizens quietly
organize themselves and always be ready to pursue such miscreants and bring them
to justice. Such an organization
exists in Tyler under the control of our city Marshal and we recommend similar
organizations elsewhere.
In speaking of a mail route, the Reporter says:
We understand that Messrs. Sawyer & Co., will open a stage
communication between this place and Marshall in a few days.
The line will extend from the latter place to Crockett, via this place.
We feel much gratified at the prospect of being placed in communication
with the outer world. Messrs. Sawyer & co., are entitled to the congratulations
of our people for their energy and enterprise.
Our people should do everything in their power to aid this enterprise, as
the Government pay is not sufficiently remunerative.