The life record of H. W. Graber / A Terry Texas Ranger, 1861-1865; sixty-two years in Texas

by H. W. Graber

PREFACE

For the unpleasant facts recorded in this, I am not responsible, but only the powers that were then. I would much prefer to forget as I have forgiven, and not reopen old wounds, but a sacred duty I owe my family forces me to submit the unvarnished truth and use expressions, though harsh, to properly represent conditions as they existed, to protect my lifetime fair name and character, which I must leave my family untarnished, and also to redeem my promise to them and my many interested friends, who were personally acquainted with me during the years of this terrible experience.

Do not fail to bear in mind that this is written altogether from memory, nearly fifty years after it occurred, hence dates are omitted.

In order to give the reader a full appreciation of my remarkable preservation and escape from being murdered by the powers that ruled at the time, I treat the subject as I do. Drifting into this trouble was certainly not of my own choice, but altogether owing to conditions and surroundings. I was simply the instrument in God’s hands to relieve a law abiding and submissive community of a terrible calamity about to be enacted by a lawless band of marauders in the uniform of the United States, protected by their officers and permitted by the, then, General Government, and my life was spared by the interposition of a Divine Providence. It was this firm conviction that gave me strength and hope that all would be well and enabled me to pass through this terrible ordeal.

There was no law to protect or appeal to, only the whim of a vindictive military satrap, whose order was supreme and who regarded the best citizens of the country fit subjects for his vengeance and persecution.

Our State Government, organized under the terms of our surrender, composed of the best and most solid element of the State, working in conjunction with the returned Confederate soldiers to rehabilitate our ruined homes, was ruthlessly set aside by the infamous order of General Sheridan, as an impediment to reconstruction.

To longer submit to such conditions and subject our families to dangers worse than death, made men desperate and called forth every spark of manhood in man, particularly in one who had followed Sherman’s march through Georgia and the Carolinas and made him liable to resent outrages when brought directly to his own home in the most effective way, regardless of consequences.

As a result of our action, having removed the bandit leader from among them, our community was no longer subjected to their deviltry. They were completely overawed and behaved themselves forever after, thereby avoiding much bloodshed. Had they burned Hempstead that night, which no doubt they would have done, an outraged citizenship would have gathered and visited vengeance on these devils incarnate and no promise of General Sheridan, as in the case of Brenham, could have stayed them, then what would have been the result?

I had the sympathy of the best citizens of the country, offers of men and money, which were always declined in the interest of peace.

To better explain the cause for the conditions existing with these garrisons: When the Federal Government sent their recruiting agents abroad, they accepted some of the worst element in Europe, as well as in this country, promising them large bounties, good wages and treatment, and all they could capture, hence a certain element in the army started in for plunder only, and with no other object. Some garrisons in the State had a band of plunderers with a desperate leader, as was the case at Brenham when it was burned and again at Hempstead at this time.

At the conclusion of the war the best element in the Federal Army, the brave and gallant men who won the fight, did not re-enlist, but returned to their homes to engage in peaceful pursuits and could never have been induced to assist in degrading their own race and color by elevating the negro over us, which was the avowed intention of the fanatical element of the North who were responsible for the war.

That gallant soldier and conscientious gentleman, General W. S. Hancock, in command of New Orleans, refused to do their bidding and was immediately superseded by General Sheridan, who proved a fit tool in their hands.

CHAPTER XXIII
Upon My Return From the Army I Find My Business Affairs in Bad Shape.

I returned from Johnston’s army, surrendered in North Carolina in the summer of 1865, to my home town, Hempstead, Texas, where I found my brother, six years younger than myself, who had also just returned from the army, and a younger sister, who had been boarding at a friend’s house during my absence in the army. We were orphan children.

On my return I found the business of Faddis & Graber, which I left in charge of R. P. Faddis, the senior partner, totally vanished. I had not even a change of clothing, of which I had left a trunk full. Brother had given them to needy Confederate soldiers.

After resting and recuperating for some months, a guest at the homes of different friends, awaiting an opportunity for business, I was persuaded by an old friend, Mr. Leander Cannon, to make my home at his house at Courtney, Grimes County, until I could secure something to do. Mr. Cannon before the war had the largest general mercantile business in the interior of the State, while I kept his books for him at Hempstead before I entered into business on my own account with Faddis, Mr. Cannon having sold out in the meantime.

After the return of the Confederate soldiers from the army, the first year, they were engaged in peaceable pursuits, trying to rebuild their lost fortunes and also to recuperate their health, which, in many instances, had been sacrificed in the army.

While so engaged, the Federal Government organized its Freedman’s Bureau, establishing its agencies in all the populous negro districts in the State, supported by the army. As heretofore stated, among these garrisons were a lot of desperate and bad men, bent on rapine and plunder, and they had the sanction of their officers, notably in the case of the town of Brenham, which they sacked and burned.

This aroused the resentment and desperation of the best people of Texas and very soon a thousand or more of the best citizens of the State collected and determined to wipe out this garrison. General Sheridan, in command of Texas and Louisiana, with headquarters at New Orleans, telegraphed Governor Throckmorton to proceed there at once and beg the people to desist and not to take any action until he could send a commission to investigate and secure the guilty parties for punishment.

Governor Throckmorton succeeded in dispersing this avenging host, and General Sheridan, instead of sending a commission, reinforced the garrison and arrested some of the best citizens of the country.

The Hempstead garrison also had a band of marauders, headed by a desperate character, who occasionally attacked citizens at night and robbed them. This was the condition at Hempstead.

In the meantime I started a small general merchandise business at Courtney, with the assistance of my friend Cannon. While boarding at Cannon’s house I occupied a room with a Mr. White and son, from Tarrant County, who were there, ostensibly, to trade a flouring mill he had in Tarrant County for one of Cannon’s Brazos bottom plantations. I soon concluded that Mr. White had no flouring mill to trade and was imposing upon Mr. Cannon for his and his son’s board and also to recuperate his horses.

I also met at Mr. Cannon’s ex-Governor Morehead of Kentucky, who was then a refugee from the General Government. While rooming with Mr. White and his son, we had frequent discussions about the battles in Virginia, he claiming that he had served in that army, and his son on General Johnston’s staff. I noticed that Mr. Cannon showed these gentlemen a great deal of attention and frequently these three were seen in the woods, sitting on a log, talking. I was puzzled to know why it was that Mr. Cannon could be so easily imposed on by this man White.

Some months or more after they had left, and I had moved to the hotel down in town, I met Mr. Cannon on the street and he said to me, “I have just heard from Mr. White.” “Well, has he sold his flouring mill?” I asked. Cannon said, “No, you knew he had no flouring mill. You knew that it was General Wigfall and his son, Holsey.” I told him no, that I was unaware who he was, having only met General Wigfall one time at Raleigh, North Carolina, at a hotel, when he wore a heavy black beard, and at Courtney he was clean shaven. Cannon told me, when he heard from them, they were in Havana and would take a steamer the next day for Great Britain. I never knew what became of ex-Governor Morehead after he left Cannon’s, but do not think that he was ever arrested.

While at Courtney, I was called on by an old comrade, Ben Polk, in company with a friend of his by the name of T. J. Thorn, who were looking for a large plantation to lease. This they failed to find. Both had their old family set of negroes to work for them. Ben Polk went over on the Trinity, where he rented and cultivated a plantation, and Captain Thorn rented the Stevenson’s Ferry plantation, about six miles from the town of Hempstead, where he pitched a large crop of cotton and corn.

Several months after I happened to meet with Thorn at Hempstead, when he made a proposition to me to join in the cultivation of this crop, as he felt financially unable to carry it through.

After investigating his proposition, which was most liberal, and considering the further fact that the location presented a better opportunity for business than Courtney, I decided to accept and moved down there with my stock of merchandise, boarding my family in a friend’s home in Hempstead, as the house on the plantation was in bad repair. Captain Thorn also boarded his wife and two children with his father-in-law in Hempstead.

It was our custom to spend Sundays with our families in town, sometimes going in on Saturday night, returning Monday morning, and occasionally going in on Sunday morning.

CHAPTER XXIV
The Affair at Hempstead.

One Sunday morning Thorn and I rode into town, and met on the road going towards the river, eleven Federal soldiers. We thought nothing of it as they had never before crossed the river. Captain Thorn stopped at the place where his wife was boarding and I started across the square to where my little family were stopping. I noticed a group of our solid citizens armed, talking excitedly, and rode up and asked them the news, when they told me that a band of soldiers had raided the town the night before, committing a number of depredations and had threatened to burn Hempstead that night.

A committee of citizens, headed by the Mayor, Mr. Whitworth, had visited the camp that morning and complained to the commanding officer, Captain Lancaster, of the conduct of his men the night before and told him of their threat to burn Hempstead that night. They asked permission to organize a patrol to keep their town from being burned. He cursed them in answer and told them that he wanted every one of them to hunt their holes that night at eight o’clock and that he would have a patrol out to see that they did it.

Knowing the temper of the people, as I did, I suggested to them not to do anything rash, telling them that whatever was done without the authority of the powers that were would only bring greater trouble, and that we would be powerless to secure redress. I pleaded with them and cautioned them to submit, rather than to make matters worse, as in the case of Brenham.

I then proceeded to my wife’s place of residence and spent the balance of the day until about four o’clock in the evening. All during that day we heard wild rumors of the threats of the soldiers of what they were going to do that night and I decided it was best to take my wife and baby to the plantation and keep them out of trouble. About a mile from town I met one of our negro men, with his wife. His wife’s clothes were badly torn. He told me that eleven soldiers had been out to the place, robbed the house of several guns belonging to the negroes and one very fine gun belonging to Captain Thorn. They had tried to break into my storeroom, but had failed to get in. They had then gone to Buckhorn, about four or five miles west of us, where there was a store and postoffice, and he thought on their return, they would break into my store. I asked him where he was going. He said he was going into camp to report them. I told him not to do so, that they would nearly beat him to death for making such a report, but to go and see his Marse Tom and tell him what they had done and to tell him that I had gone on out and to come out immediately and to bring out a good lot of pistol ammunition. We both had pistols but no ammunition for them, never having any use for them, though it was the custom with most people to carry six-shooters.

My first impulse was to watch their return from Buckhorn and, on their approach, to go into the storeroom, well prepared with loaded guns, and resist any attempt on their part to break into the store.

I drove on out to the place, very much alarmed; fearing that I would meet these devils on their return to town, but fortunately, they had not returned that far. After crossing the river at the ferry, I drove through the open fields, where I could see clear up to the house, about a mile, and when I reached the house the negroes reported that they had already left there, for town, on the river road, through a piece of bottom.

I had promised my wife that I would do nothing in the matter and intended to make good this promise, but when the negroes told me of the soldiers’ doings in the negro quarters and at the house, I lost all control of myself, ushered my wife into the house, told her that I had to go down to the barn to see the mules fed, by way of an excuse to get away from her, went into the storeroom, got an only pistol, partly loaded, rushed to the barn without a saddle, jumped on my horse’s back and set out in pursuit of them.

Fortunately they had already crossed the river when I got to the ferry. There is no question but what I would have dashed in among them with only three shots in my pistol and would not now live to tell the tale.

At the ferry I met a young man by the name of Stevenson, a son of the owner of the place, and a young man by the name of Hartsfield, who had been acting as our overseer. Stevenson was armed and so was Hartsfield. I got some ammunition from the ferryman for my pistol, which I completed loading. When about ready to cross the river, Captain Thorn hailed for the boat, crossed and secured another pistol from the ferryman. Thorn was very much stirred up. In meeting them the leader of this gang had made him get off of his horse, get down on his knees and told him to say his prayers, but finally let him off. We then started in pursuit and when within about a mile of their camp we caught up with them. When they heard us coming they broke, their leader and several companions taking to trees, from which they fired upon us. In the mix-up they got the worst of the affair. Two were left dead on the field, while we miraculously escaped without a scratch.

Our first decision was to report the result to the commanding officer, but being admonished by the manner in which he had treated our citizens that morning, and also the history in the case of Brenham, we finally concluded we had better keep out of their clutches and not risk our lives in their hands.

A military satrap was the law of the land; there were no courts to appeal to, only the tender mercies of General Sheridan.

We immediately returned to the river. After crossing, I asked the party to hold the ferry until I could get my wife and baby to a friend’s house, about two miles distant. Hartsfield and Stevenson both refused and left, but Thorn, taking my pistol, in addition to the one he had, sat down by a tree and told me to take my time, that he would hold that ferryboat against the whole garrison.

I went to the house, took my wife and baby to a Mr. Waller Cochran’s, where they spent the night, and then I went back to relieve Captain Thorn. We then went to another friend’s house, where we were joined by our overseer, Hartsfield, and there spent the night. I instructed Mr. John D. Cochran, an old messmate, to go over to his brother’s place the next morning, get my wife and baby and either take them to Courtney to her sister’s home or bring them to Navasota, where we expected to meet them the next evening.

In crossing the ferry the next morning there were in the boat with them twelve men in command of a lieutenant, heavily armed, who had been out to the place, searching for us. My wife heard them make their threats that if they caught up with Thorn or Graber that they had orders to shoot them down without benefit of a court martial.

After spending that night at a friend’s house, we three started for Navasota, on the west side of the river, Stevenson having left us at the ferry the day before. I have never seen him since. We crossed the river at Old Washington and arrived at Navasota in the evening, where I met my wife, who was taken to a Mr. Felder’s house.

Our arrival at Navasota created great excitement. We were visited by many of the best citizens of the town, some of whom begged us to stay. They just wanted a chance at them, when they came after us, but I told them no, that our case was bad enough and that it would only result in involving our friends without accomplishing anything, which I was determined not to do. I therefore arranged to leave next morning for Waxahachie, where I was well acquainted, having spent two years of my boyhood there.

After a day’s reflection we just began to realize our condition. Outlawed by the powers that were, everything that we had in the world lost, confiscated, dependent altogether on what financial aid and assistance we might accept; and, although we had abundant aid offered us, it only made us more desperate. We felt that our fate was sealed, though we had not a moment’s thought of regret; we felt that we had done right, that we could not have done otherwise and were simply the victims of conditions existing.

I parted with my wife next morning, never expecting to see her again, telling her whenever she heard of my being in their hands, it would be my dead body; I would never surrender.

We now started on our trip to Waxahachie, without incident, stopping at houses at night, without disclosing our identity, giving fictitious names. When we reached Spring Hill we found a Mr. George H. Porter of Houston, an old army acquaintance of Thorn’s, who was out collecting for T. W. House of Houston. We also found a Federal quartermaster from Waco, out buying horses for the troops stationed at that point. Now, my friend, Thorn, had got to drinking very hard, getting more desperate every day and conceived the idea to hold up this quartermaster and make him give us his money. I spurned the idea, telling Thorn that he could not do it while I was there. I was not willing to turn highway robber, which it would have amounted to. Here was the turning point in our lives, especially in the case of Thorn, who didn’t seem to have any compunctions in the matter, though, in the eyes of many, he would have been fully justified. The Government, through their soldiers, had robbed us of everything we had and was seeking to take our lives without the benefit of a court martial, and, under the circumstances, Thorn’s idea might have been justified.

My friend Thorn readily yielded when I called his attention to the disgrace such an act would bring on our families, to say nothing of having entered into such practices, which would have carried us further into an infamous career. To me, the fact that we had to depend on misrepresentation and lies to save our lives as long as we could, with a faint hope of ultimately living out of it, was bad enough. Lying was revolting to my very nature. I always detested a liar, as much so as I did a thief, but in this case, I leave it to the reader whether we were justified or not.

On parting with Mr. Porter, the next day, he pulled out a large purse of twenty dollar gold pieces and offered it to Thorn; told him to take it all, but I pushed back his hand and told Thorn that he must not take a dollar of it, as it was money collected by Porter, belonging to T. W. House. Porter insisted on him taking some of it; saying that he could replace it from his salary account, but I said no, I had good friends at Waxahachie, who would furnish me whatever money we actually needed. George A. Porter is still living in Houston and has built up one of the largest commission businesses in the place.

We now proceeded to Waxahachie without further incident and put up at the Rogers House. E.W. Rogers being an old friend of mine he did his best to make us feel at home. Here, as stated, I was known by many of the old citizens and we passed under our own names. About a week passed, during which time we watched the daily papers and read every report from South Texas, expecting daily pursuit. One day, while in a store across the street from the Rogers House, old man Rogers came in, somewhat excited, and told us a man had just got off the stage at the hotel and registered as “Brown, from Hempstead.” He thought, from his talk, he was a Federal and advised us to go over and investigate. We immediately started across, and noticed the man in the door. When within about fifteen feet of him, he recognized me, saying, “Hello, Mr. Graber; are you here? We thought you were in Mexico by this time.” I told him, “No, we are going to Mexico, but not the way you thought we were.” By this time Thorn had got inside of the door and said to Brown, “Let me see you a minute,” and led him into our room. As soon as inside, Thorn jerked out his pistol, saying, “Get down on your knees and say your prayers; d—— you, I ‘m going to kill you.” I quickly pushed his pistol aside, told him to hold on and let us hear what he had to say; “if he is here on business, after us, you can take him.”

The fellow told a straight tale about his business there, saying that he came to see an aunt of his, who lived about fifteen miles from Waxahachie, a woman who was known to me. I told him to get up, that he was all right and not on business for us. He said that he never would tell of seeing us there if we did not want him to do so. He said that he was a Missourian and had been in the Federal Army; was wounded at the battle of Elkhorn, in his left wrist, a bad scar of which he showed us, and said this brought him to his senses; he quit fighting us and went into the sutler’s business, to make what money he could out of them, and came to Hempstead with the troops in that capacity, though when I became known to him there, he was a mail clerk in the post office, though I did not recall his face. He told us, furthermore, that he was quite intimate with Capt. Lancaster and had heard Lancaster say that he told these fellows if they didn’t quit their deviltry somebody would kill them, but Brown said Lancaster told him that he had his orders, received from General Griffin at Galveston, who was then in command of Texas, and Griffin had orders from General Sheridan to make an example of us and have us shot down wherever we were found, without the benefit of a court martial. I told Brown, when he got back, to tell Captain Lancaster where he had met us and also his treatment at our hands and since he, Lancaster, had orders to show us no quarter, which we didn’t ask or expect at his hands, and if we should ever meet up with him I would make it a special point to get him, like we did the chief desperado at Hempstead.

Realizing that my friend Thorn had become too desperate for me to control, especially while drinking, I determined to cut loose from him, which I felt justified in doing, as he was then comparatively out of danger, and I suggested to him to start to California, where his mother was living. She was wealthy and able to take care of him and his family if he could succeed in bringing them out. This he decided to do. I then borrowed some money and had a business friend to rig him out in some good clothes and charge to me. I gave him a very fine gold watch and chain I had and started him for California, by way of Kansas City and the Union Pacific Railroad. I parted with him about two miles north of Waxahachie, he continuing in that direction and I turning east, out of sight of the town, suspecting that we might be watched, as to the direction we were both going. I forgot to mention that I exchanged horses with my friend Rogers’ son, for one of the best saddle horses in the country, and on this horse, well armed, having four six-shooters (two in holsters on my saddle and two on my belt), I felt I could ride all around and through that garrison in Hempstead, or any pursuing party. I then struck out for Navasota, with the determination to bring my wife and baby out, fearing they would arrest her and hold her as hostage.

Riding along the main road in Freestone County, about noon, with a severe headache, I discovered a white house on the prairie, about a mile to the right of the road and noticing a negro ahead of me, crossing the road going towards the house, I hurried and caught up with him. I asked him who lived at that house. He answered “Marse Dick Oliver,” who proved to be an old army friend of mine. I rode up to the house and found my friend Dick at home, and he introduced me to his family under my real name. They insisted on me spending the balance of the day and night with them. Dick said he would send for several of our old comrades, who lived in that neighborhood, to come and see me, which he did. One of them, Bulger Peeples, remained all night with me.

The next morning Dick made him go to a neighbor’s and get what money he had, which proved to be fifty dollars in silver, which he insisted on my taking before we parted. I hesitated, but finally accepted it. I now proceeded on down to Navasota, where I arrived in the morning, early, and went to the store of an acquaintance, a Mr. Guy. I remained in his back room all day long, while he sent to Courtney for my wife and baby to come up and meet me at Mr. Felder’s that night. We there spent the whole night with Mr. Felder and his family, planning what was best to do. I learned that they had been watching Dr. Hall’s place at Courtney, my wife’s sister’s home, closely, ever since I left, hoping to catch me there on a visit. It was decided that it would be impossible to take them out with me, as they would, no doubt, exert extra efforts by scattering troops around immediately, when they found that she had left home. We finally decided that my only chance for escape would be to go to Mexico. Mr. Felder had a brother living in Tuxpan, Mexico, to whom he gave me a letter of introduction and assured me that I would be safe with him if I ever succeeded in reaching there. I also arranged with my wife to correspond with her by means of an acid, which can be used as ink, but is invisible until held up to heat, which brings it out black. I would then get some friend to write to Dr. Hall, my brother-in-law, on some business subject. Only a few lines would be written and when he received our communications he would understand it and hand the letter to my wife, who would bring out the acid writing on the remaining blank of the sheet. In this letter I would tell her where Dr. Hall could direct his letter and by that means we kept in communication.

About daylight next morning, during a severe thunder and rain storm, one of the darkest nights I was ever out in, Mr. Felder took me through his field to the Piedmont Springs road, which I followed by the lightning, as best I could, swimming one slough, but got safely across the Navasota River and soon arrived at a house where I decided to stop and have my clothes dried, take a nap and get some breakfast.

I called at the house and found the gentleman very pleasant. I told him I was in trouble and wanted to stop and get some breakfast and have my clothes dried. He very cordially invited me in, loaned me a change of his clothes, while his wife dried my clothing and prepared some breakfast for me, during which time I took a nap. I then left the house, refreshed, and started on to Centerville, Leon County.

CHAPTER XXV
I Narrowly Escape Capture.

Before parting with Thorn at Waxahachie, he told me if ever I happened to be in the upper part of Grimes County, to hunt for a man by the name of Camp, who was an old California friend of his father, having gone there with him in 1848. “You only need to tell him who you are, that you are associated with me in this trouble and he will do all he can for you.” I had nearly forgotten Thorn’s mentioning this, when I rode up to a house late in the evening, that seemed to me perhaps a stage stand. I decided to stop and stay all night there, calling at the gate. An old gentleman came out, to whom I told my business, and he told me, “Certainly you can stay; I am keeping a public house;” furthermore saying, “You walk right in, take a seat on the porch, supper will be ready directly; I will take your horse down to the barn and feed him.” His barn was some three hundred yards down the lane and across the road. I walked in, took a seat on the porch and very soon was called in to supper. I found at the table his wife and daughter and a gentleman traveler, who, in conversation with the ladies, stated that he had passed two companies of troops from Hempstead, coming on, and saying that they were nearly due there. I made out a hasty supper, immediately went down to the barn and told Mr. Camp I must have my horse right quick; told him who I was, by way of explanation why it was urgent for me to get my horse at once. He, of course, was surprised, and told me anything under the sun he could do for me, not to hesitate to demand it; said that he would go to the house and talk with this man and ascertain whether these troops were infantry or cavalry; furthermore, if they were infantry they were on their way to Centerville, where they had been expected for some time, to garrison that town. He says, “If they are infantry, they are evidently not after you and don’t know you are here; then you have got to stay all night with me and rest; you will be perfectly safe. I will put you in a room where there will be no danger to my family, in case anything should happen. I have a good shotgun that I will know how to use in your defense.”

