The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-25
THE SITUATION IN TEXAS.

The following extract from a private letter
written by an officer in the army to friend in
this city gives forcible description of the con-
dition of affairs in the southeastern portion of
Texas The letter is dated from the stockade
at jefferson, June 6:-
One would readily think the war was not over
yet, from the vast amount of bloodshed aAd
cruelty still raging in these parts; and l think,
to speak truly, it is not The constant reports
of crime which reach our ears daily justify me
in saying that society is in quite chaotic state
and not yet recovered from the horrible in1u-
ences of the war. Much has been said about the
condition of affairs in Texas; many reports and
contra reports, so l shall not pretend to have
You to form an opinion upon my say so, but will
give you a number of examples, from which
you or any one else may draw your own conclu-
sion. With one or two exceptions, will con
fine my examples to crimes committed since my
arrival here. As you know arrived here on the
18th of March last. Upon my arrival | found
that my first tour of duty would be at what |
am now doing, guarding prisoners in the stock
ade. On my first tour of duty ] receipted for
about twenty prisoners, nearly all confined Tor
murder. This morning | receipted for forty
three, all confined for murder. OF this number
twenty-three are confined for the murder of
Hon. George w. Smith and four Frenchmen,
and an attempt to murder Judge Colwell and
others. These are now being tried by a military
commission, of which General Hatch is Presi-
dent and Colonel Dudley, Colonel Starr, Colonel
Thoher, Major Bissell, Major Gordon, and Cap
tain Schwink are members. The murder was
committed on the night of the 4th of October
last, at what is called the Calaboose. Smith
was a Northern man, who came down here with
a large stock of dry goods Gf | am properly in-
formed) belonging principally to his uncle
After remaining here some time in the pursuit
of his business he began to enter into politics
on the radical ticket, and was sent to the State
Convention called for the purpose of forming u
new Constitution in harmony with the require
ments of the Reconstruction acts of Congress
htC nnOin nrt wa
whose votes elected him. His politics very
soon relieved him of any white friends he may
have had in the community, except few radi-
calls. About the Sth of October last he got into
some trouble and Gt appears by testimony in
the case now on trial before the commission, as
does all have written) that, in self-defense, he
fired shot or two from a revolver at some per-
son or persons who had fired on him. He was
arrested that night and put in the calaboose, as
also were some negroes. The following night
after the usual taps upon the bell for such pur-
poses, the honorable members of the knights
of the Rising Sun" collected themselves together
as a Sabbath sun was setting, and bravely
marched forwards to the calaboose in mob
variously estimated at from 60 TO 260, where,
with arms of all descriptions and disguised by
masks, ETC., they assaulted and murdered Smith
and the negroes. They are now on trial before
the commission. The prisoners are members of
the families of this city-many of them are
called the best families / have no doubt the
commission will do them justice. 1t is now
tent inside the stoekade, keeping vigilant watch
over these 'citzens of Texas" 1t might be in
teresting to you to know what the thing looks
like. OF course, at this time in the morning
every Thing is as still as death. 1t is meet that
all things should be quiet and still around such
a mass of sin. The stOckade proper is made by
digging trench about 200 feet long by 100 feet
broad, and about one foot wide. Large pine
logs are cut say 10 feet long, and set up end
ways in this trench (the ground packed In
around them) close together, entirely around,
forming compact wall, in which are portfolios,
cut for the purpose of defense from inside. In
the centre of this Enclosure is a building of
strong panks one story high, % by about 100
feet, set directly in the centre and divided into
three apartments, with two small cells at one
end for desperate characters. In this are these
''citiZens OF Texas quietly slumbering tonight,
and keep watch outside. Near the top of the
stockade is built entirely around IL a causeway,
on either side of which is a sentry diligently
pacing his beat. These four sentries, the turn
key who manages the big gate and myself form
the guard for tonight 10 hold in custody thes3
'citzens" What n pleasant duty-iorty-Jh
murderers Don't you envy me
have said twenty-three are on trial; Of the
remaining twenty, six have turned States evil
dence, which leaves fourteen yet in the stockadc
unaccounted for. OF these one is named Green,
n prominent citizen of one of the adjoining
counties, and man of about thirty years of age.
About six weeks ago four negroes were taken
out, and shot or hung. Captain Wagner, of my
regiment Ga Pennsylvania, from Pottsville Pa.),
was sent 10 the place TO make an investigation,
and find out, If possible, the murderers. Lieu
tenant Ryan, of the 10Th Infantry,was with him.
They were sitting In a room at village near by
where the crime was committed, making some
man above mentioned (Green), with coat thrown
/ back and reyOlVers well eXDOsed and stepping