USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 13
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 13
USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 13
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 13
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 13
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
Banks' next scheme to obtain possession of Texas was by an entrance from the northeast, from Red river; but this famons " Red river expedition " also ignominiously failed. The Texans were too much for that Yankee army. At the battle of Pleasant Hill, however, the Texans suffered a serious defeat; Sweitzer's regiment of cavalry, about 400 strong, was almost annihilated by the Federals; and they also lost the battle at Pleasant Grove; but in the great battle of Sabine Cross Roads the Texans gained a great victory.
During the month of September Browns- ville was captured by her old enemy, Cortina, under peculiar circumstances. A French force of about 5,000 took Bagdad, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, with the object of taking possession of Matamoras, where Cor- tina was then in command. Brownsville was at that time occupied by Colonel Ford with a considerable force of Texan cavalry, and Bra- zos Santiago was still held by the Federals. On the 6th the French began to move up the right bank of the river, and their advance be- came engaged with Cortina, who had marched with 3,000 Mexicans and sixteen pieces of artillery from Matamoras to meet them. There seems to have been some understand- ing between Ford and the French commander, for during the engagement the former ap-
94
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
peared on the other side of the Rio Grande with a large herd of cattle for the use of the invading army, and, immediately crossing the river, took part in the conflict by attacking the rear of Cortina's army. The Mexican commander, however, succeeded in repulsing both Ford and the French, who retreated to Bagdad. Cortina next turned his attention to Ford. On the 9th he passed with his whole force and drove the Texans from Brownsville, and took possession of the town for the United States.
Governor Pendleton Murrah, of Texas, on his accession to the executive chair, found many unnsual perplexities, the State being harassed, and currency down to 3 or 4 cents on the dollar, and all three branches of the government usurped by military proclama- tion, etc. He therefore convened the legisla- ture in extra session, to meet May 11, 1864. But the terrible evils under which Texas was laboring could not be remedied in a short time, and before any measure of relief could take signal effect, the end of the great war came. Kirby Smith, however, had the hardi- lood of protracting the war in Texas some weeks after the surrender of Lee at Appo- mattox, but finally surrendered to General Canby, May 26. But the last engagement in the great war took place May 13, near the old battle-field of Palo Alto, the scene of Taylor's victory over Arista.
AFTER THE WAR.
After the formal surrender of Smith and Magruder, Governor Murrah retired to Mexico, and June 19, General Granger, of the United States Army, assumed temporary command. On the 17th President Johnson, in pursuance of his plan of reconstruction, appointed An- drew J. Hamilton provisional governor of
Texas. May 29, the president issned a proclamation granting an amnesty, with cer- tain exceptions, to persons who had been en- gaged in the rebellion, on condition of their taking an oath of allegiance. Governor Ham. ilton arrived at Galveston near the close of July, and began the reorganization of the State goverment, under the old regime, by proclaiming an election, where loyal persons inay vote for State and all other necessary officers. Both President Johnson and Gov- ernor Hamilton were so liberal that the anti_ Union men of Texas had hopes of gaining control of the government.
But the greatest practical question now coming up was the disposition of the freed blacks. The course of Congress soon assured the public that the negroes would have all the rights of citizenship, so far as national legis- tion could make them. President Johnson seemed to be in haste to re-install the old Confederates in power under the Federal Government. During the years 1865-'66 he pardoned over 600 persons in Texas alone who were not included in the amnesty procla- mation he had issued. He "soured" on cer- tain prominent Republicans in Congress, and seemed to desire to obtain a preponderance of Southern or Democratic element in that body as soon as possible.
After the final victory of Northern arıns, the Unionists in Texas, and especially the Federal soldiers, were peculiarly exposed to the vengeance of the more riotons element of the vanquished Confederates, and considerable persecution and some murders were indulged in. Only in the vicinity of the garrisoned towns and posts was security of person and property maintained. Even the courts were warped, according to General Custer's (Fed. eral) testimony. Said he: "Since the estab). lishment of the provisional government in
95
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Texas the grand juries throughout the State have found upward of 500 indictments for murder against disloyal men, and yet not in a single case has there been a convietion."