I told Mr. Camp that I had promised my wife on parting with her, that I wouldn’t recognize the best friend I met anywhere, let no one know who I was and made him promise not to tell this man nor his family. He soon came back to the barn, while I was watching the road that these troops were on, and reported they were infantry, on their way to Centerville and made me leave my horse and go back to the house with him. These troops camped within about a quarter of a mile, at the mouth of his lane, and came to his house for milk, butter and chickens, while I was in bed asleep.

He gave me an early breakfast next morning and I started on with this gentleman, who Camp assured me was a particular friend of Tom Thorn’s and would fight for me, if he knew who I was. I told him that I did not intend to make myself known to him. We rode on together for about six miles, when we struck a creek, out of its banks. He suggested to me that he knew a foot log not far above there, where we could cross with our saddles and riggings; he would drive in his mare and she would cross and my horse would follow her, which he did. As soon as his mare got on the other side, she went flying up the road, with my horse following. He said he was satisfied that some friend of his would stop her somewhere on the road and we would hurry on afoot and try to get her, also my horse, and I had nothing to do but accept the situation. I spent nearly two anxious hours, watching the road in the direction in which the troops were coming, when he finally came up, leading my horse. We then saddled up and proceeded on our way and upon reaching the forks of the road, one leading to Centerville, the other to Leona, we parted; I taking the Leona road, which was called the old San Antonio road to Shreveport. I continued on this road, day and night, until I reached Marshall, where I found an old prison friend by the name of Fisher, who lived about a mile from the town and he insisted on my going out to his house to remain until I could take boat at Shreveport for New Orleans.

I spent several days with him, going up town, making my headquarters at the office of Ochiltree & Shaw. I was acquainted with Judge Ochiltree, whose son, Bill, was a public auctioneer. I turned him over my horse and saddle to sell at auction. While he was riding around the streets, crying the horse for sale to the highest bidder, he stopped in front of the office, called me to the door, said he was offered one hundred forty-eight and one-half dollars and that he had met a Federal lieutenant, who was stuck on the horse and he was going to make him pay two hundred dollars for him before he quit. I told him not to take another bid from him, as I did not want any Federal to ride that horse, so he had to sell him at one hundred forty-eight and one-half dollars.

I was now ready to move and, on investigation, found that two boats would leave Shreveport for New Orleans on Wednesday evening and on that day I went down to Shreveport to take passage on one of these boats. On arrival at Shreveport the stewards of these boats came aboard of the train and announced that the boats had failed to receive sufficient cotton to justify starting on the trip and had postponed sailing until the next Friday and if there were any passengers aboard, for New Orleans, they could go aboard of the boats at once and save hotel bills for several days, which I decided to do.

After registering on the “Bart-Able,” which was the finest boat on the river, I took a seat on the guards, the front of the passenger deck, and awaited for what would next turn up. Very soon a party of four men came aboard, whom I took to be gamblers. I was soon recognized by one of the party, who proved to be Ike Hutchison, who started out in the army with us, but was a professional gambler, a class of people I never had much use for. During the short time he was with us in our company, I treated him somewhat indifferently, which might have resulted seriously at this time. As soon as recognized by him, he came forward, grasped my hand, was very glad to see me and started to introduce me to his companions, when I drew him near me and whispered in his ear, “Jones—” He caught on, and introduced me to his companions as “Mr. Jones.” We then entered into a general conversation, took a drink together at the bar, when we both made it convenient to draw away from the crowd, out of hearing, when he asked, “What’s the matter, Henry?” I told him of my troubles, that I had the whole Federal Army hunting me to take my life, and that I was going down to New Orleans to try to get some sailboat for Mexico. He seemed surprised at my statement and told me that he was in the Government Secret Service, drew back his coat and showed me his badge, but said earnestly that I need not be apprehensive on that account; that he wouldn’t betray me. I told him, “Ike, my life is in your hands and I depend on your promise, but if you do betray me, some of my friends will get you.” He next told me that Lieutenant Black, an ex-member of our regiment, was at the Southwestern Printing Office, a commercial editor of the paper, and that I ought to go up and see him. He said he knew Black would be glad to see me. With this information I parted with him and went up and found my friend Black who, of course, was greatly surprised at my statement of my condition. When I expressed my fears about Hutchison betraying me, he said he did not believe that Ike would do that, but, studying a few moments, he said, “Now, if Ike does betray you and you are arrested, bring them up here; I have more influence than Ike. While I would not do such a thing for any other purpose, and would rather have my right hand cut off, but to save your life, I am willing to swear that Hutchison is mistaken and that you are ‘Mr. Jones.’ This will give us time enough to get a couple of good horses, which we will mount and go off together.”

Considering this proposition, realizing the enormity of the step he was about to take to save my life, from a lucrative and valuable position, commanding the esteem and confidence of the entire business community at Shreveport, to join me in becoming an outlaw, I consider he was one of the grandest and noblest characters that I have ever known and, at this writing, I regret to have to report that he has long since passed over the river, having died in Houston in the late seventies, a victim of consumption, and I was deprived of the pleasure of ever seeing him afterwards.

At the supper table that night I found only a little group of passengers aboard; two young ladies, one about twelve and the other about eighteen years old, a gentleman, whom I took to be their brother, wearing a mustache like my own, just about my age and size, and the captain of the boat, who sat between us, at the head of the table.

From their conversation I learned that these young ladies’ mother was aboard and was sick. After supper I went forward, took a seat on the guards and had a smoke.

The next morning I found only the two young ladies at the table for breakfast. Having planned to try to get access to the ladies’ end of the cabin during the trip, thereby avoiding the men aboard, I decided to form the acquaintance of these two young ladies and their brother and for this purpose entered into conversation with them, inquiring about the condition of their mother. While engaged in conversation, eating breakfast and sitting with my back to the front part of the cabin, I heard stateroom doors slamming behind me and, in looking around to ascertain the cause, found a policeman opening every door and looking in under the berths. Looking still further around I found six more policemen in the front end of the cabin, standing talking. This first man mentioned, continued his search in the staterooms, one after the other, until he passed us about two doors, then looked around and stared at me. I asked him, “Do you wish anything, sir?” He says, “Yes, sir; I am looking for a man about your size and appearance.” “Well, take a seat, sir!” I replied, “I will talk with you as soon as I finish breakfast.” He did not take a seat, but went back forward and joined the other policemen.

On the spur of the moment, I, of course, concluded that they were after me and, having resolved never to surrender, I started to run into my stateroom close by, get out my two pistols and start to shooting, but on a further reflection, was puzzled to know if they were after me. I could not understand why civil officers should be sent after me in place of soldiers, of which there were a good many in Shreveport. Then, I remembered the young man at the table the night before, and thought that they perhaps were after him and if through a mistake I should kill some of these civil officers, who no doubt had families and may have been Confederate soldiers, I would feel badly. I reconsidered by resolution and went forward to talk out of it, if they were after me, and with the assistance of my friend, Black, I believed I would have no trouble in doing so.

I walked up to this officer, who had spoken to me and said, “Now, I am ready to talk to you, sir.” He answered, “I beg your pardon; you are not the man we are after, but he is aboard here and we have just learned where he can be found.” I said: “All right, I am going up to the Southwestern Printing Office to see a friend and, if you do decide that I am the man you are hunting, you will find me at that place for the next hour.”

I then went up and spent an hour with my friend Black. When returning to the boat I met the police officer on the stairs, coming down, and he said to me, “We have found our man; he was in that woman’s stateroom, under her berth.” I asked him why he was arrested. He said he did not know, only there was a requisition from the Governor of Georgia for him. It seems the sheriff’s office had been abolished by the military, the sheriff removed from office as an impediment to reconstruction, and this was the reason this business was turned over to the city police department.

When I reached the cabin guards, I found the young ladies crying and asked them what was the matter. They told me that Colonel So-and-So, an old acquaintance of theirs, had just been arrested, but they did not know for what cause. It seems that these ladies and their mother lived in Louisiana, not far from New Orleans, and had been on a visit to Henderson, Texas, and were just returning home. It is hardly necessary to say that I kept shy of these folks the balance of the trip.

The next day I met up with an old gentleman by the name of Wilkerson from Columbia County, Georgia, who had been to Tyler, Texas, for the purpose of getting his son, who had been acting deputy sheriff, and had got in some trouble. I found the old gentleman a true Southern man, expressing his unreserved sympathy for the fallen South and denouncing in bitter terms the crime of reconstruction, as carried on. Needing some one to talk to and confide in, I had no hesitancy in making a confidant of him, which immediately enlisted his sympathy and kind interest and, without hesitation, he extended me an urgent invitation to go with him and make his house my home, saying that the armies had never touched his section of the State; they had got his negroes, but he had plenty of everything left and as long as he had a morsel left he would divide it with me. He further said whenever it was safe to send for my family, to do so, and we could stay at his home where we would be most welcome by all of his own family, besides himself, his wife, daughter and two sons, until I got out of my trouble.

Before reaching Marshall I had decided not to go to Mexico and place myself out of mail communication with my wife, but to go to Memphis, Tennessee, to see General Forrest, with whom I was well acquainted, having served under him in the early part of his career. I wanted to ask him to secure some kind of business for me, then to smuggle my family there and remain until the military were withdrawn.

On a further consideration of Mr. Wilkerson’s generous offer, especially the feature of being isolated away from any town and public travel, I decided I had better accept, which I had no hesitancy in doing and on our arrival at New Orleans, we took a boat for Mobile, thence by rail to Atlanta and his station in Columbia County, somewhere between Atlanta and Augusta.

My reception at the Wilkerson home by the rest of his family, especially his wife and daughter, after learning of my troubles, was most cordial and unreserved and certainly they tried to make me feel at home and forget my trouble during my stay of six weeks. It was here that I received my first letter from home. After six weeks, doing nothing, having nothing to occupy my mind, I decided that I ought to do something more than kill valuable time and try and get into business somewhere, where I might make a new start in life. For this purpose I requested Mr. Wilkerson to give me a letter of introduction to his commission merchant in Augusta, Georgia, where I must try and get into business. The whole family tried to persuade me to not take such a great risk. I, nevertheless, parted with them with expressions of my high appreciation of their kind interest in my behalf and proceeded to Augusta, armed with Mr. Wilkerson’s letter of introduction to the commission merchant, whose name I have forgotten.

On arrival at Augusta I put up at the best hotel and, I forgot to mention, having assumed the name of James E. Smith while at Mr. Wilkerson’s, I registered under this name. Having to pay five dollars per day for board and room, I decided that I must get a cheaper place, some good boarding house if possible. Presenting my letter of introduction to Mr. Wilkerson’s commission merchant, they stated they were not making a living for themselves, which was the condition of most of the business houses in Augusta, as some of the rich people in the country were sending in and drawing rations. These gentlemen then referred me to the only good boarding house they knew of which was reasonable in their rates. It was kept by Mrs. Oakman on Green Street, where I called and was informed by the lady that she could board me, but had only one place for me to sleep and that was in a room with two double beds in it, one of which had only one man sleeping in it, a printer and ex-Confederate soldier from Macon; if I was willing to sleep with him, she could take me and to which I agreed.

At the supper table that night I was shown a seat by a one-legged Federal captain, who was the Provost-Marshal of the place. When I entered my room that night I was introduced by my bedfellow to a Mr. Rice of Syracuse, New York, and a telegraph official, whose name I have forgotten, both occupying the other bed.

I found that Mr. Rice had been sent there by Henry A. Wilson of Massachusetts, the ex-Vice President of the United States, and Kelley of Pennsylvania, who were touring the South inciting the negroes to riot and murder of the whites, which will be remembered by the Mobile riot, which surpassed perhaps all the other places they visited.

Rice had instructions to buy out the Augusta Chronicle and Constitution, perhaps the most influential Democratic paper in Georgia and run it in the interest of the Radical Party, the object being to create a strong sentiment among the negroes and stimulate their hatred toward their old masters and the white race generally, and also to keep the scalawag white element of the country well in line with their fanatical scheme of making a finish of the South.

While stopping here I claimed to be an ex-Confederate soldier from Tennessee, seeking employment. I had frequent discussions with Rice about the causes of the war and especially its cruel conduct by the Lincoln Government, which he approved unhesitatingly, saying that we deserved no better and he had come down here for the purpose of getting a slice of what was left. He said that he expected to make a cool hundred thousand and go back home and live on it for the balance of his days, in peace and plenty. On one occasion in our discussions, he seemed to get mad and said if he had his way about it, he would hang the last d—— one of us and commence by hanging Jeff Davis. He had hardly finished the sentence when I had a chair over his head and if it had not been caught by the telegraph official, I would likely have knocked him senseless.

On another occasion, when he was organizing his publishing force, he offered me the position of mailing clerk at a salary of $75.00 per month, which I turned down contemptuously, telling him that whenever I got ready to go to the dogs, I would affiliate with his sort. He said he thought he ought to have one good Rebel in his office. Now, I do not recall whether he succeeded in buying out the Chronicle and Constitution, or brought on new material for his paper.

After spending a few days in Augusta, I found that one of my old commanders, General Lafayette McLaws, was then acting clerk of the Superior Court, with his office at the court house. I scouted for General McLaws from Savannah, Georgia, to Bentonville, North Carolina, and immediately called upon him. I found him wearing his old Confederate gray, with buttons and trimmings shorn off, and in conversation, referred to his love of the old uniform, still preferring it, but he said it was not a matter of choice, but a matter of necessity. He had a large dependent family and his fee, or salary, hardly furnished him sufficient means for a decent support; besides, he expected to be ousted most any day, as the Radical sheriff, whose name I have forgotten, and Foster Blodgett, the mayor of the city, a renegade ex-Confederate major of artillery, would no doubt, succeed in their efforts to oust him. It is hardly necessary to say that during my stay here of several months, I made him daily visits and had a most pleasant, but sad, intercourse with him. He seemed to be at a loss as to his future; said he was educated a soldier, which he had always been and never tried to make a living as a civilian, in fact, didn’t know anything else. He had an urgent invitation from General Pope, he said, who was in command of Georgia, with headquarters at Atlanta, and who was an old classmate of his at West Point, to make him a visit, but was almost afraid to accept, fearing unjust criticism by leading men of the State of Georgia, who would suspect that the object of this visit was to get office and join the Radical band. This he never expected to do, though the State of Georgia had treated him badly and especially his rich acquaintances, at one time friends, and he seemed to feel he was an outcast with no prospect of ever re-entering the army, therefore, not knowing what to do.

He declined the visit to General Pope, with due and proper thanks, but, after a few years, during General Grant’s administration, was appointed marshal of the Southern District of Georgia and subsequently, by some other administration, postmaster of the city of Savannah, Georgia, in which position, he died. I had several nice letters from him while postmaster at Savannah; one just before his death.

I never cultivated or had much to say to our one-legged captain, the Provost-Marshal of the place, and in a few days, induced Mrs. Oakman to give me a seat at another table, thereby keeping my distance. No one at Augusta, Georgia, ever knew my secret but General McLaws, nor ever suspected anything wrong.

After spending nearly two months in Augusta, with no prospect of any business of any character, and having received notice from my wife that it was thought that they had got on my track, I concluded best to leave there for Lebanon, Tennessee, where I formed some pleasant acquaintances during the war, notably Captain James Britton, commanding a company from that town, called the Cedar Snags, which formed a part of the Fourth Tennessee Regiment. Captain Britton advised me to stay there until it became too dangerous, as quite a number of people knew me and I had to retain my own name in order to keep down discussion of my case among these people that knew me, thereby making it too public if I had assumed another name.

At Lebanon I found the family of General Anderson, whose son, Dewitt, became an intimate friend of mine, while in the army. He insisted on my spending a couple of weeks at his father’s ranch, about five miles out on the Nashville pike, which I decided to do. In the meantime, I was introduced by Captain Britton to Judge Green, the Dean of the great Law School at Lebanon, also to ex-Governor Campbell, and the Motley brothers, bankers, over whose bank I roomed with Captain Britton and boarded at Mr. Toliver’s, his brother-in-law. The above mentioned gentlemen, except Mr. Toliver and General Anderson, were influential, strong Union men during the war, but on account of the fanatical reconstruction policy, had just turned Rebels. I confided my trouble to ex-Governor Campbell and Judge Green and was assured by Governor Campbell that if I ever had the misfortune to be captured and my life was spared before my case could reach Washington, he would personally proceed to Washington, being an intimate friend of President Johnson’s, and intercede to have my life spared.

I finally went down to the Anderson ranch to fish and hunt squirrels, in company with Dewitt, and found the old gentleman in charge, he preferring the ranch to his home in Lebanon. Returning from a hunt one day, alone, I found a horse at the gate and was met by Dewitt before reaching the gate, anxious to explain the object of the visitor’s presence and especially his character.

Dewitt stated that he was a captain, whose name I have forgotten, who commanded a company in Stokes’ Regiment, a notorious renegade; Captain Blackburn, commanding another company, was frequently on scouts with this gentleman and his company. During the war a Lieutenant Davis of the Terry Rangers, with eight of his men, were surrounded in a house by Captain Blackburn, with his company and this man’s company. They demanded Davis’s surrender, which Davis refused and kept them from the house all night, until their ammunition, gave out. Davis was badly wounded, in the nature of a broken ankle, unable to stand up, when he agreed to surrender, Blackburn promising that their lives should be spared and they should retain their horses, provided they would leave Tennessee at once, which Davis agreed to do and advised his men to move out and turn over their arms. After being disarmed, Blackburn had them led out into the woods and shot down in cold blood; he, himself, dragging Davis out to the gate post, cursing him and emptying the contents of his pistol into his head. Now this man, the guest of General Anderson, was present with his company, and Dewitt was anxious to apprise me of his great friendship to his father, during the war. When the Federals entered Lebanon the first time, General Anderson had some very fine horses and about eight thousand dollars in gold, with which he fled to the mountains near Middleton and made this man’s house his home, being old friends and acquaintances. While staying there a short time, this man came to him one day and told him that he felt that he could not stay at home longer, that he was a Union man in principle and, on account of it, was ostracised by some of the neighboring families and said he had decided to go and join Stokes’ cavalry, but his joining the Federal Army should make no difference with General Anderson, that he wanted him to continue making his house his home, assuring him that he would be as safe, although he had joined the Federal Army, to stay there, as though he had joined the Confederate Army. Knowing the man as he did, General Anderson had no hesitancy in accepting his generous offer, but remained there for several months with his fine horses and eight thousand dollars in gold, and this man never betrayed him. This was the man, then, that was a visitor at General Anderson’s, with his horse at the gate, of whose character Dewitt was anxious to have me acquainted, satisfied if he learned that I belonged to the Texas Rangers, he would refer to the Davis murder.

I entered the house and was introduced to him by General Anderson as Mr. Graber, formerly of the Texas Rangers. At the table this gentleman brought up the case of Lieutenant Davis and his man, and denounced it as a brutal murder, saying that he did his best to keep Blackburn from executing them, begged and plead for their lives, but to no purpose; he was second in command and could do nothing.

It seems strange that I should have met with a man who was present at the murder of Davis and his companions, which happened when I was a prisoner at Fort Delaware. Had any of Blackburn’s men been caught by any members of our command, they would certainly have been given a like treatment.

After spending a week with General Anderson and his son, Dewitt, at their ranch, I returned to town and had a conference with my several friends, deciding it would be prudent to leave there and go to Hickman, Kentucky, where Captain Britton had a cousin, a prominent attorney of the place, by the name of James Lauderdale, to whom he gave me a letter of introduction and told me not to hesitate to make a confidant of him and he would, no doubt, have influence to get me into some kind of business. Hickman, and a section of country tributary, were considered somewhat prosperous, at that time, and Hickman was doing a fair business. Being right on the Mississippi River it was a shipping point for considerable territory.

On my arrival, I presented my letter of introduction, in the name of J. D. Roberts. He received me very kindly and made me make his house my home until I could get into business. Here I found only his wife and his old father, who were exceedingly kind to me. He soon told me of a young lawyer, who used to be a member of our regiment, by the name of Theo O. Goalder, who resided there and practiced law. I immediately called on him at his office and asked him to assist Major Lauderdale to get me into some kind of business position. He said he had a young friend by the name of John Murphy, who was clerking for a Mr. Bailey in a grocery store. He said that Murphy was getting $50.00 per month and didn’t need the position, as he was well fixed, and was satisfied that he could induce him to resign in my favor and he could, no doubt, make it satisfactory with Mr. Bailey. We called upon Mr. Murphy, to whom I was introduced as Mr. Roberts, and also to Mr. Bailey, and after stating to him and Mr. Bailey that I had been a Confederate soldier and was out of business, seeking work, said I would very much appreciate the position, which was readily tendered me, through Goalder’s influence. I immediately went to work at this place, on a salary of $50.00 per month, and board, which was furnished me at the Bailey home, and a room in the store.

CHAPTER XXVI
I Save the Life of an Enemy

After probably six weeks or nearly two months, getting acquainted with nearly all the county officials and leading citizens of the town, I found it a most charming community, and with few exceptions, Southern in sentiment. One day Goalder came to me, stating that there was a position open in a large dry goods establishment, the firm of Amberg & Company, two Jew brothers. The oldest one seemed to be quite a gentleman, but the younger, a black Radical, so stated by Goalder. We immediately went and applied for the position and when asked the question if I knew anything about dry goods, was able to state that I knew more about that business than I did about groceries and was satisfied that I could meet their every demand, referring them to Major Lauderdale. Goalder was present and made his own statement, vouching for my integrity and ability. They immediately employed me at a salary of $100.00 per month and I soon ingratiated myself in their favor by close attention and ability to do business, proving, as they expressed themselves to Lauderdale, the best man they ever had.

After working two or three weeks, getting well acquainted with their customers, especially those in the town, Mr. Roberts became the talk of the town, especially the lady customers, and was favored with many invitations to dinners and entertainments, which were always declined by me, as I was unable to feel at home and enjoy other company. I spent my time, principally, in my room, talking with Goalder and others, whose acquaintance I had formed and when they left, re-reading letters from home, of which I had a considerable batch and which I always carried in the inside pocket of my coat.

It seems my reserve and refusal to attend functions created a little suspicion, particularly so in the mind of young Amberg. One day, after about three weeks’ service, while I was at work straightening out some drawers containing silk goods, I had pulled off my coat, the day being warm, and laid it on a stack of domestic on the outside of the counter. Young Amberg slipped to my coat, took out my letters, the discovery of which I made when I went to the coat. Here was a dilemma. I decided the best thing to do was not to say anything about it, appear as though I did not know the letters were missing and allow him to take his time to read them. I went over to the warehouse to do some work, stayed about an hour, which gave him ample time to read the letters, then returned for my coat and found the letters replaced. After closing that night, I was called into the office and found both of the Ambergs present. They told me that business had got somewhat dull, they were paying me a large salary, and they must save this expense and requested me to quit, saying they would cheerfully pay me a month’s salary, if I quit at once. I told them it was all right. When they paid me my salary we parted.

