State of things in Texas--Scarcity of gold and silver--A forced
currency--Jobbers--Vessels at a premium--Devices to obtain possession
of them--Descent of the Federal forces on the coast--The _Rob Roy_
pressed into the Government service--Beginning of troubles--Blockade
runners regarded with suspicion--Proof of fealty an important
essential--Military rule.
When I got to Houston and called upon the merchants to whom the cargo
was to be consigned, I found that, by the custom-house regulations,
the entering and clearing of the vessel must be done by the captain.
I accordingly sent word to the captain to come and meet the consignee
and have that done, while I started off to Galveston, where the
British consul was stationed, to report the arrival of the vessel and
deposit the register and crew list.
Galveston, which is the principal seaport of Texas, is about seventy
miles by railway from Houston, and is situated upon a sandy island
about twenty-four miles long and about three miles broad. This
island lies across the opening of a large bay which extends inland
for nearly one hundred miles.
The principal entrance to this bay is by a narrow channel at the east
end of the island, called Galveston Inlet, which will admit vessels
about fourteen feet draught.
At the west end, and for more than half its length, the island is
separated from the mainland only by a very narrow channel, the outlet
to sea from which is not over four feet deep, and is called St. Louis
Pass.
Across this channel the railway from Houston is, or was at that time,
carried by trestle-work. Galveston, being situated on the inside of
the island facing the bay, was therefore a fine, safe harbour for
such vessels as could enter. It had evidently been a prosperous
place, but it was now virtually in ruins, and the grass was growing
in the streets. It had been taken by the Federal forces about a year
previously, and had subsequently been retaken, after a desperate
battle by the Confederates, under General Magruder. The temporary
earthworks across the streets and passes, the torn-up wharves, and
the sunken war vessels in the harbour and bay remained the same as at
the close of the struggle. Some of the Federal war vessels which had
been captured lay at anchor, among which was the paddle sloop
_Harriet Lane_.
Few people except soldiers were to be seen in the streets, and the
appearance of the place was cheerless and dismal in the extreme.
Outside of the shoals which compassed the entrance from sea lay the
blockading fleet, and, so far as I could learn, no adventurous
blockade runner had yet found its way in to break the monotony of the
scene.
When I saw the consul, he received the papers, and noted the arrival
in the ordinary way. He asked me which way I had come in. I said by
the Brazos River. He then asked if any war vessels were stationed or
anchored off the mouth of that river. I said there was not. This he
noted down. I do not think, however, that I told him anything about
being fired upon by a passing steamer.
There was a good deal of discussion at that time about what
constituted an effectively blockaded port.
One of the first things which I found on coming into the country was
the entire absence of specie money. No gold or silver coin was in
circulation, nothing to be seen or had but Confederate scrip, twenty
or thirty dollars of which could be easily bought for one dollar in
coin.
Of course it was the circulating medium, and suited for marketing and
domestic purposes, and, being declared by the existing Government to
be a legal tender, all articles were sold high in proportion, as no
one dared to refuse it or say or do anything to depreciate its value.
Some, having implicit confidence in the ultimate success of the
Confederate States, still valued it, and, as is too often the case in
such times, the credulous masses were led away by political jobbers
who heralded reports of great Confederate victories and the assurance
of the speedy triumph of the South, and were ready to execute summary
vengeance on any one who should in any way attempt to depreciate the
value of the national currency, whilst they themselves were quietly
using Confederate scrip to buy up specie, and hoarding the latter
away.
The state of the country in general was wretched in the extreme,
owing to the war and the blockaded ports.
Food of some kinds, the products of the place, was plentiful enough,
such as Indian corn, fresh beef, and vegetables, and there was plenty
of deer and other wild game, and near to the sea-coast there was
abundance of fish and oysters. Some sugar was also produced, but not
sufficient to supply the demand, much of it being sent to other parts
of the confederacy. All other articles were at famine prices, or not
to be had at all.
Texas being a new country and a semi-tropical climate, no advances
whatever had been made in manufactures, and all northern products,
iron, and all other kinds of manufactured goods had hitherto been
imported; and being now shut off by the blockade, the want was
severely felt. Clothing of all kinds could only be obtained by the
long and uncertain route across the plains from Mexico _viâ_
Brownsville.
