Vol 13 No. 06 - March 1936

Liberty Dawned When The Alamo Fell

The final revolt that gave Texas her freedom began in the spring of 1835, and was brought about by the arbitrary attempt on the part of the Mexican government to submerge the province of Texas into that of Coahuila, thereby giving the Texas settlers small share or say in the governing of the state. When Texas openly stated her resentment of this method, orders were sent for the disarmament of Texas colonists.

Santa Anna, dictator-president of Mexico, had ambitions to become a second Napoleon and he thought he might as well start with Texas. He sent his brother-in-law, General Cos, up to clean out all the rebellious cities, especially San Antonio. General Cos marched into Texas and entrenched at San Artonio, feeling smug. He had never met up with the peculiar brand of daring known as Texan until Ben Milam and a handful of fervid patriots stormed his garrison. So grilling was the warfare and so determined the attack, that the General raised a flag of truce, surrendered ignominonsly, and scuttled back to Mexico with his tail between his legs. Mexico's would-be Napoleon was furious. He himself would take to the field and show the Texans what it meant to defy Santa Anna! So began the events that led up to day of infamy at the Alamo – the event that like no other, fueled the Texans with patriotic zeal for their final severence with Mexico. This is the story.

Mentions: Ben Milam * General Cos * Henry Smith * Mission San Autonio de Valera * William Barrett Travis * James Butler Bonham, David Crockett and James Bowie * Fannin * James Butler Bonham

Paul Maureaux, Early Texas Cabinet-Maker

Long before the spreading population, farm land cultivation, and the lumber mills had forayed into South Texas with disasterous results to the natural woods of the section, a certain spot about 200 miles southeast of San Antonio was covered with a very fine grove of black walnut trees.

To the early settlers, fine lumber meant little. Untrained in the appreciation and use of good woods, they usually used the first lumber to come to hand, with the result that the black walnut grove stood untouched until the middle of the 1800’s.

In 1852, when San Antonio was a sleepy little village of 500 inhabitants, Mr. Paul Maureaux Sr., an expert cabinet-maker, arrived here by ox-cart. The trip from Indianola, Texas, then, quite a town, had required two months of slow tortuous travel.

Maureaux erected his first cabinet making shop on West Commerce street near Navarro street. This story details the rise and advancemnt of the Maureaux co. of San Antonio.

Mentions: Mrs. G. L. Vawter of Pipe Creek, Texas * West Commerce street near Navarro * Nic Tengg * Erastus Reed * West Commerce and Pecos * Captain R. G. Carter * Colonel C. C. Smith * Dean T. U. Taylor, Dr. F. B. Plummer and Dr. George H. Faucher * Miss Ruth Dodson of Mathis, Mrs. Edna Scruggs of Karnes City, Mrs. Dollie Ussery of Houston, and Mrs. Cora Butler of Kenedy

John Durkee, Pioneer Horse Raiser

By T. U. Taylor, Austin, Texas.

Account of John Durkee, of Parker county, who ranched in the southeastern part of Parker county, one-half mile from the Tarrant line, and about four miles from the Johnson line, on the Clear Fork of the Trinity. He was at one time a factor in the pioneer days of the commonwealth. In the spring of 1858, Oliver Loving, who was then living at Loving's Valley in Palo Pinto county, and John Durkee, of Parker, conceived the idea of driving cattle to a Northern market and selling them east of the Mississippi River. In the early summer of 1858, these two men started the first herd that crossed the Red River in a trek to the markets east of the Mississippi River. This and other notable events marked the life of this notable Texas pioneer. This is his story.

Mentions: Oliver Loving, * Loving's Valley in Palo Pinto county * John Durkee, of Parker * Woodward, Tiernan Company * Sedalia * Baxter Springs * Mary's Creek * Caddo Peak * the Fort Worth Cresson road. * the North Bear Creek * South Bear Creek, * Arthur Mathis * Joe Nishwinder * the fishing line was constructed of spool thread of the O. N. T. variety * Uncle Johns Pratt

Walter P. Webb Writes A Great Book

By J. Marvin Hunter.

Account of Walter Prescott Webb, of the University of Texas, whose book, "The Texas Rangers," is the best written history of the greatest body of fighting men ever assembled in America.