Here now my cherished hope to prepare a home for my family and begin life anew again, had vanished and, in a moment of desperation, I decided to go back to Texas and bring my family out from among them.

During my absence my wife, soon after I parted with her, had made a visit to Centerville, Leon County, to a Dr. McLendon and his family, who were old Alabama friends, and while there they made up a music class for her and she continued to live there. With the object of immediately returning to Texas, I went around in Hickman and bade adieu to all of my kind friends and acquaintances, a few of whom were acquainted with my condition and tried to persuade me against incurring such great risks but, as stated, I felt desperate and had decided unless I could get my family out from among them and be with them, I did not care to live any longer.

I took passage on the first boat for New Orleans and paid my fare to the mouth of Red River, where I expected to meet a boat for Shreveport.

On arrival at Memphis, Tennessee, the boat laid over for several hours, delivering freight, during which time I hunted up General Forrest, who was then in the commission business. The General soon recognized me and after telling him my trouble, requested him to look out for a situation for me, under an assumed name, while I went to Texas after my family, which he cheerfully agreed to do.

While awaiting the Red River boat, a lieutenant who was the Bureau Agent of a nearby parish arrived, also awaiting a Mississippi boat for New Orleans. A few hours afterward an upper boat arrived to deliver some freight for Red River. The lieutenant, being very fond of ardent spirits, and there being no bar on the wharfboat, immediately went over to the Mississippi boat where he imbibed a few drinks. After delivering the freight the boat rang a bell to depart and the lieutenant ran down to the lower deck to get back to our wharfboat. The Mississippi boat already having cast off its bow line, was moving slowly apart from the wharfboat when the lieutenant attempted to step across, and, losing his headway, he became balanced between the two boats—with the boats moving apart. Discovering his predicament, I jumped over to where he stood and offered him my hand and pulled him over, thereby, no doubt, saving his life. If he had lost his footing he would have dropped in and pulled me in with him and both would have drowned as there is a strong underflow at this point and nothing which falls in ever comes to the surface. I did this under the impulse of the moment, at the risk of my own life, and saved the life of a man who, had he known who I was, no doubt would have been instrumental in having me captured.

On arrival at the mouth of the Red River, where with some other passengers, we had to await a Shreveport boat from New Orleans, I met a Mr. Black from Leon County, who had been over to Alabama after his brother’s family, moving them to Texas and was expecting a couple of mule teams at Grand Ecore, to haul them to Leon County. I confided my secret to Black, who knew all about our case and insisted on my going with him on his wagons, which I decided to do. At Grand Ecore we met his wagons, which were so heavily laden with household goods and the family of his brother, three or four little children, that I preferred to walk behind the wagon, holding on to the same, to keep up with them.

We traveled the old San Antonio road in order to find good crossings at the different rivers and when we reached Alto, Cherokee County, I took stage for Rusk, where I had an old army friend, Judge Sam A. Wilson, the only man I knew in the place.

On arrival at Rusk, meeting with my friend, Wilson, who was much surprised to see me and particularly to learn of my troubles, I requested him to get me the best horse that he could find about the place, one that would do to ride in among the enemy. After studying a while he said that he did not know of a good saddle horse in the place, but thought that we could be accommodated at the livery stable, where I was furnished what turned out to be an old plug. I parted with my friend Wilson, he never expecting to see me again, and started for Centerville, Leon County, assuming the name of R. F. Jones.

Arriving within four or five miles of Centerville about noon, I decided to stop at a house and go into the town at night. For this purpose, I called for dinner and told the landlord I was looking around for a location in Texas, that I was from North Carolina and from what I had seen of Texas, was favorably impressed with it. After dinner, discussing several localities I had passed through, he asked how I liked his place. I told him I thought he had a good place. He then offered to sell to me and also a tanyard he had on sale; although I had never seen a tanyard, I looked it all over carefully and his entire place, leaving the impression with him that I meant business and consumed the balance of the evening in that way. After supper I told him I believed that I would go on to Centerville and stay all night and that I might be back again and try to drive a bargain for his place, unless I found something that suited me better. By way of excuse, my leaving so late, I told him I had heard of a particular friend, who had lately moved to Centerville, with whom I wanted to spend the night.

I now started for Centerville, where I arrived about nine o’clock at night. The night was very dark and I stopped to inquire where Dr. McLendon lived, expecting to find my wife at his house. At Dr. McLendon’s home I was informed that he was at a doctor’s office up in town, and directions given where I could find him. I concluded best to see him first before asking for my wife at the house.

On entering the doctor’s room I found four gentlemen talking, but did not know Dr. McLendon, having never seen him before, nor had he ever seen me. I asked for Dr. McLendon; he spoke and said he was the man. I then told him that I was camped on a certain creek, some several miles from town, and had a very sick child, that I wanted him to go and see at once. He said all right and started out of the room with me. When we got to the gate he said, “You will have to go with me up to the house, for my horse.” I told him all right and walked by the side of him, leading my horse by the bridle. He soon asked me, “What seems to be the matter with your child, sir?” I answered, “Nothing, I hope, Doctor. I haven’t seen my child in ten months and have come after it and my wife; tell me where I can find them. My name is Graber.” He jumped like he was shot and said, “For God’s sake get on that horse and leave here quick. You are certainly not up with the excitement.” “Well,” said I, “if there is any extraordinary excitement here, I am not.” He said, “Your family are not in town tonight; they are about seventeen miles from here, on a visit to her sister, who is at Dr. Baldwin’s. They are visiting there, refugees from yellow fever.” He says, “Let’s get out in the brush where nobody will see us and we will talk matters over.” We then walked to the edge of the town and sat down on the ground in the brush, out of hearing, when he detailed the situation, saying that Tom Thorn, my partner, had been ranging around there for two or three weeks, annoying Capt. Bradford, in command of the garrison, which was camped near town. Tom had registered at the hotel, “T. J. Thorn and friend,” taking a meal there. Then, one night at roll call, he and his friend had fired into the camp and finally he had sent Captain Bradford a challenge, that he would fight him and any ten of his men at any time and place he might designate and signed the challenge “Thos. J. Thorn and friend.”

Captain Bradford naturally concluded that this “friend” was Graber and knowing his and his family’s friendship for my wife, concluded that Dr. McLendon knew Graber’s whereabouts and showed him a big roll of money that morning, claiming it was four thousand dollars, saying, “Dr. McLendon, here is a reward offered for Thorn and Graber. You know where Graber is; here is your money.” Dr. McLendon was a practicing surgeon for these troops, as they had no regular army surgeon. I told Dr. McLendon I had come after my wife and baby and intended to take them out or die in the attempt, even if the whole Federal army of Texas was there to guard them. He furthermore stated that Captain Bradford had issued an order to the sheriff of the county to arrest Thorn and Graber by the next Monday morning, or be removed from office as an impediment to reconstruction.

I now had Dr. McLendon to give me directions to reach the place where my wife was visiting, which he did, however saying that it would be impossible for me to find the way there, on account of the darkness of the night. Nevertheless I started out and soon got lost, and when I finally gave up the effort, I found myself only three-quarters of a mile from town. I was tired, suffering with a great headache and called at a house, where I was permitted to stay for the night and, after breakfast next morning, getting fresh directions to Dr. Baldwin’s house, where my wife’s sister was stopping, I immediately proceeded there.

After discussing the situation with my friends, as well as my wife, we decided best to have them get up a hack and a confidential driver, by the next morning, which they succeeded in doing and we started on the main road, leading into the San Antonio road, following that every day, stopping at houses at night and finally reached Rusk, Cherokee County, without an accident or any trouble. Judge Wilson was again surprised at my success in bringing my family out, as he never had expected to see me again. I then told him, “Now, for a good stopping place,” and after considering all families in the town, where we might get board and none having any extra room, said, “The only place I know of, that has room is at my old daddy-in-law’s, Judge M. D. Priest, who is the meanest old Radical in the State of Texas, but he has a most excellent family, who will do all they can for your wife and child and make you feel at home. We will make a confidant of him and he will never betray you.” I said, “Judge, you know what you are doing; anything you say will be satisfactory to me.” We then proceeded to Judge Priest’s house, where I was introduced in the name of Jones and was kindly received and made to feel at home. Really we could not have found a more desirable place. We had excellent rooms and good board, just on the outskirts of the town. Rusk, at that time, was a very small place, about three or four hundred inhabitants, but it was the county seat of Cherokee County. We sent back our driver with his hack and team and he never betrayed us.

Civil Record

CHAPTER XXVII
I Get Back Into the Business World.

During the first month of our stay there, I visited the business part of town occasionally and made a few purchases at the house of Boyd, Frazer & Parks, a firm composed of John A. Boyd, who thought he was a merchant; Dr. Frazer, a practicing physician, who tried to be the bookkeeper, and M. M. Parks, who was a farmer, living out in the country, who furnished the money for the business. Boyd knew nothing about keeping or showing off his stock. In appearance it was one of the most conglomerated mixtures of merchandise I ever saw, but they were very popular men, particularly with the farmers in the country, and did a large business, considering their limited territory.

I soon got tired of lying around, doing nothing, but I felt that Rusk was about the safest place I could find anywhere, as the entire community, in sentiment, were true to the Lost Cause, with only one doubtful character, which was Judge M. D. Priest and he was really not a bad man at heart. When we confided my secret to him, telling him my life was in his hands, he appreciated fully the confidence reposed and declared that he never would betray us, which promise he fully kept and of which he afterwards expressed himself as being very proud.

Happening in to Boyd, Frazer & Parks one day, disgusted with the appearance of his stock of goods as kept, although it was none of my business, I concluded this would be a good place to get acquainted, on my knowledge of the business. I proposed to Mr. Boyd, who was the active member, running the business, that with his permission I would rearrange and straighten out his stock, without charge, as I had to remain over for a few weeks, had nothing to do and thought I could improve the appearance of things considerably. He readily consented, so I pulled off my coat and went to work, which proved a great treat to me. In a few days I had made such a change in the appearance of the stock, that customers seemed surprised and asked, “John A., have you been getting in a new stock of goods?” About the third evening, the partners got together, had a consultation and I was asked if I was able to keep books. I told them that I had kept books for a very large business in Southern Texas before the war, when they made me a proposition to go to work for them, keep their books and attend the sales department on a salary of $75.00 per month, which I accepted and soon felt here was the place to keep hid out from the powers that were, as there was no military nearer than Tyler, Jefferson and Shreveport and no one knew of my secret, except Judge Wilson and Judge Priest, whose families were not made acquainted with it.

After considerable time, spent pleasantly at the home of Judge Priest, we decided to move into town for better convenience on account of its being nearer my business. We rented an humble home and went to housekeeping. I soon had an extensive acquaintance through the county, but always in the name of Jones, yet gradually imparting my secret to the most reliable friends I made in the town, notably the Bonner brothers, Judge R. H. Guinn, Judge James E. Dillard and others. After nearly a year in the service of Boyd, Frazer & Parks, I met an old gentleman by the name of T. L. Philleo, who had done an extensive business in general merchandise before the war. Mr. Philleo had a fine storehouse on the north side of the square, empty, except as to some castings, and had owing him perhaps as much as fifty thousand dollars in notes and accounts, acquired before the war. He was unable to collect much of it and conceived the idea that to make a success of this collecting, he ought to go into business again, which he was unable to do, on account of his age. I having established a reputation of being the best merchant in the town, Philleo made a proposition to me to go into copartnership with him. While he had no money he had a most excellent credit in New Orleans and suggested that I could go down there and buy for his account such stock as I needed to enable us to enter into competition with the balance of the town. Canvassing the subject thoroughly, I decided that I could make more money with my half interest in the profits of the concern, than to work on salary. He was willing and anxious to give me the full management and control of the business. Considering my condition then, I decided best to accept, which I did, and soon proceeded to New Orleans, armed with a letter in the name of R. F. Jones, to Speak & Buckner, his old commission merchants, and other leading houses in the different lines of merchandise that we had to buy.

Arriving at New Orleans, I put up at the Southern Hotel, then the headquarters of nearly all Texas merchants, within one block of the custom house, where General Sheridan had his headquarters, and went to work, buying a general stock of merchandise for account of T. L. Philleo & Company; “R. F. Jones being the company,” so Capt. Buckner stated in introducing me. Speak & Buckner also accepted several thousand dollars on cash purchases, such as groceries and staple hardware, nails, etc., for which he asked us to send him cotton in the fall. I now returned home with my purchases and began to feel that I had a new life before me and some prospect of making a good living.

I arranged my stock very attractively, for which the house was well suited, though I had some trouble inducing farmers to come over on my side of the square. It was the only business house over there, the center of business being located on the east and south side. By close application and hard work I gradually succeeded in building up a fair business.

After some months, I found the unpleasant condition of Mr. Philleo’s state of mind, worrying over his old matters and trying to collect, which seemed a complete failure, seemed to bear heavily on his mind and I noticed it was giving way under the pressure. He had a most excellent family, wife and two daughters, who had been raised in wealth and affluence and were somewhat extravagantly inclined, and the thought of perhaps losing all of his outstanding accounts and old age creeping on him very fast, made him very despondent and unhappy. He would go to the store every night after supper, open his safe, take out all of his notes and accounts, scatter them around on his table and a double bed, used by a young man clerk in the store, who reported his actions to me, and would study and look at them, occupying hours, sometimes until one o’clock at night, then replace them in the safe. Many of the makers of the notes and accounts had been killed or died during the war and their estates were not able to pay anything. I was satisfied if this condition continued his mind would finally break down and it kept me in a state of uneasiness. I, therefore concluded that I would wind up this first year’s business and quit, which I finally did, after settling up all bills and the entire business, satisfactorily to all concerned. The year’s business showed us each a net profit of about eighteen hundred dollars; outside of this I had demonstrated the fact that I was able to do a nice, clean business, safely.

Just as I feared, poor Mr. Philleo, some two or three years after, committed suicide in the back room of his store, at night, with his notes and papers laying all around him, stabbing himself with his pocketknife through the heart.

Mr. Philleo was one of the most kind-hearted, benevolent and charitable of men, and was known as such all over the country and he left many friends, but his family was poorly provided for.

After winding up the business of T. L. Philleo & Company, I was offered a position with R. B. Martin, an old merchant of the place, who at one time had done a large business. His stock had been run down for the want of means to keep it up, the result of poor management. Martin had a wealthy brother at Shreveport, of the firm of Gregg & Martin, cotton commission merchants. They had agreed to back him for ten thousand dollars, so he represented to me, with which he expected to buy a fifteen thousand dollar new stock in New Orleans. Martin agreed to pay me a hundred dollars a month to begin with and increase my salary as business justified it. I then proceeded to New Orleans, to buy this stock of goods, stopping over at Shreveport to obtain letters from Gregg & Martin, authorizing me to draw on them for ten thousand dollars.

Mr. Dave Martin denied having promised his brother this acceptance, but told me to go on to New Orleans, that Bob’s credit was good and he could buy all the goods he wanted, without their acceptance. I then proceeded to New Orleans. Calling on his old houses, I found he was owing a great deal of money and having promised through traveling men, who had called on him, that he would furnish Gregg & Martin’s acceptance for ten thousand dollars and then not being able to do so, his credit was so greatly impaired that they refused to sell him any more goods. I then wired Dave Martin again for authority to draw, reporting that Bob was unable to buy goods without his backing. I laid over, awaiting an answer, several days, and in the meantime, called on Speak & Buckner, who were glad to see me. I told them of the failure of my trip, unless I heard favorably from Gregg & Martin.

In the course of conversation, Captain Buckner said, “Jones, you’ve got no business working on salary; why don’t you go into business for yourself?” I said, “Captain Buckner, that is simply out of the question. I have neither name nor money.” He said, “Go and ascertain how much money you will need to buy such stock as you would be willing to start with.” Already acquainted with the custom on terms, I stated that with five thousand dollars in cash I could buy a fifteen-thousand-dollar stock of goods, on four and six months. Captain Buckner said, “Go ahead, and get to work buying and draw on us for five thousand dollars on the same arrangement that I had with T. L. Philleo & Company.” That was to send him cotton next fall. I said, “Captain Buckner, you don’t know who you are talking to, as I have told you I have neither name nor money and you cannot afford to take this risk.” He says, “You go and do what I tell you; I know all about you and don’t want to know anything more.” This gave me to understand that he was acquainted with my trouble and that I was under an assumed name and not having any other prospects of business in Rusk (which I could not afford to leave on account of the great security this place offered), I decided to accept and told Buckner that I would do business in the name of S. A. Wilson & Company, S. A. Wilson, being a lawyer and a great friend of mine. He was well known and a man of great influence. Buckner said to arrange that to suit myself. He was already slightly acquainted with Wilson and well posted on his character as a man. I immediately went to work, buying goods for a stock of general merchandise, which consumed about a week, and when ready to close up matters, Captain Buckner suggested that instead of drawing drafts on them, he give me the money to pay cash, in order to lead the merchants to think that I was paying my own money, thereby establishing a better credit. This was done.

Winding up my affairs in New Orleans, I took the first boat for Shreveport, with my stock of goods aboard, and arrived in Rusk in due time, followed by the stock. When I communicated my actions to Judge Wilson, he seemed greatly surprised, but stated it was perfectly satisfactory. I was at liberty to use him he said, whenever it was necessary. The best storehouse in the place, though isolated from the center of business, was vacant, and I rented this at a nominal figure. When the goods arrived I soon had it the most attractive place in the town.

Bob Martin, of course, was disappointed and made me the scapegoat of his disappointment, blaming me for not buying his stock of goods. I gradually built up a desirable business; went to New Orleans twice a year and bought goods under the very shadow of Sheridan’s headquarters.

When, after several years, the infamous reconstruction era was terminated, the military withdrawn and civil government restored, though in the hands of negroes and Radicals, I decided to assume my identity and proceeded to New Orleans to settle up my bills.

After doing so, I would tell the managers, from this time on, the firm is no longer S. A. Wilson & Company, but simply H. W. Graber. “Why, Mr. Jones, have you sold out?” “No, sir; I have not sold out, but simply correcting a fictitious name.” “Well, who is H. W. Graber?” “This is the man,” which of course created surprise and when asked for explanation, would tell them that I had been forced to hide out for nearly four years, to keep General Sheridan from having me shot down, which he had ordered his Texas garrisons to do, without the benefit of a court martial, therefore I was forced to resort to hiding my identity. I then suggested, as these people were all Northern houses, that, “You don’t want to sell me any more goods?” when they said, “Mr. Graber, go ahead and buy all the goods you want; your credit is not the least impaired; a man that can pass through such an ordeal, as you have done, unscathed, is entitled to more credit than he needs.”

While, of course, this created a sensation in New Orleans business circles, the most astonished man of them all was Captain R. T. Buckner, who, it seems, didn’t know as much as he thought he did, when he handed me his money.

Soon after my arrival at Rusk, I was made a Mason and also joined the Odd Fellows Lodge. I joined these institutions in my own name, satisfied that my secret would be safe with the membership. During a great revival of the union of all churches, wife and I joined the Presbyterian Church and I was ordained a deacon in the church, in due time.

CHAPTER XXVIII
I Assist in Establishing the Masonic Institute.

In conjunction with some members of the Masonic Lodge, we conceived the idea of creating a Masonic Institute, a school of high grade, which was very much needed. I was appointed chairman of the building committee. I went to work actively, in conjunction with the committee, and raised means by private subscription, which enabled us to go to work, building at once. When trustees were elected I was made a member of the Board of Trustees and on the organization of the faculty, we elected a Scotchman, one Professor John Joss, believing that he would prove a good disciplinarian. He had a great reputation as a teacher. There were some bad boys in the community and in the language of Judge Guinn, who was a member of the board, “We needed somebody to use the rod to straighten out these bad characters.” In this, however, we were mistaken; Professor Joss did not use the rod, but only kindness, commanding the respect of the entire school, including these bad boys, on account of his great knowledge and manner of imparting instruction. He was a most popular teacher, beloved by all who came in contact with him, and he built up a large and popular school, which turned out such men as Governor Hogg and Governor Campbell and no less than a dozen eminent lawyers and physicians known all over the State. I regret to have to report that, in the course of four or five years, on account of delicate health, Joss was forced to give up the school and move to Galveston, where he died.

The town of Rusk, being left out by the International & Great Northern Railroad, caused us to haul freight fifteen miles, over mountains and bad roads. I began to plan railroad connection for the town and conceived the idea of building a tap road, though unfamiliar with railroad business and especially the cost of a road.

In accordance with my plans, I called a meeting of the business men, submitting the same, which was to build a narrow gauge road from Jacksonville to Rusk, getting a charter with a State land donation of sixteen sections to the mile, which policy had been adopted by the State to encourage the building of railroads. In accordance therewith, we instructed Judge James E. Dillard, who was our Senator from that district, then attending the Legislature in session, to procure the necessary legislation and had him draw up a charter for the Rusk tap road. The bill covering the same he immediately introduced. I told my Rusk friends that with the aid of sixteen sections to the mile, and a further bonus of twenty-five thousand dollars in cash, which we believed could be raised in the town, we could induce Ward, Dewey & Company, lessees of the penitentiary, to accept these assets and build the road, as they had several thousand convicts to feed and had no use for them.

While these matters were pending and the International Railroad had been extended to Rockdale, I concluded to visit Rockdale, prospecting for a new business location.

On this trip to Rockdale, I met Ira M. Evans, the Secretary of the International Railroad Company, and submitted my plan of building a tap road, suggesting that perhaps his company might be induced to take hold of it, for the subsidy of the State land donation and the twenty-five thousand dollars in cash. He laughed at the idea, saying that they could not afford to run the road for its earnings, if we were able to build a first-class connection. He said our community would not be able to raise one-tenth of its cost and soon convinced me that it would be cheaper to move the whole town of Rusk to Jacksonville, than it would be to build a first-class road. I then submitted that, if we were unable to build a railroad, why not build a tramway, which would be within the bounds of our means and a vast improvement on the wagon road. He readily fell into my scheme, suggested that it was feasible, even with wooden rails, and that we had plenty of pine timber, the heart of which could be bought cheap and would make good, durable rails, amply strong, provided we would place ties eighteen or twenty inches apart.

I now asked him, he being a practical railroad man, to submit a specification on the grade, ties and rails, which he was pleased to do, and suggested that we change the charter we had had introduced, to that of the Rusk Tramway.

Immediately on my return to Rusk, I called a meeting of the business men and leading citizens and submitted the plan for the Rusk Tramway, having no difficulty in convincing them that we were unable to build a railroad. A committee, appointed by the meeting, was instructed to communicate to Senator Dillard our desire to change the charter to that of the Rusk Tramway, which he did, and included a clause granting eight sections to the mile.

After having established my business and a good credit in commercial circles, I decided that in mercantile pursuits I was too much circumscribed on account of existing conditions.

The bottom lands in Cherokee County were then the only productive lands for cotton and, as the uplands were light and largely worn out, and as I had a good knowledge of the prairie country around Waxahachie, where I had spent several years of my boyhood, I decided that this would be a better section of the State to build up in, and arranged my matters to make this move within the next twelve months.

