Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-31

JOnn ii. Reagan IS q naive Oh leuleSSoe-
He IS seventy-three years OF age. IN 1ull
health, and vigorous apparently as man of
fifty. He has been citizen OF Texas about
ffty-three years. He came to the republic
of Texas in May, 1889. where he had neither
kindred, friends or money. Soon after he
arrived in Texas he entered the volunteer
army of Texas and participated in the
campaign and battles with the Cherokee
and other Indians in 1889, as private sol
der. For some years following that he
was deputy surveyor, engaged in survey
ing the public lands of Texas; alternating
with this, however, campaigning against
the Indians working on the farm and
school teaching. In 1912 he was elected
captain of company of militia, and justice
of the peace for his precinct, and in 1S43
was for a short time captain of company
in active service. In 1915 he commenced
the study of the law. In 1916 he was
elected colonel of militia of Henderson
county, which then embraced in its terri
tory the present counties of kaufman, Van
Zandt, Raines, Wood and half of Upshur.
The same year he was elected probate
judge of Henderson county. In 1S47 he was
elected q member of the Second legislature
of Texas from the Nacogdoches district, COM
posed of the present coGnties of Nacog-
doches, Angelina, Cherokee, Smith, Hen
derson. Kaufman, the north half of Dallas,
Rockwell, the south part of Hunt, Raines,
Wood, and the west half of Upshur. In
1852 he was elected judge of the district
court of the old Ninth judicial district for
ture increased the salaries of the district
judges from $3.50 to S2250, for the
alleged reason that the former
salary was not sufficient to command the
best legal talent for the bench. Mr..
Reagan, in view of this, resigned the Office
of district judge in 1856 and offered himself
for reelection, stating in the announcement
of his resignation and candidacy that if the
increased salary would secure to the people
Of the district a better judge it was his duty
to give them the chance to make the
selection; and that if they could do no bet
ter than re-elect him he was entitled to the
increased salary. And the people reelected
him again for term of six years. The next
year, 1857, he was nominated for seat in
the Thirty-fifth congress of the United
States by the Democratic convention of the
First (the Eastern) congressional district
He resigned the office of judge before ac-
cepting the nomination, and was elected
over the sitting member, who was what
was called a Know Nothing or American, by
majority of over 1000 votes. In 1859, after
q struggle of unusual bitterness, he was re-
elected to congress by majority of over
II, 900 votes, to the Thlrty-siXth congress.
He was what was called a conservative or
national Democrat, and sought as long as
there was hope of success to secure some
basis of adjustment of the sectional troubles
by which the Union could be preserved.
But, after thirty odd propositions of COM
promise had been made In the Thirty-siXth
congress, and all of them either by Demo-
Gratis or Southern men. looking to the
preservation of the Union, and after each
of those propositions had been received by
the Republicans in congress with hootlngs
and derision, leaving no hope for compro-
mise or for safety for the rights of
the Southern people in the Union, Mr..
Lee I,
congress and returned to Texas. On reach |
ing New Orleans he learned that he had |
been elected as member to what is known
as the secession state convention Of Texas. /
And instead of going to his home, as he |
had intended, he went directly to the city |
of Austin, reaching there on the morning |
of the third day after it was assembled. |
After participating in the proceedings of |
that convention, he was chosen by it as one |
of the delegates to the provisioDalcongress |
of the Confederacy, along with Senators |
Hemphin and Wigfall, Judge Oldham,
Judge Ochiltree, Gen. Ward and Judge |
Gregg as his colleagues.
In March, 1861, he was appointed by |
President Davis TO be postmaster general |
of the provisional government of the Con- |
federacy; and served as such, and as a |
member of the provisional congress, until |
the constitutional government was organ
lZed in February, 1862. On the organiZa- |
ton of the constitutional government he |
was reappointed by MIR. Davis to be post |
master general of the Confederate states. |
Mr.. Reagan served in this position success
fully, MANAGING the affairs of the post0fice |
department until the fall of the Confeder- |
acy. And it marks the confidence /
which Mr.. Davis and his cabinet had |
in the fidelity of Mr.. Reagan to important |
trusts, that near the close of the war, when |
from sickness Mr.. Trenholm resigned the |
Office of secretary of the treasury of the |
Confederacy, Mr.. Reagan was appointed |
secretary of the treasury ad interim, and |
charged with the duties of that Office in
addition TO the duties of postmaster-general. |
On the 10th day of May, 1865, Mr. Rea-
gan was made prisoner of war by the
United States forces in the state of Geor-
gia. He was captured in company with |
President Davis and Governor Lubbock
and Col William Preston Johnston. two |
members Of his staff, and Burton Harrison,
his private secretary. When he and his |
fellow prisoners reached Macon, Ca, then
the headquarters of Mai.-Gen. Wilson of
the Federal cavalry, they met the Hon. C. |
G. Clay OF Alabama who had voluntarily