Chapter V

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.