When the charter for the tramway was returned, they proceeded to organize and elected a Rev. Davis, a very influential and good business man of the community, president of the company, after my having refused the same, on the ground that I did not feel permanently located, expecting to make a move to Waxahachie as soon as possible. Rev. Davis proved a valuable man for the position and immediately went to work canvassing the territory tributary to Rusk, for the sale of stock, which he succeeded in doing, to a limited extent and, by my advice, they commenced negotiations with Ward, Dewey & Company, lessees of the penitentiary, for the construction of the road. As heretofore stated, these people had a large force of convicts which they had to feed, and no work for them. The country subscriptions, which Rev. Davis secured, were paid in provisions and forage by the farmers, which enabled the company to feed the convicts while at work. After a time, I arranged to move to Waxahachie and soon after I left Rusk. Ward, Dewey & Company went to work on the construction of the road and before its completion it was decided to use a little four-ton Porter-Allen locomotive, in place of mules.

I forgot to mention, after submitting my plan for a railroad, Judge Dillard came home on a visit to his sick wife and while spending a few days at Rusk, had a meeting of the business men, which numbered only seven or eight, in Captain Barron’s office. He submitted that the Legislature had decided to branch the penitentiary in Eastern Texas in the iron region, which was supposed to be near Jefferson, at Kellyville; a Mr. Kelly having demonstrated the existence of good iron ore in that section, manufacturing plows, andirons, chimney backs, etc., the same as Mr. Philleo had done in Cherokee County, but Dillard said, “Now, if you all want the penitentiary located here, I believe I can secure it for you.”

One after another of these gentlemen got up and stated their serious objections, saying they had one of the best and most moral communities in the State of Texas and would not give up their school prospect for the penitentiary. I suggested to them, saying, “You know I am making my arrangements to leave here, because I do not see any prospect for future growth of the place, but, gentlemen, now is your time; you have been talking unlimited iron in the ground, of the highest quality, but it will have to be demonstrated to private capital that it is here in unlimited amount and high quality before you can ever hope to induce private capital to expend the amount necessary for such demonstration. There is no question in my mind that this iron, if you are correct in your claims as to its quality and amount, will prove the greatest resource of wealth, far greater than your farming interests. Locate the penitentiary here; the State will be forced to develop it and immediately build you a railroad connection to Jacksonville.” After a full and fair investigation by this meeting they became enthusiastic and instructed Dillard to go for it.

To secure the location of Rusk for the penitentiary, it was necessary to canvass its advantages with the Legislature and especially take charge of a committee appointed by the Legislature to select a location, which required a great deal of time and ability, and, with the assistance and influence of friends of Dillard, who was one of the most popular men in the State Senate, they finally succeeded in landing the decision of the Legislature to build their branch penitentiary at Rusk.

On the withdrawal of the Federal troops and the dissolution of the Freedmen’s Bureau, E. J. Davis was appointed Temporary Governor of Texas, until an election could be had for his successor. The election was held in due time, resulting in a Radical Republican Legislature, composed of some of the meanest men in the State and a few negroes, with E. J. Davis elected his own successor and the solid white element of the State disfranchised. They took charge and commenced an era of plunder. I do not believe there were more than a half dozen good men, including Judge Dillard and Professor J. R. Cole, members of this Legislature, but these did everything they could with the risk of being assassinated, to stem the drift of plunder.

Davis soon organized a State Militia and a State Police Force, stationing them in populous negro districts, formerly occupied by United States troops and Freedmen’s Bureau, all under the leadership of Adjutant-General Davidson, who was as unscrupulous a character on graft as any man ever in public office. He arrested leading citizens in different sections of the State, without charges being preferred against them, as they had not committed any unlawful acts, and demanded large sums of money as ransoms. One case was notable—that of a wealthy farmer near Hillsboro, a Mr. Gathwright, whom he made pay ten thousand dollars for his release.

We had stationed at Rusk a lieutenant-sheriff, with his police, who was a great friend of Judge Priest and whose daughter he courted and finally married.

A Captain McAnally, who commanded a Confederate Scout in Texas during the war and had proven a gallant soldier in the army, was appointed by Davis, captain of police, and his acceptance urged by his friends, thinking it would be for the best interests to have him command a company of police, than any of the Radical gang. He was finally induced to accept the appointment. His home was at Brenham. He was instructed by the Governor to proceed to Huntsville and await the orders of the District Court, presided over by the infamous Judge Burnett. While court was in session, three young men were arrested by McAnally for whipping a few insolent negroes who had insulted some young ladies on the street returning home from a shopping tour. These young men were taken before Judge Burnett, with arms concealed about their person. The judge called McAnally up to his bench and whispered his order to him, “Take these men to the penitentiary, but be careful, I suspect they are armed, and hold up the execution of this order until I can get to my hotel.” Soon after the judge left his bench for the hotel, McAnally demanded of these young men to throw up their hands, when they immediately drew their six-shooters and commenced shooting at him and his gang of police, shooting their way out of the courthouse, wounding McAnally in the arm and he dropped between some benches, pretending he was dead. This was, no doubt, what saved him. Judge Burnett had not quite reached his hotel when he heard the guns fire, broke into a run and crawled under the hotel. These young men, after shooting their way out, mounted horses and started north for the Indian Territory, by way of Rusk and Paris, with McAnally and his police in close pursuit.

Arriving at Rusk he commanded Lieutenant Sheriff and party to join him in this pursuit, which they did. On parting, on this trip, with his sweetheart, Miss Lou Priest, Sheriff told her where he was going with McAnally and on their return, they were going to arrest Mr. Graber. The whole Priest family being good friends of ours and Miss Lou’s sister, the wife of my friend, Judge Wilson, she immediately went over to Judge Wilson’s and imparted this information about my contemplated arrest. Judge Wilson came over to town and had a meeting of a few of the leading lawyers of the place, notably the Bonners, Judge R. H. Guinn and Judge J. E. Dillard, who after canvassing the matter, decided that the object of my arrest was altogether political. They were expecting to make great capital out of it for the necessity of continuing their Radical regime. Satisfied that they might manufacture evidence to convict me in a Radical court, these friends advised that I had better go into exile again, thereby probably saving my life. I told them to tell me what to do in order to stay, for I had done all the running I ever expected to do. I was satisfied this police had no legal authority for my arrest, as I had never violated any civil law and I could not afford, in justice to my family, my friends and my creditors, to again have my business wrecked.

When these friends found that I was determined not to be arrested by this infamous police and in order to be doubly sure, they advised me to go down to Austin County and investigate the records and know positively that this police had no authority for my arrest.

On leaving for this trip, armed with a letter from Colonel T. R. Bonner to Judge J. D. Giddings, whom they suggested I call on for advice in the matter, and leaving a message for Lieutenant Sheriff, that I had gone on a trip for a week or ten days and promptly on my return I would report to him, I left for Austin County.

Passing through Anderson, I conferred with Hannibal Boone, who suggested there was no necessity for my going to Austin County, where he was living at the time I had trouble with the soldiers. He said that there could be no case against me, as I had violated no civil law and my dealings were altogether with the military. Stopping at Brenham, in my conference with Judge Giddings, he became very much exercised on the threatened arrest of myself and said, “Mr. Graber, go back home; resist their arrest in the most effective manner. It is time we were calling a halt on this infamous police system; resist them, and the whole State of Texas will be at your back.” I said, “Judge Giddings, I thank you for the advice; it is exactly my feeling and determination not to submit, peacefully, to this arrest.”

Being so close to the town of Bellville, I decided to finish my trip, went there and called on Hunt & Holland, leading attorneys, who repeated Judge Giddings’ advice. I now returned home and immediately sent word to Lieutenant Sheriff that I could be seen at my place of business at any time he wanted me.

I returned at night and next morning proceeded up to my store, sent word to Mr. R. B. Reagan, a brother of Judge John H. Reagan, a man of iron nerve, the sheriff of the county, to come up to the store at once. On reaching there I told him that Lieutenant Sheriff, with his police, had threatened to arrest me, that I had just returned from Austin County and had investigated, finding that they had no authority or warrant for my arrest and I claimed his protection. He said, “Mr. Graber, load up your shotguns in your stock, set them behind your door and when they come to effect your arrest, open on them and I and John and George, will be about.” John Reagan was his deputy and a George Taylor, another deputy, all men as fearless and resolute as any set of men ever together, with nerve to fight a hundred police. In about an hour I noticed Lieutenant Sheriff coming up the south side of the square, by himself, apparently unarmed. I met him in my door, when he said, “Mr. Graber, Miss Lou Priest told me that you had some very nice gentlemen’s hats.” I told him I had; he told me he wanted to look at some. I got down a box of hats from the top shelf and allowed him to select his hat out of the box, the size he needed, treating him indifferently. He got out his number, put it on his head and stepped up to a glass suspended on the shelf, passing between the counters. Looking at the hat in the glass he said, “I believe this becomes me pretty well; what is it worth?” I told him, “Five dollars.” When he turned around to walk from behind the counter, he espied the shotguns behind the door. I noticed it seemed to affect him a little but he soon recovered, paid me the money and left the store, saying, “A fine day today,” and this finally settled my trouble. He evidently came there with the intention of spying out the situation before attempting my arrest. When he left the house he noticed Sheriff Reagan with his deputies near.

This ended my trouble. I felt I had conquered a peace which would be a lasting one, as far as the military and our Radical Government were concerned. This changed condition gave me a free hand to engage in further enterprises and to rebuild my own fortune, as well as to work toward the benefit of the community in which I made my home.

CHAPTER XXIX
I Remove to Waxahachie and Go Into Business There.

As heretofore stated, I had spent several years of my boyhood in Waxahachie, during the fifties, and became attached to its people because of their great interest in me, on account of my being an orphan. I felt ever grateful. Furthermore I recognized the value of the rich lands of Ellis County and territory tributary thereto, and I decided to make Waxahachie my permanent home.

Arriving at Ennis, one of its shipping depots, I took stage for Waxahachie, where I rented a storehouse belonging to Judge McMillan, and employed his son, N. A., as bookkeeper and salesman in the house. The two-story building next to the Getzendaner & Ferris Bank, was the most modern store building in the town and young Mr. McMillan, one of the most popular and best posted men on the Ellis County farmer, I could find, having been in business with his father in this house for several years, moving there from Alabama.

To give the reader a fair idea of the condition existing, I found the old set of merchants, who were doing business there before the war, still adhering to old-time methods, selling goods on twelve months’ time and charging about twenty-five per cent more for same than the towns of Ennis or Palmer, which were selling altogether for cash. These towns were doing a more lucrative business than Waxahachie. Not a house in Waxahachie would buy a bale of cotton for cash, thereby turning the cotton market over to the towns of Ennis and Palmer. The stage driver that carried me back to Ennis had money sent by a lady at Waxahachie, to buy a dozen spools of thread at Ennis, where spool thread was selling at 75 cents a dozen and Waxahachie charging a dollar a dozen.

This encouraged me in the belief that Waxahachie was a good place to start in again, as I expected to do business altogether for cash and buy cotton for cash, as cotton always controlled business.

Having bought goods almost exclusively in New Orleans, except a few purchases in St. Louis and Galveston, I found that Galveston was about as good market as the others and, on account of its nearness, adopted a plan of buying goods often, in smaller quantities and ordering them as they were needed, which always gave me a fresh stock of goods and proved very satisfactory.

While engaged in buying my first stock for Waxahachie, at the house of P. J. Willis & Brother at Galveston, I met a Mr. Joe Farley, who was one of the traveling credit men for the house, and was also a partner in the house of Clift & Farley of Waxahachie. He came to me, saying that he understood I was buying a stock for Waxahachie and wanted to tell me that I could not find a more undesirable place to begin a new business, as he had decided to reduce prices materially, to a point that would not leave any profit. I thanked him for the information and especially for his resolution to reduce prices, which I told him I intended to do, and would much prefer his saving me the unpleasant duty. Farley, however, never carried out his threat until after I had started my business and forced them to do so. I also forced them to buy cotton for cash, thereby making Waxahachie a cotton market.

On my return to Rusk, I immediately packed whatever stock of goods I had left and shipped to Waxahachie, then moved my family over there and went to housekeeping in a rented house. I next proceeded to Galveston, where I arranged with Mr. Willis to give me an open account of twelve or fifteen thousand dollars, on which I made remittances every week and continued to order goods almost every week, which always gave me fresh stock and proved very satisfactory to Willis, as well as myself, and very attractive to the public.

I now commenced the purchase of cotton for cash. I was a good judge of cotton classification, and being very careful in keeping posted on the course of the market, especially Galveston, and cotton being in transit only a short time, I was enabled to handle cotton without any great risk, besides I made shipments altogether to Cannon & Company. Mr. Cannon, as heretofore stated, was an old friend before the war, for whom I had kept books and worked in his sales department at Hempstead. In entering the cotton market and paying cash, the old mossback business element of the town sat around in front of their stores, smoking and whittling goods boxes, making all manner of predictions that that fellow wouldn’t last long—I would soon get out of money and “bust.”

I bought cotton from farmers over about Bristol, on the Trinity, on the other side of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad, paid them cash, and 75 cents a bale to haul it back to Ennis, then they would turn around and spend the money with me for goods and return home happy and contented.

About this time we had the Grangers, a strong farmers’ organization, who had decided to concentrate their business at one house. They had a general meeting of the county organization at Waxahachie, and sent a committee, inviting me into this meeting, when I was requested to make them a proposition to handle all of their business on a basis of ten per cent profit. Not wishing to take advantage of my competitors, I persuaded them not to make such an arrangement, as it would not prove satisfactory, especially to their families, being restricted by contract on this basis to buy only at one house. Entering into a full detail of the objections, I persuaded them that it would not be to their interest to make such a contract and induced them to drop it.

While I could have made a great deal of money out of this proposition, I preferred to take no advantage of my business neighbors, thereby incurring petty jealousies and enmity, having in view the building of a tap railroad to connect with the Houston & Texas Central, and it was of the greatest importance for me to retain the friendship and the confidence of the old business element, who were the only men in the county of any great financial ability.

CHAPTER XXX
The Tap Railroad.

Concerning the “Tap” Railroad just referred to, I cannot better explain the trials and difficulties of that time than by reprinting an article which I wrote, some years ago, at the request of one of the Waxahachie papers, which was anxious to clear up the seeming mystery which enshrouded the building of the “Tap.”

Dallas, Texas, Sept. 4th, 1912.

Editor Ellis County Herald,

Waxahachie, Texas.

My Dear Sir—Your valued favor of the 26th ult., requesting a history of the Waxahachie Tap Railroad is at hand.

Complying with your courteous request, permit me to assure you and my old friends that it is not my purpose in this to ventilate old grievances at the hands of people who were the greatest beneficiaries of the building of the road, but simply to state facts and to keep the record straight. Carefully considering conditions existing at that time, my board of directors were not so much to blame for their want of confidence in the feasibility and possibility of the enterprise, as this feeling was shared largely by some of the best business men of Houston and Galveston, but were to blame for allowing one or two of their members to control their action in opposing me. I incurred the enmity of these directors through people’s expression of approval of my efforts to accomplish what seemed to them an impossible undertaking.

Entering into this labor of love, without promise of fee or reward, with my board of directors (composed of the principal business men of the town) depreciating my business character by expressions well calculated to bring about ruin, which they accomplished in about two years, it required about all the moral courage in my composition to determine not to recognize such word as “failure.”

Have said this much in defense of this article, which may prove hurtful to the feelings of friends and descendants of the men who have claimed the credit of building the road, but I cannot do otherwise than adhere strictly to facts and truths, as all fair-minded men who were then citizens of Ellis County, still living, will bear me witness. I have never had a public expression of thanks for the enormous sacrifice to me then of ruining my splendid prospect in business to save your town from isolation and ruin.

The object in going into these details is only to emphasize the claim of friends at that time that I was the only man connected with it who did any work, and if the “board” would quit meddling with it, I would soon have the road built. These expressions I tried my best to hold down, knowing well it would increase their opposition to me. Another object: There are few people now in your city who know that I ever had anything to do with it, but I consider it due my children to inscribe in my own history one of the proudest acts of my business career, representing two years of the best labor of my life.

Please do not fail to note that I had to depend on memory altogether for this article, hence its disconnected character, and am entirely unable to supply dates, which, however, is immaterial. I moved to Waxahachie in 1873.

To give your readers a fair conception of existing conditions at Waxahachie and Ellis County, I found on my first visit to your town by stage from Ennis that your merchants were still adhering to old-time business methods; selling goods on time, at large profits, thereby losing the most desirable business; Ennis selling goods on an average of twenty per cent less for cash, buying the farmer’s produce, principally cotton, and paying cash therefor. Waxahachie did not buy a bale of cotton for cash, but only on account. The result was that Ennis, though but a few years old, soon outgrew Waxahachie, and aspired to be the county seat, which caused a bitter feeling between the two communities. Knowing the magnificent territory contiguous to Waxahachie, I decided that with proper efforts your town could be made one of the best in the State, and arranged to locate there. Had I supposed that to locate there, it was necessary to ask the permission of the old business men, and then conduct business as they directed, I would certainly have gone elsewhere, but of this I was ignorant, and after starting in, determined to exercise my own judgment. I sold goods for cash, at reasonable profit; bought cotton for cash, all that was offered, paying Dallas prices; bought cotton from east of Ennis and Palmer, then paid the farmer seventy-five cents per bale to haul it back to the railroad for shipment. Many of these farmers, after I paid them the cash for cotton, would turn around and spend every dollar of it with me for goods. I bought cotton from Hill, Johnson and Bosque Counties, and did not lose any money on it, although my old competitors predicted that I would soon have to quit. When disappointed in this, a few of the progressive ones, Messrs. Pickett, Trippett and McLain, joined in with me, and we soon established in Waxahachie a good cotton market.

I now began planning for railroad connection, and when I had my plans sufficiently matured, I submitted them to a meeting of the business men, who expressed grave doubt about the possibility of the undertaking, and I only induced them to enter into it by suggesting that an effort, even though a failure, would have the result of throwing Ennis on the defensive and induce them to drop their county seat agitation. They then told me to go ahead and get my plans fully matured, which I submitted at a subsequent meeting, and which were as follows: To get a charter for a Waxahachie tap road with a State land grant of sixteen sections to the mile and have the town issue bonds to the limit of the law, which proved to be $75,000, then augment this amount with farmers’ stock subscription of $25,000 more; to sell these bonds at par to the business men of Waxahachie and commission merchants of Galveston and New York who were doing business with Waxahachie—thus giving us $100,000 cash and the State land grant to build the road with. I stated this could only be done by the adoption of second-hand iron, which I believed could be had, and which would answer the purpose. To buy new iron would cost several times the amount of our cash asset, as it was then quoted at $85.00 a ton at the mills. There was serious doubt about the Legislature passing a bond bill at the time as they had up the repudiation of international bond bill granted under a fraudulent charter, and the International Railroad Company had Galusha Grow of Pennsylvania and John H. Burnett of Galveston at Austin, trying to bulldoze Governor Coke and his Legislature into the issuance of their bonds; hence both the Governor and Legislature were committed against the issue of bonds of the State in aid of railroads. But I believed that Judge J. W. Ferris, who was then one of the most eminent lawyers in the State, and who, through his International bond decision while acting as special Supreme Judge in the case had endeared himself to the Governor and Legislature, as well as the entire people of the State, would be able to overcome this objection, as we were only asking permission to tax our own town. It was then determined to send Judge Ferris to Austin for the purpose of obtaining a charter and bond bill. The committee appointed to make the request of the judge met his positive refusal, but he stated at the same time that if it was attempted to build the road, he would back the enterprise with his money. I was now urged and finally persuaded to go to Austin and endeavor to obtain the necessary legislation. I called a meeting of the taxpayers of Waxahachie, and explained to them that it was of the utmost importance to get up a petition to the Governor and Legislature, asking permission to tax themselves, and I succeeded in obtaining every taxpayer’s name to the petition. I then had the county clerk examine the tax rolls and certify that he found every taxpayer’s name to the same. I then proceeded to Austin, armed with this petition, a letter from Judge Ferris to Governor Coke, and from Dr. Aldredge to friends in the Senate. On my arrival at Austin, I met John H. Burnett and Galusha Grow at the hotel, who proposed to me, if I would assist them, they would assist me, which I declined, telling them that I was opposed to the issuance of their bonds, thus at the outset defining my position with the Legislature. The next morning I sought and obtained an audience with Governor Coke, presented my letter from Judge Ferris and petition from the taxpayers, and after reading this, the Governor said, “Mr. Graber, I will promise you this, if the Legislature passes your bills I will sign them. The question involved in the International bill is the taxing of the whole State to benefit the section through which the road runs, but in your request the good people of Waxahachie are only asking to tax themselves to save their town.” I thanked the Governor for his kind assurance and asked permission to make the statement to the members of the Legislature, which he readily gave. Though I had never before looked inside a legislative hall I soon felt perfectly at home and had the privilege of the House and Senate. In my canvass of the House and Senate I found little opposition to the bond bill after reading our petition, but considerable objection to the further donation of land in aid of railroads, which, however, I was able to overcome by satisfying them we would never be able to build our road without it. As many of the influential members were old army friends to whom I became indebted for valuable assistance, I was able to return home in three weeks, both bills having been signed by Governor Coke a few weeks later. It would not be inappropriate here to mention a little incident to show a proper appreciation of my services at that time. I had wired my wife that I would be home on Saturday, but detained en route, I failed to make it, which saved me considerable embarrassment, as the stage was met a short distance from town by the mayor, city council and concourse of citizens, with a brass band, intending to give me an enthusiastic reception. On the next Saturday a mass meeting was held for the purpose of organizing under our charter, and electing officers. At this meeting I explained to them that I had taken the liberty of stating to members of the Legislature that Judge Ferris would be the president of the company, and asked his election, telling them that it was all-important the enterprise should be headed by the most influential man in the community. Judge Ferris being present, stated he could not under any circumstances consider the acceptance of the position as he did not have the time to give it the attention necessary to make it a success, and placed my name in nomination, which created great enthusiasm, and it was attempted to be carried through without further consideration. I tried to check this movement, by telling them I had as little time to spare from my business as Judge Ferris, had already given them three weeks of most valuable time away from my business and was unable to do anything more than act on the board of directors, if they saw fit to use me in that capacity; but the meeting would not have it that way, and plainly told me if I wanted the road built, I would have to serve, and promised to sustain me with all the means and power at their command. Under this assurance I was finally persuaded to accept, and, after completing the organization with Judge Ferris as vice-president, the meeting adjourned subject to the call of the president.

