USA > Texas > Past history and present stage of development of Texas. Memorial and biographical history matter of the Lone Star state > Part 3
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as the true status of the civil war records develop, the Confederacy is rapidly coming into possession of its merited glory of achievement. Blinded prejudice is fast disappearing and the North is quick to concede that she faced a foe worthy of her steel. The history of the world does not record such herculean war task that the South had to handle under such distressing conditions, and the Confederate soldier today stands in the light of having had no superior in the universe. All over this broad land of ours are monuments and memorials attesting these facts, and the South will never' be able to pay in gold nor express in gratitude what it owes to the valor of those who wore the Uniform of the Gray. They or their widows are now being given a meagre pension, but we should hasten to increase the same, as they are all getting old and we will only have this opportunity a few years longer. Standing second in this great cause is the valor and service of the Southern women, who endured untold suffering, but will never be appropriately rewarded for the same. Texas now pays out about $500,000 pension money to about 12,000 soldiers and widows, and as our governors and legislators are very friendly toward legislation increasing the amounts we may hope for better results along this line. In meantime the South contributes millions of dollars to the Federal pension roll through the channel of the national treasury, and for forty years we have contributed $40,000,000 per annum toward educating the Negroes. However, up to time of the civil war the South, with its brilliant representatives, dominated the Federal government at Washington, and according to our prevalent system of government-that of ranking committeemen-we are again destined to do so, and it is then that we will come into possession of our own, and the Southern country will blossom with prosperity as it has never done before. The State of Texas maintains a splendid Soldiers' and Widows' Home at Austin, where several hundred inmates are carefully looked after.
The State Capitol Building at Austin, located on a central eminence over- looking the entire city, is the seventh largest in the world. It is exceeded in size only by the National Capitol at Washington, and is larger and finer than the German Reichstag or English Parliament. Negotiations were opened for the contract in 1882, and building was first occupied in 1888. The State gave in payment for the building 3,000,000 acres of its public domain, the contrac- tors paying all expenses of construction. The final report of the building com- missioners showed that $3,744,630.60 was expended for material and labor alone. The building is 567 feet long, 289 feet wide, three stories high, with a dome towering to height of 311 feet. It is constructed of red granite, quarried at Granite Mountain, Burnet county, Texas-the granite being donated by N. L. Norton, one of the Capitol Commissioners. A railroad was built especially to convey the granite to the Capitol grounds. All of the Departments of State are now crowded, and the question of enlarging the Capitol Building has been receiving serious consideration.
LIST OF MORE FAMOUS BATTLES FOUGHT BY AMERICAN TROOPS.
The battles of the Revolution were nearly all important, because victory or defeat at that critical period of our history meant much. The chief fights were :
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1775-April 19; Lexington and Concord ; May 10, Ticonderoga ; June 17, Bun- ker Hill. 1776-Ang. 27. Long Island; Oct. 28, White Plains; Dec. 26, Tren- ton. 1777-Jan. 3, Princeton; Aug. 6, Oriskany; Ang. 16, Bennington; Sept. 11, Brandywine; Sept. 19, Bemis Heights; Oct. 4, Germantown; Oet. 7, Sara- toga (the critical battle of the war). 1778-June 28, Monmouth; Dee. 29, Savannah. 1779-Oct. 8. Savannah, 1780-May 12, Charleston ; Oct. 7, King's Mountain. 1781-Jan. 17, Cowpens; March 15, Guilford Court House; Sept. 8, Eutaw Springs; Oct. 17, Yorktown. War of 1812: 1812-Aug. 16, Detroit. 1813-April 27, York ; Oct. 5, the Thames. 1814-July 25, Eundy's Lane; Aug. 15, Fort Erie ; Sept. 11, Plattsburg; Aug. 24, Bladensburg (the British victory which preceded the burning of Washington). 1815-Jan. 8, New Orleans. The great battles of the Civil War were: 1862-Shiloh, Manassas, Antietam, Fred- ericksburg, Stone River. 1863-Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Chiekamauga. 1864-Spottsylvania, Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg.
TEXAS-DESCRIPTIVE AND UP-TO-DATE.
