Captain James Postell Douglas (CSA)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Postell_Douglas

James Postell Douglas (born Lancaster, South Carolina, January 7, 1836; died Texas, November 27, 1901) was a soldier, politician, and businessman in the state of Texas. He is regarded as the founder of the Cotton Belt Route, a major railroad system connecting Texas and Arkansas north to St. Louis, Missouri.

Douglas' parents Alexander and Margaret Douglas moved their family from South Carolina to Talladega, Alabama in 1838 and then to Texas in 1847, settling in Tyler in 1848. After his father died in 1854, Douglas supported the family by working as a school principal while reading law. In 1859 he purchased half-ownership in the Tyler Reporter newspaper (now the Tyler Courier-Times) and became its editor.

After the Civil War broke out, Douglas helped raise a battery of artillery and became a first lieutenant. The only battery of Texas artillery to serve east of the Mississippi River, the First Texas Battery saw action throughout the war. Douglas was promoted to captain in July 1862. The battery was paroled in May 1865 in Mobile, Alabama and Douglas returned to Texas.

Douglas returned to being a newspaper editor. In 1870 he was elected to the Texas Senate, where he was a strong opponent of Reconstruction.

Railroad ventures

Douglas owned farms and canneries around Tyler (as well as possibly the first peach orchard in East Texas) and was interested in finding better outlets for his produce. Douglas petitioned the Texas legislature for a railroad charter in 1870, and the legislature granted one at the end of 1871. After many difficulties in raising sufficient funds in Reconstruction Texas, construction finally began in 1875 and the railroad began operation in 1877. This was the Tyler Tap, basis of the later Cotton Belt Route.

Douglas was still unable to pay off his investors, and so he organized a new venture with businessmen from St. Louis, the Texas and St. Louis. The Texas and St. Louis was to extend the Tyler Tap to Texarkana to connect more directly to eastern markets. Douglas served as the first president of the Texas and St. Louis from 1879 to 1880, before becoming involved with a different railroad scheme.

In 1880 Douglas became the first president of the Texas and Gulf Short Line Railroad, which proposed to connect Tyler to Sabine Pass on the Gulf of Mexico. The company shortened the task by purchasing an existing horsecar line which had track running to Rusk, Texas. Douglas remained president until 1883, at which point the railroad had 61 miles of track.

All three railroads came under the control of Jay Gould around 1890 and were organized into the Cotton Belt Route or St. Louis Southwestern Railroad.

In 1889 Douglas and some associates organized a smaller scale enterprise - the Tyler Street Railroad Company. By 1891 the company had about 3 miles of track and 4 mule-drawn cars. The line apparently shut down in 1894, perhaps a victim of the Panic of 1893.

Family and legacy

Douglas married twice. He married his first wife, Sallie Susan White, on March 24, 1864; she died August 22, 1872. They had four children together. He married his second wife Alice Earle Smith on July 7, 1874, and they had six children. She survived him by many years, dying June 28,1955. In 1952 she was presented with a special 75 year service pin by the president of the Cotton Belt Route, in memory of her husband's part in the founding of the line.

The Tyler branch of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is named in his honor, as is the Douglas Elementary School in Tyler.

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DOUGLAS, JAMES POSTELL (1836–1901). James Postell Douglas, Confederate artillery officer, the oldest son of Alexander and Margaret Tirzah (Cowsar) Douglas, was born near Lancaster, South Carolina, on January 7, 1836. He moved with his family to Talladega, Alabama, in 1838 and to Texas in 1847. In January 1848 the Douglas and Cowsar families settled at Tyler, where Douglas attended such public schools as were available. Generally, however, he was self-educated; he learned Latin with the aid of a neighbor in Talladega. Among his earliest jobs was delivery of the mail from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Nacogdoches, Texas. When his father died in 1854, the seventeen-year-old became head of the Douglas household, served as principal of the Tyler Male Academy by day, and read law at night. Although licensed to practice law, he purchased a half interest in and edited the Tyler Reporter, now the Tyler Courier Times, in 1859.

