The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-01-13
Texas i'm War-TimeS.

A. a. Hayes, in an article in the
Louisville COurier-JOmndl, says: "The
state of Texas fell early into the hands
OF the confederates, a convention hav-
ing passed an ordinance of secession
February l, 1861, and General Twiggs
having surrendered his whole COM
mand 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 dissatis-
faction and discomfort arose; and,
while these feelings lacked decided out
ward manifestations, they grew deeper
and deeper. While there were hardly
any active hostilities to feed the war
fever and develop the spirit of self
sacrifice, 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. Houses, crops, cattle
and provisions were taken at will for
the benefit of the confederacy. The
roads were unsafe; for marauders, de-
serters, road agents and desperadoes of
all kinds found golden opportunities.
The sufferings of the people were great.
Trade was at standstill-as well it
might be. The whole coast, from Sa-
bine Pass to Point Isabel, was block
AIDED by the United States navy, and
to export cotton in any quantity (some
300, 900 bales went to market in this
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. More
over, when the confederate authorities
found out the value of this trade, they
laid such grievous and varying taxes
thereon that, on more than one occa-
sion, the unhappy owners of cotton,
learning, after all the burden and dan
ger of transportation had passed, of an
impost which meant ruin, actually COM
mitted suicide. Supplies of all sorts
from outside were scanty and enor-
mously expensive, and the drain upon
the population to fill the confederate
armies was incessant. a most anus
ing 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 contrary, Matamoras was
at one time filled with drummers F"
from New York firms-the members
of which were swearing by the old
flag and subscribing to the Union de-
fence committee-eager to sell not only
ordinary merchandise, but also NUM-
tons of war to the enemy. They pro-
faSco1 thannc alxaC orlant
and they found their accounts. One
night a confederate general gave ball
in Brownsville and invited about forty
of them. Having these faithful south
ern sympathizers on Texas soil, he
took them at their word and con-
scripted 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 Braun
fels 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, a tragedy far less
widely known. Two loyal Texans.
Davis and Montgomery by name, were
respectively colonel of the First Texas
Uniom Cavalry and captain com,
handing company of the same regi-
ment. Hearing that their wives were
on Mexican soil, they both left New
Orleans and proceeded by sea to Bag,
dad, and thence some distance into the
country. Davis found his wife, but
Montgomery did not find his. On theil
way back TO the vessel in which they
had come, they lodged for the night il
the house fthe Mexican commandant a
Bagdad. That night confederate
force, commanded by an officer nameC
Chiffon (acting under the order of Gen
eral Bee, crossed the river, attacked
the house and kidnapped the two UnioI
officers AS they were carrying then