If Texas could be adequately described by any one word, unquestionably that word would be Opportunity. Within its borders is a country that may have the prerogatives over the most pleasant places known, for Earth and Heaven never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation. The remarkable character of the soil, the mildness of the unexcelled climatic con- ditions, the long growing season and the situation of the creeks, rivers, prairies, nplands and lowlands are so propitious to the use of man, as no place is more convenient for pleasure, profit, and man's sustenance under any other latitude or climate. Concerning Health, Texas is one great and natural Hospital for the restoration of vigor to man's body, and few there be that it does not benefit. So, then, here is a place, a nurse for the soldiers, a practice for mariners, a trade for merchants, the factory and the artisan, and that which is the most essential of all to the well being and intelligence of man-schools, colleges and churches, which abound in diversified profusion. The character of the people, the widespread and unique movement for the upbuilding of the state-these things have conspired to make here a great and magnificent Empire. Progress -splendid and enduring progress-permeates the very air we breathe, and even though one might be blind or deaf he could feel the promise, the optimism that is characteristic of Texas, and which is contagious to all newcomers. Texans believe that Texas is the best part of the Great Southwest. They believe particularly in Texas, and that its future is so brilliant, so evident, so fascinating that even he who runs is compelled to read. We love Texas for its intense and brilliant past history, its marvelons natural resources and its present unsurpassed grandeur.
Texas is larger than Germany, Austria or France, and yet its present population, according to last Federal census, is only about 4,600,000. We could put every citizen of the United States into Texas, build a wall around it, import nothing, give each individual more space than a citizen of Germany, Austria or France enjoys, and then have ample room to march the standing
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armies of the world around them. In January one portion of the state is in the grasp of ice and snow. while the other portion is basking in the sunshine and feasting upon strawberries, bananas, oranges, grapefruit and vegetables of all kinds. Texas is a state of attractive distances-citing diagonally from the four corners, it is, approximately, 865 miles from Texarkana to El Paso, and about 800 miles from Orange to Texline, in the Panhandle. Texas has an area of 265,000 square miles, and only about 25 per cent of this area is in a state of cultivation. Its famous Black Land Belt, averaging about fifty miles wide and extending from north to south, can only be exceeded by the Nile of Egypt for its productiveness, and this soil never wears out. North and East Texas is becoming to be as widely known as California for its enormous yield of luseious fruits and berries, and for every kind of known vegetables is unsur- passed in the wide world. Southeast Texas Rice has a world-wide reputation. The Texas Onion has displaced the Bermuda Onion in this country, the Texas Onion Belt being located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, with Laredo as the shipping eenter and from which territory the railroads run "Onion Specials" during season. South Texas is today astonishing all who investigate the extent of its new developments in producing all kinds of tropieal fruits. includ- ing Satsuma (Japanese) oranges, and wide range of vegetables, which are usually marketed in January and February. Southwest and extreme West Texas are the more sparsely settled sections of the state, but for the past few years a steady flow of immigration and eapital has been going there, with the result that development has been both rapid and substantial. Experiments are fast proving what crops are adaptable to the climate and soil, which is very rich, and particularly is the dry-farming process and irrigation proving gratifyingly successful wherever practiced. Like Southwest and West Texas, the Panhandle (Northwest) is a semi-arid country, and here, too, dry-farming and irrigation methods have resulted in bountiful harvests. Possibly no sec- tion of the state has proportionately increased in population and advanced so rapidly in agriculture and commeree as has that of the Panhandle. The tim- bered sections of the state are more generally confined to Northeast, East and Southeast Texas, where kindred mills and subsidiary industries of all kinds abound. The assessed land valuation in Texas in 1911 was $2,515,000,000- $129,000,000 inerease over the preceding year. The aggregate crop valuation produced in 1911 was $162,735,000. Texas produces, usually, one-third of the eotton crop of the entire Southern Cotton Belt-ranging from 2.000.000 to 4,000,000 bales, according to season. Our raw cotton is shipped to the fae- tories of every eivilized Nation. We largely ship our cattle and sheep to paekers in the North, and buy baek our meat in cans and canvas. Our oat, eorn and wheat crops are enormous. Texas is the finest hog country in the world. Texas leads all states in the Turkey industry, having produced as many as 649,000 per year, and the poultry business of Texas is today attract- ing the attention of the world-the climate especially being fine for the pros- perity of all kinds of fowls. The reputation of the state for the production of domestie and finer grades of cattle, horses and mules, needs no comment at our hands, and the strides Texans have made in the past few years in
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development of race horses is especially deserving of mention, as the record of the National Circuit shows. In mineral line the outlook was never brighter, though we ship our iron ore from East Texas to Pennsylvania, and buy it back in everything from a tack to a steam engine. In the year 1910 Texas spent $7,600,000 for good roads, as a part of $44.000,000 expended throughout the Southern states for this purpose. Texas has 1,500 miles of sea coast line, and approximately 14.000 miles of steam railway, and this feature of advance- ment is yet in its infancy. The interurban development is yet in its embryo state, though there are several valuable and paying lines radiating from the larger cities-including Dallas. Forth Worth, Houston. San Antonio and Gal- veston. There are a number of lines now in a state of promoting and con- struction-among which is one from Dallas, via Corsicana, Hillsboro, Waco, Temple and San Antonio-and the next few years will witness wonderful advancement along these lines of effort.