With the outbreak of the Civil War Douglas was commissioned by Col. Elkanah Greer to raise a fifty-man company in Smith County to man half a field artillery battery to be attached to Greer's Third Texas Cavalry. The other company was raised in Dallas County by John J. Good. Douglas was commissioned first lieutenant and named second in command of the battery on June 13, 1861. He was promoted to captain and commander in July 1862. The battery, first commanded by Captain Good, was variously known as the First Texas Battery, the Dallas Light Artillery, the Good-Douglas Battery, and Douglas's Battery, and became the only unit of Texas artillery to serve east of the Mississippi River. It is said to have been the first Confederate unit to volunteer "for the duration of the war." After receiving its baptism of fire with Benjamin McCulloch's Army of the West at the battle of Elkhorn Tavern in March 1862, the battery was transferred to Mississippi, where it saw action at the battle of Corinth. Thereafter it took part in all of the major battles of the Army of Tennessee-Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the battles for Atlanta, and John Bell Hood's disastrous Tennessee campaign of 1864. Covering Hood's retreat from Nashville, the battery lost its guns when they bogged in the mud and were overrun by Union cavalry. Douglas barely escaped capture by riding away on the horse behind his younger brother. On February 16, 1864, the Confederate Congress offered a formal vote of thanks to the battery. Douglas's battery was paroled at Mobile, Alabama, on May 12, 1865, and Douglas returned to Tyler.

He resumed his work with the Tyler Reporter and in 1870 was elected to the Senate of the Twelfth Texas Legislature, where he was noted for his anti-Reconstruction attitude and activities. He was the organizer and first president of the Texas branch of the Cotton Belt Railroad, the so-called Tyler Tap, which was later sold to Jay Gould. Douglas was also instrumental in the establishment of the Texas and St. Louis and the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroads. He owned a chain of canning factories, the first in Tyler, to market produce from his farms. As a planter, he was greatly interested in agricultural experimentation and owned a large peach orchard, said to be the first in East Texas.

Douglas was married twice, first on March 24, 1864, to Sallie Susan White, who died on August 22, 1872, and subsequently to Alice Earle Smith, on July 7, 1874. Four children were born to the first marriage and six to the second. Douglas died on November 27, 1901, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery at Tyler. His wife died on June 28, 1955, and is buried beside him.

James Postell Douglas, Confederate artillery officer, the oldest son of Alexander and Margaret Tirzah (Cowsar) Douglas, was born near Lancaster, South Carolina, on January 7, 1836. He moved with his family to Talladega, Alabama, in 1838 and to Texas in 1847. In January 1848 the Douglas and Cowsar families settled at Tyler, where Douglas attended such public schools as were available. Generally, however, he was self-educated; he learned Latin with the aid of a neighbor in Talladega. Among his earliest jobs was delivery of the mail from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Nacogdoches, Texas. When his father died in 1854, the seventeen-year-old became head of the Douglas household, served as principal of the Tyler Male Academy by day, and read law at night. Although licensed to practice law, he purchased a half interest in and edited the Tyler Reporter, now the Tyler Courier Times, in 1859.

With the outbreak of the Civil War Douglas was commissioned by Col. Elkanah Greer to raise a fifty-man company in Smith County to man half a field artillery battery to be attached to Greer's Third Texas Cavalry. The other company was raised in Dallas County by John J. Good. Douglas was commissioned first lieutenant and named second in command of the battery on June 13, 1861. He was promoted to captain and commander in July 1862. The battery, first commanded by Captain Good, was variously known as the First Texas Battery, the Dallas Light Artillery, the Good-Douglas Battery, and Douglas's Battery, and became the only unit of Texas artillery to serve east of the Mississippi River. It is said to have been the first Confederate unit to volunteer "for the duration of the war." After receiving its baptism of fire with Benjamin McCulloch's Army of the West at the battle of Elkhorn Tavern in March 1862, the battery was transferred to Mississippi, where it saw action at the battle of Corinth. Thereafter it took part in all of the major battles of the Army of Tennessee-Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, the battles for Atlanta, and John Bell Hood's disastrous Tennessee campaign of 1864. Covering Hood's retreat from Nashville, the battery lost its guns when they bogged in the mud and were overrun by Union cavalry. Douglas barely escaped capture by riding away on the horse behind his younger brother. On February 16, 1864, the Confederate Congress offered a formal vote of thanks to the battery. Douglas's battery was paroled at Mobile, Alabama, on May 12, 1865, and Douglas returned to Tyler.

He resumed his work with the Tyler Reporter and in 1870 was elected to the Senate of the Twelfth Texas Legislature, where he was noted for his anti-Reconstruction attitude and activities. He was the organizer and first president of the Texas branch of the Cotton Belt Railroad, the so-called Tyler Tap, which was later sold to Jay Gould. Douglas was also instrumental in the establishment of the Texas and St. Louis and the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroads. He owned a chain of canning factories, the first in Tyler, to market produce from his farms. As a planter, he was greatly interested in agricultural experimentation and owned a large peach orchard, said to be the first in East Texas.

Douglas was married twice, first on March 24, 1864, to Sallie Susan White, who died on August 22, 1872, and subsequently to Alice Earle Smith, on July 7, 1874. Four children were born to the first marriage and six to the second. Douglas died on November 27, 1901, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery at Tyler. His wife died on June 28, 1955, and is buried beside him.