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Nov 1873
Taken up by W. H. PURSLEY and
posted before John MILLER, JP, Precinct 1, Navarro Co., one black horse
about 8-9 yrs old. About 13 1/2 hands high, white star in forehead
branded A (next mark illegible). Valued $25.00.
[ Biography of W. H.
Prusley ]
Corsicana Observer, Aug. 12, 1876
Public Meeting of Citizens of Corsicana at the
Opera House to Devise Means to Build a College in this City.
The meeting being called to order by Capt. F. M. Martin, Judge Wood was nominated and
unanimously elected President of the meeting, and on motion James Garitty was appointed
Secretary. Judge Wood having assumed the chair; the object of the meeting was called for
by several parties. Whereupon Mayor Harle rose to explain, and stated that it was for the
purpose of raising funds by individual subscription to build a school house that would be
an honor to our city and county. the mayor made some forcible and well timed remarks,
showing the absolute necessity of our having such a school, and gave it as his opinion
that this was the only way it could be got, as the Constitution would not allow the
raising of the necessary means by taxation. Col. A. M. Lea being called upon to express
his views, stated that not being posted he would prefer that some other gentleman present
should explain more fully the object of the meeting, and called upon Mr. Bagby said was
fully posted. Mr. Bagby said that so far as he knew the intention was to form a stock
company composed of subscribers, and every one subscribs, and every one subscribing should
be entitled to one vote for every $50 subscribed. This brought half a dozen gentlemen to
their feet, each of whom had a different idea to suggest. After considerable discussion
the Chair ruled that Col. Lea had the floor, and he would hear from him before listening
to further discussion. Col. Lea then called upon the teachers, if any were present, to say
what kind of a school was necessary, how it should be conducted, supported, etc. Parson
Mullins, being loudly called for, arose, and in an eloquent address showed the necessity
of having a first class school which would be a credit to our city and county; and while
it furnishes every facility necessary to our own children in obtaining a first-class
education, it would also attract many scholars from a distance, improve business, and
thereby compensate subscribers who might not be fortunate enough to have any children
themselves. The Parson, who was quite eloquent, while showing that by a united effort it
was possible to make Corsicana the Athens of the South. Col. Lea suggested $15 per share,
in order that parties who could not give any more should have a vote. The mayor then
explained that it was the intention to give every one who subscribed any fraction of a
share a vote, and was here interrupted by the Chair, who gave it as his opinion that such
could not be done in any incorporated body, and also suggested that the original
proposition submitted by Mayor Harle and others went too much into detail and would place
upon stockholders or subscribers too many restrictions, and suggested to merely call for
subscriptions and leave the matter in the hands of subscribers to organize as they thought
best. Parson Mullins moved that the meeting proceed to form a joint stock company, with
shares of $25 each. Capt. Martin moved to amend by having a committee appointed for that
purpose, and subsequently withdrew the amendment. Mayor Harle moved to amend by making
shares $10. Amendment voted on and lost. After considerable discussion Dr. Kerr moved a
reconsideration of the vote on Mayor Harle's amendment then voted on and carried. Capt.
Martin explained that parties would be loath to subscribe until they knew definitely what
kind of school would be built, what it would cost, etc. Moved by Dr. Kerr that the minimum
capital be $10.000, and as much more as possible be raised. Carried. Moved and carried,
that a committee of five from Corsicana and two from each beat be appointed by the Chair
to solicit subscriptions. The Chair appointed on this committee, Mayor J. L. Harle,
Chairman; S. J. T. Johnson, Parson Mullins, H G Roberts, Dr. J. M. Gulick. At the
suggestion of several o the audience the names of Judge Wood, Capt. Martin, H. L. Molloy,
Rev. Alpha Young, Rev. M. Fly, Rev. Vanz and Jas. Garrity was added to the committee. Mr.
Nelson moved that the proceedings be published in the Observer, which was carried. There
being no further business the meeting adjourned.
Jas. Garitty, Secretary
Notes:
Corsicana Observer, Dec. 2, 1878
List of letters remaining in the Corsicana Post Office for
the Week
Ending Dec. 2, 1876, not called for.
Ladies List
Bowman, L mrs
Davis, Elizabeth mrs
Derusha, H mrs
Duran, W W mrs
McQueen, Eliza mrs
Mann, M miss
Schatz, E E mrs
Winburn, M miss
Gentlemen's List
Albriton, John T
Beeman, Albert
Biggham, James
Brown, A R
Brown, John
Bowen, Pat
Burton, Peter (col)
Durham, B A
Eledge, L
Fredrick, J G
Gilliam, J
Hanks, Harry
Heflin, David
Hememan, Wm
Hill, S B
Hopper, J F
Kaehn, Wm
Littlefield, G M
McDougal, A A
Martin, F L
Mores, Oscar
Pettigrew, Tom
Seifert, Peter
Sever, Wm
Simmons, Pat
Stroud, Mandrew
Taylor, W
Thompson, M W
Held For Postage
Drane & Johnson, Corsicana, Texas.
John A. Gregsby, Fort Griffin, Texas.
W. P. Dean, Palmetta, Ala.
E. E. Dunn, Corsicana, Texas
ISAAC BAUM P. M.
