1859 · McKinney, Tx
by [Texas]. [Indian Wars]. Dorser, Jim
McKinney, Tx: May 31, 1859. Good plus.. 8pp., on two separate folded folio sheets. Old folds, some toning, moderate foxing along the fold lines, a couple of small areas of ink burn on the first leaf costing a few letters, minor edge wear. A long and content-rich manuscript letter by Jim Dorser in McKinney in 1859, writing to his sister in Missouri about his agricultural activities and most notably the Reservation War presently raging in Texas at the time. Dorser spends the first page writing about his state of mind in Texas, where he finds himself "not discouraged or gloomy," but full of "anxieties for the future." Dorser was obviously an educated man, and his letter is full of unusual literary and other learned references, and he writes constantly of the benefits of education. Not far into the letter, Dorser begins his report on his current situation, describing Texas and the agricultural prospects in McKinney as follows:
"If I felt myself permanent here, I perhaps would write a more interesting letter; it may be, I shall make this my home the remainder of my life, I cannot tell. Texas is a large and deeply interesting country, and one is involuntarily disposed to look about with a disposition not easily pleased. If the country was less attractive, perhaps we would be more easily pleased. Everything is prosperous here in the line of agriculture, some of the corn is in tassel. The wheat harvest is over, and the crop is very fine. I am perfectly satisfied. This is the best wheat country on the continent. Like all other countries, this has objection to it, but take it generally, I believe it to be unrivaled. The climate is unequalled, we really have no bad weather here, either winter or summer, not enough to command, scarcely a passing notice." He then spends some of the letter discussing how certain people from home might fare should they come to Texas, with a long discussion of the health of a friend named Tom, in which he references both the Materia Medica and Ingoldsby's Legends. He also details his opinion of the education and comportment of a young woman back home whom he refers to as "Mat," discusses the "children" and another young woman in Missouri before turning his attentions to the Reservation War, as follows:
"You see, I have written on until this letter has grown to great length, yet I have not said a word about the war that is pending on our border, or rather, it is in operation; there has been several fights or scrimmages and a few lives lost -- it is a serious affair from the fact of its complicated origin. I can only in this letter, give you a very short outline of the causes of the troubles. Texas gave to the Government of the United States the privilege of laying off two Reserves of four leagues, each (12 miles square) on the frontier, on which to locate some friendly, or tame Indians. These 'reserve Indians,' or the wild Comanches in their rear, have, from time to time, committed serious depredations on the frontier settlements by way of murders, thefts &c. The people thus exposed complain of the corruption of the Indian Agents, the inefficiency of the general government, and the indisposition of the state authorities to protect them, and have taken the responsibility of initiating a deliberate, fierce, and formidable warfare on the 'reserves.' There are now from five to seven (5 to 7) hundred men in the field, and some still going; and some leaving the campaign. The United States troops are protecting the 'reserves,' which, in honor and faith, they are bound, of course, to do. The Governor of the state denounces the move as lawless and insurrectionary. Thus the matter stands; the result no one can foresee. The feeling for, and against, the measure is becoming deep and widely extended. Politics is beginning to manifest itself as an element, still more to agrivate the complication, and inflame the public mind. The friends of the war execrate the Governor within no limits; of course, to the joy of his political opponents -- the Democratic state convention has nominated him for re-election. Thus you see where matters are drifting. Every effort is being made by the Governor to bring the matter promptly to a peaceful close. If he fails now, no commonwealth of the union has ever dreamed of the affliction Texas must endure for months to come."
"From 1854 to 1859 the Texas reservation system gave brief, hopeful signs of a solution that would settle the clash between Native American groups and the state's expanding Anglo population. As the Texas frontier pushed westward, Indian groups were rolled back with deleterious consequences, as the claims of tribes indigenous to Texas as well as those of immigrant tribes were routinely disregarded. As a possible solution, President Zachary Taylor urged Texas to establish a reservation system to avoid an impending Indian war within its borders. By 1854 the reservation system became an actuality. Capt. Randolph Barnes Marcy, an experienced explorer and United States Army officer, worked with Indian Agent Major Robert Neighbors to locate and establish the reservation sites. Two reservations were established on the Brazos River: the 'Upper' Reservation adjoined Camp Cooper on the Clear Fork of the Brazos; the 'Lower' Reservation was located farther downstream south of Fort Belknap. The situation deteriorated over time and from late 1857 through the summer of 1858 frontier settlers became more vocal about the continuing harassments. The crisis heightened on March 28, 1859, when a large number of citizens from four frontier counties threatened an attack on the Brazos Agency. U.S. troops, under the command of Lt. William E. Burnet, son of David G. Burnet, were sent to provide additional protection for the reservation Indians. Captain Baylor and armed citizens defied U.S. troops and attacked the 'Upper' Reserve in late April 1859 -- even though the order for removal of the reservation Indians had been made public" - Handbook of Texas online.