I forgot to explain that through the issuance of the bonds, it was agreed that the town should be issued stock to the amount, thus every taxpayer became a stockholder and was entitled to vote in the organization. While at Austin, in company with some members of the Legislature, I called on General Braxton Bragg, who had just come to Texas with a party of civil engineers, with the intention of making this his home—he was anxious to get a first job and promised me he would undertake the location of our road at his actual cost (estimated not to exceed 500 dollars). As soon as organized I took up a correspondence with him, and entered into a contract to run three preliminary lines and cross section the line adopted, furnish plans and specifications of a first-class road. He surveyed one line to Ennis, one to Palmer and one to the nearest point on the H. & T. C., which was adopted. We next advertised for bids for the whole work complete, contractor furnishing the road complete, ready for operation, except equipment, and another for the grading only. We had a bid on each, one from John McCarthy of Kansas City, who was returning from Galveston, where he had in a bid for a large contract with the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe and had lost out. He carefully examined our assets, which were one hundred and eighty-five sections (estimated) of land certificates to be issued by the State (the line being 11 45-100 miles long), $75,000 of Waxahachie bonds and about $13,000 of farmers’ stock subscriptions which I had secured by hard labor, and in which I had valuable assistance from Judge Anson Rainey, who was then a young lawyer in Judge Ferris’ office. Mr. McCarthy, satisfied with our assets, submitted a proposition to deliver us the road complete as per General Bragg’s specification, except to substitute fifty-six pounds of good second-hand iron approved by General Bragg, which was considered sufficient for our purpose, in consideration for our entire assets, and complete the same in two years. We also had a proposal from Roach Brothers & Tierney for the grade only at thirteen cents per yard. As John McCarthy’s bid was the best for us we awarded him the contract, and immediately notified him by wire at Kansas City, to which we received a reply from his wife, by letter, saying Mr. McCarthy was not at home, but we would hear from him as soon as he returned. In the meantime I wired General Bragg at Galveston, who was the chief engineer of the G., C. & S. F. for a report on Mr. McCarthy, but had his answer, “Drop him.” This in connection with an indefinite letter finally received from McCarthy, made me conclude it best to let him alone. In the meantime, I had induced Mr. Roach to hold his bid open (which was 13 cents per yard, one-third cash, one-third in bonds and one-third in provisions and forage he expected to use to feed his teams and men) until we heard definitely from John McCarthy and in case of his failure to make us a good bond, and furnish us ample evidence of his ability and good intentions, we would give him the contract for the grade, as in his bid. After our decision to drop Mr. John McCarthy, we entered into a contract with Roach Brothers & Tierney for the grade, to go to work at once—as he had his outfit at Fort Worth already. He was on the ground sooner than expected, and gave us only a few days to prepare for a formal beginning of the work. We wanted to celebrate the event with a great barbecue. On account of the short time for notifying the farmers, the board of directors opposed my plans of having the celebration, but I determined to have it anyway, and sent out invitations to all interested in the building of the Waxahachie Tap, to join us in celebrating the commencement of the work. I solicited a few of our best farmers to donate the meats, which they did cheerfully in the greatest abundance. The day set apart for the celebration, the farmers began to arrive in the early morning in large numbers—not only our own Ellis County people, but a large number from Hill and adjoining counties, and by one o’clock the crowd was variously estimated at from 1500 to 2000 men, women and children. Such a large enthusiastic gathering had never been known in this part of the State. The board of directors had in the meantime concluded to join in with us, and, although they had told me they would have nothing to do with it, had ordered carriages, and I was invited to a seat with Mr. John C. Gibson, who informed me they had not prepared any program, which I had asked them to do in the morning. I asked Mr. Gibson his age, and found he was the oldest man on the board. When everything was ready, I was handed a spade by Mr. Roach, who stated that it devolved on me to turn the first dirt. I climbed on top of a wagon bed with the spade and addressed the crowd in a few words which I remember about as follows:

“Fellow Citizens: We are proud to see so many of you here, manifesting, by your presence, an interest in our work; an interest on your part it has been charged did not exist, particularly with our farmers, who recognize that they are as much interested in the building of this road as our town. The doubting Thomases will directly witness actual beginning of the work by our contractor, Mr. Roach, who has one of the best-equipped grading outfits in the country and will push his work to an early completion. Upon such occasions it is customary for the president of the company to turn the first dirt, an honor which on this occasion I turn over to Colonel John C. Gibson, the oldest member of the board of directors.” I then turned the spade over to Mr. Gibson, who eagerly accepted the honor and performed the duty. Mr. Roach having his teams ready, then proceeded with the work. Permit me to say here, that it proved a grand sight to everybody present, the most of whom had never seen anything like it, to see about fifty splendid teams with their scrapers turning up the ground, and the moral effect at that time cannot be overestimated, as the effort of Waxahachie’s building of a railroad had been ridiculed by people interested in our failure, particularly the people of Ennis. I omitted to mention, I visited Ennis before we definitely determined on a location, and to a meeting of their business men, submitted a proposition to adopt their line for a subsidy of twenty thousand dollars, which created considerable ridicule, but I told them they might laugh as much as they pleased, the road would be built and some day would become a main line by an extension east and west, and though the point of junction might never become a rival town, it would always prove a standing menace to their town, and prevent capital from locating with them. How well my judgment was founded is proven by the result. On the completion of the road to Fort Worth, this road has furnished more tonnage than the main line from Garrett to Denison, which no doubt proved a great surprise to the H. & T. C. management, who had expressed themselves unwilling to operate it for its earnings—hence I had to conclude a traffic arrangement with them to enable us to operate it. Then, again, when the Central undertook its extension from Garrett east, Ennis sent a committee to Houston to try to secure this connection, and failed, although it was rumored they were instructed to offer a bonus of one hundred thousand dollars. I also forgot to mention that before the adoption of the Garrett line, I secured a donation of one hundred acres of land from Mr. Garrett, divided into town lots—this in spite of the strenuous opposition of his agent, Mr. Neal. Mr. Garrett at that time resided somewhere in East Texas. After the commencement of the work it soon became evident that I must get to work and sell bonds outside of Waxahachie; we were needing cash to meet payments to Mr. Roach—although I had an understanding with our business men, that they would take as much as ten thousand dollars, at par, they were slow to come up with their money—I therefore made a trip to Galveston for the purpose of selling $20,000 of our town bonds. I called on Mr. R. S. Willis, who was then the president of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Road. Mr. Willis was a good friend of mine and I was buying my goods of him largely. He said, “Mr. Graber, let me advise you to drop that scheme, it is visionary, you can never build the road. Attend to your own business. If you were to succeed, you would never receive thanks for it. I’ll not subscribe one cent.” I said, “Mr. Willis, I appreciate your advice, and esteem your judgment highly, but must decline to be governed by it. We are going to build that road.”

I next called on Ball, Hutchins & Company, and Mr. Seeley asked, “Have you been to see Mr. Willis?” I told him I had and had his refusal. He then asked to be excused. Walking down the street, I met Mr. W. L. Moody, in front of his place of business. He expressed himself as glad to see me, and said, “I see in the News you are down here for the purpose of placing $20,000 of your Waxahachie bonds; step into the office. Colonel Jameson will put us down for a thousand dollars.” He furthermore said, “When you get your $20,000 placed here, I think I can place the balance for you in New York.” I thanked him, took their $1000 subscription, and dropped into Leon H. Blum’s. Met Leon coming out. He said, “Go back in the office, tell brother Sylvan to put down a thousand dollars for us.” I next called on several other commission houses, who assured me they would subscribe, but could not just then. It soon became evident to my mind they wanted their customers personally to ask them. I therefore concluded to return home, and induce my board of directors, who were all shipping cotton to different houses to assist me in the matter, by going down with me, but could not induce them to go. This want of interest on the part of the board at that critical period was indeed discouraging. They well knew that the taking of $10,000 by Waxahachie and $20,000 more by our commercial city at par, would establish the solid character of the bonds in New York, but they were unwilling to spare the time and incur the expense. Could there have been anything more discouraging? It seemed as though they were determined that I should not succeed, and did not want the road built, which was talked frequently by people in Waxahachie as elsewhere. They seemed afraid of inviting competition in their business, and preferred to continue as they had. Meeting with Major Douglas of Tyler one day in Galveston, he said to me, “Graber, why don’t you go ahead and build your little road?” I gave an evasive answer. He said, “I know what is the matter—you have seven old mossbacks pulling back.” He said, “My board of directors told me to go ahead and build the road, and I am doing it. I have not had a meeting of my board since I commenced.” Major Douglas was then building the Tyler Tap Road and was president of that company.

I now began looking around to secure iron, ties and bridge work. I soon had the latter promised by our carpenters for stock—there were only a few small culverts and bridges. On one of my trips to Houston I met Mr. H. M. Hoxie, general superintendent of the International & Great Northern Railroad, with whom I was well acquainted, who was changing the iron on the Galveston road to a heavier lot. He made me a proposition to furnish us sufficient iron for our road, taken up from the Galveston road, which was fifty-six pound and in good condition, subject to our inspection, for $20,000 f. o. b. cars at Houston, which proposition I accepted subject to the approval of my board. I had a contract with the Houston & Texas Central Railroad to haul iron, ties and bridge timber, for stock in our road. In about a month’s time I had a wire from Mr. Hoxie, “Come down, inspect and receive the iron. Answer.” I immediately had a meeting of the board and asked their consent to close the deal, but they wanted time to consider. “Wait and see what the crop is going to do; where is your money?” etc. I told them I was satisfied I could induce Hoxie to accept bonds. But they insisted on waiting. I begged and plead with them not to lose this splendid chance of securing iron, which they certainly would by waiting, telling them it might be lost to us in three days. There were other tap roads building—the towns of Henderson, Georgetown and Tyler were all busy, but my pleadings were in vain.

I now felt that I must give up, I could do nothing more. They were determined that I should not complete the road; in fact, it seemed they did not want it at all, and I immediately tendered my resignation, which was promptly accepted, and John C. Gibson elected to succeed me. As soon as it became known that I had resigned, the people demanded of the board to send me down to close the deal for the iron, and soon the secretary came with a request for me to close the deal and a tender of the money to pay my expenses. I told him I was ready to waive all personal feeling in the matter and now go down in a private capacity, close the deal and have my successor sign the contract, as my only ambition was to see the road completed, even by a set of men that deserved no consideration at my hands, but that I must wire Hoxie first and know if iron was still on hand. I wired Mr. Hoxie at Houston and received no answer. I repeated the wire the next day and had his answer, “Too late, iron sold.” This proved a surprise and disappointment to all concerned and for a time it seemed as though Waxahachie was doomed. I had turned over to my successor and his board, the grade, a splendid piece of work completed and paid for; sixty-five thousand dollars in Waxahachie bonds; a farmers’ stock subscription of about eight thousand dollars; about one hundred and eighty-five sections of State land certificates to be issued on the completion of the road, and every alternate lot in the town of Garrett out of the subdivision of one hundred acres.

The board now went to sleep over the situation; they had no one to suggest or try to do anything towards the completion of the road, which, for nearly three years was a dead enterprise—and left the board with an investment in bonds of about $6000, which would prove worthless unless the road was completed under the terms and provisions of the charter, which were: the completion and operation of the road within five years. They now got desperate, and induced Mr. Royal A. Ferris to go to New York and offer the charter and its franchises, and all of the assets of the company to any responsible party that would complete it, even with old iron, and run a train in before the expiration of the time in the charter. Mr. Ferris succeeded in inducing a Mr. Riordan to accept the proposition. He went to work and completed the road, and after a few months’ operation, demonstrating to the Central people its value, sold out to Mr. Waldo for account of some individual stockholder of the H. & T. C. what Waldo termed a pretty good bank of dirt with two streaks of rust for $85,000. In the hands of the Central it was soon refurnished with new iron and completely overhauled, making it a first-class road, and soon extended to Fort Worth.

This terminated the history of the Waxahachie Tap Road in the loss of all interest the town had in it through the farcical conduct of its leading business men, acting as its board of directors.

When a meeting was held just before the election on the bond proposition, I told the people, as long as I could control it, if they would vote the bonds, the road should never pass into other hands, only with their consent, and should pay its value. It was my intention to hold on to the State land donation until it would become valuable and already had the promise of a few surveyors to locate the same free of cost, save actual expenses. I believed then the land within our day and time could be sold for from $5 to $10 per acre, which would amply reimburse the town for its issuance of the bonds, and they would own the road besides. The result was, we had a unanimous vote on the bond. To fairly illustrate the character of the men I was connected with in this enterprise, some few years after the Santa Fe was completed west of Waxahachie, we had a proposition from the management to build a branch of their road into Waxahachie for a bonus of $10,000. A meeting to consider the proposition was held; and these men who were still in control, expressed themselves as opposed to meeting the Santa Fe proposition, saying, If they propose to build in here for $10,000 they will do so anyway. Realizing that they were about to lose another valuable opportunity, I told them that I came to subscribe my money and not to talk, knowing well any suggestion I might make would fall flat, but felt that they were about to make a serious mistake in turning down this proposition; there were movements being made on the railroad checkerboard constantly and something might occur that would force the Santa Fe Company to withdraw their proposition in less than thirty days, and rather than have this happen I was willing to subscribe $1000. One of the old members of the board of railroad directory smiled at my suggestion, and made a motion to adjourn sine die, which was carried and thus Waxahachie was again cheated out of another golden opportunity; as in less than thirty days this company had to withdraw its proposition on account of a trouble with the Gould lines. When about three months after Mr. N. A. McMillan was sent to Galveston to have them renew or make another proposition, Mr. R. S. Willis told him they could not consider such a thing; that they had all they could do to look after their main line; but frankly told him, “You people missed your opportunity. Had you accepted our proposition when we made it, we would have built into your town.”

I have thus given an important part of Waxahachie history, which I trust will prove instructive in its future. There are great opportunities presented every now and then, which should be taken advantage of and properly cared for by the progressive citizens of a community and should be ably seconded by a public spirit. This is due from every man who is a beneficiary of the growth of his home city.

It should be borne in mind that in the period when we first submitted the railroad proposition, Texas had hardly felt the great benefits of railroads and it was difficult to induce small communities to take hold of such enterprises; besides there was no money with which to build them.

It is easier now to build a long line of road, provided it is practicable and the inducement sufficient, than at that period of time to build a little tap road.

In conclusion, I must be pardoned for a seeming egotism in claiming to be the originator and having done the principal work in this enterprise, but I cannot do otherwise and state facts. Whilst it is true that others completed the road, it was comparatively an easy task to do this by giving it away. The only recognition I have ever had for my efforts in behalf of your town was an occasional expression from prominent citizens whom I met in years after: “Well, Mr. Graber, if you had not come to Waxahachie when you did, our town would have been an old rat hole.”—Dr. Conner. “Mr. Graber, they treated you badly.”—Captain Patrick. And other like expressions, but permit me to say I feel compensated in the fact that I was probably instrumental in starting your town on its upward march, and therefore feel that I have been of benefit to others, and have not lived in vain.

Thanking you for this courtesy, I am with great respect,

Yours very truly,

H. W. GRABER.

CHAPTER XXXI
Business Troubles.

The second year of my labors in building the Waxahachie Tap Road required all of my time, and, in consequence, a neglect of my business. This, coupled with the fact that many good farmers seemed to shun my business, fearing I would tackle them for a railroad stock subscription and the further fact that jealous competitors, joined by a man representing P. J. Willis & Brother of Galveston, a house I was dealing with most extensively and with whom I had a credit and a running account of about twelve or fifteen thousand dollars, and the representations of these competitors that I was investing heavily in the tap road, which was not a fact, caused me to become embarrassed in business. I paid my account with P. J. Willis & Brother in order to get rid of this jealous competitor, and this amounted to a withdrawal of fifteen thousand dollars of my capital.

In November of that year I owed nearly twenty-three thousand dollars, which I reduced to ninety-four hundred dollars by the first of March following.

At this time I was caught with a remnant winter stock and, in order to keep up my business and to arrange for a spring and summer stock of goods with no money to buy, I decided best to proceed to St. Louis and submit a statement of my condition to my creditors. This statement showed an indebtedness, as stated, of about ninety-four hundred dollars, and assets, about fifteen or sixteen thousand. These assets consisted largely of East Texas accounts, a balance of my old Rusk business, a winter stock of goods and a few acres of land in East Texas that could not be sold for more than a dollar an acre. At that time, everything I had in business was unavailable.

The object of my St. Louis trip was to get an extension of my indebtedness until the next winter. The largest part of my indebtedness was with L. Cannon & Company of Galveston, cotton commission merchants, who were satisfied with any arrangement I made for an extension. The next largest creditor was Samuel C. Davis & Company, St. Louis, whom I owed a balance on open account of about eight or nine hundred dollars. After submitting them my statement, the manager, whose name I have forgotten, told me that I was not entitled to an extension and they were not in favor of granting it unless the balance all agreed, but if they all granted an extension, that they were willing to do so, but would not sell me any more goods. They explained to me that upon a review of my assets, I would not be able to pay more than thirty or thirty-five cents on the dollar, and if I succeeded in compromising on that basis, they were willing to sell me again, on their regular terms, any reasonable amount and would consider my credit unimpaired. I told the gentlemen that I would never compromise, as it was considered disgraceful in Texas.

I next went to see the house of Hamilton & Brown, who were then in their infancy in their business, but were considered one of the rising shoe houses in St. Louis.

On presenting my statement their judgment was the same as Samuel C. Davis & Company: that I was not entitled to an extension and to continue in business, having to ask further credit, my only course would be to compromise, say thirty cents on the dollar. I owed these people little less than two hundred dollars, a small balance of a considerable account. I told them I would never compromise, when one of the gentlemen said, “You are working with a millstone around your neck and we want to put you on your feet. If you don’t compromise before you leave St. Louis, we will send your account to an attorney at Waxahachie, with instructions to sue.” I said, “If you do, I will make an assignment and quit business, and in doing so you can take the coat off my back—you will never find me behind a valuable Texas homestead.” In connection with this I will state that after a two weeks’ stay in St. Louis, trying to persuade these people to meet my proposition, I heard from my friend Cannon in Galveston, who offered to let me have money to settle with the St. Louis creditors on the basis of thirty-five cents. I finally gave it up and on my return home found the Hamilton & Brown account in the hands of Judge Rainey for collection with order to bring suit, and I immediately made an assignment in the Bankruptcy Court at Tyler, thereby protecting all of my creditors.

When the United States Marshal came and took possession of my assets he persuaded me, for the protection of my family, to retain two hundred acres of land in Cherokee County, which at the time could not have been sold for more than a dollar an acre, for which I had paid two dollars and seventy-five cents an acre. This land I traded for a few town lots in Waxahachie, on one of which I built an humble little home the next year and out of the balance realized about three hundred dollars.

It is hardly necessary to say that my business failure proved very discouraging at the time and caused the breaking down of my general health. My jealous competitors in business continued to refer to it, claiming that it was injuring the prospect of the building of the road, the presidency of which I finally concluded to resign.

Considering that several of these men were the richest of any men in the community and that I had sacrificed my all to build up their interest in connection with the town, I felt that it was one of the most unjust and worst cases of persecution without cause a man ever had to submit to, but I determined to outgrow it and ignore these foolish people’s work against me.

Recurring to my visit in St. Louis where, as stated, I spent a couple of weeks: I stopped at a private boarding house, where I formed the acquaintance of a business gentleman, who, with his wife, had a room next to mine and in a few days invited me to visit their cotton exchange, which invitation I accepted. I, of course, had not told him of my financial embarrassment, but had made him acquainted with my railroad enterprise.

At the cotton exchange I was shown a great deal of attention by some of the members present and especially Mr. J. W. Paramore, the president. When about ready to depart Mr. Paramore extended me an invitation to join him in a visit to his compresses, saying that he had a horse and buggy at the door, waiting. I accepted his invitation.. On our drive out to the compresses, he gave me his history in connection with the business, saying that he came to St. Louis from Nashville, Tennessee, with seventy thousand dollars in cash and decided that St. Louis ought to be made a cotton market. For this purpose he met some of the leading business men and suggested the building of a large compress and asked them to take stock, which they considered a huge joke and readily turned down his proposition. He then concluded to undertake the building of a compress by himself, which he did, meeting with great success the first season. These same men whom he tried to induce to take stock with him, came to him and begged for stock, with the proposition to enlarge the plant, which he did and had made it a great success the second year. The enlarged plant enabled him to pay a handsome dividend. After showing me around his compresses and expressing himself much interested in Texas cotton shipments, I finally suggested to him the idea of getting up an excursion of a number of his business friends who were interested to know about Texas conditions and resources, to visit Waxahachie, where I was anxious to show him our little railroad enterprise and especially our rich land in this black land district.

Meeting with him again upon another occasion I again urged him by all means to get up this excursion, satisfied that he and his friends would find it interesting and profitable, and having no doubt but they would succeed in opening business relations. I found he was much interested and he became somewhat enthusiastic on the proposed visit, promising me that he would certainly do so.

Some three or four months after, I saw an account in the Galveston News of where J. W. Paramore, a business man of St. Louis, with a number of other business men, had arrived at Tyler, Texas, on an excursion to investigate Texas resources and conditions, with a view of establishing business relations and will here state, knowing the business community of Tyler, its brains and capital, I immediately concluded that their proposed Waxahachie visit was doomed, which proved to be a fact.

Tyler had just completed a short line narrow-gauge railway to connect with the Texas & Pacific at Big Sandy and soon induced Mr. Paramore and associates to buy this road and extend it, an independent line, to St. Louis, which, after a few years, they accomplished, creating the St. Louis Narrow Gauge, and after a few more years, changed it into a standard gauge, which is now the Cotton Belt.

I trust the reader will not consider me egotistical, but I have always taken a great pride in the belief that I was perhaps instrumental in having one of the great lines of railroad built from our State to St. Louis. Had I not suggested this excursion to Texas by these St. Louis people, which was altogether a new idea with Paramore and his friends, the St. Louis Narrow Gauge might never have been built. It was only through just such men as Paramore that great enterprises are started in their infancy and carried to a successful realization.

CHAPTER XXXII
I Start Anew.

Immediately after my failure in the general mercantile business, I went to Dallas to try to make some commission deal to sell farm machinery, and called on Mitchell & Scruggs, who had just opened business with one of the best lines of machinery in Dallas and had the State agencies on these lines. I succeeded in making a contract with them to handle these goods in Ellis, Navarro, Hill and Johnson Counties on a basis of five and ten per cent. I knew nothing about machinery and had to post myself, reading catalogues and asking questions of Mitchell & Scruggs and the factories they represented.

Having no money I bought a few groceries on time, until I could make something and had the tender of a horse and buggy from a Mr. Johnson, the pastor of our Presbyterian Church. I drove over these counties, very often without a road, especially in Hill County, visiting people who were reported in need of cotton gin machinery, harvesters and threshers, never making a dollar for nearly five months. I finally made my first sale of an Ames engine, on which I had a commission of eight per cent. For the next three months succeeding I sold a number of engines and boilers, several threshers, a number of harvesters, etc., winding up the first season with a net profit of about fifteen hundred dollars. After paying my debts I had left about five hundred dollars to invest in a home. I planned a cottage, which Meredith & Patterson agreed to build for me for a thousand dollars, accept in part payment five hundred dollars and the balance of five hundred dollars, payable next fall with five per cent per month interest.

The next season’s business I wound up with a profit of twenty-eight hundred dollars and the next season with thirty-five hundred dollars profit and the next season with something over ten thousand dollars profit. This put me on my feet but I needed engineering skill and was unable to secure it, as it was scarce in Texas at the time.