Owing to the want of engineers' stores and material, the railway and
steamboat traffic was much crippled, but, by vigorous exertions, it
was still maintained to some extent.
Having got the vessel entered, the cargo was discharged and sent by
railway to Houston, but it would be some time before the cargo of
cotton could be got ready, as the cotton would have to be prepared
for shipment. This was done by a very powerful cotton press, which
compressed the bales into very small bulk, which enabled small
vessels to stow away a large amount of cotton in very small space.
The vessel being now discharged, the first thing to be done was to
have the damage done by the shot effectively repaired.
Columbia was a very small place, there not being altogether over
fifty houses.
Some three or four blockade-running schooners were lying there
discharging, or waiting for cargoes, but none of them carried a
carpenter, and all classes of mechanics were very scarce, nearly all
being in the army or employed at the Government works.
I was fortunate, however, in finding a man whom I had known in the
Confederate army; he had served in the same brigade with me at
Corinth, and afterwards was made a prisoner at Vicksburg, when that
place was taken by the Federal forces. He had been parolled, and had
not yet been exchanged, and of course could not be made to serve in
the army. He was a good carpenter, and readily undertook to do the
repairs, and the vessel was taken to a convenient place and careened
over and the damage effectually repaired.
There was now very little to do. The captain seemed to have met up
with some old friends here, and had made a large acquaintance, and
spent most of his time on shore, leaving the mate in charge.
The latter, however, seemed to take pleasure in keeping the men
employed, and, as he appeared to be a pretty good rigger, I thought
this a good opportunity while we had the carpenter to get the masts
shortened, and this was set about.
The desired length was cut off at the bottom, a new heel made to fit
the step in the keelson, the wedging at the deck slackened, and the
masts gently worked down into the step, trimmed, and then wedged up
lightly, and the rigging set up again, and the vessel was greatly
improved in her appearance.
About this time Captain B., of the sunken schooner, _Catherine_,
which we had passed at Brazoria, was very much in company with our
captain. His story seemed to me rather a singular one. His vessel
had struck against a sunken wreck while coming up the river, and had
sunk to her deck rails near the bank. There was on board of her one
of the owners, who was acting as owner and supercargo, but, not being
a British subject, his name was not on the register, but he held a
power of attorney over the vessel.
Between this person and Captain B. there was a dispute. Captain B.
maintained that, from his authority as captain, he could hold a
survey on the vessel, and have her condemned and abandoned, the wreck
sold, and he and the crew paid their wages, &c., out of the proceeds.
He accordingly took steps to this effect, and, after some kind of
survey, the vessel was sold by Captain B. to a Mr. L., and Mr. L. had
appointed Captain B. as captain under his ownership.
Against this the original owner protested, and denied that the vessel
was a wreck, or had been lawfully condemned. He was ready to pay
Captain B. and crew their wages, and furnish accommodation for them,
and insisted on them remaining by the vessel until she was raised.
He ignored the sale of the vessel, and held on to her, employed men,
and was getting her raised; but, as Captain B. had abandoned the
vessel, he now refused to allow him to come near her.
Owing to the haziness about the ownership of the vessel and the
disordered state of the civil authorities in Texas at the time, it
was not easy to obtain justice by legal means, and it seemed to be
one of those cases where possession is nine points of the law.
I saw that Captain B. did not like to say much to our captain in my
hearing, but I heard rumours privately that he was going to wait
until the vessel was raised, and then he would make an attempt to get
possession of her by force if necessary.
Whether Captain J. had promised to assist him or not, I do not know,
but he seemed to sympathize much with him, and they had much private
talk together.
I also imagined that Captain J. was beginning to assume a somewhat
arbitrary position, for he spent most of his time on shore in company
with Captain B. and Mr. L., the new owner of the _Catherine_, and
stood high upon his dignity as captain of the _Rob Roy_, and seemed
quite to ignore the presence of any owners.
I did not altogether like the appearance of things, and I was wishful
to get loaded and away to sea, but in this I was suddenly doomed to
an unexpected disappointment.
