I could here give you an account that would chill the blood in any Union man's veins of the wholesale murder of innocent Union men in different portions of the State of Texas, which none know but those that were there soon after the retaking of Galveston; what an unholy crusade was carried on against the Union people of Texas, and all consequent upon the failure of the expeditions sent to Texas. But I am wandering from my subject.

I arrived off the bar at the mouth of the Rio Grande about the 23d of January, 1863; lightered a part of the cargo outside the bar, then crossed the bar with the schooner Cora, and discharged the balance of the cargo and left her in the Rio Grande, at Bagdad, where she remained until she was sold by order of Mr. W. H. Reynolds, since which time I have had nothing to do with her whatever.

I shipped all the cargo of the Cora to Matamoras on the steamboat Mexico. I sold the oil and some other goods to Mr. Maloney, of the firm of Hale & Co.. of Matamoras, Mexico, and he paid me gold for the same. I then made a conditional sale of the balance of the cargo to Mr. Maloney, but he did not pay me for this part of the cargo, but shipped them into Texas, at my request, with the carding machines. The object of this was so that he could claim the goods in case I was arrested and the goods seized by the rebel authorities in Texas. A part of the money Mr. Maloney paid me for the goods actually sold to him was paid by The to the owner of the train that took the carding machines into Texas. The balance of the money was paid out by me in part payment for twenty bales of cotton, but there was not enough money left, after paying the freight on the carding machines and the goods that I had shipped into Texas, to pay for all the twenty bales of cotton which I had purchased. My brother, Horace Hoyt, of Morris, Illinois, who was doing a cotton-pressing business at the mouth of the Rio Grande, paid the balance due on the twenty bales of cotton and took the same. He had advanced money to me, which I had used in paying lighterage and freight on the goods to Matamoras. I was owing him more money at the time than I paid toward the twenty bales of cotton. When my brother returned to New York he took the said cotton with him and sold it in New York, and gave me credit for the net proceeds. There was still a balance due him from me. I give this statement as an explanation of my answer to Major Bolles about the twenty bales of cotton. The goods which Mr. Maloney shipped into Texas for me were seven fases of bleached goods, one case of prints, one of hoop-skirts, thirty boxes cotton cards, and some bagging and rope; can't say how much; and he gave me an order to receive the same goods at Alleton, Texas. placed the same goods in the hands of my old Union friend in Brenham, who, if living, is now in Matamoras, Mexico, with a part of his family; and, if desired, I will show what disposition was made of the goods, and the proceeds of the same. The train that took my carding machines and goods into Texas started from Brownsville for Alleton, Via Victoria, Texas, about the 29th of March, 1863, and the 1st day of April of the same year I started with horses and buggy, in company father in law, for the same place; and on the 1st day of NoTember, 1863, I started from Brenham, Washington County, Texas, for Matamoras, and arrived at Matamoras on the 1st day of December, 1863, making just eight months I spent in Texas after I went to Wash ington, D. C., and returned to Texas. I left New York en route for Texas in November, 1862. I returned from Texas to New York in Jannary, 1864, making in all about fourteen months for the round trip. I have never been in Texas since, except to Brownsville to see General

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Herron. The nature of the business I went there to see General Herron on I leave for him to explain to General Dix or Major Bowles.

When I went into Texas, as before stated, I took one revolver and one double-barreled shot-gun, and my father-in-law had one revolver and a rifle. The rifle I sold in Victoria, Texas, to a man by the name of Henderson, who was on his way to Matamoras, where he still was when I was last there. The two revolvers and double-barreled shotgun I brought from Texas with me; sold the two revolvers in Matamoras, and have the same double-barreled shot-gun in my house in Chicago, 250 Wabash avenue,

I never took any arms into Texas except those above named. I never took any arms into any part of the so-called confederacy. Was never inside the rebel lines, except in Texas, as before stated.

I made arrangements with a man at Prairie Lea, Colwell County, Texas, to put up my carding machines in his saw-mill. After getting one of them started, my father-in-law, who put up that one, got his right hand badly torn to pieces in the machine, and could not use his hand, and never started the other machine. The one carding machine that my father-in-law started was kept in operation by him as well as he could do it with one hand for about one month, carding wool into spools for hand-spinning, at the rate of about fifty pounds of wool per day, at ten cents per pound.

Having accomplished my object in bringing the carding machines into Texas, which was to establish myself in the confidence of the civil and military authorities and the people, and by that means be permitted to go where I pleased in any part of the State and confer with my Union friends, I had no further use for the old carding machines, and sold them to a man by the name of Bell, who had one old carding machine in operation at Waco, Texas, on conditions that they suited him when he saw them. He was to pay me three thousand dollars in confederate money, which would have been about one thousand dollars in greenbacks at that time.

