USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 2 > Part 31
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Pryor Lea, James S. Lester,
J. B. Robertson,
William P. Rogers,
E. Thomason,
James H. Rogers, Edward M. Ross, Jno. Rugeley,
W. S. Todd,
James Walworth,
H. R. Runnels,
R. H. Ward, Wm. Warren,
E. B. Scarborough,
Wm. T. Scott,
Jas. C. Watkins,
William Reid Scurry,
Jno. A. Wharton,
James E. Shepard,
Joseph P. Wier,
Sam S. Smith, Gideon Smith,
A. P. Wiley,
John D. Stell,
Ben. Williams.
John G. Stewart,
Jason Wilson,
Robt. S. Gould,
Phillip A. Work,
F. W. Latham,
Jno. A. Wilcox,
R. T. Brownrigg, Secretary, Wm. Dunn Schoolfield, Assistant Secretary, R. W. Lunday, Assistant Secretary.
One hundred and sixty-five names were appended to this Declaration. - Seven members voted against the ordinance of secession and the Declaration, but all of them stood by the south during the war. Of the whole number of one hundred and seventy-two about one hundred and forty-five served in the Confederate army, the exceptions being men too advanced in years for military service, or those who labored under physical disabilities; seven of them became generals in the army, viz .: Allison Nelson, John Gregg, Wm. P. Harde- man, Jerome B. Robertson, Wm. Reed Scurry, John A. Wharton, and Joseph L. Hogg. Thirty rose to the rank of colonel, and it is believed that thirty were killed in battle or died in the service.
James P. Thomson,
CHAPTER XXXVI.
The vote on Secession by the people - Members to the Confederate Con- gress, etc., etc.
Twenty thousand copies of the Declaration were printed in pamphlet form and scattered broadcast over the country. The convention took all necessary steps to secure the posts and arms belonging to the United States, from Brownsville to Red River. Colonel John S. Ford, accompanied by E. B. Nichols, was dispatched to Brownsville, to secure possession of the posts and arms on the Lower Rio Grande. Colonel Ben McCulloch, with several hundred men, accompanied by commissioners, was sent to San Antonio, the headquarters of the department of Texas, General David E. Twiggs com- manding. Colonel Henry E. McCulloch, with a hastily col- lected force, covered the central line of the frontier including Fort Mason and Fort Chadbourne, while Colonel Wm. C. Dalrymple, with several companies, including those of Captains Harrison and Ross, covered the line from Camp Cooper to Red River. After peaceful negotiations, the Federal commanders, seeing the hopelessness of resistance, and to avoid bloodshed, one by one surrendered the whole line, not a drop of blood being shed. Immediately thereupon these posts were occupied by Texas troops until other arrangements could be made.
On the 4th of February the convention adjourned to re- assemble on the 2d day of March, the twenty-fifth anniver- sary of Texas independence, the day on which the ordinance of secession was to take effect, if ratified by the people at the election to be held on the 23d of February. Pending that period of nineteen days the country was ablaze with public (400)
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
meetings, and prominent speakers addressed the people in almost every county in the State.
On re-assembling on the 2d of March the convention found by the returns that a little under forty-six thousand votes had been cast for the ordinance and a little over thirteen thou- sand against it, in the ratio of about three and one-half to one; whereupon, the president of the convention proclaimed the result and declared Texas out of the Union.
At its first session the convention elected as its provisional representatives, Messrs. John Hemphill, Louis T. Wigfall, John Gregg, Wm. B. Ochiltree, Williamson S. Oldham, John A. Wilcox and Franklin B. Sexton to represent Texas in the Congress of the southern States at Montgomery, Alabama, with authority, provisionally to associate Texas with them in the formation of a new government, but declaring that no permanent constitution should be binding on Texas unless previously ratified by the respective States, forming the new government.
On the re-assembling on the 2d of March, as already stated, the Convention, on the 4th of that month, adopted the fol- lowing :
ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO A UNION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.
" WHEREAS, the convention of this State has received information that the Confederate States of America, now in session at Montgomery in the State of Alabama, has adopted a constitution for a provisional government, which constitu- tion is modeled on that of the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, as a seceding State, it becomes expedient and proper that Texas should join said confederacy, and share its destinies ; and
WHEREAS, A delegation consisting of seven members has'
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already been elected by the convention to the Congress of the Confederacy aforesaid,
Therefore, The people of Texas, in convention assembled, have ordained and declared and do hereby ordain and declare, that the delegation aforesaid to the Congress aforesaid, be, and are hereby instructed, and we do accordingly instruct them in behalf of the State, and, as representing its sovereign authority, to apply for the admission of this State into the said Confederacy, and to that end and for that purpose, to give in the adhesion of Texas to the provisional constitution of said Confederate States, which said constitution, this con- vention hereby approves, ratifies and accepts.