Notes:
Brit Dawson Injured
CORSICANA OBSERVER, Sep 29, 1877
We regret to learn that our old friend, Mr. Brit
Dawson, started to town with two bales of cotton, and in coming down a
hill, sitting on the bales, reached down to fix the breaks on the
waggon when he fell, striking on his head and neck. Mr. D was brought
into town and is now suffering severely. Owing to his age and weight,
being a large man, the injuries were more severe. Upon his arrival in
the city he was taken to Mrs. Farrow's who gave him every attention.
We hope sincerely to see him out again at an early day.
Notes:
Deer Hunt [ Friday, April 29, 1881 ]
A large group of men from Chatfield have been on a big deer hunt in Trinity River bottom.
They were having lots of fun, seated around the camp fire not thinking of retiring
until past midnight. The jug was passed frequently around, while some were playing
Euchre most of them were listening to Major McMullen a veteran of the Seminole War, and
Col. Henderson a survivor of the Battle Creek Indian fight tell of their bravery in
meeting Indians. Some of the men had slipped away from the party and gave the war
whoop firing over the heads of the party, cutting off leaves and branches. Cards
were scattered, jugs were kicked over, men rolled and tumbled. The Major and the
Colonel went off on their all fours. After they got on their feet it was hard to
catch them and harder to convince them that it was not Indians but members of their own
party that caused the disturbance. Since their return from the hunt, the Major and
Colonel have had very little to say bout the Indian warfare.
[ Taken from the Navarro County Scroll - 1959 ]
Camp Chase Reminiscence
Every now and then some old comrade of the camp and field turns upon us quite
unexpectedly, whose familiar features and voice have been missing since the late
unpleasantness and disbandment of Confederate armies. In their civilian costume
sometimes one does not recognize them at first sight, until the familiar tones
of their voices help to refresh the memory, and then there is the usual
handshaking and interchange of reminiscences. One of these dropped in on us
yesterday, to renew in person a subscription which he had been in the habit of
ordering by mail. The last time we saw W.- was in Camp Chase as a fellow
prisoner. A fighter of truer grit it was never in our experience to know and
added to physical pluck, abundantly tested in many a “hot place” during the war,
he was possessed of a moral courage of the highest order. A little incident in
W.’s military career, revived in our mind be the sight of his honest old phiz
and vice-like grip of his horny hand, is worth relating. There were a lot of us
herded together in a box car, en route for the military prison in Ohio, having
been surprised and captured on cavalry raid by a superior force. While the train
was in motion, W. said to one of his comrades, “You jump from the train and run,
and I’ll hold the nigger’s gun so he can’t shoot.” The guard was one of the
“colored troops.” The ex-reb jumped as he war bid, lit on his feet and struck
for the woods. The colored
Notes:
The Stonewall Brigade
An Incident of the Battle of Manassas
Captain Kyd Douglas, in the Philadelphia Times: The general formed his brigade
along the crest of the hill near the Henry House, the men lying down behind the
brow of it in support of the two pieces of artillery placed in position to play
on the advancing foe.
General Bee, his brigade being crushed and shattered, rode up to General
Jackson, and with the excitement and mortification of an untried but heroic
soldier, reported that the enemy were beating him back.
“Very well, general, it can’t be helped,” replied Jackson.
“But how do you expect to stop them?”
“We’ll give them the bayonet!” was the answer, briefly.
General Bee wheeled his horse and galloped back to his command. As he did so,
General Jackson said to Lieutenant Lee of his staff:
“Tell the colonels of this brigade that the enemy are advancing; that when their
heads are seen above the hill, let the whole line rise, move forward with a
shout, and trust to the bayonet. I am tired of this long range work.”
In the storm which followed Bee’s return to his command, he was soon on foot,
his horse shot from under him. With the fury of despair he strode among his men,
tried to rally and to hold them against the torrent which beat upon them; and
finally, in a voice which rivaled the roar of battle, he cried out: “Oh, men,
there are Jackson and the Virginians standing behind like a stone wall!”
Uttering these words of martial baptism, Bee fell dead upon the field, and left
behind him a fame which will follow that of Jackson as a shadow.
Notes:
Belle Boyd, the noted female Confederate scout and spy, is now living at Calvert
and supports herself and sister by sewing.
Southern Battlefields
The battlefields around Richmond are quite meadows now, reclaimed by nature,
with few signs of the days of “blood and iron.” At Cold Harbor, Fair Oaks, Seven
Pines and Malvern Hill, one sees little to remind him of the terrible scene
enacted there twelve and fifteen years ago. In the woods and on the hillsides
and river bluffs in Peninsula, where no attempt has been made to cultivate the
land, sloping earthworks are still to be seen, but elsewhere the entrenchment’s
have been leveled. Below Petersburg there are few traces even of such formidable
fortifications as Steadman, Hell, and Damnation. The Crater and the fields
around it are owned by Mr. Griffiths, who was born close by, and was in
Petersburg when the mine was fired. He has built a house near the crater, and
now has his father’s farm under excellent cultivation. The crater itself has
been left untouched, and a thick underbrush of peach trees and sprouts has
sprung up from the pits thrown away by the soldiers during the siege. The ravine
where the dead lay in great heaps on the terrible morning has been brought under
the plow year after year, until now only a slight depression in the field can be
pointed out. The visitor has to pay twenty-five cents for a glimpse of the
crater and the interior of a shed stocked with battle relics.
Notes:
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