The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-04

he raft Of oak logs that be had fastened
together and moved from place TO place =
by hooks and spikes on the ends Of long I
poles. On that raft and others like It We 7
travelled from Tensas bayou to Monroe. /
La, a. that was the only mems Of trans
portation IN tho overnowed bottom Of the |
mississippi river at that time. We hhd to |
change RATS several times to cross strips |
OF land between bayous. We made our iast
landing and abandoned our "Choctaw"
eight miles from Monroe, where We were
met by government wagon and hauled 10
the city. There we remained one day and
two nights to rest the children. rearrange
their toilets and satisfy their hunger, for
we had been on very short rations on the
''Chocnaw." That was nothing new to vir-
ginia soldiers, but 1t was very hard on the
children. They endured It. however. as
they had all other hariships and dangers,
with the courageous spirit OF young
Texans. We Travelled by stage from Mon
roe TO Shreveport over rough and muddy
roads and swollen streams and finally ar
rived at Shreveport safely with our charge
and felt profound sense Of relief when
We saw the Confederate flag floating over
the headquarters of the. army OF the Trans
mississippi. We were met by Colonel Guy
welcomed us to the department. We were
treated very kindly by officers and soldiers
everywhere and were aided and protected
by them at many points on our trip, for
which we were ell grateful.
Major Mathews and Captain Gordon left
us at Shreveport and preceded us to Mar
shall to deliver the money and stamps
and take receipt for the same which they
did. ! regret that ! have never seen or
heard OF either of them since We parted
at Marshall for they were two as brave
and prudent soldiers as ever defended the
Confederate flag or lodged Yankee picket
or gunboat
The next morning after our arrival at
Shreveport Colonel Guy M. Bryan accom-
panied me to General e. Kirby Smiths
headquarters, where l delivered the sealed
package to General Smith in person.
do NOT know and may never know what 1t
contained. The general granted me
| furlough for thirty days and furnished me
| q good ambulance, team and driver 10 con-
| vey the children to their destination in
| Grimes county. After we crossed the
| Neches, which had been very high, we
passed DR.. Ephriam Mcdowell. old professor
| of the st. Lewis medical school. camped
| On his way west as refugee We rest
| ed one day with the children's uncle, Rich
ard Reagan. in Rusk county, where young
John Reagan found his Shetland pony
that his uncle had been keeping Tor him.
| John was very happy boy when ne
\ mounted his pony next morning for An
I dcrson, where we finally arrived all safe
| and sound and were met by Mrs. Nelins,
| the grandmother of the children. who re-
| ceived them as only loving grandmother
| can receive the orphan children OF de-
| ceased daughter. There | parted with the
! children that l had learned 10 love from
| long association and almost parental re-
| sponsibility. have never met either OIL
! them since except John, who called on me
| while / was a member Of the Twenty nth
legislature. But to resume my story.
spent one night at Anderson with tho fam
lily OF my deceased uncle, o. H. P. Hill
and travelled from there to Navasota b,
| stage, and from Navasota to Brenham viz
| Hampstead.
AS entered the car at Navasota me
Colonel John Ireland, afterwards COVER
nor. He was a very eick man trying U
get home. His noble wife accompanied hin
as his faithful nurse. This was my mrs
meeting with the man that Texas after
wards delighted to honor. l parted witt
Colonel Ireland and his wife at BRENNAN
the then terminus of the western branch
the Central railroad. and Travelled by stag
to my home in WebberviMe, Travis county
Texas, where l met my dear wife an
three children, whom had not seen sine
July, 1861 / remained with my famil,
until my furlough expired, and returne
to Marshall by stage. On my arrival q
Marshall found the army disbanded, tn
soldiers discharged and everything in con
fusion l was ordered by DR.. John Sta
postmaster general Of the Transmississipr
department, to take charge OF the stag
line from Marshall to Austin and organic
protection for the stage horses. to enabl
him to continue to send the mail and Z
transport disabled soldiers west until tn
proper Federal authority demanded thei
surrender and accepted his contracts,
he could induce them to accept existin
contracts He informed me that he In
tended to stand his ground until he ha
surrendered everything In his charge I
legally authorized Federal authorities an
take receipt for the same and make tn
! very best arrangements he could for l>csta
service for his people in the future. II
was a grand. fearless old man, who neve
flinched from duty or danger. Presiden
Davis made no mistake In appointing hir
postmaster general Of the TransmisslsspI
department. My first stop was at Tyler
Smith county, where met Colonel latter
wards Governor) O. NJ. Roberts, who calle
a citizens meeting in the Masonic ha
to devise means for the protection of tn
army stores at that place, and save thei
to be isused to returning soldiers and th
widows and orphans of deceased soldier
| On that occasion heard Governor Rober,
!, make his first patriotic speech after tn
war, and his people were In full sympath
with him. also stopped at Waco to al
range for the protection Of Thad Beck
stage horses who had stage contract
,, that time. None OF the stage horses wer
,, ever mclested on that line so far as
know. From Waco / came to Austin an
a Webbervile, my home, by stage. l neve
: received a message for my orders es
= pired at least two weeks after the disband
ing of the army az Marshall. / can M
, give exact dates, as my notes OF the trl
+, were lost in the overflow OF the Coiorad
i in 1869.
! Desperate Mexicnns Jailed.
= LuFng, Texas, October 3.-Last nigh
: Roy Bonner. Charles E,ustacc and Fran
1 Ratliff, three young farmers. left tow