Section 2. Be it further ordained, That the delegation appointed by this convention to the Congress of the confed- erate States, be and are hereby authorized to act in said Congress as the duly accredited representatives of the State of Texas. Provided, however, that any permanent constitution which may be formed by said Congress shall not become obli- gatory on this State, until approved in such way as shall be determined upon.
Section 3. Be it further ordained, That the president of the convention immediately transmit, through such channel as he may select, a copy or copies of this ordinance to the Congress at Montgomery, and the members of Congress from this State.
Adopted March 4th, 1861.
ORAN M. ROBERTS, President.
R. T. BROWNRIGG, Secretary."
On the 18th of February, 1861, a formal agreement was signed at San Antonio by Gen. David E. Twiggs, U. S. A., commanding the Department of Texas, and Messrs. Thomas J. Devine, P. N. Luckett, and S. A. Maverick, commission- ers on the part of Texas, providing for the peaceful evacuation of the posts of Texas by the troops of the United States, all of which was effected peacefully.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
A committee of thirteen was appointed by the convention to confer with Governor Houston and inform him that by the action of the convention and the vote of the people Texas was again " a free, sovereign and independent State." Governor Houston remonstrated against any further action by the convention, holding, that their functions ceased, by the adoption of the ordinances at their first session, and advocated a convention of all the southern States, as con- ditionally provided for in the act of 1858. The convention proceeded on the hypothesis that secession was an accom- plished fact and that Texas had become one of the Confed- erate States. It logically followed, from this point of view, that all State, district and county officers, having taken an oath to support the constitution of the United States, and of this State, the sovereignty of the people in convention assembled was the only power which could relieve them of this obligation or any of its parts. The constitution of the State, therefore, was so amended as to substitute " Confed- erate States" for " United States " wherever they occurred in the constitution. An ordinance was passed, in order to give force and effect to these changes requiring all officers, State, district and county, to take a new oath in accordance with these changes. In other words to support the constitu- tion of the Confederate States.
The hour of noon, on the 16th of March, was fixed as the time and the Convention hall as the place at which all State officers then in Austin should take the oath, the result of refusal necessarily leading to the vacation of their positions. This placed Governor Houston in a very trying position. . So far as known or believed, with not exceeding two or three individual exceptions, every secessionist in that convention earnestly desired that Governor Houston should assume the new obligations, and continue to be the Governor of the State. When the appointed hour arrived, the hall being crowded with spectators, the great majority believed and all seemed to
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
hope that he would appear ; but he did not, nor did Hon. E. W. Cave, his Secretary of State, nor Hon. A. B. Norton, Adjutant-General. Lieut. Gov. Ed. Clark, Comptroller, C. R. Johns, Treasurer, Cyrus H. Randolph, Land Commissioner, Francis M. White, and every other State officer in Austin, including supreme and district judges and chiefs of bureaus, appeared and took the oath.1
On the second morning following, Governor Houston, though the executive office was opened, failed to make his ap- pearance, as had been his uniform custom, and Lieutenant- Governor Clark entered upon his duties as acting Governor. The whole was accomplished without the least apparent fric- tion, and a few days later Governor Houston retired with his family to his home in Independence and subsequently to Huntsville, his last home. It was a solemn occasion, wit- nessed with painful interest by many who favored the course taken, but most sincerely regretted that the Governor could not acquiesce in the public voice.
During these exciting times fraternal commissioners from the States already seceded arrived in Austin and were accorded courteous receptions by Governor Houston and the convention.
Among those who approved of Governor Houston's course and were his special friends through this emergency, were a number of distinguished men of long-tried fidelity to the in- terests of Texas, the more prominent of whom were: Ex- Governor E. M. Pease, Congressman A. J. Hamilton, Judge John Hancock, George W. Paschal, all of Austin, and a num- ber from other portions of the State; while among the seces- sionists were a large number of his oldest and most steadfast friends.
Of the one hundred and seventy-four delegates, one hun-
1 The first person in the State to take this oath, administered to him in the Convention Hall by District Judge Thomas J. Devine, was Edward Linn of Victoria, Spanish translator in the Land Office, who was born and reared in the State of New York and had lived in Texas since 1831.