The negro population of Texas at the close of the war was abont 400.000. Great num- bers had been sent hither during that struggle to get them away from Federal interference. Now, sinee they had been freed, they all be- gan to move for employment, and before they attained it many of them suffered mueh, and some even killed. One man testifies that he collected accounts, showing that 260 dead bodies of negroes had been found throughout the State up to the middle of January, 1866, -- some in the creeks, some floating down stream, and some by the roadside. But soon the exeite:nent died down somewhat, and the negroes began to find work. Plantation own- ers were compelled to yield to necessity aud offered thein terms which promised to insure steady labor. Wages, $20 a mouth, or two- thirds of the cotton crop and one-half the corn erops. And many testified that they could net as mnuch from their business under the new order of things as under the old.
THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
January 8, 1866, an election was held for delegates to a State convention to form a new constitution. There was no excitement, and little interest was shown, probably not half the voters taking part. This ereated some alarm in the minds of the philanthropists, but an occasion of that kind seldom draws out a large vote, because there is no particular issue in question, and no great hero up for office, whose followers take zealous hold.
On the meeting of the convention J. W. Throckmorton was elected its president, and they proceeded to adopt every measure neees-
sary for re-admission into the old Union. This constitution was submitted to the people June 25, who that day gave 28,119 votes for it and 23,400 against it. Of course there was many a bitter pill in the new document for the old pro-slavery element to swallow, but they could not help themselves.
On the same day of the ratification of the constitution, Mr. Throckmorton was elected governor, and G. W. Jones, lieutenant-gov- ernor. In his message to the legislature the new governor said it was desirable that `all military force, and the ageuts of the freedmen's bureau, should be witli- drawn from the interior of the State, and that the most certain way to effect this object would be the enactment of just laws for the protection of the blacks, and their rigid enforcement. He added that every ef- fort should be made to impress npon the freedmen that their labor was desirable, and that laws should be passed carrying out the intention of that article in the constitution securing to them protection of person and property. lle also called the attention of the legislature to the numerous ontrages recently committed by Indians on the frontier. Upon his recommendation the legislature paid no attention to the question of ratifying the new clause of the Federal constitution abolishing slavery, and rejected by sixty-seven nays to five yeas the disfranchisement of the late Confederates imposed by the fourteenth ar- ticle of the same constitution, which reads: " No person shall be a senator or representative in Congress, or elector of president or vice- president, or hold any ofliee, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial ofli-
96
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
cer of any State, to support the constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insur- rection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability." The governor maintained that the adoption of such an ar- tiele would deprive the State, for nearly a quarter of a century, of the services of her ablest and best men, at a time, too, when such services are peculiarly important.
This legislature passed numerous laws for internal improvement, and one providing an efficient military force for the protection of the frontier, besides many other useful laws.
Under che plan pursued by President Johnson, State governments had by this time been established in all the Confederate States. But Congress considered that the president had been going too fast, and estab- lished military rule throughout the Sonth, of course over the veto of the president. Gen- eral Phil Sheridan was given the command of the district including Lonisiana and Texas, and he appointed General Griffin to snper- vise the latter State, with headquarters at Galveston. To him was entrusted the reor- ganization of the State, and he proceeded ac- cording to the more stringent measures re- quired by the " Radical " Congress. He found Governor Throckmorton in his way, and advised his removal, which was done by General Sheridan. Griffin added: "I can- not find an officer holding position under the State laws whose antecedents will justify me in reposing trust in him in assisting in the registration." Ile further stated that he had again and again called the attention of the " In examining the facts Throckmorton calls attention to the fact that he tendered the cordial co-operation of the State anthori- ties to aid in the execution of the laws of governor to ontrages perpetrated on Union men, but knew of no instance in which the offender had been punished. At a later date he explains that efforts were made to exchide . Congress; that he called upon the civil au-
Union men from the jury boxes, to prevent which he issned a circular order, prescribing a form of oath which virtually excluded every person that had been connected with the Con- l'ederacy from serving as a juror. This order was seized npon by some State officials, who attempted to make it appear that the courts were closed by the enforcement of it.