Having formed the acquaintance of Colonel John G. Hunter (through his visit to me, in the interest of the Ames Iron Works, whose engines and boilers I was handling), I persuaded Mr. Leonard Ames the first time he called on me in conjunction with Colonel Hunter, to let me have Hunter, he was just the man I needed. He finally consented, provided it was agreeable to Hunter. I made a proposition to Hunter to give him a half interest in the profits of the business, which he accepted and after a copartnership of two years, we both decided that our territory was too small; our business too much circumscribed to justify the services of both, when I advised him to go to Dallas, both realizing that it would be the future commercial center of Texas. He decided to do this and immediately moved to Dallas, where his ability found better compensation and I told him that I would follow as soon as I could wind up my business here, realizing that Waxahachie would never amount to much until the old mossback element died out and the young men would get into the saddle, which prediction I believe has been realized.

Before leaving Waxahachie I tried to get up the money for a cotton compress, for which I was authorized by a friend at Jefferson, Texas, who had a compress at that point, to subscribe for him ten thousand dollars of about thirty-five thousand dollars needed for a good Morse ninety-inch cylinder press. I headed the subscriptions with this man’s ten thousand dollars and added mine for one thousand more, then called on a number of business men, financially able, besides the two banks, who all agreed to take stock provided a certain somebody else would take stock. It finally resolved itself into the consent of one, John G. Williams, who was always arbitrary and dictatorial. When I asked him to subscribe a thousand or fifteen hundred dollars, telling him that it was important for us to take immediate action, as Ennis was also trying to get up a compress company and there was not sufficient business for both, he insisted on postponing it, saying that he would let me know when he got ready.

Already disgusted with such dilatory conduct, I told him I wanted him to understand that I was not begging him nor others, like I used to do when trying to build the railroad, that I had other business to attend to and I wanted him to say right then and there what he was going to do. He told me to take the compress and go to the devil with it. I said to him, taking the subscription list, “Here goes,” and tore it up, leaving him in disgust.

The town of Ennis commenced building their compress in less than three days, but the conduct of these old mossbacks, in this case, finally proved the straw that broke the camel’s back. I immediately resolved to get out of there as soon as possible and move to Dallas, which I have never had cause to regret.

After moving to Dallas I succeeded in making better contracts with the factories whose goods I had been handling through Mitchell & Scruggs, and had a number of contracts, which they had held, turned over to me direct, thereby enlarging the profits of my business from fifty to one hundred per cent and soon established one of the largest and best businesses in my line in Dallas, except that of R. V. Tompkins, who had large capital and more extensive factory arrangements than mine. Having large capital he was able to employ a large corps of traveling salesmen, besides he, himself, having a practical, thorough knowledge of machinery.

CHAPTER XXXIII
The Methodist School at Waxahachie.

I forgot to mention, soon after entering the commission machinery business, I met a friend by the name of Meeks who was the owner of the Marvin College property at Waxahachie, established and built up by the Methodist Church of Texas, and governed by a Board of Trustees who had permitted the school to go down, after having been in operation for perhaps two or three years. They borrowed ten thousand dollars in gold from my friend, Meeks, giving him a first mortgage on the property, which mortgage he had to close by public sale and had to take the property for the debt, though the trustees claimed that the property cost the church about a hundred thousand dollars. The same old mossback element that persecuted me in my railroad and other business, too, were largely responsible for the failure of Marvin College and boasted that it should never succeed again. Mr. Meeks asked me to undertake the sale of it, which of course could be used only for school purposes, as it was unfit for anything else. Having received his promise that he would give me full control of the sale of it, I agreed to take hold of it for a commission of ten per cent.

I immediately went to work, got out an attractive circular letter, giving advantages of Waxahachie for an educational point. I soon had responses, or inquiries from the North and East, and a strong one from a Presbyterian school man at Lexington, Kentucky, who decided to take hold of it as soon as he could dispose of his property in Lexington.

Finding that I was about to sell the property to a Presbyterian who did not expect to make it a denominational school, the trustees of the Methodist Church, composed of Captain V. G. Veal, Fred Cox and Doctor Walkup, got busy among their Methodist friends and secured authority to take the property over again for ten thousand dollars in gold, Meeks waiving the interest, and paid me a thousand dollars cash and three thousand dollars in one, two and three years, with a mortgage on the property. In selling them the property on these liberal terms, I had it distinctly understood that if they failed to come up with their second payment I would close them out at once, which I was forced to do.

I soon got into correspondence with General L. M. Lewis, an educator of high order, then connected with a college in Little Rock, though he had already been connected with the A. & M. College at Bryan, where the faculty had a rupture, which resulted in the resignation of the whole board. I induced General Lewis to visit Waxahachie, where I introduced him to the Rev. Chas. E. Brown of the Methodist Church, who was one of the most popular preachers there and he, in turn, got him acquainted with Fred Cox and Doctor Walkup. These four gentlemen formed a copartnership and again bought the property and in less than two years built up a large school with many transient boarders. While on a deal with General Lewis, I frankly told him that he would have a difficult task to build up a school in that town on account of the sworn opposition of the mossback element and that he would have to depend upon transient patronage altogether for the success of his school when they began, having no doubt that Waxahachie’s patronage would gradually follow.

As I predicted, soon after starting the school and having the children of Mr. John G. Williams, who tried to be the boss of the town, Williams demanded of General Lewis that he make a change in certain rules and General Lewis told him that if the rules didn’t suit him he had better take his children home, which he did and the faculty were not sorry for it.

The second year of the school, having paid their indebtedness to Meeks, a demand for an addition became imperative, so they borrowed money and put up a large one, as also a separate boarding house. After two years more, the free school system of Texas obtained, thereby cutting down their patronage to a point that did not justify them to continue and were finally induced to sell out to the city for a public free school, which they had to do, at a considerable loss and thus crippled them financially.

CHAPTER XXXIV
My Later Business Experiences.

The Rev. Charles E. Brown had the business management of this college from the beginning to the end and displayed business capacity and indomitable persistence that impressed me with the idea that he would make a good business man. He came to me, asking for employment, saying that he wanted to enter commerce, that he had a number of children to educate and the pulpit did not support his family as he wished. He wanted to give his children as good an education as anybody else’s children, and for this reason he wanted to go to work in business, offering to work for me for fifty dollars per month, in the sales department, until he was worth more.

Being sadly in need of assistance, I told Brown that I believed he had the ability to make good in the machinery business and if he proved the man that I was needing, I would give him a third interest in the profits of the business.

After a short time I found that I was not mistaken in the man and voluntarily raised his compensation to one-half interest of the profits in the business. Our business prospered and grew to a point that it was necessary for us to move to Dallas, which we did, where our business continued to grow and was considered, after a couple of years, the leading machinery house in the city, except that of R. V. Tompkins.

Owing to some misapprehension on Brown’s part, (brought about by a statement of his oldest boy, whom he had employed in the business against my advice), differences arose which we were unable to reconcile and it was deemed best, under the circumstances, that we separate.

Having made him a liberal offer of ten thousand dollars for his interest in the business, besides the cancellation of his account, which amounted to six or seven thousand dollars and had his refusal to sell out, I then decided to sell out to him, provided he could induce a certain W. J. Clark, who was reputed worth a hundred thousand dollars, to join him in the purchase, which he succeeded in doing. I then sold out to Clark & Brown for a nominal sum, without taking a dollar out of the business until all debts were paid, taking their note for the purchase price. They paid all debts when due and then paid me.

On the dissolution of our firm and my sale to Clark & Brown, I notified all creditors that Clark & Brown were obligated to pay one hundred cents on the dollar promptly when due and if they failed to receive their money on that basis, to notify me promptly, as I was in position to make them do so. Never receiving any notice from any creditor that their matters were unsettled, I had every reason to believe Brown & Clark’s statement that they had settled all indebtedness.

After a rest of several months I had a proposition made me by Mr. C. A. Keating, President of the Keating Implement & Machine Company, to take the management of their machinery department, succeeding in that position Colonel John G. Hunter and John Young, both excellent business men.

I expected to take stock in the Keating Implement & Machinery Company, but finally decided not to do so and simply worked on salary, commencing the first year with a salary of sixteen hundred and fifty dollars, when at the close of the season, Mr. Keating voluntarily paid me two thousand, then the next season raised my salary to twenty-five hundred. After my connection with the house for eleven years, the last three years of the time receiving thirty-six hundred dollars, I voluntarily resigned, under the protest of Mr. C. A. Keating. After I severed my connection with the house, they quit the machinery business, except threshers and some other goods that were not included in my department.

After severing my connection with the Keating Implement & Machine Company I went into business again, for my own account, on very limited capital and in a few years again built up a large machinery business, finally discontinuing cotton gin machinery, in which I was largely instrumental in inducing the Pratt Cotton Gin Company to enter the field with a complete system, which I assisted in developing.

On the formation of the Continental Gin Company, which took over the plants of four or five others, including my Pratt factory, I decided to drop gin machinery and confine my business to larger and high duty plants, in which I succeeded to my entire satisfaction. My success in this business was somewhat phenomenal. As heretofore stated, I was not an educated practical engineer, but in the organization of this new business I was careful to hunt up the record of every machine and its factory before its adoption, taking great care to get hold of the best and I don’t think I ever made a mistake, as many of my customers repeated their orders, after having tried and used the machines.

Among the list of my machinery I would mention the American Diesel Engine, which was just being introduced in the United States and was largely owned by Mr. Adolphus Busch.

I was persuaded to take hold of the introduction of this engine through a promise of Colonel Meyer, who undertook its introduction in this country, with his headquarters in New York, and who had known me for fifteen or twenty years, in connection with his Heine boiler business, which I had been handling and continued to handle.

Relying on his promise that if I would undertake the introduction of the engine, that I should continue to handle it exclusively in the Southwestern territory, and believing that on account of its enormous economy it would ultimately supplant all steam machinery, I did not hesitate to put my whole efforts and influence into the work of its introduction.

After putting about five years of the best labor of my latter years into its establishment, and just at a time when I felt I was going to realize something handsome out of the business, my health gave way to an extent that forced me to quit business altogether, never having had a real vacation and rest in forty-three years.

In winding up the history of my business career I regret to have to record that throughout the whole of it I was always the victim of misplaced confidence, never realizing any of the men I had associated with me would ever do me a wrong, in which I was nearly always mistaken.

I am able to say that I had associated with me men whom I trained in several lines of business, in fact, assisted in starting them, and some of them have attained great success, a number of them now occupying high positions. One of the wealthiest manufacturers in Dallas is a man whom I took up on the street, hunting work. It was largely through a kind, friendly feeling, I took hold of him and taught him the cotton gin machinery business. He proved one of the best salesmen I had and, as stated, is now the president of the largest manufacturing cotton gin machinery in the South. Another one of my old clerks in the mercantile business, is today the president of a big trust company, commanding a salary of twenty-five thousand dollars a year. While I refer to this case with a good deal of pride, I am frank to say that he is in no way indebted to me especially for his rise in the world, but only to his natural ability as a business man and his own personal efforts and energy.

Among the many young men that I took into my business, first and last, and taught and trained them in business, I recall one case, especially, that of James Summers, who came to me, among a number of young men, then going to school at the Rusk Masonic Institute, and begged me to teach him business. Most of the young men, immediately after the close of the war, thought that the mercantile business would be about the easiest and most pleasant to engage in, hence these many applications, among whom I would mention ex-Governor James Hogg, who was then a boy of about eighteen or twenty, going to school. I recall my answer to him: “Now, Jim, if you want to be a slave all your life, get behind this counter and go to work, but if you will take my advice, go out on a farm, develop your muscles and make a man of yourself.” He answered, “I expect to do that, Mr. Graber. I am going to make a man of myself,” which he certainly did, but not in mercantile pursuits.

To give the reader a better appreciation of the character of James E. Summers: When he came and asked me to teach him business his father was the keeper of a saloon and a horse racer, and I had understood, had whipped Jim at one time to make him ride a horse race for him; besides the old man was very profane and his conduct as stated. Jim’s nature and disposition revolted at it, though Jim had a noble Christian mother, whose disposition he, no doubt, inherited by nature, which, in connection with her teachings, made him the grand character that he proved to be.

Although I did not need any assistance at the time he asked for a position, which was about 1870, I decided to take hold of him and teach him all I knew about business, which proved a great pleasure to me, because he was always ready to receive instruction and profit by my advice. I soon made a bookkeeper out of him and I am prepared to say that I was rewarded for any salary I paid him and any time devoted to his instruction through his great success as a business man and his full appreciation of my efforts in his behalf, the knowledge of which I gained through several mutual friends, whom he told that he was indebted to Mr. Graber for what he was and everything he had.

After removing to Waxahachie, Jim married a daughter of a Doctor Francis, who could not bear the separation from her mother and family and, therefore, I advised him to go back to Rusk and get some of his farmer friends, of whom he had many, to advance him means to go into business for himself. This he did, and as soon as started, having the confidence and good will of all the people in Cherokee County, he soon did the leading business in the place and died about ten years ago, mourned by all that knew him, leaving an estate worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which was most extraordinary, considering the character of the town of Rusk and country surrounding it.

Having said this much in connection with my business career, I deem it unnecessary to enter into further details, as it would no doubt, prove irksome to the reader and I merely said as much to show that I always felt interested in worthy characters that I had associated with me in business, never caring much for a great accumulation of wealth, until it was too late.

Had I made the accumulation of money my main object, I no doubt could have been among the rich men of Dallas, the most of whom accumulated their fortunes in speculative channels. Had I engaged in speculative channels in real estate, I would certainly have made money and had the good judgment to quit before it was too late, wherein many of my friends and acquaintances failed.

My business always outgrew the amount of my capital and as a result I always owed the banks and other creditors and it was a fixed principle with me as long as I owed a dollar, that nothing I had really belonged to me and therefore I had no moral right to take money out of my business to put into speculative channels in real estate.

Before closing my business record in Dallas, I must pay a deserved tribute to L. Rector Cabell, who entered my service to study and learn machinery. I am able to say, although young and without business experience, he soon proved himself efficient in cotton gin machinery, and one of the most loyal and honest men in my employ, carefully guarding my business interests—just like his honored father, General W. L. Cabell, and devoted sister, Mrs. Kate Cabell Muse, in behalf of the U. C. V. organization. After leaving my service, Rector accepted a position with the engineering department in Havana, Cuba, where he has been engaged since, and is now receiving a handsome salary.

CHAPTER XXXV
The Confederate Veterans’ Home.

In connection with my personal history I will take the liberty of referring to my connection with the organization and work in behalf of the United Confederate Veterans’ Association.

I realized that only by a combined effort of the old soldiers could we perpetuate our true history and especially take care of the indigent and needy old comrades, when sick and in distress. While associated with the Keating house, the Confederate Home at Austin was started by John B. Hood Camp of Austin and maintained by soliciting public contributions, as the State was prohibited by the Constitution to contribute anything towards its maintenance. Realizing the necessity of everybody interested doing all they were able to do and my own ability at the time being very limited, I conceived the plan of requesting donations by factories, whose machinery we were handling, of certain machines they were manufacturing as parts of a complete cotton gin outfit. In line with this I wrote a letter to each one of our factories, setting forth the condition of our Confederate Home and asking contributions of such parts as they manufactured, for a complete 3-60 saw gin outfit. These factories were all located in the North and East, but their response was prompt and cheerful. I had a sixty-horse power boiler, contributed by the Erie City Iron Works; a 3-60 saw gins and elevator by the Eagle Cotton Gin Company of Bridgewater, Mass.; a Thomas steam cylinder press by the Thomas Manufacturing Company of Little Rock, Ark., and Mr. Keating gave me a fifty-horse power Erie City Iron Works engine; a four-ton Chicago scale, by the Chicago Scale Company and a magnificent Schuttler wagon by the Peter Schuttler Wagon Company of Chicago, the whole worth about thirty-five hundred dollars.

I immediately notified Governor Ross of this handsome donation by Northern factories, giving him a full list of the donors, and he wrote a personal letter of thanks to each of the parties.

Cotton gin machinery, at this time, was rarely bought for cash, always sold on long time credit, which of course did not meet the urgent needs of the Confederate Home. In conferring with General Cabell and other prominent members of the Camp, we decided on a plan of having a drawing for this machinery, selling tickets at one dollar, believing we could raise a large amount of money in this way, as outside of a chance of drawing the machinery was the further inducement that the dollar paid for the ticket would afford relief to our needy Confederate Home. I then went to work actively, after first conferring with some of the best legal talent of the city, as to whether such a drawing was permissable by law. As it was by them held entirely within the law, taking the position that a drawing for charity was not a lottery, but a drawing for profit is a lottery, I had no hesitancy in permitting my name used in connection with it.

About this time we had an exciting contest for the Governorship of the State between Attorney General Hogg and Judge George Clark of Waco. On the policies of each, our comrades of the Camp were divided. While our Confederate Constitution prohibits the discussion of politics in the meetings of our Camp, still the members were not prohibited from expressing their views outside. The Clark element of the Camp insisted before we proceeded in this drawing to write Attorney General Hogg, asking his opinion on the legal status of such proceedings, hoping that he would rule adversely, thereby making himself very unpopular in the State. Knowing Hogg’s disposition on such ruling and believing he would express a radical view on the same, I did my best to keep the matter from reaching his ears, but all to no purpose.

I forgot to mention I had gone on with the work of getting up tickets and an attractive circular with large cuts of each machine, and sent them broadcast all over the State. I sent a hundred tickets each to the sheriff and county clerk of each county, requesting them to act as sales agents for us, when we had numerous letters from different ones, saying that they could sell every ticket they had and to send more, thus we had a fair prospect of raising at least fifty thousand dollars.

The continued agitation by members of the Camp on the subject, asking Attorney General Hogg for his opinion, resulted in my being appointed a committee of one to write to him for his opinion in the matter, when he answered promptly in response that such proceedings would be illegal and he hoped that it would not be attempted. When I read his letter to the Camp the Clark men said they had always been satisfied that his ruling would be such and insisted on dropping the matter. Having cherished the hope that I would be instrumental in perhaps securing the magnificent sum of fifty thousand dollars for the benefit of the Confederate Home, which in connection with the opinion of several of the ablest lawyers in the State—such men as the Hon. Seth Sheppard and others, whose names I don’t remember and whose opinions I regarded more highly than I did Hogg’s, as their construction of the law in the matter, as before stated, seemed to me most reasonable and fair—I told the members of the Camp, “The drawing goes on. My name is on the ticket and if Attorney General Hogg wants to proceed in the matter, he is at liberty to proceed against me.”

The Sunday following I wrote a personal letter to my old-time friend, Attorney General Hogg, setting forth the urgency of our action and finally told him, by my advice the Camp had decided to go on with the drawing and the object of my writing him was simply to say that we valued his opinion most highly and appreciated his good intentions towards the Confederate Home and his rulings were fully in accord with his duties, as he conceived them to be, and finally wound up the letter by saying, “the end justified the means,” which expression proved fatal and got him stirred up about the matter to the extent, as I suspected, of notifying all sheriffs and county clerks that it would be dangerous for them to undertake the sale of the tickets and as a result, I regret to have to record that all the tickets were returned to me, except perhaps about a hundred.

In answer to my letter the Attorney General stated that if we persisted in having the drawing that he would use all the power of the State at his command to put it down and punish us.

The Clark men of the Camp soon circulated the result of our correspondence and proclaimed to the State that Attorney General Hogg was unfriendly to the Confederate Home and also to our Confederate organization, which of course he denied in several of his speeches.

Every Governor up until now, preceding his elevation to the office, had been an ex-Confederate soldier, but had never done anything to assist in the maintenance of the Confederate Home through any appropriation of the State’s money.

As is well known, Governor Hogg was elected and soon after his installation into the office, he caused the appropriation of money collected from rental of a building that had been temporarily used as the Capitol, while the new Capitol Building was under construction and immediately after the assembling of the Legislature, urged the passage of a resolution, submitting a Constitutional Amendment to enable the State to take charge of the Confederate Home and also to give pensions to needy Confederates, not in the Home.

It is needless to say when this amendment was voted on by the people of the State it was carried by a large majority, thus enabling legislative appropriations for its maintenance in a suitable manner.

CHAPTER XXXVI
My Appointments in the U. C. V.

On the organization of the U. C. V. in 1892, I received the appointment by Lieutenant-General Cabell, who was elected Commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, of Quartermaster-General of the Trans-Mississippi Department, with the rank of Brigadier-General. On receipt of my commission, issued by General John B. Gordon, one morning, while opening the package, Mr. C. A. Keating was looking on and on my being surprised at such promotion, never having had notice of General Cabell’s appointment, Keating asked me what I was going to do about it? I told him that I was going to turn it down, that I did not think I deserved any such promotion, besides I feared it would take a great deal of my valuable time out of business, when he insisted on my accepting it, which I still refused. He made me promise to take the document home to my children, saying that they had more interest perhaps, in such an honor than I had and if they were willing to have me turn it down he would have nothing further to say. In connection with this, he asked a question, “Tell me of a Confederate soldier in this community that has done as much for the needy Confederates as you have and is more entitled to it than you are?”

I took the document home, as I had promised him, to show to my children and when I suggested to them that I intended to turn it down they would not hear to it, saying that they were as much interested in the matter and would appreciate it as a great honor conferred on them, as well as myself, when I finally had to yield in the matter and accepted the appointment, which I have never had cause to regret, though it was a heavy tax on my purse and time, which latter properly belonged to C. A. Keating, to say nothing of using his stenographer, etc., all of which he cheerfully contributed and is entitled to the credit.

Having served in this capacity for a number of years, I was finally elected to the command of the Fourth Brigade, composed of the principal Camps of North Texas, with a membership of about five thousand, which forced me to resign the office of Quartermaster General and accept the high honor, which I very much appreciated. Serving in this capacity a year, I decided to decline re-election on account of deficiency in hearing, which almost disqualified me from presiding over this body at its annual meeting and soon after, was appointed by General Stephen D. Lee, Assistant Adjutant-General on his staff, with the rank of Brigadier-General and which appointment I have had from every successive commander and I may, perhaps, hold until death. I certainly appreciate these honors conferred on me by my Confederate comrades, more perhaps than anything that has ever fallen to my lot. This closes my connection with the Confederate U. C. V. organization; many of the details of its works I do not care to record herein, as they might appear too much of egotism.

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE ON CONFEDERATE

MATTERS

Columbus, Miss., April 21, 1905.

General H. W. Graber.

My Dear Sir: I have yours of April 18, with enclosures. I had seen the pleasant incidents of return of flags by veterans of Texas, and also the return of the Ranger flag at time it occurred. Let us hope your letter to the President did good, for certainly he has changed his views, and if he has not recanted what he once wrote and spoke, he has for some time spoken and acted in the very opposite way, which virtually is the same thing. This is the country of our fathers, of us all now and of our children, and we should accept any advances of reconciliation and obliteration of sectional lines possible and consistent with our self-respect.

Thanking you for your letter and enclosure, I return them,

With kind wishes,

Your comrade and friend,

STEPHEN D. LEE.

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New Orleans, La., April 4, 1909.

Brig.-General H. W. Graber,

Dallas, Texas.

Dear General: I have much pleasure in handing you herein a copy of S/O No. 12, naming the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the U. C. V.

