New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-04
Ipcii Tents Of the Surrender and
Condition Of the State.
DIFFICULTIES OF RECONSTRUCTION
Correspondence 4 The N. y Trban"
HOUSTON, Texas, June TO- 1861.
A TRANSITION PERIOD.


s,ous condition The cry of lie ROi es. mort" which
announces the demise of one sovereign has not yet
been followed by its usually invariable complement
..Vire lie Roi" The triumph OF the national arms is
everywhere acknowledged and the formal surrender OF
the Mississippi Department, which took place on
the Goth ult demoishing at fell swoop every vest
Ire of the civil and military sway of the late Conieder
acv has left Texas almost without the sembance OF
ls faoto Government of any kind True, the permahen'
authority of the United States Is by fiction oil law
supposed to extend the entire land from the mo-
ncnt of the surrender; but for all practical purposes
u very groundless fiction indeed.
One of the local papers (7he TegropD loosely states
che fact that when the surrender was finally determined
on there was hostile army within 800 miles. and no
officer to surrender tothe Commanding General being
even compelled to go beyond marine league to sea in
order to deliver up his sword The lack of paroing
officers and officials authorized to administer 1.-THE
cath" is deplored in similar spirit and the suggestion
mode that purse be raised by voluntary contributions
20 send some citizen to New-Orleans in order that he
may be innocuated with the OATH and on his return be
enabled 10 spread the healthy infection of loyalty
which is supposed to communicate among this anxious
community
POSTAL COMMUNICATION.
The sudden collapse Of Confederate currency which
srnmenta business at least has very nearly deprived
rs of Trustworthy mail communications notice at
She post-oce informs all interested that Confederate
postage stamps having become worthless, will not, after
June l. be received in payment postage while inquiry
reveals the fact that United States stamps equally
valueless. OF verify the King is dead, bnt where is
his successori BY happy compromise, however,
upon the payment Of 10 cents per letter in specie such
facilities as the Post. Office Department command
are still kept n operation for the benefit of the public
For much indebted to the good sense OF the
people who, during the nterregnum. are discharging
tbe duties Of regents in the management Of their own
affairs in highly creditabe manner, generalthing
DIsBANDNG OF THE REBEL ARMY.
For two weeks previous TO the surrender. however.
The troops had become entirely unmanageabe. Recog-
nzing the fact that q surrender inevitable they
refused to stand upon the order Of their going, but
dsregarding the orders Of their officers FASTENED 70
dshand and return home. Confederate money which
had never been in circulation q currency in this
section Of the State having become utterly worth
less even commodity, and long arTearages OF pay
being due many of them the troops very naturally laid
hold Of every species of government property they
could lay hands on TO compensate themselves. Mules
wagons, cotton, WOOL stationery, sugar and other
supplies were seized and carried of. The mules and
selves and their legitimate baggage and spos 10 their
homes. At every military post throughout the country
the qusrtermaster aud commissary broken
open. and the contents parceled ont among those
present mans share of the plumber was generally
determined by his capacity to get. to keep md to
carry off,
In some instances where parties left Of the pub
10 stores for those behind them private property
was not respected. The mules and Lorses Of citizens
along the most trayeel routes were taken without
scrupe There being Just two things that Texans bate
more cordially than oil others, viz walking aoot and
having their animals stolen. occasional fights occurred
between the marauding heroes and pugnacous citizens
Sometimes too where parties OF unequal numbers
coming from opposite directions. met if inspection
showed the booty by the lesser to be dspropoitoDate
anew division was insisted on and generally submit
ted to good.naturedly.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
One sad accident, Involving loss Of Is lives and
large Of valuable property was occGsioned by
enc Of those predatory forays At the little town Of
lavasota which Is situated on the line Of the Houston
and Texas Central Railroad. and about 10 miles North
West of this place. they broke into laboratory TO get
ssupply ofpowder. After they had taken what they
wanted of them, melted by wanton love Of mis-
chief or the fumes Of bad whisky, lighted the fuze Of
shell and flung into the building causing an nstana.
neous explosion followed by fire. which destroyed half
She town and buried it is believed, not less than Is hu
man beings into eternity including him whose criminal
seckessness occasioned the disaster.
INDIscRIMINATE PLUNDEEING.
Hitherto these depreciation have been principally
Aned the lines of travel running north and south
from Galveston and this city to Marshall and Shreve.
port or at least intelligence from these directions be-
~
Just now however accounts Of similar operations in
which private property has been unsparngly dealt
With reach rs from the West. Mexican train of 90
wagons vas lately set upon Texana and plundered
eupWan CT 500 600 worth OF goods. Such articles
eou'd not 30 carried away rgthlessly destroyed
snu scattered over the praixie the alleged ground
maj 7as The property of spectators, who had been
foooing the country during the past four years.
o'ton TEN. gong toward the Mexican frontier, was
MIKE manner taken possession o. and escorted along
to It's destination by rs captors to DO disposed
:" Tor their own benefit Such, at least, are the gen.
Ssly accredited rumors in the absence of Trustworthy
means Of Intelligence.
KIRBY SMITHS EXIT.
tne vaeciotory address Of Gen. T. X. Smith Of ~
~ III Ee7eis Tie fact that the termination of his
oieience with the Governors NJ Marshall about the
0 w. at which Lad been decided not TO accept tho
'e'us of surrender proposed by Gen. Grants C,mmis
o"s'S nc Gen. SMITH ordered tho necessary DISPOSE.
VI ne sToos for tho defense Of the Department in
=. went Of he terms demanded By hin in turn nd
- eoaee'ed But minority Of the troops ecog.
IS '"' CT that The 10 defense Of which they