I went up to Houston to do what I could in pushing on matters and
getting the cotton sent down.
When I got there I found the town jubilant over a victory gained over
the Federals at Sabine Pass, a place about 60 miles to the eastward
of Galveston, where the Federals had attempted to land with a strong
force, but had been repulsed with heavy loss and two of their light
draught gunboats captured by the Confederates.
A part of the cotton had been got ready and was to be sent off the
following day, when Captain J. came up and reported to me that the
_Rob Roy_ had been taken possession of by the Government for war
purposes to do duty at Fort Velasco at the mouth of the Brazos River.
They had given no notice whatever, but come and inspected her, and
immediately brought one of the Quartermaster's steamers and towed her
away.
I knew well the arbitrary acts of the Government, but I scarcely
understood why they should seize and press into service a _bona-fide_
foreign vessel, when other vessels lay there which were known to be
the property of Confederate citizens.
I immediately went off to the Forts, to inquire as to the cause of
the seizure and what they were going to do with the vessel.
I knew that blockade runners were sometimes regarded with suspicion,
and that some of them were suspected of being owned by, and in league
with the Yankees, and had no love for the South, their object being
only to make money, or perhaps a worse purpose by acting as spies.
Although I knew that no suspicion of that kind could attach to me,
still reports of that kind were sometimes got up against vessels by
political demagogues and grog-shop loafers in order to extort
blackmail; or at the instance of speculating sharpers, with the view
of ultimately getting the vessel into their hands.
I knew also that some proof of fealty towards the Confederate States
was a very powerful factor in such cases; but up to this time I had
kept my former connection with the Confederate States secret, and
acted entirely as a foreigner and a stranger.
When I got to the Forts, I found they were preparing the vessel to
carry a pile-driver to drive piles in the channel way to obstruct the
entrance.
I called upon the commander of the Forts, and complained that the
_Rob Roy_ should have been selected for this purpose when so many
vessels the property of Confederate citizens were lying idle, and
desired to know if there was anything against the vessel which led to
her seizure.
The colonel commanding--Evans I think was his name--was a very
gentlemanly man. He said that so far as he knew, there was nothing
whatever against the vessel or her owners.
The fact was that they had been apprized that a large Federal force
was meditating a descent upon the coast. They had made an attack at
Sabine Pass, where they had been repulsed. Where they would make the
next attack was uncertain, but it was thought very probable that they
would make an attack at Brazos River, and therefore it was necessary
to strengthen the position; and it had been suggested to drive piles
and place obstructions in some parts of the channel so as to make it
more intricate, and bring the entrance more direct under the sweep of
the guns of the Forts. To effect this it was necessary to have a
handy and suitable vessel, and therefore for the public good, one had
to be impressed into the service and the _Rob Roy_ had been selected
as the most suitable; but, added he, "You will be paid in full for
your vessel."
In Confederate money I was about to say, but I knew that although
that would be what I would be paid with, and it would be of no more
value than waste paper to me, it would not be judicious to make the
remark.
I said that no payment they could make me, could compensate me for
the loss of my vessel situated as I was; and trusted that they might
see their way to make some other arrangements, and let me have my
vessel back.
He replied, that, for himself, he did not see any use the vessel
would be to them, but she had been sent there for the use of the
Engineers at the Forts, and that he could not give her up without an
order from the Quartermaster-General or from General Magruder.
I then set off to Galveston to lay the matter before the British
Consul.
When I saw that gentleman and reported the matter, he was a little
surprised, but said he would scarcely be much astonished at anything
these people--the Confederates--would do. They were now desperate,
and would not let any regard for international law or individual
rights interfere with any project they meant to carry out. If they
succeeded in gaining their independence they would be able to
compensate and make it right with all parties, and if they did not
succeed, there would be no one to fall back upon; but as they had
invited and wished to encourage foreign nations to run into their
ports and trade with them, he thought such an act would tend very
much to discourage such trade. He would, however, see General
Magruder and reason the matter with him.
General Magruder who was more of a soldier than a purveyor or a
diplomatist, was away in the field with the troops, and the Consul
said it might be a few days before he could see him; but I might come
back in about a week and he would let me know the result of the
interview.
