The Weekly Telegraph (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 28, No. 44, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 14, 1863

The Weekly Telegraph (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 28, No. 44, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 14, 1863

E.H. Cushing, editor for Houston's Weekly Telegraph newspaper, urges readers to send enslaved laborers to Galveston to assist in building fortifications.

E.H. Cushing

Dolph Briscoe Center for American History in partnership with The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries.

The Weekly Telegraph (Houston, Tex.)

January 14, 1863

Public Domain

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth236215/

"We regret to say that slave owners are not responding to the call of Gen. Magruder for negroes with that alacrity which the emergency of the case demands. It is little to the credit of our people that such a call should have to be made twice upon them. "When Gen. Hebert was in command here, there was a universal command here, there was a universal complaint against him for doing nothing. It was said by everybody that if we had a General that would do something, every man and every dollar of property in the country should at once be placed at his disposal. No sacrifice would be too great. "We now have a General who has shown a determination to defend the State, whether he was sent here for that purpose or not. We owe him no little for the brilliant enterprise with which he has inaugurated his administration. He has taken a step into the enemy's domain, and recovered a portion of our own captured territory. He is now entrenching himself there, so as to hold what he has got. He calls for labor to do the work. He offers liberal pay for the labor. Our people have promised to sustain him. Are their promises empty breath? Shall it be said that Texas could not be defended because the slave owners were too selfish to supply the labor? Shall the brave men who have enlisted in this war to fight, not to dig, be left to do this hard work in digging, when thousands of negroes all over the country could be spared for the purpose as well as not? "We said before that Gen. Magruder did not like to impress negroes. He does not with to send a file of soldiers with bayonets on the plantations to take what ought to be freely offered. But if the called for labor docs not come, this course must and will be pursued. Galveston Island he says shall be defended. The enemy shall be kept off the soil of Texas while he is on it if possible, and if any of the people of the State are not willing to help him, they shall be made to help him. This, in effect, he says by his acts, and he is right in saying it. "Planters, make a virtue of necessity, and hurry your negroes In. Nine tenths of you, we know, are ready and willing, but are delaying without cause. Don't delay an hour longer. We speak by the card, and are advising you for your own interest." "More Negroes Wanted" "Gen. Magruder has issued a call for 2,000 more negroes to work upon the fortifications at Galveston. They must come, and that speedily. He assures planters that they shall be well fed and cared for, and $30 per month will be paid for them. Each negro must bring his bedding. When 25 negroes are furnished in a gang, an overseer may be sent with them, who will receive $60 per month and rations. "The call is made upon the planters of Washington, Austin, Montgomery, Burleson, Travis, Fayette, Bastrop, Colorado, Polk, Liberty, Chambers, Orange, Fort Bend, Milam, Brazoria, Wharton, Matagorda and Robertson. One thousand negroes have already been drawn from some of these counties. To equalize the present call over them all, we have made an estimate from the assessment tables of the counties, of what each county must furnish, as follows: Washington: 410 Montgomery: 185 Travis: 165 Bastrop: 180 Polk: 265 Chambers: 32 Fort Bend: 260 Brazoria: 330 Matagorda: 140 Austin: 265 Burleson: 140 Fayette: 250 Colorado: 250 Liberty: 90 Orange: 25 Milam: 90 Wharton: 185 Robertson: 160 "The Chief Justice of each of these counties should, at once, appoint a committee to gather up negroes for the purpose. Those counties that have already furnished any of the first thousand already sent, can deduct the number sent from the above quota. "These negroes must be furnished at once. They are wanted immediately. Gen. Magruder says he doesn't desire to press negroes, but such is the necessity if they are not volunteered he will be obliged to do it. Don't be afraid to overrun the quota. We will guarantee that 4000 will be put to work if they come. "Every negro must bring his spade, or shovel, or pick, or wheelbarrow. Let no time be lost and we will have the beautiful Island City in a condition to fight off all the hosts of Lincolndom, should they see fit to come against it. "The committee to receive the negroes are in Houston, and B. A. Shephard is Chairman."