D. W. Heard

One of the agents appointed by the Texas Military Board to sell cotton. Below is a contract with the Board transcribed as an example of the terms of such agencies.¹

Office Military Board

Austin Texas, Dec. 14, 1864

D. W. Heard, San Antonio

Sir,

You are hereby appointed agent for the Military Board of the State of Texas to purchase and export to Mexico two thousand bales of cotton and no more. The means will be placed in your hands for that purpose, and as you purchase you will report to the Board at this office, the number of bales purchased, their weights marks and brands, and brand the same M. B., for Military Board. You will obey all instructions given you, from time to time by the Board in relation to the disposition of the cotton, and when any of it is placed on trains to be transported to Mexico. You will furnish to the Board copies of the Bills of Lading, point on the Rio Grande & c. to which the same directed and ships only to such points as you shall be directed by the Board, and only to such persons. You are authorized to employ all the transportation and to take all the steps necessary to the exportation and transportation of said cotton. You will appoint no sub agents.

P. Murrah
Pres. M. Board
State of Texas

The folder for Heard also contains stationery with an extract of Special Order No. 97, issued by General E. Kirby Smith, to allow those involved in selling cotton belonging to the State of Texas to do so without molestation or impressment.

Many of the names of the teamsters employed by Heard to do the transporting appear to be Spanish names, such as “Jesus Gomes,” “Markes Ganzelas,” and “Felipa Garza.” Other named teamsters (non-exhaustive list) include:

• J. M. Frost
• Thomas M. Collins
• Francis Waybaugh
• J. T. Taylor
• Thomas Burden
• J. P. Daniel