Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-11
HE POSTAL SERVICE.
Ex-ESstmaster-Genera Reagan of the
sGafhsrn Confederacy Writes An In-
teresting Letter on the subject.


SIfcial to the Gazette
sAusTIN, TEX, Oct 10-The following in.
lrest1ng letter was given out by Judge
Heagan yesterday:
IN. AUSTIN, TEX, Oct. g. 1891.
|5alr. Marshall Cushing, Washington, D. c.
q DEAR SIR am in receipt of YOUR letter
For the Sd inst, advising me of your efforts
TO collect historical material touching the
development Of the postal service, and re.
questing my cooperation.
IN Inc MIDST of exacting labors and
away from my library / can only write
briefly and in general way
You will find among the Confederate
archives IN the war department, | believe.
Inc volume or volumes containing all my
ofnclal reports as postmaster-general of the
Confederacy. From these you will learn
some interesting facts.
Inc constitution of the Confederacy re-
qulred the poStoffice department to be self
sustaining after the 1st of March, 1862. 1
oelIeve that was the date. You will also
nnd that the cost of the postal service was
PAD out OF ITS own revenues from that date
until the fall of the Confederacy, with an
increasing surplus of revenue from wear to
year.
Another fact if my memory serves me
correctly, which will interest YOU, is. that
whlte according to the roster of the depart
ment at Washington the Confederate de-
Partment would have had about one hun
dred and eighteen employees, it really had
Dut about thlrty-eight, including the post
master-general and one messenger I am
speaking from memory after great lapse
OF time and may be in error, but this is nv
recollection. This will be more noticeable
IN view OF the fact that the territory of the
Confederacy was constantly being expanded
or contracted, as the result of success or
defeat.
You will also see from perhaps nv first
report that recommended the continuance
OF the postmasters and contractors in the
service of the Confederacy who were then
In the service of the United States if they
were willing to accept service under the
Confederacy. And this the congress au
thorized me to do by proclamation.
Was authorized to commence the postal
service under the Confederacy on, | be-
lleve' the lst of June, 1861. l directed the
postmasters of the Confederacy to settle
their accounts with the department at
Washington. and to pay over to that depart
ment all moneys in their hands up to the
date OF the taking charge of the service.
and TO turn over all property in their hands
TO the United States government, except
mail bags and locks and keys You will see
that stated as my reasons for requiring the
settlement of the accounts of postmasters
and the paying over all money due
the United States up to the date
of our taking charge of the service. that a
time might come when there would be an
of troubles between the United
States and the Confederacy, when it would
be important to be able to adjust the ac-
counts o. the poStmasters, and to know
what disposition had been made of the pub
lie moneys; and that it would be unwise to
allow any time in which postmasters would
be responsible to no government for the
money In their hands. and would subject
them to temptation TO embeZzle such money
Of course | anl not intending to use the
language l then employed, but only to give
the ideas.
] think at a subsequent period, and after
was closed with Washino-
ton, tnat the congress of the Confederacy
passed law requiring the money which
should have been paid to the department at
Washington, but which had not been so
paid, to DE used in the payment of sums
Que mall contractors for services previously
the government of the United
States.
You will find all the Information on these
subjects IN the volume or volumes | have
as being with the Coufederate
archives.
II | were in my library or had access to |
my papers, might give you more accurate |
information on these SUBJECTS, and might |
~ o"4e " sdii your alleullOn 10 other mat |
.ers OF interest. so far as you might feel an |
interest in the postal service of the Confed- /
eracy.
| will mention one other fact During |
he time was at the head of the postal |
service of the Confederacy three times |
made careful revision of the system of |
nail routes, looping off parallel routes. |
useless cross routes, etc., and SO |
,reatly reducing the cost Of the service |
without materially injuring it. These re-
'islons were among the most difficult and /
ryIng tasks have gone through, as the
nlnd had TO hold almost whole system in |
is grasp throughout the labor
lou may find data in the postof1ce de-
'artInent which will show that this labor
lad not been gone through by any post
naster-general since the time of Amos
Kendall and Judge Mclean, both of whom
outes.
1t SO happened the Hon. Montgomery
6lalr, postmaster-general of the United |
states at that time, issued his proclamation
uSpendIng the postal service under the
of that government on the day I |
iad previously set by proclamation to take
Up the service by the Confederate govern
aent Whether this was by accident or
vas done in view of the policy l had rec
for the Confederacy, [ cneyer
new. Very respectfully.
JOHN H. REAGAN
Heinz ,uussapa. .,.ua1,6krllIet