In 1765 Texas had 750 European population. In 1830 it had 20,000; in 1835 had 50,000; in 1845 had 150.000; in 1850 had 212,500; in 1860 had 601,000; in 1870 had 818,000, and the present population, according to the last Federal C'ensus gives us 4,600,000. San Antonio, founded in 1693, was the first town of importance to be established, then followed Gonzales and Goliad. Jefferson, situated in extreme Northeast Texas, was the first metropolis to flourish in this end of the state. On account of the Red River water transportation it was the final distributing point of enormous supplies for a vast scope of wild west- ern country, and on account of the hostility of the various tribes of Indians, mail and passenger stages and the thousands of freight wagons, drawn by horse. mule and oxen. had to be heavily guarded. Those were wild and pros- perous days, and everybody had money. Jefferson grew to be a busy city of 30.000 people, but when the Texas & Pacific railway was extended via and past it. westward bound. followed by other steam roads in parallel terri- tory, it gradually diminished in prestige as a distributing point, and now has a population of something less than 2.000. Many fires, business failures and other misfortunes have in times befallen the town, and when one views the scenery of large trees in the midst of ruins, that have grown up since the fires, and the owls and bats inhabit the tall, and what was once modern build- ings, he is confronted with real romance, and the finishing chapter of a bril- liant beginning. It is said that Jefferson has begun to show some evidences of resurrection. To form a proper appreciation of the transformative advance- ment of Texas is to take into consideration the uncivilized state of affairs when Gen. Santa Anna. with his Mexican army, and priding himself the "Napoleon of the West." was sweeping all in front of him until he met his "Waterloo" with Gen. Sam Houston and his small army in battle of San Jacinto. San Antonio, Gonzales and Goliad (villages) were the three largest towns in the then territory. Then reflect on the cities of Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. each having more than 100,000 people, and fifteen, eighteen and twenty-two and twenty-three story buildings; Forth Worth, El Paso, Waco, Austin. Galveston. Beaumont. Texarkana. Amarillo, Abilene, Brownsville. Tem- ple. Tyler. Denison, Gainesville. Mckinney and numerous others, ranging in
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population from 75,000 down to 12,000 and 10,000. And hundreds of towns, varying in size, are dotted in all parts of the state.
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Of the many cities in Texas that have made gratifying strides, perhaps none, proportionately speaking. have been so highly appreciable as that of Waco; its present population being 35,000-5,000 of which has been added during the past year. Its taxable valuation is, approximately, $23,000,000, and among its many modern improvements is a new twenty-two story build- ing. Waco is known for its schools, colleges and churches-being the home of Baylor University-and for the culture and hospitality of its people. Its broad and well shaded streets, shrubberied lawns and palatial homes attract the attention of all visitors. Waco was originally an Indian village, and was named for the Waco Indians, which Tribe fought a fierce battle with the Apaches a short distance south of the city. History says the townsite was sur- veyed by Capt. Geo. B. Erath in March, 1849, which year white settlers began to occupy the town under leadership of Capt. Ross. In 1858 it had a popula- tion of 749. In 1872 the first railroad reached Waco, and for a number of years it was the terminal distributing point for a vast scope of wild country. It has 165 manufacturing establishments, and as a wholesale distributing center it is getting to be great-some manufacturers sending their products to all parts of the world. One of the good things now being brought about is the building of Locks and Dams on the Brazos river by the Federal Government, and when the same is made navigable by steamboats, Waco will obtain a water shipping rate-the splendid advantages of which cannot easily be computed. Already its numerous railroad shipping facilities are such that 2,000,000 peo- ple can reach the city in four hours' time from the most productive farming lands, says the Waco Business League, in the world. McLennan county, of which Waco is seat of government, has a population of 80,000, and a taxable valuation of $50,000,000.
