[Texas]. Burkhalter, P. H.

[Detailed Manuscript Letter from Texas Corn and Cotton Farmer P.H. Burkhalter to "Mr. Currie," Regarding the Sorry State of Farming Conditions, Due in Large Part to the Impact of "Freed Negroes," Just After the End of the Civil War]

Centreville, Tx. June 30, 1866. [4]pp., on a single folded folio sheet of lined paper. Minor discoloration, mild wear. Very good. Item #3491

An interesting view of immediate-post-Civil-War rural Texas, specifically Centreville in Leon County. Centreville became the county seat of Leon County in 1850, and was the home of numerous members of the Burkhalter family. Nine Burkhalters are buried in Leon County's Concord Cemetery, but P.H. Burkhalter is not among them. In the present letter, P.H. Burkhalter reports to a friend on the challenging state of farming in the area, referencing the impact of freed slaves on Texas agriculture three times: "Mr Currie, I have nothing of an interesting character to communicate. The crops in Leon are sorry, we have the sorryest prospect that we ever had since we have been in the State. I think it was partly owing to bad management, and great floods of rain. I have never experienced such a spring in life to farm. Last spring was nothing to compare with this, and you know it was bad enough. I have 100 acres in corn and another 40 in cotton. I have no negroes except a part of those we formally owned. The people of Texas seem to be working with more energy than ever was known though they have had quite a disheartening time to farm this spring."

Burkhalter then speaks of his marriage prospects: "Well I am not married but want to very bad. Mr. Proctor has the son by law but I have not the honor of being the one. Jessy McClendon married Miss Proctor, the one you said was my sweet heart. Perhaps you were acquainted with him, I know you was with part of the family, something about old wash, he came back to Leon again and came very near loosing his life. All he liked was the crowd never found him, when in search of him and some white men...I think it more probable that your brother had a hand in it...."

Burkhalter returns to his scathing view of the emancipated slaves within his sphere: "The freed negroes here do not work to suit me, they move around like they are hobeled. I have often wished they were in bondage a little while and that you had hold of them. Though I thought if they had not been free I could have got the hobels off myself."

He then reports in greater detail on the state of farming and crop values, with another mention of the changes wrought by the freeing of the slaves in Texas, and his low spirits due to the challenges of farming now without free labor: "Provisions are tolerably high here. Corn is worth $1.50 a bushel. Bacon from 12 to 15 cents per lbs, Wheat is worth 50 cts per bushel in the wheat region, I am told, but I do not think it will remain at that price long. I think it will rise, for all the farms both on the Trinity and Brasos are ruined for this season, that is they will not be able to make any corn, hardly at all, perhaps they make a little cotton if the season is favorable. Mr. Moore is farming and merchandising, both on a small scale. The Lehmans are each farming on a little larger scale than before the liberation of the negroes.... I must acknowledge that I am in low spirits, and do not know what to go at to make money fast. I do not believe I can make freed laborers pay...." Burkhalter ends his letter with some family news and good wishes to Mr. Currie.

The present letter highlights the challenges faced by agricultural producers who employed slave labor before and during the Civil War. It is not surprising that Burkhalter now found it difficult to cultivate his land in a profitable manner without the benefit of slaves to do the work for free. This was a challenge faced by thousands of farmers across the South after the Civil War who had a tough time making "freed laborers" work profitably, if at all. This is the rare instance in which a young farmer from Texas actually admits to the challenges of bringing in crops without slave labor.

Price: $1,450.00