Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-22
MEXICO.
Interesting Letter From Ex-Gov. Harris

Ex-Governor Of this State, containing the only
satisfactory and reliable intelligence of his move
ments, received since he left the country will be
read with interest," not only by his fcrmer political
friends and associates in Tennessee but also by
those in whom his exile and misfortunes have long
since softened the bitter feelings once engendered
by party animosities and strife: --E
CoRDovA, MEXICO, Nov. IL, 1865.
/ Ny DEAR SfR:-l8 fingered near Grenada, en-
davoring to arrange some business matters, until
the Lab Of May. In the meantime, had skiff
built, and on the inofSiug Of the l4th embarked,
some six miles east of Greenwood and set sail for
the rans-Missis2ippi, the party, consisting of
General Lyon, of Kentucky, myself and our
two servants. We navigated the back-water
for 100 miles, and on the morning of the
2lst, just before daylight | crossed over to
the Arkansas shore. | crossed at the foot
of Island No. 75, just below the mouth of the Ar
kansas river; proceeded westward as far as the
back-water was navigable and on the morning Of
the 22nd, left my frail bark, bought two horeses
mounted the party, and set out for Shreveport,
where ! hoped to find an army resolved on con-
tinued resistance to Federal rule bat before reach
| ing Shreveport, learned that the army of the
trans Mississippi, had disbanded and scattered to
the Winds and all the officers of rank had gone 20
Mexico.
EN ROUTE FOR TEXAS AND MEXICO.
Having no further motive to visit Shreveport l
turned my course to Red River county, Texas
where a portion of my negroes and plantation
stock had been carried some two years ago.
reached there on the 7th June; was taken sick
and confined to my bed seek. On the l5th June
set out for San Antonio, where | expected to
overtake large number Of Confederates civil and
military, officers, en- route for Mexico. Reached
San Antonio on the 26th and learned that all Con-
ferates had left for Mexico some ten days or two
weeks before.
CROSSES THE FRONTIER AND REACHES THE CITY OF THE
MoNTEzUMAs.
On the morning of the 27th, started to Eagle
Pass on The Rio Grande-the Federals holding all
the crossings Of that river below Eagle Pass. /
reached Eagle Pass the evening of the Both, and
Immediately crossed over to the Mexican town Of
Piedras Negras On the morning of lst July, set
out for Monterey; arrived there on the evening of
the 9th. Here overlook Gen. Price and Ex-Gov
Polk, of Mo-, who starting to the City of
Mexico the next morning. with an escort of twenty
armed Missourians. As was going to the City,
and the trip long and dangerous one to make
alone decided to go with them, though | was
literally worn out with 1900 miles of contin-
uous horse back travel. / exchanged my saddle
horse, saddles &c, for an ambulance, put my two
mules to it. gave the lines to Ran, bought me
Spanish grammar and dictionary, took the back
seat AMI commenced the study of the Spanish
Language. We made the trip at easy stages Of 25
miles per day, and reached the City of Mexico on
the evening of the 9th of August. The trip was
one of the longest most laborious and hazardous of
my life, but will not tax your time with its
details, many of which would interest you deeply
| if was there to give them to you
THE HOSPITALITY OF THE EMPEROR AND THE SYMPATHY
| OF THE EMPRESS.
Our reception upon the part of the Government
o.a L. Iona Al
or desired. We were invited to audience with
the Emperor at the Palace, the far-famed Halls of
Monetezumas. AT the timed fixed, we called and
were most kindly received by the Emperor and EN-
press, and were assured of their sympathy in our
misfortunes, and of their earnest hope that we
might find homes for ourselves and friends in Mex
leo. The Empress was our interpreter in the inter-
view. She speaks Auently the French, Spanish,
German, and English languages, and is in all re-
spects great woman.
HAPPY REUNION OF coYEEDERATEs.
We overlook at the City of Mexico, Gen. Ma
gruder, Com. Maury, Gov. Allen, of La. Judge
Perkins, OF La Gov. Reynolds, of Mo-, and Gov.
Murrah and Gov. Clark, of Texas, with many other
and lesser Confederate lights.
| MEXICO OPENED TO EHNIGRATIoN.
On the 9TH of September, the Emperor published
decree opening all of Mexico to immigrat' on and
colonization, and Com. Maury and myself and
other Confederates requested to prepare regu-
lations to accompany the decree, which we did, and
which were approved by the Emperor on the 9th.
The decree and regulations offer very liberal induce
ments to immigration, amongst whch,are dona-
ton Of public lands at the rate of $40 acres to each
head of a family, and 800 to each single man, a
free passage TO the country to such not able
to pay their own expenses, freedom from taxation
for one year, and from military duty for five years,
religious toleration etc, etc.
COMMISSIONER BAUaY AND HIS ASSISTANTS IN THE
| COLONIZATION BUREAU.
Commodore Maury has been appointed Imperial
Commissioner of Colonization, which makes his
authority in the matter of Colonization, second
only to that of the Emperor. Gen. Price, Judge
Perkins and myself were appointed agents of colo
nizatOn, and requested to examine the lands lying
upon and near the line of the railroad from the
City of Mexico to Vera Cruz for the purpose of de-
termining whether they suited TO American
colonization, We are engaged at this time in the
discharge Of that duty.
A VERY PARADISE.
We find in the vicinity of this place the most
beautiful and all things considered, the best agr-
cultural country that have ever seen The eli
mate is delightful never hot never cold,
always temperate, always pleasant. The soil richer
and more productive than the best prairie lands of
Mississippi in the Okolone county, yielding large
crops of corn barley, rice, tobacco sugar-cane and
coffee, with all the fruits of the tropics and the best
that You ever tasted. You can raise two crops Of
corn on the same land each year. the usual mode
of farming here is crop of corn and crop of to-
bac, on the same land, the corn ripenng always
before time to plant tobacco, and ten miles from
here in the direction of the coast you strike as
good cotton country as can be found in the world.
COFFEE AND ITS PROFITS.
The moshproRtabe crop here is coffee you plant
about or 700 trees TO the acre id begins to bear
at two and produce full crop at four years old,
you can always calculate safely on an average of
two pounds to the tree, though there are instances
of trees bearing as high as twenty-eight pounds.
The tree is hard aud will live fifty or hundred
years. 1t costs about as much labor TO cultivate
and put into market an acre of coffee as it does an
acre of corn in Georgia. The coffee plantation
with its shade Of bananas, figs, oranges, mangos
and zapotes with the walks fringed with pine apple,
all in full bearing, is the richest and most beaut-
ful spectacle upon which my eyes have ever rested,
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