150-years-ago -- CONDITIONS IN TEXAS

The Richmond Daily Dispatch
Jan. 30, 1864

Interesting from Texas.

Maj. Gen. John Bankhead Magruder
Cmdr. of Texas Department

           Houston, Texas - Jan. 11th, via Jackson, Jan. 29th.- We have accounts of another serious Indian raid in Cook county in which twelve or fifteen people were killed. The Indians were armed and equipped by the Yankees.

          Fifteen millions of dollars of Confederate money that had run the blockade from some Eastern port to Havana, and had safety reached Monterey, Mexico, en route to the Trans-Mississippi Department, has been attached by the English house of Milmo & Co., of Matamoras, for the alleged failure on the part of Major Hart, A. Q. M., an agent of the Confederate States Government, in meeting his contracts with that house for cotton.--The same house also attached a large amount of cotton in transit in Mexico, belonging to the Government, on the same account.

           Gen. A. J. Hamilton, the Abolition appointee as Military Governor of Texas, had a public reception in Matamoras by Gov. Serna and Cortinas. In a speech at the banquet he announced that in case the French advance on Matamoras the Yankees would help the Mexicans whip them out. Hamilton has as yet issued no proclamation that we have heard of, before of the Yankees 500 strong, have advanced from Brownsville on King's Ranch. They met with no opposition. Col.

Benaredes and Col. John S. Ford, the old ranger, are raising a force in the west to suppress the Mexican bandits now depredating on our soil.

          The Yankee force at Salaria and Dekew's Point is about 12,000 men. They are occupying Indianola with a small garrison, and have visited Lavacca. They did no damage there save sacking a few houses. The railroad from Lavacca to Victoria is thoroughly destroyed. They also landed a force of a few hundred one day last week in the upper part of Matagorda Peninsula, for the purpose of cutting off fifteen of our pickets who were below them. The pickets escaped in some oyster boats. They were a squad of volunteer exempts from the city, under command of ex-Gov. Henderson. A company of men, under Capt. Rudgely, attempted last week to cross from the main land to the peninsula. They were caught in a storm, the boats swamped, and they were obliged to swim out. Fourteen of the men perished in the attempt, their dead bodies being out sequency washed up by the waves. They were frozen to death.

          No engagement of consequence has occurred on our coast since the fall of Eschorazo. Since the 1st inst. we have experienced the coldest weather known for many years. It is believed that nearly all the stubble in the sugar cane has been frozen out. The people have learned to look reverses squarely in the face, and they evince a determination to fight it out, no matter what odds, or under what difficulties. Texas will not succumb, even if every other The proclamation of Lincoln excites hardly a thought. The health and spirits of our troops are good, and the organization of the army is thorough. Veterans are in command of every brigade, and many of the regiments are from eight hundred to a thousand strong. In a word, Texas is all right. The enemy has in two months taken no point that was regarded as defensible, and intended to be defended. They will not attempt to do so with less than two to one.