Still the Arena of Civil War: Violence and Turmoil in Reconstruction Texas, 1865-1874

Contents

v Contents List of Maps and Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Introduction: The Elusive Story of Violence in Reconstruction Texas, 1865–1874. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 by Kenneth W. Howell Part One: Representatives of Change: Soldiers, Bureau Agents, and Lawmen 1. The Post of Greatest Peril?: The Freedmen’s Bureau Subassistant Commissioners and Reconstruction Violence in Texas, 1865–1869. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 by Christopher Bean 2. “Shoot or Get Out of the Way!”: The Murder of Texas Freedmen’s Bureau Agent William G. Kirkman by Cullen Baker—and the Historians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 by William L. Richter 3. The World Turned Upside Down?: The Military Occupation of Victoria and Calhoun Counties, 1865–1867. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 by Charles D. Spurlin 4. William Longworth, Republican Villain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 by Richard B. McCaslin 5. “The Old Hero of Many Cowardly and Bloody Murders”: Scalawag Gang Leader Ben Brown . . . . . . . . 153 by Dale Baum 6. Finding a Solution to Reconstruction Violence: The Texas State Police. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 by Donaly Brice vi Part Two: The Insurgents and Their Allies: Texas Terrorists, Politicians, and Newspaper Editors 7. When the Klan Rode: Terrorism in Reconstruction Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 by James M. Smallwood 8. The Democratic Party, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Politics of Fear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 by Carl H. Moneyhon 9. “A Free and Outspoken Press”: Coverage of Reconstruction Violence and Turmoil in Texas Newspapers, 1866–1868 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 by Mary Jo O’Rear Part Three: The Victims: Minorities and Women 10. Into Freedom’s Abyss: Reflections of Reconstruction Violence in Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 by Ronald E. Goodwin 11. Foreigners in Their Native Land: The Violent Struggle between Anglos and Tejanos for Land Titles in South Texas during Reconstruction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305 by Andrés Tijerina 12. “To Punish and Humiliate the Entire Community”: White Violence Perpetrated Against African-American Women in Texas, 1865–1868. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 by Rebecca A. Kosary Part Four: Regional Perspectives: The Frontier, the Interior, and Places in Between 13. Governor James Throckmorton and the Question of Frontier Violence in Reconstruction Texas, 1866–1867. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 by Kenneth W. Howell vii 14. An Uncompromising Line between Yankee Rule and Rebel Rowdies: Reconstruction Violence in Lavaca County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 by Douglas Kubicek and Carroll Scogin-Brincefield 15. Reconstruction Violence on the Lower Brazos River Valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 by John Gorman List of Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 ...