Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-03-23
Texas Correspondence.


Messrs Editors-I have arrived at my des-
tination and established my head quarters.
! had some difficulty in getting here, owing to
recent heavy rains. Ii fact, was from the
18th to the 28d inst. in getting from Houston,
a distance of only so miles The difficulty Of
repairing the road was not so great. On one
of our northern roads all the damage would
have been repaired IN six hours, but where
there is such lethargy as among this people,
the travelling public will be thus inconvenien-
ced. There is no enterprise among them of
any kind, now that their trade Of Negro breed
ing has ceased. I am still of the opinion
that the citizens (white) Of this State, bear us
or the Union no love, and that should there
be any chance of a successful revolt they
would go heartily into it. There is not day
but we are insulted by their making such re-
marks as that I'VE are not whipped, ''we
wont patronize the North ''we have no
sympathy with the d--d Yankee Abolition
Government" These, and in some cases,
worse remarks are INDUCED in. Here let me
give you little anecdote, happening me
while at Liberty, midway between this and
Houston. Owing to break in the Railroad,
four miles from the former place, the con-
ductor informed US tof his inability to go on,
but that all the passengers that desired could
do so on the hand-car' there noticing more
than dozen. Among the number was
very interesting young widow travelling alone,
and as we had to walk fourth of mile or
more, 1, of course, offered to relieve her of
a travelling bag, which she was very willing
to trust in my charge. Arriving at the hotel
we called for supper, after which the Land
lord busted himself (being much crowded.
in making his guests as comfortable as posi-
bic. On his distribution of quarters was
astonished at being booked for the same
room as my travelling companion, at which
(being exceedingly bashfuD / demurred,
when l was informed that great effort had
been made to do the best possible for me.
Other quarters were provided, and the next
day in conversation with my companion, she
gave me her conversation with the landlady,
who was anxious to know our status. "Are
you not, she asked, ''the wife of the Capt?'
"Oh, noh' said my companion. ''How then
does it come that you travel together and
seem such good friends?" My companion
replied. II am a resident and widow of Beu-
mont, having lost my husband in the rebel
service; / was travelling alone, and do not
know what should have done, but for the
kindness Of the Captain, as | have already
been four days on the road, and have been
quite sick. l am sure should not have been
able to get home, but for his services" II
am surprised and Shocked said the land
lady, 'that any Southern lady would degrade
herself SO much, under any circumstances, as
to accept the services of a Yankee officer,
that for myself, l would sooner accept the
services of big buck niger" This is per
fectly true, and I don't doubt it, neither
would envy the happy darky his good for
tune. This is the greatest place for widows
/ ever was in; there being not less than 35
(white) out of population Of less than 600,
to say nothing of perhaps and equal number
of colored. / know Of no place where the
marriage obligation is so little respected as
here. / was informed by Mr.. Armstrong Ia
former lawyer, but who now, that he has only
n, 900 acres of land, has gone 10 farming,)
that before the war he knew of as many as
As petitions on the docket for divorce at one
time Also, that all that was necessary to
secure divorce was petition by each party;
that it could be obtained without further
trouble.
As to the Freedmen l find them much
better contented and by far more Industrious
than / expected The Houston Telegraph
Ia paper purely Southern quotes from 10
other Texas papers, 18 Of which acknowledge
that ''the Freedmen, do much better than
was expected, by the most credulous of their
friends
On my arrival here, was instructed BY
Gen. Gregory to make an effort to raise
school for colored children, which I did,
and at a mere suggestion on Sabbath last, af-
ter church, no less than SO scholars were
subscribed in less than Is minutes. Teachers
can be had in abundance from the North
The matter meets with no favor here, and
some have even gone so far as to threaten
any and all persons, interested in the matter
No danger of that! Barking dogs don't
bite" AS for ignorance, never saw To-
cality equal to this. OF the young ladies
that have met, none can more than read,
and have been assured that not more than
two families have ever sent their daughters
away to school, from this neighborhood On
my arrival here, | found our friends, the
Methodists, at work, striving to awaken an
interest, for good, among the people, land
they need IT'D as / heard the minister say,
from the pulpit, on last night, that She had
made particular inquiry of the Oldest citizens
of the place, and that he had failed to learn
that there had been a single conversion in the
town Of Beaumont for the space of twenty-five
years" 1t is to hoped that an inroad has
been made into ''Satan's kingdom as the
same night, the door of the church was open
ed, and one member admitted, whom the
minister exhorted, that it would be difficult
to walk Alright, now that he was the onlyyoung
Christian in the place.
These, Messrs. Editors, are our Southern
brethren, who so long lorded it over us "mud
siIls. Another thing I must not omit that
there is but one laboring young man in the
place, and he has not a friend among the rest,
why, do not know, unless that he is
greasy mechanic" Their young men
have certain peculiarities, such as wearing