Governor Throckmorton, of course, denied the many slanderons attacks that had been made upon him, and it seems that he was really desirous of adjusting himself and the State to the new system of reconstruction adopted by Congress in opposition to Presi- dent Johnson's views.
Says Bancroft: "Early in August the deposed governor sent in his final report of his administration. It contains the Treas- urer's report, showing the receipts to have been $626,518, and the expenses $625,192; a statement of Indian depredations from 1865 to 1867, from which it appears that during the two years 162 persons were killed, 48 carried into captivity and 24 wounded; and he gave in addition a copy of his address and the official correspondence explanatory of his conduct. In reviewing this correspondence Throckmorton remarks that every fair-mind- ed person will be satisfied that the reports of General Griffin were made without any foun- dation in fact, and were not supported by any public or private act of his; and that the imputation that he (Throckmorton) was an impediment to the reconstruction of the State showed the sinister influences which surrounded Griffin and his proclivity to error.
97
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
thorities for such information as would con- dnce to that end; and that he advised the people to a cheerful and prompt compliance with the terms. But extraordinary impedi- ments to the proper execution of the acts of Congress had been thrown in the way. First, the cirenlar order relative to jurymen's quali- fications filled the country with consternation. impressing the minds of the people that they were not to have the benefit of the laws; the oath prescribed would in fact exelnde the majority of the people, exeept the freedinen, from serving as jurors; secondly, by refusing to fill vacancies in State offices except by such persons as could take the test oath; and thirdly, by delay in appointing boards of registration in many counties. Again, no persons except those of one political party were selected as registrars, while negroes 110- toriously incompetent were appointed to act on such boards; such persons as sextons of cemeteries, anctioneers, members of police, under-wardens of workhouses, school direc- tors, jurymeu, overseers of the roads and many other classes had been exeluded from registration; and finally a manifest disinclin- ation had been shown by the military authori- ties to believe in the sincerity of the State officials, and in the people when declaring their desire to comply with the acts of Con- gress."
Besides the above, Mr. Throckmorton pi )- ceeds to ennmerate many acts of lawlessness and oppression on the part of the United States agents and the military.
Elisha M. Pease became governor for the third time in August, 1867. Public affairs, however, had sadly changed since the happy period of his first administration. Partisan feeling was now bitter, and in no other of t .. e Confederate States did the work of recon- after seeession null ab initio; but he died
struction prove more difficult. Texas was the last to be readmitted into the Union.
General Sheridan's military administra- tion gave great dissatisfaction to President Johnson, and on August 26, 1867, he was re- placed by the appointment of General Win- field S. Hancock, whose views were very dif- ferent from those of his predecessor. lle was unwilling to submit civil offenders to military tribunals. He annulled the rigid rules laid down by Griffin with regard to registration of voters, instrueting the local boards to proceed according to the statutes. But Hancock gave as little satisfaction to Congress as his predecessor had to the presi- dent, and the want of harmony at Washing- ton between the legislative and executive de- partments was the oceasion of frequeut change in policy with regard to Texas, and corresponding change of officers, and such a state of national affairs would naturally keep the people of Texas in an unsettled condi- tion. Hancock was succeeded by General Reynolds.
An election was held in February, 1868, which continued four days, for the choice of delegates to a State constitutional convention.
At the same time 44,689 votes were cast in favor of the convention being held, and 11,440 against it. According to the historian Thrall, 56,678 white voters were registered and 47,581 black ones.
