These records consist of printed circulars, general orders, and special orders issued by several federal offices of military reconstruction in Texas, 1865-1870. The majority are special orders emanating from the headquarters of the 5th Military District in Austin, 1868-1870, with a handful from the headquarters of the 5th Military District in New Orleans, 1867-1868. A significant number of orders were issued by the headquarters of the District of Texas, both in Galveston (1866-1867) and in Austin (1867-1868). A small number of special orders, all handwritten, were issued by cavalry headquarters, Department of Texas (December 1865). A handful came from the offices of the Adjutant General and the Commissary General of Subsistence, both in Washington, D.C. (1866 and 1869). Finally, a sizable number of circulars and general orders were issued by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (commonly known as the Freedmen's Bureau), both the central office in Washington, D.C. (1865-1867) and the regional office(s) in Texas: Galveston (1865-1867), Brownsville (1867), and Austin (1867-1868).

The overwhelming majority of the special orders are extracts dealing with appointments, resignations, and removals of political officials in Texas, mostly county and municipal. In some cases there are multiple copies of the orders, with notations as to the distribution of the copies--most commonly, one to the Governor and one to the Secretary of State. Almost one-third of the total are in the form of bound booklets of military orders assembled by the State Treasurer, 1868-1870.

There are also three volumes of unknown origin, that contain printed orders, either pasted down or tipped in. These special orders were issued by the District of Texas and the 5th Military District, between April 15, 1867 and July 3, 1869. The second volume contains a printed index of special orders issued from the headquarters of the District of Texas in 1867.

These records consist of letters, petitions, and sworn statements received by military officers of the District of Texas (1867) and the 5th Military District (1868-1870, and undated). Often the correspondence was addressed to either the Governor of Texas or the Secretary of State, with notations on the reverse that the matter was referred to the appropriate military commander; occasionally the item was addressed to the military official and subsequently referred to the Governor. Some include pre-printed jacket covers marked Headquarters, 5th Military District, plus either Office of Secretary for Civil Affairs or Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands [R.F. and A.L.]. Most of the items also include file numbers in red, which contain the abbreviations D. of T. for District of Texas or 5 M.D. for 5th Military District. The subject matter of the majority of the items is either outrages or political appointments.

These records consist of one volume, totalling over 250 pages, reporting serious crimes committed in 1867 and early 1868. Information includes: date, number, name and race of criminal, name and race of person injured, county, nature of the offense and/or statement of circumstances. A total of 411 murders and assaults were itemized in 1867, with an additional 98 in January and February of 1868. Following this list are many other reports, with copies of incoming correspondence, many of the letters addressed to the Secretary of State.

These consist of quartermaster records relating to 1st Lieutenant Malcolm McArthur, Acting Quartermaster, 1st Battalion, 17th Regiment of Infantry, United States Army, stationed at Galveston and Houston, from August 1866 through October 1868. The types of documents represented include: monthly returns of clothing, camp and garrison equipage, monthly returns of quartermaster stores; monthly returns of commissary property; monthly returns of public animals; monthly returns of provisions received, issued, and remaining on hand; quarterly ordnance returns; receipts of clothing, camp and garrison equipage; invoices of subsistence stores transferred; lists of quartermaster stores expended, transferred or received; weekly reports of the condition of supplies of forage; monthly reports of forage; reports of officers of army whose quarters and fuel are commuted; abstracts of articles received; abstracts of extra issues; abstracts of fuel, stationery, forage, and tobacco issued; abstracts of provisions issued to troops, and of provisions sold to officers; abstracts of purchases on account of army subsistence; requisitions for fuel and for stationery; vouchers; estimates of camp and garrison equipage required; monthly summary statements of funds received, disbursed and transferred; accounts current of all moneys received, expended and transferred on account of army subsistence; invoices of subsistence funds turned over; and letters of receipt of commissary accounts.

These records include correspondence and military orders, dating 1870-1873. The correspondence consists of the Adjutant General's correspondence to, from, and concerning the State Police, 1870-1873, and undated. This correspondence takes three forms: loose correspondence, mostly incoming, covering the entire period of the State Police's existence (1870-1873); a register of letters received, representing an altogether different set of correspondence (1870-1871); and three letter-press books containing copies of outgoing letters (1870-1871).