After waiting a week I went back and saw the Consul, who told me that
he had seen General Magruder, and that the latter had promised that
he would inquire into the matter, and if the vessel could be
dispensed with without great detriment to the public service he would
order her to be given up. "But," continued the Consul, "I have had
no reply from the General, and in the midst of this great hubbub he
may have forgotten all about it. I think," said he, "the best way
for you to do is to go and see him yourself; I will give you a letter
to him."
I agreed to this, and he sat down and wrote a letter to the General
which he handed to me, and told me that the proper place for me to
see him would be at the headquarters of the Quartermaster-General.
I accordingly went there. I knew there would likely be a little
difficulty in getting an interview with the General, but I was
determined to push my way.
I was met by a number of subordinate officers in uniform, and when I
said I wished to see General Magruder, there was a general titter
among them.
A newly fledged sub-lieutenant came up, and, in a slightly ironical
tone, asked me if my business with the General was very important.
I said it was to me at least.
He then said, in the same ironical tone, that if I would do him the
honour to give him my name, he might be able to attend to my case.
I directed my eye to his plain shoulder-strap, and asked if he was
the Quartermaster-General.
He did not seem to understand my meaning, but an older officer of
higher rank looked up from his desk and asked if I wanted to see the
Quartermaster-General.
I said it was General Magruder I had come to see, but I presumed the
business was connected with the Quartermaster-General's department.
"I am the Quartermaster for the district," said he. "But----" Just
then the door flew open, and a stout, bronzed-looking officer came
bouncing in, who, going up to the officer who had last spoken, said:
"Well, Major, I will bid you good-bye, I am off; see and take care of
yourselves; and give those Yankees a warm reception should they
attempt to land in Texas."
It struck me I had heard the rough voice before, but his face was
turned away from me and towards the officer who had risen from his
desk to shake hands with him. And I was watching him attentively,
when he happened to look round, and I recognized an officer whom I
had formerly known as a captain in the 2nd Texas Regiment.
"What the devil are you doing here?" he cried, as he ran towards me
and grasped my hand, which he shook until I thought he would have
wrenched my arm from its socket.
"Why! You two seem to be acquainted," said the Quartermaster.
"I should say we were," said he, "and we ought to be. We were both
left wounded on the field at Corinth and were together prisoners in
the Yankee hospital."[1]
He then referred to some of the incidents which had taken place at
that time, and said that he had got exchanged shortly after me. He
had now been home on a short furlough, and was just on his way back
to join his regiment.
He was sorry he could not have a longer talk with me as he had to go,
so he bade me good-bye, and commended me to his friend the
Quartermaster and all the other officers, saying they were to show me
all the kindness they could and charge it to his account.
This was a most fortunate meeting for me, and I was quite astonished
at the great effect which this little incident had upon the demeanour
of the officials towards me, and I saw that any one who had taken an
active part in the Confederate service was held in very high esteem,
and that even a private soldier who had been wounded in battle,
ranked morally higher than a field officer in the Home Guard.
As soon as my friend--who was now a Major--had taken his leave, the
other Major--the District Quartermaster--in the most kindly way asked
me what I wished to obtain; and having told him, he said he would go
with me at once to the Quartermaster-General, who would get me an
audience of General Magruder.
I was very soon introduced to the Quartermaster-General, and by him
ushered into the presence of General Magruder to whom I handed the
Consul's letter.
Having read the letter and asked me a few questions about my services
in the army, he directed the Quartermaster-General to write an order
to Colonel Evans, that the British schooner _Rob Roy_ might be given
up to her owner, if the same could be done without material detriment
to the public service.
I was allowed to be the bearer of the despatch, and I lost no time in
getting back to the Forts, and handing it to Colonel Evans. When he
read the order, he said he saw nothing in the way of giving up the
vessel, but he must first consult with the Engineer officers.
After a consultation with the Engineer officers, the Colonel told me
that the vessel would be released, and as a steamer would be going to
Columbia the following day, he would order that she should be towed
up to that place.
The captain and crew being still on board of the vessel, I left them
to attend to her and went off to Houston to expedite the sending off
of the cargo of cotton.