June 1 following, the convention, compris- ing sixty-three delegates, was held at Austin, and organized by electing Edmund J. Davis president, and W. V. Tunstall secretary. Al- though the convention was composed of loyal Republicans, they were divided into two fac- tions. General Griffin had some time before that been petitioned to declare by military order all acts of the Texas legislature passed
98
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
before issning the order. The members of the convention who believed in having a formal order issued annulling all acts during the period of secession, were called by nick- name "Ab Initios." Another difference con- cerned the question of suffrage, a portion of the convention being inclined to be more in- tolerant toward the ex-Confederates than the other party. For three months these oppos- ing factions argued these matters and made bnt little progress in framing a constitution. August 31 they adjourned to reassemble December 7, and when they did meet again, the differences appeared to be more irrecon- cilable than ever; but finally the more lib- eral party prevailed by a vote of thirty-seven yeas against twenty-six nays, on February 3, 1869. The article concerning the franchise, which was finally adopted, was drafted by Governor Hamilton, and reads as follows:
"Every male citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years and upward, not laboring under the disabilities named in this constitution, without distinction of race, color or former condition, who shall be a res- ident of this State at the time of the adop- tion of this constitution, or who shall there- after reside in this State one year, and in the county in which he offers to vote sixty days next preceding any election, shall be entitled to vote for all officers that are now, or here- after may be, elected by the people, and upon all questions submitted to the electors at any election; provided, that no person shall be allowed to vote or hold office who is now or hereafter may be disqualified therefor by the constitution of the United States, until sneh disqualification shall be removed by the Con- gress of the United States: provided further, that no person, while kept in any asy- Imm or confined in prison, or who has been convicted of a felony, or is of nnsound mind, shall be allowed to vote or hold office."
But the very next day after the adoption of the form of constitution to be submitted,
namely, on February 4th, twenty-two of the minority members signed a protest, the pres- ident, E. J. Davis, being one of them. In substance the objections they raised were: That it was based on the assumption that the constitution of the United States and the accepted constitution of Texas of 1845 had not been continuonsly the supreme law of the land; that the article on the right of suffrage enfranchised all those who vohinta- rily became the public enemy of the United States; that the majority of the convention had deliberately removed from the constitu- tion every safeguard for the protection of the loyal voter, white or black; had stricken from it the whole system of registry; had repudi- ated the oath of loyalty contained in the reconstruction laws; had spurned the test of egnal civil and political rights, etc.
The convention was so disorderly as to not adjourn in a formal and decent manner, and the members left for their homes before the journal of the proceedings was made up and approved. General Canby reported the trouble to Washington, and on instrnetion proceeded to gather together the records as well as he conld and compile thiem in an orderly shape.
The popular vote on the constitution, taken November 30 following, resulted in 72,366 in favor of it, to 4,928 against it. At the same election Edmund J. Davis was chosen governor, and J. W. Flanagan lieutenant governor. Members of the legislature were also appointed, and an order was issned by the military commander, summoning the leg- islature to assemble at Austin February 8, following.
Governor Pease, finding his position an embarrassing one, the military rule being so awkwardly mixed in with civil affairs, that he resigned September 30, 1869, and ar in-
90
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
terval of over three months occurred, in which the adjutant in charge acted a kind of provisional governor, before Davis was in- augurated.
The legislature, meeting as ordered, promptly ratified the proposed amendments to the United States constitution (eufran- chising negroes, etc.), appointed senators to Congress, and did other necessary business imposed upon it by the reconstruction laws as a provisional body, and adjourned.
March 30, 1870, the president of the - United States, Grant, approved the Con- gressional aet readmitting Texas "into the Union."
The reconstruction period of Texas ex- tended over five years, during which time lawlessness prevailed as it never did before. On this subject General Reynolds, in a letter to the War Department, dated October 21, 1869, says: "The unmber of murders in the State during the nine months from January 1, 1869, to September 30, same year, accord- ing to the official records, necessarily imper- fect, is 384, being an average of about one and a half per day! From this statement it appears that with the partial breaking up of bands of desperadoes by military aid the number of murders is diminishing from month to month."
