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Reconstruction in Texas.
[from the Galveston (Tex.) daily news, Sunday, November 15, 1896.]
[The following paper was read before the
Texas Historical Society of
Galveston at its annual meeting, Tuesday evening, November 10, 1896, and is the first of a series of papers in preparation.
Mr. Walker has taken a deep interest in the subject and has devoted a great amount of time in study and research.
A great deal of the matter he brings up has never been more than touched upon by historical writers.]
Gentlemen of the
Texas Historical Society of
Galveston.
In response to your resolution requesting a contribution from me on ‘Reconstruction in
Texas,’ I offer now, as an introduction, a sketch relating to the few months which immediately succeeded the close of the
Civil War and which preceded the real beginning of ‘reconstruction,’ and will present others upon the subject named by you, hereafter, as even an outline would require more space than can be devoted to a single paper.
Such recitals, perhaps, should belong to a later day than this, when the time shall have passed for charges to be made against a writer of a desire to keep alive sectional feeling.
Trusting, however, to record some of the most memorable events of that period impartially, I offer this, the first of a series of papers, compiled from such authorities as have been accessible to me, (aided by my personal recollections,) being fully aware of their incompleteness and imperfections.
Respectfully submitted,
The break-up.
If chaos ever reigned in any land it did in
Texas from May to August, 1865, following the news of
Lee's surrender, which fell like a thunderbolt upon the army and the people.
A large proportion of the troops of the Trans-Mississippi Department had wintered in
Texas after the campaign of 1864, which began victoriously at
Mansfield,