Texas is increasing in population more rapidly than any portion of Uncle Sam's Domain, and the accession of new people embraces the cream of the citizenship of the older states. To people of brain and brawn, Texas offers advantages unparalleled ; her latent resources in uncultivated area, in forest and mine, in opportunities for engaging in business, and for the investment of capital in productive enterprises being unexampled on earth today. With millions of dollars of school money on hand, and with eleven million acres of unsold school lands, which the world is rapidly purchasing, it will not be long till Texas will send her children to high-class schools, and not call upon their parents for a cent of school tax. From this fund, already the annual per capita rate to each and every pupil in the state ranges from $6.25 to $6.75. And speaking of taxes, the people of Texas do not pay much tax. Anderson county, for instance-a fair index to the financial status of most Texas coun- ties-is out of debt, usually has several thousand dollars in treasury, while her state and county rate, covering levy for schools and everything else, is only 85 cents on the $100. with extremely low valuation of property for taxes. Land titles are generally good, and county records well kept.
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ADAMS, Senator William Nelson
Senator Adams, one of the best known men in the upper branch of the Texas legislature, was born in the scenie and poetic Mountains of East Tennessee- Knox county, June 4, 1848. His father, A. Adams, was born on the French Broad river in North Caro- lina, and when five years old his parents moved to Athens, Me Min county, East Tennessee, where he matured to manhood on a farm. For thirty years he "drove" stock to Georgia, Alabama and Alissis- sippi as a dealer, and was one of the most widely known men en- gaged in this line of business in those states. lle died in Meigs county in 1877; aged sixty-five years. His brother, Judge William L. Adams, a Mexican war veteran, was for many years on the bench in Chattanooga district, and was one of the most noted jurists of Tennessee. Mr. A. Adams was married in 1834 to Miss Mary E. Cannon-native of Knox county, East Tennessee-and of the three sons and six daughters born of the union, there is now living Senator Adams, Zach B. Adams, and Mrs. C. E. Jett, of Maude, Oklahoma. Zach B. Adams is an ex- Confederate soldier, and as an invalid resides with his brother, Senator Adams, in Brownwood. The mother's oldest brother, Benj. B. Cannon, was one of the first settlers in Cherokee county, and as a member of the second and third sessions of the Texas legislature voted for a bill to grant Roger Q. Mills license to practice law-the same being necessary on account of his juniority of age. She died in East Tennessee in 1854; aged thirty-eight years.
The Adams family being sympathizers with the Confederacy, in a country that was largely Federalistie in civil war sentiment, caused them to refugee to North Georgia-Marietta-in 1864; where they resided until 1868, when they moved to MeMinn county, Tennessee. Here Senator Adams attended and taught school. In 1870 he came to Tarrant county, Texas, and continued his vocation as a teacher for two years, when he was abruptly dismissed under false charges at the hands of Carpetbaggers, under Carpetbag rule. In connection with this inci- dent-so modest has he been about the matter-it will be news to numerous of Senator Adams' friends to know that he today bears a bullet-scar in which he was shot entirely through the body and lingered nigh unto death during a protracted period. To avoid being placed under a peace bond he left Tarrant county, and while traveling in Coleman and Brown counties as a stock dealer, decided to make Brown county his future home in 1872. He taught school here first two years, and was elected Brown county's first tax assessor under the new Constitution. Afterwards served as sheriff and tax collector, combined, from 1882 to 1888 and in 1896 was elected county treasurer, and served ten years. Was chosen state senator in 1908 from this, the 26th senatorial district, composed of ten counties, and is now in the fourth and last year of his term-which will round out twenty-six years of faithful service to the people. He will not stand for re-election. Aside from public duties, Senator Adams has engaged in farming, stock and livery business. He was married Nov. 23, 1876, to Miss Kate L. Haden, who was
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born in DeSoto Parish, La. She died in December, 1909; aged fifty-three years. Eight daughters and four sons were born of this union-two daughters are dead, and one son died in infaney. Of those living, all are at home excepting Mrs. William H. Nelle, of Austin, and Mrs. Irene Trapp, of Brownwood. As a man and as a public official, Mr. Adams has always been a friend of the great common people-of which he is very suitably one. As a member of the State Senate, he has been influential, and a number of times was "called to the chair" to preside over that dignified body. In Brown county he is affectionately known as "Unele Bill"' Adams and there never was a time when he would not "part with his last cent and go his length for a friend." There are men in Brown county today who went to him as a rank stranger in distress to borrow money-and they never went away empty handed. Senator Adams is a high-minded and high-spirited man-brave as a lion-and once in the stormy past when Capt. Bill Scott, with his company of Rangers, were disputing over a point of legal propriety the story runs thusly: Scott-" I'll give you to understand, sir, that I'm Capt. Bill Scott of the Texas Rangers." Adams-"'I'll give you to understand, sir, that I'm Bill Adams, Sheriff of Brown county." While teaching school at Thrifty, this county, in 1873, the Indians killed a neighbor, Mrs. Williams, and captured her little daughter-which was later found dead on Double Mountain, Fork of Brazos river. On this and numerous other occasions he adjourned school to chase the Indians-his pupils generally bringing their six-shooters with them to school. As a "Minute Man" and as Sheriff of Brown county, Mr. Adams not only had the Indians on the frontier to deal with but toughs and desperadoes generally, and while he was notedly successful in protecting life and property, he stated to the writer that those were the happiest days of his life. Mr. Adams is a Mason, Odd Fellow, K. of P. and a Methodist.
