10 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS* 



2. That the Governor is hereby requested to cause a copy of tjiis joint res- 

 olution to be transmitted to the delegates of this State in the Congress of the 

 Confederate States, to be by them laid before the government of said Con- 

 federate States; and that this Joint resolution take effect and be in force 

 from and after its passage. 



Approved April 8. 1861. 



In response to this invitation the Confederate Government took charge 

 of some of the furnaces already in operation and ran them for the purpose 

 indicated. Others were erected in various localities, and gun barrels and 

 other supplies and munitions manufactured. Effort has been made to secure 

 the official records of the operations of these furnaces, but the volume of 

 Records of the Rebellion in which they will appear is not yet published. 



In addition to the works erected in this way a few others were constructed 

 by private capital. In this way the total number of furnaces was somewhat 

 augmented, although the total output of iron was comparatively small on 

 account of the small size of the works. 



The iron made at the small bloomaries, from the rich ores of the region, 

 was very malleable and tough, and the traveler of to-day finds many articles 

 in daily use among the farmers, in tho neighborhood of these old bloomaries, 

 which, they will tell you, were made directly from the ore at the ''foundery," 

 as they always call them. 



The Ninth Legislature, in 1863, reorganized the Military Board, which was 

 composed of the " Governor of the State, who shall be ex officio President 

 of the Board, and two other members, who shall be appointed by the Gov- 

 ernor." This Board was given control of all public works and supplies, and 

 empowered " to aid producing within the State by the importation of arti- 

 cles necessary and proper for such aid." 



They were authorized to erect iron works by the following Act: 



An Act to Provide for the Manufacture of Iron by the Military Board. 



Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That it 

 shall be the duty of the Military Board to erect and put into operation one 

 or more furnaces and forges and other suitable works for the manufacture of 

 iron, to be located at such place or places as ma) be selected by said Board. 



Section 2. That all iron manufactured by said Board, or under their 

 direction, not needed for the defense of the State or in the performance of 

 their duties, shall be sold to the people, according to such regulations and on 

 such terms as said Military Board may establish, and the proceeds of such 

 sales paid into the Treasury of the State. 



Section 3. That one million dollars, or so much thereof as may be neces- 

 sary, be and the same is hereby appropriated for the purpose of carrying into 

 effect the provisions of this bill. 



Section 4. That this act take effect from and after its passage. 



Approved December 16, 1863. 



Among the special laws passed by this Legislature was one incorporating 

 the Texas Iron Company, of which J. S. Nash, James Alley, William Nash, 