Mentions: Lonnie Rees * Jack Hays, the McCullochs, Samuel Walker, Big-Foot Wallace, old Rip Ford, Major Neighbors, L. H. McNelly, Lee Hall, Major John B. Jones, June Peak, G. W. Arrington, Frank Jones, J. H. Rogers, John R. Hughes, Bill McDonald, R. W. Aldrich, Jim Gillett Frank Hamer, Tom Hickman, Will Wright * Frank Rosengren * Uncle Ed Cosper of Duncan, Arizona * Tim Chapman

A Journey Through Texas In 1856

By Frederick Law Olmsted (Continued from Last Month.)

Mentions: the town of Caldwell, the "seat of justice" of Burleson County * Bastrop * Mr. Dewees * a sort of tavern kept by a man by the name of William Pettis, or Buck Pettis as he was always called at San Felipe * an old man by the name of Mcfarlane * Judge Lynch * etc, etc.

The First Cattle Ranch In Texas

Account of James Taylor White, originator and owner of White's Ranch-Texas in Chambers County. History places White’s Ranch as the first cattle ranch in the State of Texas. The date of its settlement was 1819-far back in the Texas picture. That was long before any of that group of the pioneers of pioneers had brought their handfuls of stock across the Sabine and the Neches rivers. It was a well established institution, probably with several hundred head of longhorns, at the time of the Battle of San Jacinto, in which it played at least a minor part. This is the story.

Mentions: Chambers County * James Taylor White, originator and owner of White's Ranch-Texas' first * Dr. David Carlton Hordee of Rich Square, North Carolina * Dr. Hardee * historic old town of Liberty * Noah Tevis, the first settler * Tevis Bluff, then Neches Postoffice * Beaumont * Castilian cows * Leblanc * the early Heberts, Broussards, Jacksons * Crescent City * the original White ranch homestead near Turtle Bayou * the Anahuac-Liberty Highway * Jones & Company, an English house * Turk's Island

Texas Historical Data Found In Big Thicket

Dabney White.

Account of the Big Thicket-the most interesting yet the most unknown part of Texas. It comprises an area as large as one of our Eastern States and follows the course of the Trinity River from the blacklands into the Gulf of Mexico. Along its banks have lived, during the 1800’s, some of the most interesting, as well as some of the most undesirable of Texas’ population. Yet, much intersting history is to be gleaned from its hidden reaches – this is the story.

Mentions: Francis W. Johnson * Ben Milam * Big Thicket between Livingston and Liberty * the Leas * It was here that Sam Houston was really converted to the Christian faith * Judge L. D. Hightower * Gov. O. M. Roberts * Capt. Bill McDonald

The Drawing Of The Beans by Texans

Undoubtedly one of the saddest events in great history of the state of Texas is that which is described in this account of the Mier expedition patriots who drew their own fate while captive in a Mexican prison.

Mentions: General Woll and Canales * General Ampudia * Colonels Fisher and Green * General T. J. Green * Castle of Perote * Captains Fitzgerald and Baker, John Sansberg, and Higgenson Fitzgerald * Captain Reese, Stephen Clark * Brenham, Lyons, and Wright * Major J. D. Cocke, Major R, EL Dunham, J. M. Ogden, Captain Eastland, T. L. Jones, J. M. Thompson, H. Whaling, W. N. Cowan, C. H. Roberts, E. Esty, J. Trumbull, R. H. Harris, M. C. Wing, P. Mahan, J. L. Cash, J. Torrey. * Major Robert Dunham

The Massacre At Goliad

Among the saddest of events in Texas history (along with the above account of the drawing of the beans) is the greusome, insane and heartless butchery of Fannin and his men under Santa Anna’s forces at Goliad. This event puffed up the Mexican madman/butcher and made him infamous in the eyes of all Texas. This is the bloody account.

Mentions: Col. J. W. Fannin * the battle of Colito * General Cos * Ward and King * General Urrea * the Colita River

Account Of An Indian Attack In 1868

The following account of an attack by Comanche Indians in San Saba County, 1868, is given as an interview by William J. Miller, one of the two survivors, just one year, almost to a day, before he passed on, while visiting his brother at Cheyenne, Okla. This eye-witness acount of the bloody events is gripping and horrific. The brutality of the Comanche Indians as depicted in this account is almost beyond belief.