When Mr. Bell saw the carding machines he would not take them unless I would agree to furnish him with new card-clothing for both machines. I told him I would agree to do that when the war was over, not before. Mr. Bell, however, had an object. He took the carding machines, but instead of paying me three thousand dollars in confederate money, gave me his obligation to pay me its equivalent in cotton at a future day. I left the obligation with my friend in Brenham, who is now in Matamoras with his family, I hope. He told me that Mr. Bell had never delivered a pound of cotton to him on his obligation, but that he thought that he would do it at some future time, if he ever got any new card-clothing, so that he could use the carding machines; but that in the condition they were he or no one else could card wool with them. I honestly believe that to be the case, for my father-in-law picked out all the card-clothing that was good for anything at all to put on the one he started. I purchased old cards on purpose. I did not intend to leave them in a condition when I left Texas to last long, and that is the reason I did not take anything out of Mr. Bell for them. As I stated to Major Bolles, Mr. Bell is a Union man, and was working his card to get a permit to take some cotton to Matamoras, intending to have his brother and his family follow him as soon as he got safely out himself. While my father-in-law was setting up the carding machine at Prairie Lea, I went on to Washington County, Texas, and called on every Union man, one by one, (and that, too, in the night,) who knew what I went to Washington, D. C., for. Of course, I had to tell them that so far as

their wishes connected with my mission to Washington, D. C., was concerned, the whole thing was a total failure; that I did not even get an interview with the President; but I encouraged them to hope that the day of deliverance for Texas was at hand; but alas, how vain were all our cherished hopes.

I next went to Brenham and arranged all my matters there about my goods, carding machines, everything. Then purchased two pairs of horses, an ambulance, and buggy, at a cost of $4,000, (confederate,) provisions for the trip, and took the three ladies, four children, my son, and one man to drive one team, and started overland to Matamoras, a distance of five hundred miles. I pass over the horrors of that trip, and am thankful to be permitted to say that we arrived safely at Matamoras; and those that I brought with me are out of Texas, thank God, and safe among their friends, and can speak for themselves.

On my arrival at Matamoras I learned that Mr. Reynolds had sent a man there, and that he had sold the Cora at Matamoras or Bagdad, where she was still, as I left her. My plans were all defeated, which were to take the Cora out in ballast, and be ready at some point to go into any port in Texas that might be opened by the Federal gunboats, and there wait till I could load her with my own cotton and my friend at Brenham, and take him and his family, my father-in-law, such other friends as I could, and myself, and return to New York, pay Mr. Reynolds for his investment, and go on with a legitimate trade, as contemplated, with Matamoras. I remained in Matamoras five days, and then went back to Texas.

I will here state that I was mistaken when I said that I traveled over the State four months after my return to Texas, in my answer to Major Bolles. I should have said four months before I left Texas the first time to go to Washington, D. C., and that I traveled between two and three months after my return from Matamoras, during which time I collected, for my friend in Benham and myself, over $80,000 in confederate money. I visited every place on the coast that was fortified, except Valase, at the mouth of the Brazos River. In the meantime my friend at Benham had loaded a vessel with cotton at Houston, Texas, giving everybody to understand that the cotton was for me to take out to pay for machinery for the Texas Manufacturing Company, in which company he was the largest stockholder.

Myself and my father-in-law were to go out on this vessel. As soon as she was loaded she went to Galveston, my father-in-law on board. The captain and my father-in-law knew my plans and were determined carry them out if possible. My plan was to go to San Louis Pass, where vessel was to run out, go on board, and run her out to the block ading fleet off Galveston. We were at San Louis Pass, waiting for a favorable wind that would take us to the blockading fleet, when the terrible news reached us that the Clifton and Sachem were captured at Sabine Pass. This news came by the guard-boat from Galveston, which took possession of the vessel and took her back to Galveston. I Went back to Houston, and was there arrested by order of General Magrader. A great many more were arrested at the same time; among them Judge Ballding, of Houston, and Doctor Peblés, of Hempsted, Texas. These arrests were said to be caused in part in consequence of some letters found on the Clifton after her capture by the rebels at Sabine. The object, I suppose, was to find out who wrote them. I was aware that there had been a letter sent intended to reach the Clifton before she came inside the bar at Sabine Pass. After, it was known that the gunboats were outside the bar at the pass, but such a thing as S. Ex. 10, pt. 3-2

the capture of the Clifton by anything that the rebels had at the pass never entered my thoughts. The letter I refer to as having been intended to reach the Clifton contained information of the mutiny among the rebel troops at Galveston. I wrote the letter myself that I refer to at Beaumont, took it to a fisherman that I knew to be a true Union man, and the same man that put me on board the sloop, as I have stated. I paid him five hundred dollars confederate money, which was a very small price for the risk he run, and proved that he was a true Union man. Whether he got that letter to the Clifton or not I do not know.