The General Commanding this glorious Federation feels that the responsibility rests on him to use every effort to bring forth the results that will be for its best interests. He knows that if the earnest workers and progressive spirits in the association will render such services in his aid as he has reason to think they will, our order will make more rapid advances in the future, greatly diminished as are our numbers, than in the past.

Trusting, then, on your love for the organization and your eminent fitness for the position, he has selected you as one of his personal staff; and begs that you will honor him by accepting the position of Assistant Adjutant-General, with the rank of Brigadier-General.

In addition to using every occasion to increase the interest and affection of the veterans in our “social, literary, historical and benevolent” society, and constantly working to bring about peace and harmony among the comrades, he particularly desires that you will, if possible, be in attendance at the Memphis Reunion, in full dress uniform, and meet him at the Headquarters Hotel (the Peabody Hotel) to concert measures that will make this a most memorable occasion. He hopes that you will attend the daily sessions of the convention, be present on the stage with him, and on the day of the parade take part with the entire staff in full uniform.

Trusting that you may be able and willing to assist in this great work in the way indicated, with every good wish for your health, prosperity and happiness,

Most sincerely,

WM. E. MICKLE,

Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.

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War Department,

Vicksburg National Military Park Commission,

Vicksburg, Miss.

January 14, 1909.

General H. W. Graber,

Dallas, Texas.

My Dear Sir: I highly appreciated and greatly enjoyed reading your good letter of the 12th instant, and its inclosures, one of which is herewith returned. Needless for me to say to you that I am in heartiest sympathy with the generous, patriotic and American sentiments so well expressed in the “Concurrent Resolution” of the two Houses of the Indiana Legislature, Session of 1899. Ten years earlier, in 1889, in an address to the veterans of my regiment (24th Iowa Infantry) in reunion assembled, I said, in part:

“In forming the characters and shaping the lives of the future citizens of this great Republic, we fondly hope that the unselfish devotion to duty and the unshaken valor of the volunteer soldier will be a potent influence for good; that his heroism will live in song and story and through all the years to come, be a challenge to patriotism, above the din of party strife ringing loud and clear as bugles that blow for battle. Nor do we forget that our late foes were brave men and gallant soldiers. Their valor, like the valor of the men of the North, illustrates and adorns the character of the American citizen soldier. This character, tempered and proved in the crucible of battle, is the pledge and sure prophecy of the greatness of our common country. Looking into the future, may we not say of the coming American citizen, ‘His shall be larger manhood’ because of the heroic example of the men who conquered with Grant and Sherman and the no less heroic example of the men who surrendered with Lee and Johnston. Of this coming American, may we not predict that, where need is, he will know that ‘not suffering but faint heart is worst of woes.’ In the nobler destiny of our country, in the larger and stronger character of its people, will be found the final compensation for all the suffering and all the losses of the war.”

Please keep me closely informed in regard to the prospects for the greatly desired Texas appropriation for the Vicksburg Park. Command and direct me whenever I can help in any way.

Very cordially yours,

WM. T. RIGBY, Chairman.

CHAPTER XXXVII
The Terry Rangers’ Flag.

One most remarkable incident I must not fail to add: As stated heretofore, the Terry Rangers of which I was a member, lost a beautiful flag sent us by a couple of young ladies of Nashville, made of their dresses, which after the first engagement wherein it was displayed, near Rome, Georgia, we lost in a stampede and it was found by a scout of the enemy the next day. This flag had worked in beautiful silk letters, the name of Terry’s Texas Rangers, beside some Latin, which I do not remember. After the war, on a number of public occasions, such as the several National Expositions in Chicago and Philadelphia, the Grand Army, who had charge of such matters, exhibited this flag, with a tag in bold letters, “Captured from Terry’s Texas Rangers in an engagement near Rome, Georgia, by the Seventeenth Indiana Mounted Infantry.”

Such a public exhibition of our misfortune was galling to the members of the regiment and when Governor Hendricks, the first Democratic Governor of Indiana, was installed, we made a request through our Governor Hubbard for the return of the flag. Governor Hendricks very properly referred the request to the State Librarian of Indiana, who happened to be a vindictive, howling Republican and in answer wrote Governor Hubbard a very insulting letter, refusing to return the flag. The matter then was dropped.

About thirty-four years after the close of the war, a business friend, Mr. William Burr of Dallas, who was an ex-Federal soldier, came to my office one day, and asked me if I ever drank any cider? I told him I did when I could get good cider. He told me he had a friend in an old shack near the Windsor Hotel, who was making cider, and invited me to go around and have a glass of cider with him. To this I consented. He there introduced me to a Major Weiler, and in conversation with him, I found that he belonged to Wilder’s Brigade, who were with Sherman’s army in Georgia. While we were sipping cider Burr remarked, “Well, this is pretty good; two Yanks and one Johnny sipping cider together.” Major Weiler then asked what command I belonged to? I told him I belonged to the Eighth Texas Cavalry. He said, “Terry’s Texas Rangers?” I told him, “Yes,” when he said, “I am mighty glad to meet you; I have been trying to find somebody belonging to your command ever since I’ve been in Dallas. I am the man that found your flag.” Of course, I was much gratified at meeting him and told him about our efforts to have the flag returned and the result at the hands of the State Librarian. “Now, Major, this flag is yours; you found it and as you state you want to return it, you make a demand on Governor Mount of Indiana, claiming the flag as yours and return it to our regiment.” He said that it had been the ambition of his life to do this and in accordance therewith indited a letter to Governor Mount, requesting the return of the flag to him, for the purpose, he stated, to return it to the Rangers.

He furthermore stated that he was well acquainted with Governor Mount, as the Governor was a private in his command, of which he was a major. Verily, strange are the vicissitudes of life! Governor Mount’s major was now making cider at five cents a glass.

In due time Major Weiler received an answer to his request from the Governor’s Private Secretary, stating that the Governor had no authority to return the flag, which could only be done through a joint resolution of the Legislature of Indiana. We then both concluded that we might as well give it up; we hardly thought that a unanimous vote could be had on such a proposition by a lot of politicians.

I then requested the major to furnish me a written statement, setting forth the circumstances under which he came into possession of the flag and especially that the flag was not captured in battle, but was picked up in the road the next day after our engagement, encased in a rubber pocket, and he did not examine it until he returned from a scout and rejoined his main command, being much surprised that the package found contained the Terry Texas Rangers’ flag, which was forwarded to the State authorities at Indianapolis, Indiana.

In about a month the Terry Rangers had their annual reunion at Austin, Texas, where I had read the statement of Major Weiler, which, of course, was a matter of surprise and deep interest. A resolution by a comrade was offered to appoint a committee, with myself as chairman, to memorialize the Indiana Legislature, requesting the return of the flag, I being the only member of the committee present, the balance not being in attendance at the reunion. On my return home I wrote to each member of the committee, requesting them to draw up a memorial and forward to me, to which I received no response. I then drew up the memorial myself and attached a letter I received from a Colonel Wylie in Dallas, who was a gallant soldier and commanded an Iowa regiment during the war.

I next forwarded this memorial to the Richmond City Mill Works of Richmond, Indiana, a concern I was doing business with, requesting that they turn it over to their Representative in the Legislature, which they promptly did and in due time I received a letter from Senator Binkley, stating that he would take pleasure in introducing it and that I would hear from him in due time.

To my great surprise, in about thirty days I received a printed copy of a joint resolution of the Legislature of the State of Indiana, carried unanimously, instructing Governor Mount to return the flag to the Terry’s Texas Rangers in person and appropriating two hundred and fifty dollars to pay the expense of his trip to Texas. The complete resolution follows:

House Concurrent Resolution No. 6

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 9

Preamble and Concurrent Resolution in relation to the return to the association of the survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers of their battle flag, captured from them during the late war of rebellion by the 17th Regiment of Indiana Infantry (mounted) Volunteers, appointing a commission to discharge said duty, and ordering an appropriation to pay the expenses thereof.

Whereas, On October 13, 1864, during the War of the Rebellion, the flag of the Texas Rangers at a battle near Coosaville, Alabama, was captured by the 17th Regiment of Indiana Infantry (mounted) Volunteers, in command of Major J. J. Weiler, and then belonging to General J. T. Wilder’s Brigade, which brigade at the time was in command of General A. O. Miller, and subsequently, by the proper authorities, was deposited in the archives of the State of Indiana, and now reposes in the custody of the State Geologist, and to which is attached the following inscription:

“Battle flag of the Texas Rangers, captured from the 8th Texas Cavalry near Galesville, Alabama, October 13, 1864, by two companies of the 17th Indiana Infantry, commanded by Major J. J. Weiler, of Company E, Wilder’s Brigade.”

And, Whereas, H. W. Graber, George W. Littlefield, S. P. Christian, W. D. Cleveland and R. Y. King, all of the State of Texas, as a committee duly appointed by and representing the Association of Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers, by their petition hereunto attached, have asked the Legislature of the State of Indiana to kindly return to that association said battle flag, that it may be kept and treasured by them, and in said memorial the said Major J. J. Weiler, now a Past Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic for the district of Texas, has united, and which memorial is as follows:

“To the Honorable President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Legislature of the State of Indiana:

“The undersigned, your memorialists, most respectfully show that they were selected by the Association of Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers, a committee to memorialize your honorable bodies for the return to said association of the colors of that command, lost during the Civil War near Coosaville, Alabama.

“Your memorialists would show that in a cavalry engagement on the 13th day of October, 1864, the flag of the Texas Rangers was lost near the field and found by one of your memorialists, Mr. J. J. Weiler, then the Major of the 17th Indiana Infantry, and was subsequently deposited in the archives of your State.

“In view of the fact that the American people have forever put behind them the animosities and heartburnings which were incident to our unfortunate Civil War, and are one united, patriotic people, marching shoulder to shoulder under the folds of the Star Spangled Banner, and keeping the step to ‘Hail Columbia’ in the onward sweep to that high destiny, which, through the providence of God, awaits our grand Republic.

“Your memorialists would most respectfully request that such action be taken by your honorable bodies as will result in the return of the flag to the Association of the Survivors of Terry’s Rangers.

“As beautifully and appropriately expressed by Col. W. D. Wylie, in his letter hereto attached, ‘We now drink out of the same canteen, sheltered and protected by one common flag,’ a sentiment so universal that it is without hesitation we appeal to our countrymen, the brave and gallant and patriotic citizens of Indiana, in even a matter of sentiment so delicate as that involved in our request. And as gracious as the favor will be accounted by the association, we are sure that the still greater pleasure will be with the people of Indiana in bestowing it.

“Most respectfully submitted,

“H. H. GRABER,	“W. D. CLEVELAND,
“G. W. LITTLEFIELD,	“R. Y. KING,
“S. P. CHRISTIAN,	“J. J. WEILER.”

And, Whereas, There is attached to said memorial a letter from W. D. Wylie, also a Past Commander, G. A. R., of the Department of Texas, as follows:

“Dallas, Texas, September 30, 1898.

“Col. H. W. Graber, Quartermaster-General Trans-Mississippi Department, U. C. V.:

“My Dear Sir: Referring to the conversation we had in reference to the colors of your old command, which had been lost during the late Civil War, on October 13, 1864, in a battle near Coosaville, Ala., by my comrade and our mutual friend, Maj. J. J. Weiler, of the 17th Indiana, who had, under instructions, turned the flag over to the State of Indiana, where it now reposes in the State library at Indianapolis, and which you are now endeavoring to have returned to the remnant of your old command—as an old soldier, Colonel, I can readily understand the beautiful sentiment which is so characteristic of the American soldier in the desire of yourself and comrades to secure the colors under which you passed through so many dangers, which are now passed and gone, leaving only the memories of a struggle which has resulted, with all its sufferings and animosities, in bringing us closer together, and we now drink out of the same canteen, sheltered and protected by one common flag, and in this connection, at your request, it is with pleasure I give the episode relating to the return of the flag of the 57th Indiana Infantry by Texas, in 1885. While commanding the Department of Texas, Grand Army of the Republic, in 1885, Parsons’ Confederate Brigade held their annual reunion at Cleburne, Texas. Myself and others who wore the blue were the honored guests of the brigade. During the proceedings, Major Heath and Capt. W. G. Veal called my attention to the fact that a brave soldier (a corporal) of the 13th Tennessee, now a resident and citizen of Texas, had in his possession and on the grounds the regimental flag and colors of the 57th Indiana, which he had captured at the Battle of Franklin, Tenn., in December, 1864, and had taken careful care of for twenty years, hoping that he would find some representative of that regiment to whom he could return this priceless and precious relic. I received the valued colors from the brave soldier and immediately conferred with Department Commander of the State of Indiana, and was informed that the 57th would hold their annual reunion during the month of September of the current year, and they earnestly requested that Texas be present in person at that time for the return of their long-lost colors. We arranged that Capt. W. G. Veal and Maj. E. M. Heath, of the Confederate Veterans, and Corporal W. M. Crooks, the brave soldier who had captured the colors, should accompany myself and staff to the reunion at Kokomo, taking with us the flag.

“It is needless to give you the incidents of the trip further than that Indiana threw her doors open to give the old Texans who had met them on the field, a royal reception, and Corporal Crooks was received with open arms by the boys in blue, whom he had last met at the point of the bayonet on the field of battle; and the return of that precious relic that had spread its silken folds over the brave Hoosier boys in many a hard-fought battle, wiped out the animosities engendered by the war, especially between Indiana and Texas, and Corporal Crooks occupies an enviable niche in the war history of the Hoosier State, and the boys in blue and the boys in gray are now marching elbow to elbow, side by side, for the honor and integrity of our common country, and I can assure you, Colonel, that when you make the application for the return of your colors it will be as much of a heartfelt pleasure for Indiana to return the flag as for Texas to receive it.

“Sincerely yours,

“W. D. WYLIE,

“Past Commander Dept. of Texas, G. A. R.”

And, Whereas, As shown by the correspondence of Governor Mount with Gen. J. T. Wilder and Gen. A. O. Miller, that they severally approve such return, which correspondence is as follows:

“Lebanon, Indiana, January 30, 1899.

“Gov. J. A. Mount:

“Dear Governor: In answer to your letter of the 28th inst., some twelve years ago a representation of Terry’s Texas Rangers asked the Legislature to return the flag referred to in your letter, which was not done. I was willing then they might have the flag and know of no reason why it should not be given to the representation of the regiment now.

“The brigade captured two pieces of artillery at the same time. As the guns were captured from our forces at Murfreesboro, Tenn., in 1862, and have long since been made into G. A. R. badges, they are disposed of, and the returning the flag will settle that matter to good advantage.

“Your friend and comrade,

“A. O. MILLER.”

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“Knoxville, Tenn., February 1, 1899.

“Hon. Jas. A. Mount, Indianapolis, Ind.:

“Dear Governor: I have your favor of the 28th of January, relating to the return of the battle flag of Terry’s Texas Rangers, which was captured by the 17th Indiana, near Coosaville, Ga., in October, 1864. In so far as I am concerned, I quite agree with you as to the propriety of returning this flag, but I think that Gen. A. O. Miller is the proper man to consult, as he was in command of the brigade at the time the flag was captured. I would suggest that if the flag is returned to Texas, that you take a clear receipt for it, to be preserved in the State archives. * * * Believe me,

“Your comrade and faithful friend,

“J. T. WILDER.”

“Dear Senator: After your call at my office, I immediately wrote to my old brigade commanders, Generals Wilder and Miller. I was in the engagement when the battle flag of the Texas Rangers was captured. I am sure there is but one sentiment at this time, and that is, return the battle flag. Texans and Indianians rally under the one flag now. Generous acts will tend to obliterate the asperities of war.

“I herewith enclose letters of Generals Wilder and Miller.

Yours truly,

“JAS. A. MOUNT.

“February 2, 1899.”

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Therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Indiana, the Senate Concurring, That the said battle flag be returned by said State of Indiana to said Association of the Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers; that the duty of the return thereof be delegated to the Governor of the State and the present Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic for the Department of Indiana, with such other Union soldiers whom the Governor may appoint, and that the Geologist of the State of Indiana, now in charge of said battle flag, do deliver the same to said commission, taking their receipt therefor, to be deposited in place of said battle flag; and that said commission, at such time as may be most convenient, in person return said battle flag to said association; that the actual expense of said commission, not to exceed the sum of two hundred and fifty (250) dollars, be paid by said State of Indiana, and that the same be placed, by the proper committees, in the general appropriation bill to be enacted at this session of the Legislature.

Mr. Speaker: Your Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred House Concurrent Resolution No. 6, which resolution provides for the return of certain flags to the Association of the Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers, has had the same under consideration, and begs leave to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that said resolution be amended by inserting the words “the Governor of the State and” between the words “to” and “the,” in line 4, page 7. (2) Substitute the word “such” for the word “two,” in line 5, page 7. (3) Strike out the words “when the’ between the words “soldiers” and “may,” in line 5, page 7, and insert therefor the words “as the Governor.” And that, as so amended, the said resolution be adopted.

SOMERS,

Chairman.

---

As soon as it became known to the Grand Army organization of Indiana, a certain post, numbering about four hundred members, passed a resolution denouncing the action of the Indiana Legislature and demanding of Governor Mount not to return the flag. The reporter of a paper, who attended this meeting, on his way home met General Ryan, the Commander of the Grand Army organization of the State and submitted to him the resolution passed by this post, when he unqualifiedly endorsed it and stated that he was going to write to Governor Mount not to return the flag.

Governor Mount then wrote to General Wilder, who commanded the brigade to which Major Weiler belonged, and asked his opinion and received General Weiler’s answer, saying the flag ought to be returned. Governor Mount also wrote to General Henry, who commanded the division and had his answer, saying the flag ought to be returned, which Governor Mount determined to do at any cost.

Immediately on my receipt of the resolutions I forwarded it to Senator Wooten in Austin and suggested to him that this was no longer an affair of our regiment, but it was the action of the State of Indiana extending the olive branch to the State of Texas and should have suitable acknowledgment. I requested Senator Wooten to introduce a resolution inviting the whole Legislature of the State of Indiana to come to Texas as the guests of our Legislature and appropriating ten thousand dollars to defray the expense thereof. (This appropriation was unconstitutional and could not have carried, but as it turned out, it was not needed, as the Indiana Legislature, on receipt of same, had already adjourned.)

THE TERRY’S RANGERS’ FLAG

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PASSED INVITING

GOV. MOUNT AND PARTY TO

VISIT AUSTIN.

INDIANIANS TO BE GUESTS OF STATE.

Resolutions Transmitted by Wire to Governor of Indiana and Mailed to Legislative Officers.

Austin, Tex., March 4.—(Special.)—The correspondence and concurrent resolution relating to the return of a battle flag to the Texas Rangers are of interest. Senator Brinkley, one of the members of the Senate of Indiana, wrote to Mr. H. W. Graber of Dallas. The letter from Hon. C. C. Brinkley and the resolutions adopted by the Indiana Legislature were printed in The News of Thursday, March 2, while the memorial and other letters referred to in the following have previously appeared in The News:

Mr. Graber of Dallas has written to Mr. Wooten as follows:

Dallas, Tex., Feb. 27.—Hon. Dudley G. Wooten, Austin, Tex.: Dear Sir—Inclosed find copies of memorial, letter and resolution of the Legislature of the State of Indiana, in reference to the return of the battle flag to the Association of Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers.

You will observe that the resolution contemplates the return of the flag by his excellency, the Governor of Indiana, in person, and an appropriation is made to defray the expenses of the Governor and party.

It occurs to me that this liberal, generous and patriotic action upon the part of the Legislature and Governor of Indiana should be met by appropriate official recognition by the Legislature of the State of Texas.

It has been suggested, and it seems to me rightful, that the Governor of Indiana and his party, while in the State, should be the guests of the State of Texas, and that a small appropriation should be made and placed at the disposal of Gov. Sayers, to enable him in the name and on behalf of the people of the State, to extend to Gov. Mount and party a royal welcome to Texas. Such amenities are invaluable, and would tend to wipe out the lingering bitterness of the past, more closely connect the American people in common brotherhood, and place Texas in the true light before the world as among the most patriotic and liberal States in the Union.

I would suggest that you confer with Governor Sayers and Major Littlefield (who resides at Austin, one of the officers of the Association of Terry’s Texas Rangers) as to the action to be taken.

I assume that the time will be designated for a meeting of the association to be held at Austin for the purpose of meeting Gov. Mount and party. I am sure it is not necessary to say that Texas should not permit Indiana to outstrip her in the good work of joyous reconciliation.

Please return to me the copies inclosed when you have no further need for them, as I wish to present them with my report to the Association.

Yours truly,

H. W. GRABER.

The following is the concurrent resolution introduced by Judge Kittrell and passed:

Concurrent Resolution:

Whereas, the Legislature of Texas has just heard with emotions of sincerest pleasure that the Legislature of the State of Indiana has adopted a resolution providing for the return of the battle flag of Terry’s Texas Rangers, which was captured by an Indiana regiment during the late war between the States, and has appointed a committee, including Gov. Mount and his staff to visit Texas and return said flag to the Association of the Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers. Therefore, be it

Resolved, by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, That the action of the Legislature of Indiana is recognized as most generous, chivalric and patriotic and is hailed as a most gratifying evidence of the restoration of that unselfish and unsectional spirit upon the existence and continuance of which so largely depends the prosperity and happiness of our common country, and that the thanks of the Legislature of Texas be and are hereby tendered the Legislature of our sister State of Indiana for its patriotic action. And be it further

Resolved, That the committee appointed by the Legislature of Indiana to return said flag be and it is hereby invited to visit the city of Austin at the earliest possible day to the end that appropriate ceremonies may mark the occasion of the return of said flag, for which ceremonies the use of the hall of the House of Representatives is hereby tendered. Be it further

Resolved, That an invitation to attend said ceremonies be and is hereby extended to the Governor and other State officers and the Legislature of Indiana and to the Governor and other State officers of Texas, to the Association of the Survivors of Terry’s Texas Rangers, John B. Hood Camp, Austin Camp of the Grand Army of the Republic and the inmates of the Confederate Home. Be it further

Resolved, That these resolutions be at once transmitted by wire to the Governor of Indiana with the request that he lay them at once before the Senate and House of Representatives of that State and a duly engrossed copy thereof, signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and duly attested by the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate be likewise transmitted by mail to both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate of the State of Indiana.

Governor Mount was taken sick very soon after and was unable to come to Texas immediately, but in a further correspondence with him, asked to have the time of his visit deferred until fall, which suited our purpose exactly. Colonel Wylie, in the meantime, received a newspaper clipping, containing the action of the army post, endorsed by General Ryan, demanding that the flag be not returned, when we both agreed we would keep the matter secret, which we did. There is no doubt it would have marred the pleasure of the Governor’s visit had any mention been made to him of the matter.

After my comrades of the committee learned I had been successful in having the flag returned, Mr. W. D. Cleveland of Houston insisted that the meeting on the return of the flag should be had in his city. Mr. Littlefield claimed it ought to be at Austin and so on, but I finally decided that it ought to be at Dallas during our State Fair, when we had low railroad rates and greater crowds than they could gather at any point in Texas. I then submitted the matter to Governor Mount and had his letter, expressing himself highly pleased, as he would thus be enabled to see more of Texas than he would at any other time, having heard a great deal about the extent of our State Fair. He furthermore stated in this letter that when he came to Texas he would come in state, as the representative of the State of Indiana.