The great bulk of the earlier loose incoming letters, especially those for 1870, consist of applications for positions on the Police force, including letters of recommendation, petitions, and certifications of loyalty; also prominent are letters of acceptance, receipts of commissions, and letters of resignation. Although most are addressed to Colonel James Davidson, Adjutant General and Chief of Police, some are addressed to Governor E. J. Davis. Almost all of these types of items are coded in red ink on the reverse with a file number distinct from those for Departmental correspondence: thus, for example, 1-D-70, or 1-D-8, or 1-D-29. However, for the majority of items in subsequent years (1871-1873), the letters consist of reports from--and concerning--State Policemen and their activities, both legal and allegedly illegal. These latter also include an occasional report on crimes, submitted by sheriffs and other law enforcement officers--who were all considered ex officio members of the State Police. The non-appointment type of correspondence usually bears a file notation similar to those found in the Departmental correspondence series for this time period: e.g., L.R. 211 A.G.O. S.T. 70, or M 432 A.G.O. 1871, or R 58 A.G.O. 1872.

The register of letters received, concerning the State Police, contains abstracts of 1,781 letters, which are an entirely different group from the loose letters described above. There is an index loose inside the front cover. The time period involved is only half a year: August 1870 through January 1871. The letters cited include the type of requests for appointment previously mentioned, but also include reports from policemen and other more substantive topics. The format is this: date received, number (in red, which does not match the 1-D-_ number on the loose correspondence), name of correspondent, date answered (in red), place, date written, and abstract of contents.

The three letterpress books, which are also indexed, contain copies of letters sent by the Adjutant General regarding the State Police, between July 1870 and August 1871.

Finally, there are two volumes containing military orders from 1870 through 1912. One enormous, fragile volume contains General Orders from June 24, 1870 through January 8, 1912, some handwritten but most pasted down. Besides the State Police, the entire range of military organizations for this time period is represented: StateGuard, Reserve Militia, Frontier Forces, Frontier Battalion, Ranger Force, Texas Volunteer Guard, and Texas National Guard. Another volume contains Special Orders, from August 1870 through April 2, 1897 (mostly handwritten); again, all military organizations are represented. The subject matter of the special orders generally includes individual or company assignments, leaves of absence, boards of survey, etc.

The researcher should also be aware that additional correspondence concerning the State Police may be found in the Departmental correspondence series of Adjutant General's records, including letterpress books for outgoing correspondence after August 1871.

These records consist of reports of crimes, arrests, and fugitives from justice, made to the Adjutant General by sheriffs, state policemen, district clerks, and other law enforcement authorities during the administration of the Radical Republicans, 1870-1873.

The loose material includes three types of reports, often on pre-printed forms: reports of crimes committed (1870), reports of persons evading arrest (1870), and weekly reports of State Police (1872-1873). The Reports (or Returns) of Crimes Committed--usually on Form No. 1--were submitted normally by the sheriff of the county, but sometimes by the district clerk or even a State Policeman in the county. Information provided in these reports includes the following: when and where the offense was committed, by whom committed (name, nativity, sex, race, age, residence), when and where arrested, present whereabouts, whether the criminal is at large or in confinement, and remarks. The Reports of Persons Evading Arrest--usually on Form No. 2--were also submitted by the county officials, and included more or less the same information as above, with the addition of physical descriptions (color of hair and eyes, and height). This latter sort of report is identical in form and purpose to the ones that were later called Fugitives from Justice, published in 1878, 1880, 1891, and 1900. Both of these types of reports are filed together.

The third type of report, Weekly Reports of State Police, consist of 13 oversize reports, most from the 22nd and 23rd Senatorial Districts, all filed by Private (later Sergeant and then Lieutenant) J. M. Redmon: 11 from Denton, one from Gainesville, and one from Hempstead. They date from February 1872 through March 1873. Included in these reports are: date of arrest, name of party arrested, where arrested, offence, against whom, number of miles traveled, counties visited, and name of the State Policeman making the arrest, and remarks.

In addition to the loose material, there are three volumes. Two of these volumes are reports of arrests by State Police, 1870-1873, with almost 440 pages filled. Information contained in these reports included the following: number and name of criminal; when, where, and by whom arrested; tally marks in a series of columns indicating the types of crime (e.g., murder, attempt to kill, assault and battery, theft of horse, etc.); number of miles traveled, amount of property captured, attempts of arrests, crime, and remarks.