EX .- GOV. EDWARD CLARK
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
dred and sixty-seven voted for the ordinance of secession, and only seven against it, viz. : Thomas P. Hughes of Williamson ; William H. Johnson of Lamar ; Joshua Johnson of Titus ; A. P. Shuford of Wood ; James W. Throckmorton of Collin ; - Williams of Lamar, and George W. Wright of Lamar ; but Judge Hughes signed the ordinance of secession. Each of these gentlemen, however, stood by the south throughout the war, and most of them gained distinction as soldiers. It is also proper to state that Maj. E. W. Cave, Secretary of State, who, as a member of Governor Houston's official family, declined taking the oath, sustained the south during the war, and won admiration by his gallantry in the battle of Galveston, January 1st, 1863.
The convention appointed Messrs. Pryor Lea of Goliad, John D. Stell of Leon, and John Henry Brown of Bell, to prepare an address to the people explaining and defending the action of the convention. An able and conservative address, prepared by Judge Lea, was widely scattered over the State.
During the recess of the convention a large committee of well-known members of the convention, and styled the Committee of Public Safety, remained on duty, directing the course of events. Of this committee John C. Robertson, then and still of Tyler, was the wise and discreet chairman.
A state of war having been proclaimed by the Governor on the 8th of June, the most energetic measures were succes- sively adopted for raising and drilling troops, and the militia, under officers previously commissioned by Gov. Houston, was partially organized. The government of the United States dispatched the steamer Star of the West for Matagorda Bay, afterwards understood to have been sent to transport the retiring Federal troops to the north; but Colonel Earl Van Dorn, having resigned his position in the United States Army, at the head of a body of volunteers, sailed from Gal- veston to that bay and captured the Star of the West. The troops from the frontier, on arriving at Matagorda Bay,
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Major J. J. Sibley - their commander ; placed them on board of sail vessels, when Colonel Van Dorn, joined by volunteers from the interior, again appeared, on the steamer Gen. Rusk, and captured them. They were, however, paroled and allowed to leave the State. A little later the troops from the posts on the Upper Rio Grande were en route to the coast, fully armed, when on the 9th of May, at the head of several hundred volunteers, Col. Van Dorn met them twelve miles west of San Antonio, and demanded their surrender, with which they complied, being without orders from their own government; the officers of the command were at once paroled; the private soldiers allowed to do as they thought proper -disperse, leave the State or remain citizens. A portion of them formed a company of regulars and joined the Confederate service. Early in May Colonel Wm. C. Young, of Cooke County, at the head of a regiment of newly-raised volunteers, crossed Red River and captured Forts Arbuckle, Washita, and Cobb, the Federal forces under Major Wm. H. Emory retiring into Kansas. In this expedition James W. Throckmorton, one of the seven who voted against the ordinance of secession, gal- lantly commanded a large company of volunteers -the same who served under him later in the 6th Texas cavalry.
On the 2d of July, Galveston was blockaded by a Federal fleet and soon afterwards all the ports on the Texas coast shared a like fate, leaving the Texas ports shut in from the outside world, unless through the hazards of blockade- running, which was conducted more or less extensively during the ensuing war. Governor Clark formed several camps of instruction and made every effort to prepare for the impend- ing crisis. Under his administration, Bird Holland and Charles S. West respectively succeeded Major E. W. Cave as Secre- tary of State, the other State officers continuing, as heretofore stated, in their respective positions.
At the election in September, 1861, Francis R. Lubbock of Houston was chosen Governor by a vote of 21,854 to 21,730 cast for Edward Clark, besides 13,759 for T. J.
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Chambers. John M. Crockett of Dallas was elected Lieut .-
Governor. Mr. Lubbock was inaugurated on the 7th of November, 1861, and served for two years.
The convention organized a twelve months' regiment and elected as its officers : John S. Ford, Colonel ; John R. Baylor, Lieut .- Col. and H. A. Hamner, Major. It was divided; Ford, with one battalion, covered the lower Rio Grande : Baylor, with the other, marched to El Paso and the Mesilla Valley above, where he rendered brilliant and important service ; Hamner with a detachment occupied the posts on the El Paso route.