Some of those men that were arrested at the time I was, were hung like dogs; other imprisoned, some released. I was among the number released, thank Heaven, through the influence of an old Galveston friend, whose life I had been the means of saving, when he, his wife, and daughter were in danger of drowning in Galveston Bay, capsized. He more than paid me for that act in the service he rendered me in procuring my release. In the mean time, my Brenham friend was compelled by General Magruder to sell the cotton that he had put on board the said vessel, as Magruder would not permit him to send it out on the vessel. The man who purchased the cotton was one of General Magruder's intimate friends, and was allowed to take it out. I made arrangements, through my said Galveston friend, with the man who purchased the cotton, to let my father-in-law go out on the vessel. I thought that if the vessel was captured by the blockade, that he would be in safe hands, as he had nothing to do with the vessel, and was on his way out of Texas.

The day I was released by General Magruder, I went to Brenham and arranged all my business with my friend, and instructed him to get my cotton to any point where he saw the first sure indication that the Union forces were going to occupy any portion of Texas, or send it overland to Lerado, en route for Matamoras, as he thought best. The next day, (Sunday morning,) November 1, 1863, I started for Mexico, intending to strike the Rio Grando at Lerado. I will here state to you one thing that occurred. I knew that there was a large amount of confederate cotton all along the road from Alleton, Texas, to Lerado, Mexico, en route for Matamoras, waiting transportation. Probably over twenty thousand bales had accumulated along that road, and some of it had been piled up out of doors, and stakes driven down and poles put around to keep the wild cattle of the country, and the cattle used for hauling cotton, from getting to it, and this was the only protection. I have seen hundreds and thousands of bales of confederate government cotton packed up in those yards, when I went and came back from Matamoras. I had, but a short time before I started from Matamoras this time, beeu to several places, and had learned where there was two thousand bales of confederate and Texas State cotton in one such pen or yard as above described. It was directly on my route, and about midway between Alleton and Lerado, at a place some ten miles from any house, having been left there by a government train that was started from Alleton for Lerado, and was recalled by order of Magruder, and left the cotton at the place I speak of. I reached a point in full view of this cotton, and judged there could not be less than two thousand bales. I resolved to burn it, and did burn it that night. There was so much confederate government cotton out of the way of the Union cause, that never could be used to help on this cursed rebellion. I felt that I was doing right to destroy it. My only regret is that there was not twenty thousand bales instead of two, and that Jeff. Davis was not burned with it.

On reaching Matamoras I found my father-in-law there, the vessel he was on board of having run into the mouth of the Rio Grande. We went to New York together, via New Orleans. He has resided at his old home in Clermont, Iowa, ever since. Myself and family have resided in Chicago, Illinois. I have been gone from home six months the past summer; was at Matamoras all that time except what time I spent going and returning home from there.

I have never taken a single bale of cotton out of Texas excepting the tes bales I have named when I first left there to go to Washington, D. C., since the war commenced, or out of any part of the so-called Southern Confederacy. I have never sold any goods in Texas since November, 1863, and then only to Union men, and they being the goods that I have named. I have never furnished or sold any arms or ammunition or munitions of war to any rebel, or in any other way aided the rebel cause either directly or indirectly. I have never owned one dollar in any steam or sail vessel that has run the blockade. I have never taken a bale of cotton out of Texas into Mexico, either by land or water. I have not any goods of any description now in Texas or Mexico. I do not own or have the control of one dollar in any steam or sailing vessel whatever. I do not own one foot of real estate, land, or personal property in Texas or in any part of the Southern Confederacy.

I have never taken an oath of allegiance to or in any part of the Southern Confederacy. I am not at this time, I never have been, a member of any secret society, except that of the Masonic fraternity.

When I left New York in November, 1863, to go to Texas, as before stated, I did not possess any information whatever respecting any military or naval movement of the United States Government against any portion of Texas.

On my return from Texas to New York in January, 1864, I met Mr. W. H. Reynolds. He at first expressed dissatisfaction because I had been gone so long, but when I explained to him the many difficulties I had encountered, he was perfectly satisfied with me as far as I could judge, and he so expressed himself.

I am sorry that I ever induced him or Governor Sprague to attempt to render me any assistance in the matter, but I cannot believe that any one connected with me in my Texas matter has done anything inten tional that has militated against the interest of the United States Government.

I am not aware of having done anything wrong. I may have committed an error, but if I have, it is an error of the head, and not of the heart, and I trust may be overlooked in view of all the facts that I have here stated. I am thankful that I am in New York in the hands of General Dix instead of being in Texas in the hands of General Magruder, but I would much prefer to be at home with my dear family to either. Respectfully submitted.

Major BOLLES.

HARRIS HOYT.

Statements of Charles L. Prescott.

NEW YORK, December 19, 1867.

In September, 1862, I was in Washington, District Columbia. While there I was spoken to by a person who afterward proved to be Harris Hoyt; he asked me if he had not seen me in Texas. I told him I had