The third volume, containing 163 pages filled, consists of a register of reports from approximately 80 individuals--some of them, at least, State Policemen--between December 1872 and March 1873. Information includes: date, file number of the letter or report, report (e.g., reports condition of affairs and urges martial law), number and names of persons arrested, number of miles traveled, counties visited, offense, and remarks.

These records comprise financial records of the State Police, 1870-1873, and undated, including loose material and seven volumes. The loose material consists mainly of accounts current and abstracts of disbursements for the support of the State Police, often on oversize sheets. In addition, there are a few other types of financial records, including certificates of indebtedness, receipts of certificates of indebtedness, bills (especially for shipping and hauling), vouchers (e.g., for postage, telegrams, travel expenses), lists of claims, and receipts of draft animals (mainly mules).

Folder 30 contains an unlabeled, thin volume that is apparently a list of pay vouchers for State Policemen, arranged alphabetically, including the following information: name, rank, months (but no year), a number which may be a voucher number, comments, and amount. The list is probably missing the first and last pages, since it begins with the name Baker, and ends with the name Sammons.

Two of the seven volumes--one apparently a duplicate of the other--consist of accounts current, 1872-1873. The three cash books (each of which contains an index) indicate payments to individuals of sums (presumably for salaries and expenses), 1870-1872. The first two of these cash books include columns for date of payment, person, town, inclusive dates, amount, and comments, plus periodic recapitulations. The third cash book, which covers only January-December 1871, is divided into two parts: one chronological, the second alphabetical; information here includes date of payment, date the check was forwarded, name to whom paid, address, inclusive dates, amount per month, and amount for each month. The fourth volume contains accounts of moneys owed and paid to State Policemen for ordnance, uniforms, badges, horses, etc. (1871-1872); this volume is indexed. The final volume is miscellaneous: State policemen who were loaned horses from Murchison's stable by General Britton for the Lampasas trip; stoppages against pay of State Police, March 28, 1873; amounts due for uniform, State Police; roster of State Police, March 29, 1873; and ordnance and ordnance stores in hands of state policemen, March 31, 1873.

These records include correspondence and military orders, dating 1870-1874 (bulk 1870). The Adjutant General correspondence concerning the State Guard and the Reserve Militia, 1870-1874 (bulk 1870), consists of loose letters received, 1870-1874; one register of letters received, 1870-1871; and two letterpress books of letters sent, 1870-1871.

The loose material consists of letters received by the Adjutant General, mostly from August-December 1870. Almost all of the items are letters from militia officers accepting their appointments, or transmittal letters for the oaths of these officers. Arrangement is by regiment, and chronological therein. Not all of the regiments of the State Guard are represented, and even fewer of the regiments of the Reserve Militia. The finding aids for the Texas Adjutant General's Department, Military rolls, State Guard military rolls and Reserve Militia military rolls contain reference charts, which will help the researcher match the regiment with its county or town.

Volume 401-1011 is a register of letters received concerning the State Guard, the Reserve Militia, and also the Frontier Forces, between July 18, 1870 and January 10, 1871. As with most such registers, the format includes the date the letter was received by the Adjutant General, a file number (in red ink), the name of the correspondent, the disposition of the letter (in red ink), the place, the date, and a brief summary of the purport. An index accompanies the register.

The two letterpress books contain copies of letters sent by the Adjutant General concerning the State Guard and Reserve Militia, between June 22, 1870 and December 18, 1871. They are both indexed.

Finally, there are two volumes containing military orders from 1870 through 1912. One enormous, fragile volume contains General Orders from June 24, 1870 through January 8, 1912, some handwritten but most pasted down. Besides the State Guard and the Reserve Militia, the entire range of military organizations for this time period is represented: State Police, Frontier Forces, Frontier Battalion, Ranger Force, Texas Volunteer Guard, and Texas National Guard. Another volume contains Special Orders, from August 1870 through April 2, 1897 (mostly handwritten); again, all military organizations are represented. The subject matter of the special orders generally includes individual or company assignments, leaves of absence, boards of survey, etc.

These records consist of certificates of disability, by which physicians recommended exemption from militia/military duty for individuals with specific physical and/or medical conditions. These certificates date from July and August 1870, and include individuals in Brazoria, Bell, and Karnes Counties.

