Col. O. M. Roberts, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 11.1, Texas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

At the August election in Texas, Pendleton Murrah had been elected governor and Fletcher S. Stockdale, lieutenant-governor. The following were elected representatives in the Confederate Congress: B. F. Sexton, A. M. Branch, John R. Baylor, S. H. Morgan, Stephen H. Darden, C. C. Herbert. The Texas legislature met in regular session on November 2d, and Governor Murrah was inaugurated on the 5th. In his message he recommended that the State troops, consisting of men between 18 and 50 years of age be made permanent, and those between 50 and 60 be organized into companies in their respective counties, to be held as a reserve force to meet emergencies. A Texas reserve corps was organized, with Jas. W. Barnes, colonel, and Elwood M. Bean, K. B. Dewalt and C. C. DeWitt, majors. The governor earnestly advised the protection of the frontier more efficiently, which the State under the conscript law was rendered powerless to do with State forces, and recommended that it be intrusted to the Confederate States. This was authorized by an act of the legislature and was soon thereafter accomplished. The governor further recommended the continuance of a liberal support for the soldiers' families (the legislature appropriated large amounts of money for that purpose); the enlargement of the operations of the penitentiary, and the distribution of cloth to the different counties to aid in supplying families; and an appropriation was called for to enable the military board to establish large iron works, which resulted in the establishment of a large iron factory in the eastern portion of Anderson county, which was nearly completed at the time of the surrender. The cotton transportation to Mexico, for sale there in exchange for arms and munitions of war, was continued as far as practicable during his administration.