Ah, my first week and I can contribute. Thank you for asking this question

I have just returned the book “Editors Make War; Southern newspapers in the secession crisis” by Reynolds, Donald E., 1931-, to the HPL on an ILL and can give you a source and an answer.

In the chapter entitled “By The Light of the Texas Flames” there is a detailed description of the hysteria which engulfed Texas during the election campaign which ended with Lincoln’s victory.

Apparently there were some fires in various cities in Texas and some of them were attributed to the work of northern elements that were inciting the Negroes to set them. Two Methodist ministers were run out of Dallas after the fires there as they were of the northern persuasion and thought to be responsible for encouraging those who may have started these fires. There was talk of Negroes poisoning wells and shooting whites who fled the fires.

One Charles R. Pryor sent letters to E.H. Cushing which were published in the “Houston Telegraph” describing these facts and warning of a great conspiracy. It was contagious and spread throughout the south. “The many hangings and whippings that occurred during the summer of 1860 ,,,, the south experienced one of the greatest which hunts in American history” (p101).

Years later a through examination of the facts showed that the fires were more likely a result of a very dry period and the spontaneous combustion of the phosphorus matches then in use. After the fact they were observed to ignite themselves on a shelf without the aid of human intervention. The bottles of “poison” sized were found to be home brew and other various liquids of a harmless nature.

But the unfortunate result of this hysteria was to add another log to the fire of southern rights believers in that this was just an example of what was to come if Lincoln was elected and the abolitionists were set free to rein their views upon the south.

Thanks

JRC