Joe Oliver recalled many years later that "to dis day I think hit wuz de work of de Abolition preachers dat cum to work up de n-gger's against de w'ite folks." Oliver, a teenager in 1860, believed that the "abolition preachers" started the fires, then "put hit on de slaves." The slaveowners responded by organizing vigilance committees "whose business hit wuz to arrest dese folks dat is tryin' to git de slaves to rise up agin' de w'ite folks." When the war came, however, southern whites "forgit all 'bout dese troubles, for de slaves did'nt rise up agin' de w'ite folks like dey had been told to do by dese abolition preachers, or whoever dey wuz." The agitators forgot about the slaves, for "dey had gained dey purpose to work up de feelin's 'bout de war."

From- Texas Divided, Loyalty and Dissent in the Lone Star State, 1856-1874, By James A. Marten

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Marshall, Texas, Aug. 12, 1860.

Editors of the Evening Day Book :

The wildest excitement prevails throughout the north-western, northeastern, and the central portions of Texas, in consequence of Abolition incendiarism. I have no doubt but you have seen, ere this reaches you, the burning of Dallas, Denton, Black Jack Grove, and quite a large number of stores and mills. Loss estimated at between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000. Since then the Abolitionists have been detected in attempts to fire a number of other towns South of the above, and in an extensive plan of insurrection among the negros, headed by these demons of hell. On some plantations the negros have been examined, and arms and ammunition in considerable amount have been found in'their possession; they all admit they were given to them by these Lincolnites. Every day we hear of the burning of some town, mill, store, or farmhouse. Henderson was burnt to ashes on the 6th instant, being the general election day for State and county officers. We hear of two or three other towns burnt on the same day. Women and children have been so frightened by these burnings and threatened rebellion of the negros, that in several instances they have left their homes in their fright, and when found were almost confirmed maniacs! Military companies are organized all over the State, and one-half of our citizens do constant patrol duty. But unfortunately up to this time Judge Lynch has had the honor to preside only in ten cases of whites, (northern Lincolnites) and about sixty-five of negros, all of whom were hung or burnt, as to the degree of their implication in the rebellion and burning. The plan was to burn all of the towns, thereby destroy the arms and ammunition, also country stores, mills, farms and corn cribs, &c. Then on election day they were to be headed by John Browns, and march South for Houston and Galveston city, where they would all unite, and after pillaging and burning those two cities, the negros were promised by these devils incarnate, that they would have in readiness a number of vessels, and would take them forthwith to Mexico, where they would be free. The credulity of the negro is so great, that he can be induced to believe almost anything, no matter how impossible it may be, particularly when he is informed by a shrewd white man that the thing can be done, and that he will lead them on and accomplish the object. But the end is not yet. I believe that the northern churches are at the bottom of this whole affair—in fact the fanatics have already acknowledged it. They say that this Texas raid is in revenge for the expulsion of some of their brethren of the Methodist church from Texas, about twelve or eighteen months ago, for preaching and teaching Abolition incendiarism to the negros in northern Texas. Unless the churches send out new recruits of John Browns, I fear the boys will have nothing to do this winter, (as they have hung all that can be found,) the school boys have become so excited by the sport in hanging Abolitionists, that the schools are compjetely deserted, they having formed companies, and will go seventy-five or one hundred miles on horseback to participate in a single execution of the sentence of Judge Lynch's Court. It has now become a settled conviction in the South that this Union cannot subsist one day after Abe Lincoln has been declared President, if God, in his infinite wisdom, should permit him to live that long; for they, (the people of the South) have made up their minds that they had rather die, sword in hand, in defence of their homes, their wives, their children and slaves, in defence of the Constitution, the laws, and their sacred honor, than tamely submit to an organized system of robbery, a degraded and loathsome scheme of amalgamation, a breaking up of the compromises of the Constitution, and a total exclusion of the South from the common Territories of the country won by their blood and treasure.

W. R. D. -W.

From- The Doom of Slavery in the Union: Its Safety Out Of It, by John Townsend, Charleston, S.C., 1860

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David Upton