In the autumn of 1861, a brigade of three regiments and one or two batteries, afterwards known as the Sibley brigade, commanded by Gen. H. H. Sibley, the colonels being Wm. Steele, James Reiley and Tom Green, was organized near San Antonio. It marched at once for El Paso and New Mexico and arrived at El Paso on the 16th of December. On the 20th of February, 1862, it reached the vicinity of Fort Craig in New Mexico. On the 21st a severe battle was fought at Val Verde, the Texians being attacked in their position by the troops in the fort, but they remained masters of the field after capturing six pieces of artillery and numerous prison- ers. The Federals retired to the fort and continued their retreat in the direction of Santa Fe. The Texians pursued, and, on the 23d of March, arrived at Santa Fe. On the 27th, at Glorietta, twenty miles north of that place, a large detachment of the command had a severe engage- ment with the Federals, and lost heavily in killed and prisoners. It became evident that the brigade could not maintain its position, and it was determined to return to Texas. Being pursued, several minor engagements took place, the last being at Peralta, on the 23rd of April. The Texian aggregate loss in killed, wounded and prisoners in the campaign, approximated five hundred men, including Lieut .- Col. Lockridge. The command, without other serious adven- ture, reached San Antonio, and soon proceeded to. Louisi ana
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Organization of regiments in Texas - General Hebert in command - He declared martial law and aroused opposition.
On the 26th of February, 1862, Governor Lubbock called for fourteen regiments, and they were speedily in camps of instruction. General P. O. Hebert was first placed in com- mand of Texas by the Confederate government.
On the 30th of May, 1862, Gen. Hebert issued an order proclaiming martial law and, in various other ways, excited strong opposition to himself as a commander. This order contained the essence of one man power and was repugnant to the principles almost universally held by the people of Texas. It clothed provost-marshals of his own appointment with despotic power, and in fact tended to weaken the cause for which Texas was contending. Among other things he said : " All orders issued by the provost-marshals in the execution of their duties shall be promptly obeyed. Any disobedience of summons emanating from them, shall be dealt with summarily. All officers commanding troops will promptly comply with any requisitions made upon them by provost-marshals for aid or assistance."
On the 21st of November, 1862, Gen. Hebert issued an order prohibiting the exportation of cotton except by author- ized agents of the government. In February, 1863, Gen. Magruder, his successor, imposed additional conditions relative to the exportation of cotton across the Rio Grande ; but in April, he superseded these orders by others much more satisfactory to the country. On the 29th of November, 1862, Hebert was succeeded by Gen. J. Bankhead Magruder, who
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at once called for 10,000 additional troops, which were soon mustered into service. At the close of 1862 there were in the Confederate service at least 75,000 soldiers from Texas, including those in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Hood's brigade in Virginia, and on the coast and frontier of Texas. This number exceeded by over 10,000 the highest number of votes ever cast in the State.
Commodore Eagle of the blockading squadron, in the month of May, 1862, made demand for the surrender of Galveston, but knowing that he had no land force to occupy the city or mainland, the demand was refused. It was repeated, however, on the 4th of October, with the assurance that he had a force to hold the island. He allowed four days for the removal of non-combatants. The Texas troops and large numbers of people retired to Virginia Point on the mainland. The Commodore sent 260 of the forty-second Massachusetts regiment, with several war vessels, into the harbor. The troops were landed, took possession of one of the wharves and raised the Federal flag on the custom house. Four weeks later, Gen. Magruder assumed command in Texas and at once determined to recover the Island. The return of Sibley's brigade from New Mexico placed at his command a large force of tried soldiers, which was supple- mented by four or five thousand State troops, called into service for the time being. Magruder made his preparations with skill and secrecy, and, on the 29th of December, arrived at Virginia Point. Two steamboats, the Neptune and Bayou City, lying in Buffalo Bayou, fitted up as gunboats, using cotton bales as breast-works, and accompanied by the Lucy Gwinn and John F. Carr as tenders, and manned by the troops of Sibley, were dispatched to the head of Galveston Bay. They were ordered to enter Galveston harbor on the night of December 31st. Early in that night, Magruder, with the land forces passed from Virginia Point to the island and took position in the city, preparatory to an attack in the
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morning. The steamer Harriet Lane was at the wharf. The brig Westfield, the gunboat Owassee, and the transport Clifton were lying in the harbor. The battle was opened by Magruder in the city. Upon the signal being given the Con- federate boats attacked the Harriet Lane. The Neptune was sunk in shallow water. The Bayou City became entangled in the rigging of the Harriet Lane. The Texians leaped on board, and the vessel, having lost its principal officers, sur- rendered. The Massachusetts troops on the wharf, (from the land end of, which the planks had been removed), after a stubborn resistance, surrendered, as did also several Federal vessels, among which were a bark and some smaller craft.
