us and all we possessed. I then thought strange, but now I look back and see that our manners were tolerably coarse; however, I do not commend their course. It would have been much nicer to have found something that they could admire. Most of the immigrants seemed to hate Texas and her people so much, that I have wondered they did not disown and disinherit their children who were born to them after their settlement among us, as they were native born Texans.

Though the pioneer of Texas was rough in his manner, he was upright in his dealings, social, and had respect for religion and age. A man who was outbreakingly wicked would rarely ever be rude at church, or use obscene language in the presence of aged persons. I will here state that I have ofter [sic] been to preaching where from six to twenty rough old pioneers would be assembled in a rough log house, with no floor but the ground; none, or scarcely any of whom were religious, and who, for want of fortitude, or ability could not set or lead the music -- my Mother always filling that office -- yet there would be the best of order and attention to the sermon.

In 1853, my uncle, George Alsobrook lived with us. I worked on the farm with him, brother and Dock. We made an excellent crop. In the fall, my father built a gin, after which my time was mostly taken up driving the horses, and other work about the gin. We ginned one hundred and twenty bales that season, which was big business for those days.

I do not now remember of having gone to school any that year.

I will state here that in the spring of A. D. 1853, I passed over the site where the town of Pittsburg, Camp County, now stands. Then the place where Maj. [William Harrison] Pitts now lives was settled. A little way the other side, between there and the warehouse was a little whiskey grocery. Beyond where the town now stands, was just woods, not a stick having been cut.

The year A. D. 1854 was tremendously wet, began raining in spring, and kept ground saturated until June, consequently short crops.

In the spring, Maj. Pitts (founder of Pittsburg), who was in the state on a prospecting tour, spent a time at my Father's, a week perhaps; sometime afterwards he purchased the land whereon the town of Pittsburg now stands.

In the fall of 1854, my brother and myself went to school near where Pittsburg is now. Boarded at Mr. Hamelton's. Our teacher was a Mr. Edwards. He was another blow, combined with his ignorance, he was tyranical, whipped every student in school, except Harrison Calicrat and me. We quit before the term closed.

That fall, my oldest sister was married to Mr. James Hogan.

The year A. D. 1855 was extremely dry, and as this entire country was dependent on Bayou at Jefferson for navigation to bring supplies. It