I found that part of the cargo of cotton which had not been already
compressed had been thrown aside to make room for the pressing of
another consignment, and would have now to wait its turn. The
consignee, however, promised to get it ready as soon as possible.
I then returned to Columbia, but only to be apprised of another
misfortune.
The vessel had been towed up, but she had met with an accident on the
way and been very much damaged. The rails had been cut on both sides
to allow the pile-driver to rest across her deck, and on coming up
the river in tow of the steamer, she had come into collision with
another vessel and the rail on the one side from where it was cut was
carried away clean to the stern, and the stanchions damaged.
I was glad, however, to get the vessel back in any condition, and my
next object was to get her repaired.
I found my old friend the carpenter who had done the last repairs
ready to undertake the work, but the difficulty would be to get wood.
There was plenty of wood in the country of the best kind, but, like
nearly everything else, it had all been taken possession of by the
Government. There was a saw-mill about four miles from the place,
and there I went. I found there plenty of fine oak most suitable,
sawn up and seasoned; but the owner told me that he could not allow a
bit of wood to go from the place without an order from the
Brigadier-General commanding the district.
The headquarters of this officer was at Houston, and to that place I
must go. There was not going to be any train to that place for a day
or two, so I took horse and rode across the prairie.
There was no Brigadier-General at the time, but one Colonel L. was
acting.
Colonel L. had been a civilian, an officer of volunteers, and had
attained the rank of Colonel since the war broke out.
As I knew that--where not known--foreigners or traders were regarded
with distrust, I got Mr. P., my partner's representative, who was
staying in Houston at the time, and who was a native of the place,
and whose fealty could not be questioned, to accompany me.
When we went to headquarters, unfortunately for us, there was at the
time a commotion arising out of some drunken spree, in which several
officers were implicated, and several of them were there in a
half-drunk state, and there was high words and the appearance of
something like a brawl.
Colonel L. seemed exceedingly annoyed and irritated, and appeared to
become more so on seeing strangers coming in and witnessing the scene.
I thought it not a favourable opportunity to apply, and motioned to
Mr. P. to come away out; but the Colonel had seen us, and called us
back, saying: "Here what do you want? I will attend to your case."
I said I only wanted an order to get some wood from a sawmill to
repair my vessel, which had been damaged while in the service of the
Government. Probably the last words he did not hear in the general
uproar.
"I can't give you any order to get wood," said he, "without some
proper recommendation. I can't take the Government wood and give to
every vessel that comes in, that we know nothing about."
I was about to explain the matter, when half-a-dozen voices, excited
with drink, shouted out---
"Don't give it, Colonel! Don't give it! These blockade runners are
just a set of Yankee spies, who are carrying the cotton out of the
country to supply the Yankees."
This so irritated Mr. P. that he turned round upon them and said that
whoever accused us of such a thing lied. Whereupon a half-drunk
captain drew his dagger and ran at Mr. P. Colonel L., however,
seized the captain and pushed him back. But Mr. P. had only made
matters worse. I still endeavoured to explain the matter, but to
little purpose.
Colonel L. said something to his quartermaster, who was standing by,
more than half drunk. The latter was most abusive, and said he would
not give wood to any one who had done nothing for the Confederate
States, and who he believed to be a worthless speculator and an enemy
of the Confederate States, who wished to carry out cotton to supply
the Yankees.
I now got irritated in my turn, and I replied with some warmth that I
had done more for the Confederate Government than ever he would dare
to do. I could show on my body the scars of wounds received in
battle in the Confederate service, and only two days before I had
produced testimony of this to the satisfaction of General Magruder,
and to him I would now go and apply for what I wanted, and also
report the reception I had got here.
There was a silence all round for a few moments, and a look from one
to another, which was soon followed by an ironical laugh, and some
sneering expressions, such as: "A very fine story if it was true; but
I don't believe a word of it."
We left the room and retired into the ante-room, intending to let
matters quiet down a little before we said anything more, as,
notwithstanding what I had said, I had no desire to incur the delay
and disagreeability of going again to General Magruder, if there was
any possibility of getting what I wished here.
