Letter from Charles C. Pryor, editor of the Dallas Herald

After his own press was destroyed in the fire, he wrote letters to other editors around the state, describing an Abolitionist plot to create a slave insurrection.

“Dallas, July 15, 1860

Capt. DeLisle, Editor of Bonham Era,

Dear Sir: I write in haste that you may prepare your people for the most alarming state of affairs that has ever occurred in Texas. On the 8^th of July the town of Dallas was fired, and the whole business portion entirely consumed, every store in town was destroyed. The next day, the dwelling house of J. J. Eakens was burned; after that the residence of E. P. Nicholson was fired but discovered in time to arrest the flames. On Thursday the premises of Crill Miller, with a large amount of oats, grain, etc. were totally consumed. This led to the arrest of some negroes and white men. A most diabolical plan was then discovered to devastate this entire portion of Northern Texas, extending over to the Red River counties. White men, friends of the Abolition preachers Blount and McKinney, who were expelled from the country last year, are the instigators of the plot. The whole plan is systematically conceived and the most ingeniously contrived. It makes the blood run cold to hear the details. This whole country was to be laid waste with fire, destroying all the ammunition, provisions, arms, etc., to get the country in a state of helplessness and then on election day in August to make a general insurrection, aided and assisted by emissaries from the North, and persons friendly to them in our midst. Their sphere of operations is districted and sub-districted, giving to each division a close supervision by one energetic white man who controls the negroes as his subordinates. A regular invasion, and a real war. You and all Bonham are in as much gander as we are. Be on your guard, and make these facts known by issuing extras to be sent in every direction. All business has ceased, and the country is terribly excited.

In haste,
Yours, truly,
Chas R. Pryor”¹