Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-20
Letter from the DspOsed King Isham
G, Harris, late q Tennesseean,
now a "Greaser."
REBEL ExILEs IN MEXICO.
OF IsHAM-HOW HE RAN
FROM THE YANKEES FOR FIFTEEN
HUNDRED NILES.

FROM THE YANKEES FOR FIFTEEN
HUNDRED NILES.
The Atlanta New Era publishes a long letter from
x-Gov. Harris addressed to G. w. Adair, of the
firm Of Clayton, Adsir & Purse, of that city. The
letter written at Cordova Old Cordova, in
SPAIN was noted for its whipping post we trust on
Harris account, that there is one at the new Cor
dova Isham intimates that he is doing finely and
that all other foxes should have their caudsl ex-
tremes cut Off like himself:
CoRDovA, Mexico Nov. II, 1869
George ". Adair-My Dear Sir: fingered near
Grenada, endeavoring to arrange some business
matters, until the l4th of May. In the meantime,
had skiff built, and on the morning of the l4th
l embarked, some six miles east of Greenwood, and
set sail for the Mississippi the party consisting
of Gen. Lyon, of Kentucky, myself, and our two
servants. We navigated the bsck-wster for 40
miles, and on the morning of the 2lst, Just before
daylight, l crossed over to the Arkansas shore.
crossed at the foot of Island No. 75 Just below the
mouth of the Arkansas river proceeded westward
as far as the back-water was navigable and on the
morning of the 22d l left my frail bark, bought
horses mounted the party and set out for Shreve-
port where hoped to find an army resolved on
continued resistance to Federal rule; but before
reaching Shreveport learned that the army of the
Mississippi had disbanded and scattered to the
winds, and all the officers of rank had gone to Mex
! leo.
Having no further motive TO visit Shreveport
turned my course to Red River county, Texas where
| portion of my negroes and plantation stock had
/ been carried some two years ago l reached there
on the 18th of june was taken sick and confined to
nv bed week On the 18th of June with nv
baggage, cooking utensils and provisions on a pack
mule, set out for San Antonio where l expected to
overtake large number of Confederate, civil and
! military, officers, route for Mexico. Reaching
San Antonio on the 26th, and learned that all the
Confederates had left for Mexico some ten DAYS OF
/ two weeks before. On the morning of the 9th,
started to Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande-the Fed.
erals holding all the crossings of that river below
Eagle Pass. l reached Eagle Pass on the evening
of the 3Oth, and Immediately crossed over to the
| Mexican town Of Pieoras Negras On the morning
Of the lst of July, set out for Monterey; arrived
there on the evening of the 9th. Here / overlook
! General Price and Ex-Governor Polk, of Missouri
I who were starting to the city of Mexico the next
morning with an escort of twenty armed Missouri.
ans. As l was going to the City, and the trip was
! a long and dangerous one TO make alone decided
to go with them, though | was literally worn out
with over 1900 miles of continuous horseback
travelling, 1 exchanged my saddle horse, saddle
&c, for an ambulance put my two mules to it. gave
the whip and lines to Ran bought me q Spanish
grammar and dictionary, took the back seat and
I commenced the study of the Spanish language. W.
made the trip at easy stages of about % miles pei
day, and reached the City of Mexico on the even
ing of the 9th of August. The trip was one of The
longest most laborIous and hazardous of nv life
Our reception upon the part of the Government
officials here oil that we could have expected o.
desired. We were invited to an audience with thu
Emperor at the Palace, the far-famed Halls of th,
. Montezumas. At the time fixed, we called and weri
most kindly received by the Emperor and Empress
and were assured Of their sympathy in our misfor
tunes, and of their earnest hope that we might hnC
homes for ourselves and friends in Mexico TIT
Empress was our interpreter in the interview. Sht
speaks fu9ntly the French, Spanish, German snC
English languages and is in all respects great NO
man.
We overlook at the city of Mexico, Gen Magru
der, Commodore Maury, Gov. Allen of Louisians
Judge Perkins, Of Louisiana, Gov. Reynolds, o
Missouri, and Gov. Murray and Gov Clark o
Texas, with many other and lesser Confederate
lights On the 5th Of September the Emperor pub
lshed degree opening all of Mexico to immigra
ton and colonization, and Commodore Maury snC
myself and other Confederates were requested t.
prepare regulations to accompany the Decree whicl
we did, and which were approved by the Empero
on the nth The decree and regulations offer yer,
liberal inducements to immigration, amongst which
a donation of public lands at the rate of six hun
dred and forty acres to each head of a family anC
three hundred and twenty to each single man. fire.
passage to the country to such are not able to pa
their own expenses, freedom from taxation for on
year, and from military duty for five years, religion
liberation, &c, sc.
Commissioner of Colonization, which makes his au
thOrity in the matter Of colonization second only T.
that of the Emperor.
We find in the vicinity of this place the mos
beautiful and all things considered, the best agrcul
tural country that l have ever seen. The climate
delightful, never hot never cold always temperate
always pleasant. Tho soil richer and more prOduc
tive than the best of the prairie lands of Mississippi
in the Okolona county, yielding large crops of corn
barley rice, tobacco, sugar and coffee, with al
the fruits Of the tropics and the best that you eve
tasted. You raise two crops of corn on the sam
land each year; the usual mode Of farming here
a crop of corn and crop Of tobacco on the sam
land, the corn ripenng always before time to plan
tobacco and ten miles from here, in the direction
the coast yOa strike good a cotton country
be found in the world
The most profitable crop here ia coffee; you plan
about six seven hundred trees to the acre, it be
gins to bear at two, and produces full crop at fou
years old. You can always calculate safely on a
average of two pounds to a tree though there ar
instances of trees bearing as high as twenty-egh
pounds The tree Is hardy and will live fifty or on
hundred years 1t costs about rs much labor TO Gu
tivate and put into market an acre of coffee as
does an acre Of corn in Georgia.
The coffee plantation, with its shade Of banana
figs, oranges mangos and zspotes, with the walk
frlnEed with pine apple, all IN iulI bearing Is u
richest and most beautiful spectacle upon which m
eyes have ever rested. I have selected Gi0 acr'
about ten miles from here, where ! propose to SUI
round myself with the coffee plantation, in the mid
of which l will settle down, constantly nhaling th
odors of the rich tropical fruits, and gaudy-colOre
and fragrant tropical flowers, il an atmosphere {
perpetual spring, yet turning the eye to the nOrtl
west you constantly behold the snOw-capped peal
= Of Orizaba and Popocatapetl, from which l ca
T. draw my ice at all seasons Of the year.
There are about thirty Confederates now here a
Of whom will locate their lands and commence Il
- work Of settlement within week or ten days
= VIII many of the people Of the Southern Stat
feel inclined to seek new homes or will they folio
the example Of Lee, Johnston and others Me1iC
presents the finest field that have ever seen for Il
enterprise of our people, and now that slavery
S abolished in the South, hired labor can be muC
] more easily procured here, and made much mo-
= profitable, than in any par Of the United States
= Where is Forrest, and what is he doing Nj
e where and how is everybody else? for have heal
from none Of our friends since l left Mississippi.
e Very truly your friend
e lsHAM g. HARRIS.
Card from Hon, Horace Maynard,