ADAMS, Capt. Archibald Gray
Capt. A. G. Adams, ex-Confederate soldier and one of the best known men in Harrison county, was born at Zebulon, Pike county, Ga., July 4, 1833. His paternal grandfather, Gen. David B. Adams, was a native Georgian, and was a commander in war of 1812. He died in that state in 1840. Capt. Adams' father, Dr. Jonathan Adams, was born in Jasper county, Ga., and served in hospital department in Indian war during thirties. He was married to Miss Mary Gray, of Taylor connty, Ga., and four sons and four daughters were born of this union. In 1848 the family migrated to Greenwood, La., and remained one year, after which they came to Harrison county, Texas, where Dr. Adams continued to practice medicine until his death in 1864; aged sixty-eight years. His wife died in 1867-Harrison county-aged sixty years. Of the eight children, all are dead except Capt. Adams, the subject of this sketch, and Attorney J. M. Adams, of Oklahoma.
Capt. Adams was fifteen years old when his parents settled in Harrison county, and his schooling was such as those days afforded. It was here in Marshall that he enlisted in the Confederate army, in fall of 1861-Co. D., 7th Texas Reg., Granberry's Brigade. Cheatham's Command, Cleburne's Division. He took part in battles of Fort Donelson, Fort Hudson, Ramon, Jackson, Miss .; Missionary Ridge, New Hope; the hundred days fighting from Dalton to Atlanta; in and around Atlanta; Jonesboro, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, and sur- rendered near Greensboro, North Carolina, with Gen. Jos. E. Johnston. In fact was in all the engagements fought by Gens. Johnston and Hood excepting that of Chickamauga. After the surrender President Jefferson Davis sent all the specie Mexican money he had on hand to Gen. Jos. E. Johnston's army to be distributed among the soldiers, and Capt. Adams is one of the happy possessors of one of these medals, worn as a watch charm. On it he has had the follow- ing inscription engraved: "Paid to A. G. Adams for services in Confederate army by order of President Jefferson Davis, 1861-65." Was twice wounded at Fort Donelson, and was acting as Adjutant time of surrender. Capt. Adams's wife before marriage was Miss Johnnie Smith, to whom he was joined in wedlock in 1867 at Jefferson, Texas. Mrs. Adams was born in Troupe county, Ga., and was left an orphan by the death of her parents. There was born to them one son and four daughters, and those now living are: Archibald G. Adams, President First National Bank at Jacksonville, Texas, and Mrs. R. L. Heard, of Shreveport,
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La. As to how much the people of Marshall and Harrison county think of Capt. Adams- whose title is given him by courtesy-is best expressed in the fact that he has been in their official service something like forty years; and the same is all the more creditable when it is known that there has never been even hinted a single item that would tarnish his public record and good name. He has served in capacity of policeman, town marshal, deputy sheriff, and was deputy and assessor, combined, for something like twenty years. Capt. Adams stated to the writer that the people of Harrison county had been kind to him, and no word or act of his could express his sincere appreciation. Though he is now in his seventy-eighth year, Capt. Adams is a remarkably well preserved man. He is a most courtly gentleman and his old com- rades say that he made a brave and efficient soldier. He belongs to M. E. Church, and A. O. U. W. secret order.
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