Although the re-admission of Texas into the Union was technically the end of the "reconstruction period," full re-adjustment was not attained for some years afterward.
On the recognition of Texas as a State, Governor Davis passed from the relation of provisional to permanent governor, and soon afterward the military gave up its special civil jurisdiction to the new order of things. The governor, in his message, called atten- tion to the necessity of providing measures for the suppression of crime, and recom-
inended the enactment of a law for the effi- cient organization of the militia, and the es- tablishment of a police system, which would embrace the whole State under one head, so that the police, sheriff's and constables of the different cities should be made a part of the general police, act in concert with it and be subject to the orders of the chief. Ile made mention of a class of criminals which con- sisted of mobs of lawless men, who assem- bled and operated in disguise in carrying out some unlawful purpose, generally directed against the freedmen. The immunity from arrest of sneh offenders gave reason to sup- pose that they were protected or encouraged by the majority of the people. To repress this evil he suggested that the exeentive be given power to establish temporarily, under certain contingeneies, martial law. Also he considered that the frequency of homicides was attributable to the habit of carrying arms, and recommended that the legislature restrict that privilege, which it would be able to do under the amended constitution. For- thermore, believing that education would limit crime, he recommended improvement in the school system. Many other good things he also recommended.
The legislature, politically, stood: Senate. 17 Republicans, two of them Africans, 7 conservatives and 6 Democrats; honse, 50 Republicans, 8 being Africans, 19 conserva- tives and 21 Demoerats. This body was in aeeord with the governor. Its session was a long one, not adjonrning until August 15. and it passed many acts, in accordance with the recommendations of the governor. The military and the police were authorized to be organized, and the result of the organizations brought many a collision between the whites and the blacks. The latter, sometimes being on the police force and otherwise in command,
100
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
found a bitter time in endeavoring to execute the law over his white neighbors. Mistakes were made and vengeance resorted to, and the fire of party passion was raised to a greater height than ever before. In January, 1871, there was a serions affair at Huntsville. A negro, an important witness in a criminal case, was killed, and persons implicated in the murder were arrested. Friends aided them to escape, and the captain of the police who held them in charge was wounded in the scrimmage. Martial law was proclaimed by the governor and a military company seut from an adjoining county to enforce the law. Soon all was quiet. Another diffienlty oc- curred at Groesbeck, in September, one Apple- white being killed in the streets by three colored policemen. A serions disturbance took place, the whites and negroes being ar- rayed against each other. On October 10 Governor Davis, on account of the above fra- cas, proclaimed martial law in Limestone and Freestone connties. The order was revoked November 11, but the people were assessed for a considerable sm to defray expenses. Godley, House and Mitchell were also innr- dered in a similar manner. In Hill connty, also, in the fall of 1870, martial law was eu- forced for a short time. The partienlars in the last mentioned case were these:
One James Gathings and " Slol " Nichol- son killed a negro man and woman in Bosqne county, and fled, it was supposed, to Ilil] eounty. Soon afterward, one morning before sunrise, Lieutenant Pritchett and two other officers and four negroes, under the special authority of Governor Davis, went to the re- sidence of Colonel J. J. Gathings in Ilill county, and demanded opportunity to search his honse for " little Jim " Gathings. The colonel met them at the door and told them he was not there, They insisted, and he
asked them for their authority, and they said they had it. He demanded that it be shown him. They then replied that they had left it in Waco; and he then told them that they could not search his house exeept by force of arms. Two of the men then drew out their pistols and said that they intended to do that very thing. Next. Pritchett told the negres to go in and search. Gathings then seized a shotgun and declared that he would shoot the first negro that came in: a white man could go "in, said he, but no " nigger;" and he cursed them in the severest terms inagin- able. The search was made, but no boy found.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.