Though Dorser wrote here that he was not sure he would make Texas his home for the remainder of his life, it appears he did, evidenced by a Western Union telegram which accompanies the letter. The telegram, written from Sherman, Texas on February 22, 1889 by M.W. Dorser to J.W. Dorser, states that "Jim died today funeral Sunday ten AM." In the present letter, Dorser left behind a wonderful first-hand account of 1859 Texas and its war on Native Americans in the late-1850s. (Inventory #: 4834)
"If I felt myself permanent here, I perhaps would write a more interesting letter; it may be, I shall make this my home the remainder of my life, I cannot tell. Texas is a large and deeply interesting country, and one is involuntarily disposed to look about with a disposition not easily pleased. If the country was less attractive, perhaps we would be more easily pleased. Everything is prosperous here in the line of agriculture, some of the corn is in tassel. The wheat harvest is over, and the crop is very fine. I am perfectly satisfied. This is the best wheat country on the continent. Like all other countries, this has objection to it, but take it generally, I believe it to be unrivaled. The climate is unequalled, we really have no bad weather here, either winter or summer, not enough to command, scarcely a passing notice." He then spends some of the letter discussing how certain people from home might fare should they come to Texas, with a long discussion of the health of a friend named Tom, in which he references both the Materia Medica and Ingoldsby's Legends. He also details his opinion of the education and comportment of a young woman back home whom he refers to as "Mat," discusses the "children" and another young woman in Missouri before turning his attentions to the Reservation War, as follows:
"You see, I have written on until this letter has grown to great length, yet I have not said a word about the war that is pending on our border, or rather, it is in operation; there has been several fights or scrimmages and a few lives lost -- it is a serious affair from the fact of its complicated origin. I can only in this letter, give you a very short outline of the causes of the troubles. Texas gave to the Government of the United States the privilege of laying off two Reserves of four leagues, each (12 miles square) on the frontier, on which to locate some friendly, or tame Indians. These 'reserve Indians,' or the wild Comanches in their rear, have, from time to time, committed serious depredations on the frontier settlements by way of murders, thefts &c. The people thus exposed complain of the corruption of the Indian Agents, the inefficiency of the general government, and the indisposition of the state authorities to protect them, and have taken the responsibility of initiating a deliberate, fierce, and formidable warfare on the 'reserves.' There are now from five to seven (5 to 7) hundred men in the field, and some still going; and some leaving the campaign. The United States troops are protecting the 'reserves,' which, in honor and faith, they are bound, of course, to do. The Governor of the state denounces the move as lawless and insurrectionary. Thus the matter stands; the result no one can foresee. The feeling for, and against, the measure is becoming deep and widely extended. Politics is beginning to manifest itself as an element, still more to agrivate the complication, and inflame the public mind. The friends of the war execrate the Governor within no limits; of course, to the joy of his political opponents -- the Democratic state convention has nominated him for re-election. Thus you see where matters are drifting. Every effort is being made by the Governor to bring the matter promptly to a peaceful close. If he fails now, no commonwealth of the union has ever dreamed of the affliction Texas must endure for months to come."
"From 1854 to 1859 the Texas reservation system gave brief, hopeful signs of a solution that would settle the clash between Native American groups and the state's expanding Anglo population. As the Texas frontier pushed westward, Indian groups were rolled back with deleterious consequences, as the claims of tribes indigenous to Texas as well as those of immigrant tribes were routinely disregarded. As a possible solution, President Zachary Taylor urged Texas to establish a reservation system to avoid an impending Indian war within its borders. By 1854 the reservation system became an actuality. Capt. Randolph Barnes Marcy, an experienced explorer and United States Army officer, worked with Indian Agent Major Robert Neighbors to locate and establish the reservation sites. Two reservations were established on the Brazos River: the 'Upper' Reservation adjoined Camp Cooper on the Clear Fork of the Brazos; the 'Lower' Reservation was located farther downstream south of Fort Belknap. The situation deteriorated over time and from late 1857 through the summer of 1858 frontier settlers became more vocal about the continuing harassments. The crisis heightened on March 28, 1859, when a large number of citizens from four frontier counties threatened an attack on the Brazos Agency. U.S. troops, under the command of Lt. William E. Burnet, son of David G. Burnet, were sent to provide additional protection for the reservation Indians. Captain Baylor and armed citizens defied U.S. troops and attacked the 'Upper' Reserve in late April 1859 -- even though the order for removal of the reservation Indians had been made public" - Handbook of Texas online.
Though Dorser wrote here that he was not sure he would make Texas his home for the remainder of his life, it appears he did, evidenced by a Western Union telegram which accompanies the letter. The telegram, written from Sherman, Texas on February 22, 1889 by M.W. Dorser to J.W. Dorser, states that "Jim died today funeral Sunday ten AM." In the present letter, Dorser left behind a wonderful first-hand account of 1859 Texas and its war on Native Americans in the late-1850s. (Inventory #: 4834)