During the first week of the fair we had the pleasure of the arrival of the Governor and his magnificent staff, which latter were in brilliant uniform and proved to be one of the most magnificent bodies of men we ever had to visit Dallas. They also brought their horse equipment, such as saddles, bridles, etc., and were accompanied by quite a number of ladies; if I remember correctly, there were fifty-two in the party, on a special train, and with the party was our friend, General Ryan, to whom the Governor had turned over the two hundred and fifty dollars appropriated for him to pay his expenses.

I regret to have to record that I was unable to secure the attendance of a large part of our Ranger organization, who seemed to have taken offense because we had the meeting at Dallas, really prompted by petty jealousies of the cities where they resided and, as a consequence, we had only twenty-four Rangers present.

The meeting of the Governors and the ceremonies attending the occasion, was had in the Machinery Hall at the Fair Grounds, which had a seating capacity, outside of the stage, of only about one thousand to twelve hundred. At the hour of the opening of the ceremonies the Indiana Governor, with his staff and ladies, were seated on one side of the stage with twenty-four vacant chairs in two rows, in front, on the opposite side of the stage and the rear portion of the stage, occupied by the city officials and prominent citizens of the town, the two Governors sitting together in the front part of the aisle.

When everything was ready I marched in the twenty-four Rangers present in column, by twos, headed by myself with Miss Ruth Phelps, carrying a Texas flag. Miss Ruth Phelps was the daughter of one of our Rangers and the only member of the Phelps family living and was lost in the Galveston storm the next year.

After forming the Rangers in two lines in front of their chairs, I introduced Governor Mount to everyone and he, in turn, introduced General Ryan and when General Ryan had reached and shaken hands with the last member on the second row, he came around in front, singing, “There is a land that is fairer than day,” in which the whole audience joined, standing, and I believe proved one of the most affecting scenes ever witnessed in this city. We then had several speeches before the Governor spoke, one by General Ryan, which evidenced considerable change in his attitude on the return of the flag and which, of course, was unknown to any one present, except Colonel Wylie and myself.

In the course of Senator Brinkley’s remarks he referred to the captured flag, when one of our Rangers jumped up, asking pardon for interrupting him, and saying he wanted the audience to understand that the flag was not captured, but it was found, when another one of our Rangers remarked: “Bill, you know they run us out of it; what’s the difference?” which, of course, created considerable merriment. Governor Mount happened to be sitting near me and remarked, “Graber, I thought you Rangers never run,” when I said to him, “Governor, if they hadn’t run a thousand times, there would not have been one left here to tell the tale. We always knew when to quit and didn’t require a bugle call to bring us out.”

Governor Mount next made one of the most patriotic speeches, characteristic of the man, ever listened to, which was responded to by Governor Sayers, who also, it is needless to say, did full justice to the occasion, as he, too, had been a gallant Confederate soldier.

After the closing of the speeches Governor Mount had the flag brought forward on the stage and, with a few appropriate remarks, handed it over to Governor Sayers, who also accepted it with appropriate remarks. Thus ended one of the grandest occasions ever had since the Civil War and its salutary effect on sectional feeling cannot be overestimated.

The Governor and staff remained with us three days. We had the best rooms at the Oriental Hotel assigned them and their hotel bills were paid by Camp Sterling Price, the Grand Army Post of Dallas and the Fair Association, and taking their expression on their visit, they left impressed with the grandeur of the Lone Star State and its people. Governor Mount and several members of his staff, among whom was Major Durban, who succeeded Governor Mount in the office of Governor, made me promise if I ever came anywhere near Indianapolis I must be sure to stop, as they wanted an opportunity to entertain me and I regret to have to report that I, on a business trip in that section, made a special visit to Indianapolis to meet them once more, when I found Governor Mount’s body prepared for burial. This changed my trip from that of pleasure to one of sadness and regret, and with this feeling, I did not stop, but passed through without making myself known.

CHAPTER XXXVIII
Roosevelt’s Visit to Texas

A few years after this incident Dallas was making great preparations to receive and entertain President Roosevelt, on an invitation extended him by Colonel John N. Simpson of the National Exchange Bank.

Colonel Simpson and Roosevelt were neighbors, on adjoining ranches in the great Northwest and were great friends. When Colonel Roosevelt raised his regiment of Rough Riders at San Antonio, Colonel Simpson’s son, Sloan Simpson, quit Harvard College and joined the regiment at San Antonio and was with his regiment in their engagement at San Juan Hill, which furthermore increased their friendship.

In April of that year I received a Congressional pamphlet containing a speech of Congressman Kitchin of North Carolina, scoring President Roosevelt on many of his expressions and acts while in office. This was just preceding his second nomination for the Presidency. We had had some bitter denunciations of the President by Senator Vardaman of Mississippi and Tillman of South Carolina, and after reading the speech of Kitchin, in which he referred to Roosevelt’s book on the life of Benton, which had the largest circulation of any he ever published and in which occurs the expression, “Through the Southern character runs a streak of coarse brutality,” and another passage, “As long as the word treason is in the English dictionary, so long will Jefferson Davis stand the Archtraitor of this country,” and again Kitchin said, “Would I startle this House to call attention to a speech delivered by this man, the President of this great country, in the Capital City of the Nation, denouncing the Confederate soldier as an anarchist!”

In connection with this I would state that President Roosevelt’s mother was a Southern woman, born and raised in Georgia, sister of ex-Governor Bullock. How could he reconcile such an expression as his first; certainly it was a strange expression under the circumstances.

Pondering over the situation frequently, I came to the conclusion that this speech of Kitchin’s had been sent broadcast over the State and if so, we had a thousand Vardamans in Texas that would be sure to make his visit to Texas unpleasant and might result in his being insulted, which of course, would place Texas in a very unenviable position with the people of the North and East. I finally concluded to write Mr. Roosevelt a letter, calling attention to Kitchin’s speech and quoting the above remarks from this speech and suggesting his correction of his position on these matters, before he made his visit to Texas. In my letter I especially referred to the Indiana flag incident, enclosing copies of the affair, which I requested returned.

Dallas, Texas, March 8, 1905.

To the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt,

President of the United States,

Washington, D. C.

My Dear Sir: I have read with deep interest your recent expressions in response to invitations from Southern communities indicating an earnest desire to bring about a better understanding, and forever obliterate the last vestige of sectional feeling resulting from the unfortunate conflict of forty years ago; particularly, your letter accepting an invitation from the Confederate Camp at Paris, Texas, which induces me to offer a few suggestions, and more fully inform you of the position of the Confederate soldier today, who I know is as solicitous of this country’s future as you possibly can be, and on which I feel assured, you require no further evidence than he has furnished both in private and public life particularly, in his country’s hour of peril incident on foreign war.

Camp Sterling Price of this city—the largest camp in our Confederate organization—immediately on receipt of your patriotic expressions extending the olive branch to the solid South, in which you rose superior to party limitation, originated a resolution inviting you to become the guest of our camp when on your visit to Texas. This resolution was drawn and introduced by a gallant comrade—who has since passed over the River—and supported with one of the most eloquent and patriotic appeals ever delivered in our Camp’s meeting, but opposed by me, because of your former expressions on the character of Southern people, and particularly, on the Confederate soldier, which forbid such action until you could correct statements so damaging to our character, so degrading in the estimation of our children and in the eyes of the civilized world, thereby reviving and strengthening the unjust prejudice of a large class of Northern people.

These, your expressions referred to, I find in a speech of the Hon. Claud Kitchen of North Carolina, delivered in Congress on the 23rd of April last, as follows:

“Mr. Chairman, your party and your section might have expected great things and good treatment at the hands of Mr. Roosevelt, but we of the South could not. We knew that twenty-five years after Lee surrendered this gentleman, in two of his public volumes, had denounced Jefferson Davis as an Arch traitor, and had declared that until out of the dictionary had been stricken the word ‘Treason’ Jefferson Davis was a traitor. We felt then, and we feel now, that that was a strike across the memory of the idolized dead, at the whole South and the Confederate soldiers. We knew, too, that in one of his volumes—the Life of Benton—perhaps the most widely read work of which he is author, he declared that ‘through the Southern character there ran a streak of coarse and brutal barbarism.’ We could expect little from him. Would I startle this house to remind it that after the passing of nearly forty years from Appomattox, Mr. Roosevelt, President of the United States and of a united people, stood here in the Capital City of our Nation and proclaimed to the world that the Confederate soldier was an anarchist? So surprising was this utterance, so revolting was it, that the Washington Post, a loyal supporter of Mr. Roosevelt’s Administration, was led to observe, editorially: ‘It is disagreeable enough to the Southern people to be officially designated as Rebels, and now to add anarchist is an exasperation which we find it impossible to believe the President really intended.’ These words from the lips of a President, and at the National capital, while yet the grave at Canton was wet with the tears of Southern grief!”

It is needless to say that these expressions were not known to the members of the Confederate Camp who extended you these invitations, but no doubt will become known before you visit the State, and when so known will prove embarrassing to all concerned. This must, and can be avoided, simply by a correction on your part, a withdrawal of your terrible arraignment of the people of the South, and particularly, the Confederate soldier.

Please understand, the organization I have the honor to represent, as Commander of the Fourth Texas Brigade, United Confederate Veterans, which numbers eighty-nine Camps, the Paris Camp among them, and a membership of about five thousand, is especially charged with the preservation of the truth of history, and the protection of the Confederate character. Northern historians are still branding the Confederate soldier a traitor; what will be the effect on the minds of our children, nay, the entire country, to have Confederates paying homage to one who has even gone a step further, and denounced the Confederate soldier as anarchist? Consider, Mr. President, the lofty character of Robert E. Lee; General Robert E. Lee branded an anarchist by the President of this great Nation! The same sense of duty and sublime patriotism that prompted Lee to take up arms in defense of principle and country, prompted every true Confederate soldier in the ranks.

I do not deem it necessary to enter into a further presentation of the unfortunate attitude you occupy toward the people of the South and the Confederate soldier until a correction is made—which it is in your power now to do, and I am persuaded to believe, as a fearless, brave and honorable man you will not hesitate to do, and by this act of simple justice accomplish more towards a complete conciliation of all sections than anything else done.

To impress on you more fully the importance of such action at this most opportune moment, all Texas is stirred up on your contemplated visit and is anxious to honor you, but the Confederate soldier until this correction is made, is barred by his very manhood from participating in a demonstration that should be one of great unanimity. It should be a true and unreserved Texas welcome, which would have the approval of the entire Southern people.

Please understand, there are more Confederate soldiers and their descendants in Texas today than perhaps in any other four Southern States. To give you a better appreciation of what grand result would follow such a course on your part, I enclose herewith for your careful perusal the history of an incident of but a few years ago, wherein the broad-gauged Governor of Indiana and his patriotic Legislature, extended the Olive Branch to our Lone Star State, which was promptly and properly responded to by our own Executive and Legislature, and permit me to assure you, that the salutary effect of this sublime occasion cannot be overestimated in the accomplishment of its grand purpose. In this instance only two States were participants; what would be the effect to have the President of this great Nation extending the Olive Branch to a remnant band now fast passing away, whose gallant soldier record was never equaled in this world’s history?

In conclusion, I will state, although born in a foreign land—in the City of Bremen—I yield to no native born citizen a greater love for, and interest in this country’s future. Reared in the Lone Star State from childhood, under the shadow of the Alamo, Goliad and San Jacinto, and through personal acquaintance with participants of the latter engagement, I had instilled within me a kindred patriotism and love of liberty and country that is stronger today than it has ever been, and which must be my excuse for submitting this communication, which I trust will receive your careful and earnest consideration.

Please have returned to me the Indiana papers at your convenience, as they are highly prized by my children.

I am with great respect,

Yours very truly,

H. W. GRABER.

In reply to this letter I received the following:

The White House,

Washington.

March 13, 1905.

Sir: Your letter of the 8th instant has been received, and the enclosures are herewith returned, as requested.

Very truly yours,

WM. LOEB,

Secretary to the President.

Mr. H. W. Graber,

511 Wilson Building,

Dallas, Texas.

When the letter was handed me, with carbon copies, by my stenographer, I happened to have in my office Judges Rainey and Talbot, who were going to take lunch with me. When I handed them the letter, asking their careful perusal of the same, and after their return from lunch, to tell me their opinion about sending it, when Judge Rainey told me to send it, “It’s a good letter and may have a good effect.”

Some week or ten days after mailing the letter I concluded I would see Colonel Simpson in regard to the matter and handed him a copy of the letter to read, when, after reading it, he became furious, stating that it was an outrage to insult the President, as I had done; first to invite him to our town and after his accepting the invitation, then insult him by asking him to take back what he had said. I called his attention to a clause in the letter, giving my position on a resolution introduced by a member of our Camp, inviting him to be the guest of our Camp while here, which resolution I opposed and succeeded in defeating, however, the matter was passed over with Simpson and I am not advised whether he ever made mention to Roosevelt about this letter. Simpson stated that he believed that he would wire Roosevelt not to come, when I told him he had better do so and not have him come with these expressions hanging over him and lay himself subject to being insulted.

When Mr. Roosevelt started to Texas on his visit, he made a great speech at Louisville, Kentucky, one of the most conciliatory on sectional differences he had ever made and paid a magnificent compliment to the Southern people and especially the Confederate soldiers. This speech was published all over the country, as also here in Dallas, and effectually removed any feeling on the part of the Southern people engendered through his writings and expressions, derogatory to our character.

Then followed the magnificent reception and welcome extended him on his arrival here in Dallas and his subsequent visits to Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, where he received grand ovations and also on his subsequent tour of the South, gaining in popularity to the extent of receiving almost the united vote of the South, resulting in his sweeping victory in the November election.

CHAPTER XXXIX
My Family.

Our married life was blessed with seven children—four girls and three boys—five of whom are living and happily married. Our oldest, Henrietta Louise, married Doctor Frank M. Dannelly at Waxahachie, and they are now living on a large farm about seven miles from Dallas. Dr. Dannelly is a native of Georgia, in which State his father was a prominent physician, and his mother the gifted poetess, Elizabeth O. Dannelly, who published “Cactus” immediately after the close of the war, embracing a number of war poems, notably “The Burning of Columbia,” a scathing and true denunciation of this inhuman crime, which gained for it a large circulation, demanding a second edition; a second book entitled “Wayside Flowers,” a literary gem, was also very popular. Their union is blessed with three boys. The oldest, Henry G., a graduate of Staunton Military Academy, Virginia, is now in the fire insurance business in Dallas. Henry G. married about three years ago Miss Gwendolyn Dunn of Dallas; they have a sweet baby girl about four months old, which is now our first great-grandchild. The other two boys, Frank C. and Perry, are still at school. Our second daughter, Alice May, married W. D. Hume in Dallas about sixteen years ago and they are now making their home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where Hume is engaged in the real estate and insurance business; they have no children. Our third child, Augustus Lee, was a fine young man, eighteen years of age, at home with us when, through a mistake of our family physician he was given an overdose of medicine, from the effect of which he never rallied and died in about two hours; this proved the saddest blow of our lives. Our fourth child is Irene, who married B. P. McDonald, Jr., of Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of B. P. McDonald, Sr., one of the builders of the M. K. & T. road into Texas, and for many years treasurer of the road. The old gentleman died here in Dallas a few years ago while still a director in the road and also owner of a short-line road into Cleburne, Texas.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors of this company, held in Parsons, Kansas, April 8th, 1909, the following testimonial to the memory of the deceased director, Mr. B. P. McDonald, was unanimously adopted:

IN MEMORIAM

“Since the last annual meeting of this Board, death has invaded its membership and claimed its oldest member in continuous service. After a brief illness, Benjamin Perry McDonald, of Fort Scott, Kansas, departed this life on February 16th, 1909, at Dallas, Texas, where he and his wife were temporarily sojourning.

“Mr. McDonald was born at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, October 18th, 1839. He removed to the Territory of Kansas August 1st, 1857, saw the Territory pass to Statehood, and his destiny was ever afterwards identified with his adopted State.

“He was married November 21st, 1860, to Emma A. Johnson, who, with their three sons—William A., Charles B. and Benjamin Perry, Jr., all now arrived at manhood’s estate—survive him.

“He was elected mayor of Fort Scott in 1866, and at the expiration of his term re-elected. He early engaged in the mercantile and banking business, and organized the First National Bank of Fort Scott in January, 1871. He was elected a director of our Company at its annual meeting on May 15th, 1872, and continued as such every succeeding year during his life. In 1873 he was elected to the Legislature of Kansas as a representative from Bourbon County. In 1874 he built the line southeast from Fort Scott to the coal fields, a distance of twelve miles, which was afterwards purchased by the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company. In 1881 he built twenty miles of railroad on Long Island, New York, for the Long Island Railroad Company. In 1888-9 he built the Sherman, Denison & Dallas Railway, from Denison to Sherman, Texas, now a part of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway of Texas, and in 1901-2 built the Fort Scott, Iola & Western, from Iola to Moran, Kansas, now owned and operated by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company. In 1902 he organized and built the Dallas, Cleburne & Southwestern Railroad, from Cleburne to Egan, Texas, of which company he was the president at the time of his death. This railroad is now operated under a trackage contract by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company of Texas. He was a director of the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company and its predecessor companies from their earliest history until they passed to the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company. He lived in Kansas when the Union Pacific Railway Company, Southern Branch, now the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, was originally incorporated, knew the promoters of the company, and was always a great friend of the enterprise. In those early days his aid and support was of great benefit to the company. He became a director in 1872, while the road was being built through the Indian Territory. As a director he was constant in his attention to the duties of his office, faithful to the interests of the Company, and one of its most active and influential friends. During the receivership of H. C. Cross and George A. Eddy he was appointed by them as their treasurer, and served as such during their whole term, his appointment having been confirmed by the United States Circuit Court for Kansas, and his accounts confirmed by that court and found to be faultless. He was one of the strong men of the West, and ever ready to serve the interests of this Company. His acquaintance extended along the entire line; the people and the employes knew him and loved him. He was of sound judgment and absolute honesty. He had troops of friends. He had a more intimate knowledge of the Company’s history from the beginning than any other man. His long career made him seem to be almost a part of the Company’s life.

“His health was always robust, his nature cheerful, his sound sense commanding. There was nothing subservient in his nature; it was all open and manly. We were shocked and grieved at his sudden taking off, and unitedly mourn his loss.

“He was buried from his old home at Fort Scott, under Masonic ceremonies and according to the rites of the Episcopal Service, and now sleeps on the banks of the Marmaton which he loved so well.

“We express our deepest sympathy and sincerest condolence to his widow and sons, and direct that this memorial be spread upon the records of the Company and a copy transmitted to them.”

B. P. and Irene have their home in Birmingham, Alabama, where he is engaged in the brokerage business; they are blessed with two interesting children, a boy and a girl: B. P. the third, and Emma Louise. Our fifth child, Henry A., is living in Dallas; Henry was connected with the Kansas City Southern Railway for about fifteen years, and finally resigned the general agency of his road in Chicago and returned to Dallas to make this his permanent home. While in Chicago he married Ollie Elizabeth Anderson, who was born and raised in Negaunee, Michigan; their union is blessed with two sweet children, Roy Lee and Alice H. Our sixth child, Roy, died when about five years old at Waxahachie. Our seventh child is Lessis, the baby girl, who married Charles Weems Kidwell, born in Louisiana, but came to Texas with his parents when quite a child; Kidwell is now connected with the house of Sanger Brothers, Dallas, as assistant manager of the retail department, starting in at the wrapping counter about fifteen years ago; his father was a prominent physician in Louisiana and died in Dallas years ago; their union is blessed with two bright boys, Rolla, seven years old, and Graber, five years old. On the 23rd of last April we passed the 49th milestone of our married life and if spared until the next 23rd of April will celebrate our golden wedding, with five loving children and nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild in our family circle. Owing to fast declining health, about four years ago I was compelled to give up business, and take a much-needed rest, the first vacation from business cares in about fifty years; have had two serious spells of sickness, one in Dallas and another in Detroit, Michigan, where we went to spend last summer, but through the loving care of wife and children and the dispensation of a Divine Providence my life was again spared, and I am now enjoying better health than for over fifty years.

CHAPTER XL
In Conclusion.

This is my story, a record of what I think the reader will agree has been an eventful life. I have lived long—I have seen much, both of what was good and of what was bad; and now when my allotted span of years must, in the nature of things, be nearly concluded, I look back and realize that all of what has happened has been for the best.

There is no bitterness in my heart as I indite these closing lines. What has passed is past, and the future, as I see it, holds for the people of the Southland a great promise. It is my most earnest wish that this promise shall have a glorious fulfillment.

My story has not been written for the purpose of adding to the literature concerning the period it covers. Rather, it is a personal record, and makes no claim to literary merit. It is written chiefly for my children, though I hope it may be found to be not without interest to the general public.

I feel that I owe it to myself to state that this book, in its entirety, has been dictated entirely from memory, and from the personal viewpoint I acquired during the years of which it treats. It is quite possible that errors have been made in some matters—that history will not entirely substantiate all of my statements, but, in the main, I believe it will be found that this book is a fairly accurate record of our many movements.

In closing I feel it is but right and just, and I know it to be a great pleasure, that I pay my humble tribute to the great souls with whom I was fortunate enough to be intimately associated during the great Civil Strife. Forrest, Wharton, McLaws, Harrison—they were a gallant company. Dashing, fearless, strong in their conviction of right, they were all but unbeatable, though opposed by overwhelming odds in practically every engagement. I can see them all now plainly and I hope to see them again, more plainly, when the Great Trumpeter shall sound “Taps” for me.

THE END

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TRANSCRIBER NOTES

Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected as follows:

pg. 20	'sufficent' changed to 'sufficient'--"concluded that this was a sufficient explanation."
pg. 46	'notifed' changed to 'notified'--"General Hindman was notified."
pg. 142	'rceeived' changed to 'received'--"They had just received orders."
pg. 142	'precipitious' changed to 'precipitous'--presenting precipitous fronts."
pg. 159	'reigns' changed to 'reins'--"with our bridle reins thrown over the horns."
pg. 193	'sufficent' changed to 'sufficient'--"sufficient to rig a Texas saddle."
pg. 234	'whatver' changed to 'whatever'--"whatever stores there were in the place."
pg. 250	'permittted' changed to 'permitted'--"by them paroled and permitted to go."
pg. 334	'sweeheart' changed to 'sweetheart'--"with his sweetheart, Miss Lou Priest."
pg. 353	'eight-five' changed to 'eighty-five'--"one hundred and eighty-five sections."
pg. 354	'commencment' changed to 'commencement'--"celebrating the commencement of the work."
pg. 369	'persauded' changed to 'persuaded'--"took possession of my assets and persuaded me."
pg. 377	'Collge' changed to 'College'--"the failure of Marvin College."
pg. 396	'apreciated' changed to 'appreciated'--"which I very much appreciated."
pg. 441	'Chapter XXXIX' changed to 'Chapter XL'--duplicate chapter 39, no chapter 40.

Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious printer errors occur.

Book cover is placed in the public domain.