I was thinking of what I would do when I noticed a young lieutenant,
who was lying stretched his full length upon a bench, regarding me
very attentively. I thought I had seen the face before, but ere I
could remember where, he sprang up and ran towards me.
"Beg your pardon," said he, "but did not you once belong to the Rifle
Company of the 3rd Louisiana Regiment?"
"I did," said I; "and you are Tom M., of the Moorehouse Guards; but
what are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know I was wounded at Pea Ridge," said he, "and sent home,
and when I recovered I joined De Bray's mounted Regiment, and I am in
that now."
"Then you have no connection with those fellows?" said I, referring
to the officers in the adjoining room.
"Oh no," said he. "I was at a ball in Houston last night, where I
met up with some of them, and I was just having a few hours' sleep;
but how came you to be here? What are you about now?"
I gave him a short account of my movements from the time I had last
seen him, and, remembering the good effects of meeting my old friend
the Major at Galveston, I said I was glad that I had met him, as he
might be able to assist me a little in the position I was in.
He said he would be most happy if he could, but he feared his
influence would not be great. He said that Colonel L. was a very
gentlemanly man, though he had no great experience as an officer, but
he seemed to have a pretty rough crowd about him.
I said that influence was not required; I only wished him to testify
to what he knew of me and my services in the army.
He said he would do that with pleasure, and we went together into the
room, where the Colonel seemed to be trying to settle some dispute or
quarrel amongst the officers, and there was a good deal of loud
talking.
I went up to him and said, "Colonel, I mean to apologize if I have
been out of order in making the request, or said anything offensive;
but here is a gentleman, a Confederate officer, who can tell you
something of me."
Lieutenant M. then said that he had known me since the commencement
of the war, that I had served with him in the 3rd Louisiana Regiment
throughout the whole of the Western Campaign under Generals
McCulloch, Price, and Van Dorn, and that for bravery and zeal in the
Confederate cause I was second to none. He had known me up to the
battle of Pea Ridge, where he himself was wounded and invalided home.
"So far so good," said the Colonel, and, turning to me, he asked
under what circumstances I came to be here now.
"Because," said I, "I was afterwards badly wounded at the battle of
Corinth, and rendered unfit for service in the field; but being still
desirous of serving the Confederate States, I had made an attempt at
blockade running, and had brought a cargo into Texas; and the
Government having had the use of my vessel for some operations at the
mouth of the Brazos River, she had got damaged, and what I now asked
for was permission to purchase wood to repair her." In saying this I
daresay I overpictured my zeal a little, but then such were the
times, and a point had to be made.
The Colonel stood silent for a few moments, and then said,
reflectively, "That alters the case, that alters the case very much:
but of course I knew nothing of you; and I almost think I owe you an
apology, for we owe respect and gratitude to any one who has shed his
blood in the Confederate cause."
"You owe me no apology, Colonel; but that man there does," said I,
pointing to the Quartermaster, who was standing by, and had heard
what was said.
"Apology!" roared the inebriated Major; "you shall have a thousand
apologies," as he roughly seized hold of my hand, "and you shall not
go from here until you have had a drink with me."
There was now a change in the tone all round, and they were as loud
in their laudations as they had before been in their abuse; and I was
now as much in danger of being hurt by overkindness as I had before
been from contumely.
Colonel L., however, called me aside, and said he would give me the
order I wanted and let me get away. He asked me to slip away as
quietly and as quickly as I could, as his officers were all _off
their usual_. He was ashamed that anyone should have witnessed such
a scene at headquarters; his officers were all sober men enough, but
there had been a ball last night in Houston, which had set them all
wrong.
He then wrote out an order to the manager of the saw-mill to deliver
to me what wood I required to repair my vessel, and I slipped away
quietly, and was soon upon my horse speeding across the prairie on my
way to Columbia, thinking how strange it was that within three days
two instances had happened of my meeting with old friends at a time
so opportune, and so advantageous to me.
I saw, however, that the testimony of my former services in the
Confederate army was a great recommendation to me among the
officials, and, as they held absolute power at that time, I must make
the most of it.
I got the wood I required, and the carpenter proceeded with the
repairs, and the vessel was again in good order, and ready to take in
cargo.
[1] "Life in the Confederate Army," p. 421.