Bailey Letter found in Fort Worth

“Denton County, July 3, 1860

Dear Sir:

A painful abcess on my right thumb is my apology for not writing at Anderson. Our glorious cause is progressing as far south as Brenham. . . . I traveled up through the frontier counties part of the time under a fictitious name. I found many friends who had been initiated, and understood the Mystic-Red. I met with a good number of our friends near Georgetown. We held a consultation, and were unanimously of opinion that we should be cautious of our new associates. Most of them are desperate characters, and may betray us, as there are slaveholders among them, and value poor negroes much higher than a horse. The only good they will do will be destroying towns, mills, &c., which is our only hope in Texas at present. If we can break Southern merchants and millers, and have their places filled by honest Republicans, Texas will be an easy pretty, if we only do our duty. All that is wanted for the time being is control of trade; trade, assisted by preaching and teaching, will soon control public opinion; public opinion is mighty and will prevail. Lincoln will certainly be elected; we will then have the Indian nation, cost what it will. Squatter sovereignty will prevail there, as it has in Kansas; that accomplished, we have but one more step to take—but one more struggle to make, that is, free Texas. We will then have a connected link from the Lakes to the Gulf, slavery will then be surrounded by land and by water, and soon sting itself to death. I repeat, Texas we must have, and our only chance is to break up the present inhabitants, in whatever way we can, and it must be done. Some of us will most assuredly suffer in accomplishing our object, but our Heavenly Father will reward us for assisting Him in blotting out the greatest curse on earth. It would be impossible for us to do an act that is as blasphemous in the sight of God as holding slaves. We must have frequent consultations with our colored friends; let your meetings be at night; impress upon their clouded intellects the blessings of freedom; induce all to leave you can. Our arrangements for them to North are better than they have been, but not as good as I should like. We need more agents, both local and traveling. I will send out traveling agents when I get home. You must appoint a local agent in every neighborhood in your district. I will recommend a few I think will do to rely upon, viz.: Bro’s Leake, Wood, Ives, Evans, McDaniel, Vickery, Cole, Nugent, Shaw, White, Gifford, Ashley, Drake, Meekes, Schultz, and Newman. Brother Leake, the bearer of this, will take a circuitous route, and see as many of our colored friends as he can. He also recommends a different match, to be used about towns, &c. Our friends sent a very inferior article; they emit too much smoke, and do not contain enough camphene. . . . I will send a supply when I get home. I will have to reprove you and your co-workers for negligence in sending funds for our agents; but few have been compensated for their trouble. Our faithful correspondent and industrious agent, Brother Webber, has received but a trifle-not so much as apprentice’s wages; neither have Brother Willett, Mangum, and others. You must call upon our colored friends for more money; they must not expect us to do all; they will certainly give every cent, if they knew how soon their shackles will be broken. My hand is very painful, and I close.

Yours, truly,
W. A. Bailey

N.B.—Brother Leake will give you what few numbers of “Impending Crisis” I have. Also Brother Sumner’s speech, and Brother Beecher’s Letter, &c. Farewell.”¹