Philip C. Tucker to Governor Francis R. Lubbock, October 22, 1862

Page 1

1 | 2 | Back to exhibit

Philip C. Tucker to Francis R. Lubbock, October 1862

Houston. October 22d 1862

His Excellency
F.R. Lubbock.
Govenor [sic].

Sir.

By order of Brigadier General Thomas B. Howard,
Commanding 1st Texas State Troops, I send you herewith a
copy of General order No 49. And explanatory thereof, am directed to
inform you, that it was issued because his duty and the public good
required it; that in compliance with the policy indicated by you to
be pursued in case of an attack by the public enemy, (ie), that those
subject to the State Military law were to be removed from the Island;
he endeavered [sic] to effect this object, and found it would be cheerfully
responded to by the citizens in general, provided some provision was made
to guard from incendiary fires the millions of private property which
they were forced to leave behind them, from the failure of the Confed-
erate Military authorities to resist the attack of our foes; therefore
it was provided that fifty trusty firemen should be left on fire service,
and they were left accordingly;the result justified the act, furloughs
were at once applied for, and of the entire male population there was
left, including men over 50 years of age not subject to State Military law;
firemen, relief committee, subjects of Foreign powers claiming the
benefit of protection from their own Governments, and others, less than
350 men, a result attained in the evacuation of no other city during
the war.

The Relief Committee was instituted last May, its duty was to aid in the
support of the destitute wives & children of the soldiers of our confederacy
fighting on our northern frontier, the numbers of families dependent
upon it during the summer, varied from 150 to 220: the sudden evac-
uation of the city largely increased the numbers dependent upon the
commtee [sic], to desert them, was to abandon to starvation the families
of those whose blood had flowed like water to sustain our course; it
could not be done; such means as could be controled [sic] were placed in the

1 | 2 | Back to exhibit

Philip C. Tucker to Governor Francis R. Lubbock, October 22, 1862. Records of Governor Francis R. Lubbock.