These records consist of the proceedings of a general court martial that convened at Huntsville, in Walker County, in late February and early March 1871, for the trial of a number of citizens: J. L. Boatner, Lucien Bowen, C. Briffield, Benjamin Courtadt, J. R. Cox, H. W. Fisher, John P. Garrett, Cyrus Hess, C. Keenan, G. Luff, Nathaniel Outlaw, George W. Rather, Thomas Walker, and Samuel Wilson. Detailed for the court martial were a number of officers of the State Guard and the Reserve Militia. Supporting documents accompanying these proceedings included correspondence, general orders, special orders, court martial orders, affidavits, briefs, petitions, and proclamations. The records date 1870-1871.

These records consist of three oversize annual returns of militia personnel, 1870-1872. Only one of them--that for 1872--is published in the annual reports of the Adjutant General. Information contained on each return includes the following: locality, name of regiment, name of regimental commander, number of brigade, name of brigade commander, number of division, name of division commander, number of companies, number of regiments; number of each rank of officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men; total enlisted, and aggregate. Also included is a recapitulation of the numbers of each rank of general and staff officers, cavalry, artillery, infantry, and total men.

These records consist of oversized glued booklets, containing rolls from fifteen counties, of citizens who had been enrolled in the Reserve Militia but who paid the sum of $15 for one year's exemption from duty, 1870. Only the first page of each booklet is filled, with from zero to five names. The counties include the following, arranged alphabetically: Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bowie, Brazoria, Burnet, Caldwell, Dallas, Fannin, Fayette, Fort Bend, Gonzales, Hood, Karnes, and Kendall. Information on each individual includes: name, age, residence, occupation, color, amount paid for exemption, and remarks.

These records consist of one oversize item, a hospital report of surgeon in charge James Huston, headquarters, State Troops, in Springfield, Texas, October 22-November 3, 1871. Information on the 42 patients on the list includes: name, company, when admitted, disease, treatment, when discharged, medicine dispensed, cost of medicine, and remarks.

These records consist of approximately 50 sworn statements of loss and damage caused by the Reserve Militia in Harrison County, all claims of which are dated December 1871-January 1872. The items involved were primarily animals (mules and horses), and weapons (rifles and shotguns) that were loaned to the Reserve Militia and either never returned or else returned badly damaged; at least one claim, however, involved medical expenses following an accidental shooting. Accompanying the affidavits is an abstract of claims.

These records consist of vouchers, bills for freight, bills for telegraphs, etc., receipts, requisitions, four returns of property (ordnance, quartermaster, and medical), pay vouchers, and ordnance records (requisitions, inventories, returns, receipts, and orders), all documenting goods and services provided to or for the State Guard and the Reserve Militia, 1870-1873, and undated (bulk 1871).

Filed separately are a sizable number of pay vouchers, mostly for the 4th Regiment, Reserve Militia, primarily for February and March 1871. These authorize pay plus a horse allowance, mainly for militiamen on duty during the martial law declared in Walker County; some are also for witnesses called during the General Court Martial. Most of them are printed on the reverse, Martial Law Vouchers.

Also filed separately are many ordnance records, dating 1871-1873. Some of these can be identified as for the State Guard, the Reserve Militia, or the State Police; others, however, cannot be quickly labeled. In addition to requisitions, inventories, and returns, two forms are most common: (a) receipts of ordnance and ordnance stores from the Adjutant General, issued by the Office of the Military Store Keeper; and (b) orders, made by the Adjutant General/Chief of Police to the Storekeeper of the State Arsenal, for specific issues to specific individuals.

These records consist of accounts current and abstracts of disbursements, constituting nine oversize items in three groups, dating 1871:

(1) two copies of an account current and three copies of an abstract of disbursements made on account of a declaration of martial law in Hill County, involving Company H, 6th Regiment, State Guards (January-March 1871); (2) two copies of an account current, plus one copy of an additional account current, of fines and taxes collected and disbursed on account of martial law in Walker County (February-March 1871); and, housed separately, a statement of moneys collected and disbursed on account of martial law in Walker County; and (3) one account current of receipts of the military tax collected in Limestone County, and disbursements of the same to and on account of Provisional State Troops on duty in that county (October-November 1871); and two copies of an abstract of disbursements on account of pay, forage, subsistence, etc., of those troops in Limestone County.