Opening material

[Illustration: H. W. GRABER]

The Life Record of H. W. Graber

A Terry Texas Ranger 1861-1865

Sixty-two Years in Texas Copyright 1916 by H. W. Graber

Index

Page Chapter 1 My Earliest Recollections......................... 9 Chapter 2 I Abandon the Printer’s Trade and Take Up......... Surveying......................................... 14 Chapter 3 Indian Troubles—My First Venture in Business...... 22 Chapter 4 My First Military Experience...................... 28 Chapter 5 Our First Engagement.............................. 43 Chapter 6 An Accidental Injury—Shiloh—The “Mark-Time” Major. 56 Chapter 7 I Am Wounded and Captured......................... 73 Chapter 8 The Escape of Major Ousley........................ 91 Chapter 9 In Prison at Louisville, Where I Was Honored With. Handcuffs......................................... 98 Chapter 10 Camp Chase—Fort Delaware—I Change My Name for the. First Time and Am Finally Exchanged............... 107 Chapter 11 The Inhumanity of the Federal Government.......... 136 Chapter 12 I Rejoin My Command............................... 142 Chapter 13 Middle Tennessee and Kentucky..................... 144 Chapter 14 I “Swap” Horses With a Federal.................... 156 Chapter 15 The Battle of Perryville.......................... 169 Chapter 16 I Refuse to Become a Teamster..................... 176 Chapter 17 Omissions in Preceding Chapters................... 186 Chapter 18 General Johnston’s Failure to Strike—Sherman...... 190 Chapter 19 Georgia Service—A Negro’s Preference—A Hazardous.. Undertaking....................................... 208 Chapter 20 I Sell a Ten Dollar Gold Piece for Fifteen Hundred Dollars...........................................

231 Chapter 21 My Service With Captain Shannon................... 237 Chapter 22 We Receive Notice of Johnston’s Surrender—I....... Decline to Be Paroled and Resolve to Make My Way.. Out............................................... 244 Preface The Reconstruction Period......................... 262 Chapter 23 Upon My Return From the Army I Find My Business... Affairs in Bad Shape.............................. 266 Chapter 24 The Affair at Hempstead........................... 271 Chapter 25 I Narrowly Escape Capture......................... 285 Chapter 26 I Save the Life of an Enemy....................... 306 Chapter 27 I Get Back Into the Business World................ 316 Chapter 28 I Assist in Establishing the Masonic Institute.... 326 Chapter 29 I Remove to Waxahachie and Go Into Business There. 339 Chapter 30 The Tap Railroad.................................. 344 Chapter 31 Business Troubles................................. 366 Chapter 32 I Start Anew...................................... 373 Chapter 33 The Methodist School at Waxahachie................ 377 Chapter 34 My Later Business Experiences..................... 380 Chapter 35 The Confederate Veterans’ Home.................... 389 Chapter 36 My Appointments in the U. C. V.................... 395 Chapter 37 The Terry Rangers’ Flag........................... 401 Chapter 38 Roosevelt’s Visit to Texas........................ 424 Chapter 39 My family......................................... 434 Chapter 40 In Conclusion..................................... 441

Preface

The purpose of this narrative is to hand down to my children, and to present to my friends, an intimate, personal account of a life which has not been without interesting episodes, and which has been lived during the most eventful period that this Nation will, in all probability, ever know.

Though a large portion of my story will deal with incidents which occurred during the great sectional strife of the sixties, it is not intended as a history of that great calamity, but is meant, simply, to be an account of incidents with which the writer was personally associated.

The Great Strife which so nearly disrupted our country is over. For many years we of the South have been dwelling amicably with those of the North—this is as it should be. We are, united, the greatest country on the face of God’s footstool. And to both the North and the South belongs the credit.

The mistakes of certain Northern fanatics, which were not, I believe, dictated by general Northern sentiment, have long been rectified. The Government at Washington today is, I know, truly representative of the entire country. The tragic blunders which were evident in the South during what has been called the “Reconstruction Period” would not be possible today. The country has become a unit.

In perfect love and friendship for all the good people of the United States, irrespective of location, and with no sectional feeling other than an abiding love for my South, I write this story. I hope it may be found to be not without interest.

H. W. GRABER.

My Earliest Recollections