The Westfield, in an endeavor to leave the harbor, ran aground. To prevent her capture by the Confederates a train was laid, by her retreating crew, to blow her up. The ex- plosion, failing to occur as was expected, fifteen men under Commodore Renshaw returned on board to correct the defect, when the explosion occurred, and every man on board was killed. All the escaping vessels crossed the bar and joined the fleet outside.
Captain Wainwright and Lieutenant Lea of the Harriet Lane were both killed, the former being known to the Con- federates as a gallant officer and honorable gentleman, and the latter as the son of Major Alfred M. Lea of Texas, - a noted engineer who was in the attacking party. They were buried with distinguished military honors.
Thus the island of Galveston was captured to remain in pos- session of the Confederates until the conclusion of the war. It was considered one of the most remarkable achievements of the war, and Texas felt justly proud of the success of her officers and men. Gen. Magruder was profuse in his praises of Colonels Tom Green, Steele, Lieut-Col. Scurry, Colonel Wm. P. Hardeman and Colonel H. M. Elmore.
The Confederate troops engaged in this action afterwards figured with distinction in the campaigns of Louisiana.
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In the spring of 1861, Col. Ben McCulloch of Texas was. appointed by President Davis a brigadier-general, and assigned to the command of the Indian territory west of Missouri and Arkansas. He assumed command without men, money,. or munitions of war. In providing these he acted with energy and success. He was soon joined by several regiments from. Arkansas, five of which under Gen. N. B. Pearce were State troops, called out for three months ; one regiment from Louisiana, and Greer's 3rd regiment of Texas cavalry. Gen .. Price, at the head of the Missouri militia, was driven into the southwest corner of Missouri and there met by the forces under Mc. Culloch who, soon after, was placed temporarily at the head of the combined forces. On the 10th of August, 1861,. they were attacked by Gen Lyon of the Federal army at Oak. Hills on Wilson's Creek, - 10 miles south of Springfield, and a bloody battle, lasting for six or seven hours, ensued,. in which Gen. Lyon was killed and his army routed. Soon afterwards, the Arkansas State troops were discharged, leav- ing McCulloch a force too small for offensive action and: scarcely sufficient to guard the frontier of southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, against invasions from Kansas. Gen. Price moved against Lexington on the Missouri river . which was fortified and held by a garrison of Federal troops. Thousands of Missourians flocked to the standard of Price, and Lexington, after a stubborn resistance, was captured, to- gether with its entire garrison. The great body of Price's- troops were undisciplined men. The Federals promptly dis- patched an overwhelming force from St. Louis, by river and. rail, to cut off Price's retreat, but he succeeded, by a rapid movement south, in evading them, and was met at Neosho by" McCulloch with all the force at his command. Gen. Fremont, the Federal commander, retired and was succeeded by Gen. Hunter who, for a short time, held Springfield, Mo. Price took position near Pineville, McCulloch near Cassville, and, about this time, was re-inforced by the mounted regi-
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ments of Stone, Wm. C. Young, Simms, and some others from Texas, together with a number of regiments from Arkansas. The Arkansas regiments of Churchill, McIntosh, McNair and the battalions of McRea were still with him. He made a move on Springfield simultane- ously with the retreat of Gen. Hunter from that place, but found it already evacuated. The troops under Price went into winter quarters at and near Springfield, greatly reduced in numbers by the return of unorganized men to their homes. McCulloch placed his troops in winter quarters in northwestern Arkansas, from the State line to the Arkansas river, on which the cavalry on account of forage, were chiefly encamped. Gen. McCulloch proceeded to Richmond and returned in February, barely in time to join in the renewed" hostilities. Gen. Price retreated from Springfield pursued by Gen. Curtis at the head of a large force, having numerous skirmishes. Curtis halted near the State line. He was met on that line by most of McCulloch's infantry and, a day or two later, by his cavalry. It was there that McCulloch rejoined his command. The combined forces fell back through Fayetteville, the supplies in which were destroyed, and took position in the Boston mountains. In two or three days, Maj .- Gen. Earl Van Dorn arrived and assumed command of the entire forces under Price and McCulloch. About the 4th of March, the united forces moved north, via Fayetteville and Bentonville, for the purpose of attacking Gen. Curtis in his strong hill-protected position in the vicinity of the Elkhorn Tavern and on the State line. On the afternoon of the 6th, heavy skirmishing took place. On the morning of the 7th, Van Dorn, with Price's Division, passed up the road to the north of Curtis' position, while McCulloch diverged to the right and attacked the lower por- tion of the army. The battle of Elkhorn ensued. Price gal- lantly attacked, and gallantly, throughout the day, fought the northern portion of the Federal encampment. McCulloch
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