St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-13
Thrilling Sketches of Scenes Which Took
Place During the Dark Days of
the Rebellion.
A Plan Which Lincoln Endorsed for the
Secession Of Texas from the Con-
federaoy,
The Negotiations for Which Were
stopped, However, by the
Fall of Savannah.
Suferings and Pr1vatfons of Loyal
Men in the Lone Star State.
War Incidents.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.

WASHlNGTON, Dec. lU.-AmOnS all Tile
"reminiscences of the great Civil war, appear
ing during the last twenty years, | have
seen no mention of the very remarkable
episode which am about to narrate.
The state of Texas fell early into the
hands of the Confederates convention
having passed an ordinance of secession
Feb. l. 1861, and Gen. Twiggs having sur
! rendered his whole command and all the
posts, war supplies, ETC., on the 18th of the
same month. Comparatively little fighting,
however, took place within its limits. AS the
war progressed great deal of dssatisfac-
ton and discomfort arose; and while these
feelings lacked decided outward manifesto
lions, they grew deeper and deeper. While
there were hardly any active hostilities to
feed the war fervor and develope the spirit
of self-sacrice. the iron rule Of war times
was felt in all its rigor. Generals with
their stats, military governors and provost
marshals abounded. Martial law was
rigidly enforced. Horses. crops, cattle
and provisions were taken at will for the
benefit of the Confederacy. The roads
! were unsafe, for marauders deserters.
road agents" and desperadoes of all kinds
found golden opportunities. The sutferings
of the people were great. Trade was at
stand still, as well it might be. The whole
coast, from Sabine Pass to Point Isabel,
was blockaded by the United States navy:
and to export cotton in any great quantity
(some 800, 900 bales went to market in thi S
way, its owners must pay enormous
charges for its transportation by teams
across the state by dangerous roads and
over desert plains to the Rio Grande
When on Mexican soil it must be taken to
Bagdad, at the mouth of the river, and then
shipped. Moreover, when the Co moderate
authorities found out the value of this
trade they laid such grevous and varying
taxes thereon that on more than one occa-
sion the unhappy owners of cotton, learn
ing, after all the burden and danger of
transportation were passed, of an impost
which meant ruin,
ACTUALLY COMMITTED SUICIDE.
Supplies of all sorts from outside were
scanty and enormously eXpensive; and the
drain upon the population to ill the Con-
federate armies was incessant. A most
amusing and gratifying incident occurred
in this connection. We are in the habit of
thinking that all nominal Union men in the
North. and especially in the great city Of
New York, were really loyal, on the con-
trary. Matamoras was at one time filled
with 'drummers'' from New York firms
(the members of which were swearing by
the ''old flag" and subscribing to the Union
Defense committee) eager to sell not only
ordinary merchandise, but also munitions
of war to the enemy. They professed
themselves ardent secessionists-and they
found their accounts. One night Con-
federate general gave ball in Brownsville
and invited about forty of them. Having
these faithful Southern sympathizers Oh
Texas soil. he took them at their word and
conscripted the lot.
There were Union men in the state. and
not few of them, but graphic pens have
told of the reign of terror under which they
lived. The massacre at New Braunfels
| furnished bloody chapter in the history
of the war, but that had no such effect in
| bringing the Confederate authorities into
| disrepute in the state as did. for instance
tragedy far less widely known. Two
| loyal Texans, Davis and Montgomery by
name, were respectively colonel of the
| First Texas (Union) cavalry and captain,
commanding company of the same regi-
| ment Hearing that their wives were on
Mexican soil. they both left New Orleans
and proceeded by sea to Bagdad, and thence
some distance into the country Davis
found his wife. but Montgomery did not
| find his. On their way back to the vessel
in which they had come they lodged for
| the night in the house of the Mexican com
mandant at Bagdad That night Con-
| federate force commanded by an officer
named Chiffon (acting under the order of
Gen. Bee), crossed the river
ATTACKED THE HOUSE
and kidnapped the two Union officers. AS
| they were carrying them away Montgomery
revied them and tainted them with their
| cowardly mode of warfare; whereupon they
| hanged him in cold blood and had the bar
barty to send to his wife the rope they had
used! The Mexican authorities were too
late in acting to save him, but they de-
manded and secured the release of Col
| Davis. This latter unfortunate man had
been bound to tree in his night clothes for
| two days and was nearly dead from eX-
posture and the attacks of mosquitoes
| When Brownsville was occupied by the
| Union forces the remains of Capt. Mont
an imposing military funeral buried at the
foot of the staff on which at last foated
the American flag, and there they repose
to-day. The Confedcrates who remained
| in the town were forcibly formed in line
and compelled to witness the ceremony
| Capt. Montgomery's sons proclaimed a ven
| delta against his murderers and, for years
after the war, the principals dared not
| cross the Rio Grande
| On Oct. 26. 1868. an expedition under
Gen. Banks sailed from New Orleans for
the mouth of the Rio Grande. A glance at
| the map will show the reader that. about
| two miles above the mouth of the Great
River of the North (where it is very mar
| row.. there is small island called Brazos
Santiago, which practically closes the
! southern extremity of an enormous lagoon.
the Layuna de la Madre. lying inside the
| long and narrow Padre island. and stretch
ing away north along the coast as far as
| Corpus Christi. Some distance up the river
and opposite the Mexican city OF Mata-
moras is Brownsville This latter place.
as well as Brazos Santiago, was occupied
| by Banks expedition, but Brownsville was
| not permanently held.
The incidents connected with its occupa-
ton were most dramatic. In landing hav-
| ing no proper pllOt, Banks lOSJ mucn or
his transportation and he was six days in
reaching Brownsville. thirty miles away
| During these six days there were wild do
ings in and about the town.
| A TERRIBLE PANIC
/ was caused by the report of the landing of
! the Yankees. and vertible pandemonium
followed. Thieves were stealing the cot
ton and other merchandise lying on the
| landing. Gen. Bee was burning the hos
| pitfalls and barracks and blowing up the
magazines. Suddenly one Vidal, captain
in the Confederate service "a citizen of
| Texas. but Mexican by birth). who had
| Deserted and taken his cnmnanY with him