Mentions: William J. Miller * Mrs. T.. E. Woodson * Arthur Woodson, Alamogordo * Joseph ("Buster") Woodson * Mrs. Austin Reeves * the Sweetwater in Wheeler Co., Texas * "Smoky Joe" Miller's hotel * the watermill of Major A. J. Rose, where Brady Creek empties into the Colorado River * Dr. Dowell, at Galveston * Jack Flood * the farm of John Fleming * Major Rose, now of Belton * J. Z. Sloan of San Saba * the Fort Sill Reservation * a 10 year old boy, William Herter, in Mason county * Sheriff Milligan * they killed two women by cutting off their heads, raised a baby by the heels and dashed its brains out against a tree * they scalped a Mrs. Dancer four times * In Burnet county a farmer named Bensen * Geo. C. Childress of Milam * Chairman Richard Ellis * George C. Childress of Milam, James Gaines of Sabine, Edward Conrad of Refugio, Collin McKinney of Red River, and Bailey Hardeman of Matagorda * Veteran Ben M. Roberts * Mrs. W. B. Ellis, Menard, Texas * the Coglin Stage Stand * the Splittgerber Stage Stand * Fannie Splittgerber Ellis. * Miss Eliza Austin of Belton * her father, Chas. H. Austin * Mrs. Julia D. Welder of Liberty, Texas * Emery L. Duncan * Chas. L. Fagan, of Rahway, N. J., * Captain DeLeon * Crockett * Guadalupe Peak of the Guadalupe range

 

Some names mentioned in this volume:

R. W. Aldrich; Allen; Ampudia; G. W. Arrington; Chas H. Austin; Miss Eliza Austin; Stephen Austin; D. W. C. Baker; Dr Florence E. Barns; Baron de Bastrop; Bertillion; James Butler Bonham; Bowie; ; Lois F. Boyle; George Bradford; Brown; Frank Bushick; Mrs Cora Butler; Gen Canales; Carter; J. L. Cash; Melissa A. Castle; Fred Chabot; Tim Chapman; Geo C. Childress; Stephen Clark; Maj J. D. Cocke; Edward Conrad; D. E. Conwill; L. L. Cook; Cos; Ed Cosper; lt W. Cousins; W. N. Cowan; Crockett; ; Davis; Capt DeLeon; Miss Ruth Dodson; Dr Dowell; Emery L. Duncan; R. H. Maj Dunham; Robert Maj Dunham; John Durkee; Duval; Chas Eckhart; Herman Ehrenberg; Tex Elam; Fannie Splittgerber Ellis; Mrs W. B. Ellis; Emmett; E. Esty; Fagan; Dr George H. Fancher; Fannin; Joseph E. Field; Fisher; Capt Fitzgerald; John Fleming; Jack Flood; Rip Ford; Francis; Z. T. Fulmore; James Gaines; H. P. N. Gammel; L. Gilbert; Gillett; Col Green; Gen T. J. Thomas; James K. Greer; Lee Hall; Frank Hamer; Dr David Carlton Hardee; Bailey Hardeman; Gertrude Harris; R. H. Harris; Harry Harter; Capt Hastland; Mrs Ray Hay; Chief Hays; William Herter; Tom Hickman; L. D. Judge Hightower; Mrs Mary Austin Holley; Boyce House; John R. Hughes; Gen F. Huston; Johnson; Frank Jones; T. L. Jones; George William Kendall; E. E. Kirkpatrick; Gen Lamar; Langford; Lewis; John J. Linn; Loving; ; Judge Lynch; P. Mahan; Arthur Mathis; Paul Maureaux; Paul Maureaux Jr; Paul Sr Maureaux; Chief McCulloch; McDonald; ; McKinney; L. H. McNelly; Roxylea Melas; Milam; ; Bill Miller; Billy Miller; "Smoky Joe" Miller; William J. Miller; Sheriff Milligan; H. A. Moos; Paul A. Morgan; A. J. Maj Morrow; A. W. Morrow; Neighbors; Neil; Rev Chester Newell; Joe Nishwinder; J. M. Ogden; Olmsted; Peak; Buck Pettis; William Pettis; Dr F. B. Plummer; Col Poe; Johns Pratts; Erastus Reed; Lonnie Rees; Capt Reese; Mrs Austin Reeves; John C. Reid; Sam C. Reid; Ben M. Roberts; C. H. Roberts; J. H. Rogers; Maj A. J. Rose; Frank Rosengren; John Sansberg; Florence Johnson Scott; Mrs Edna Scruggs; Shackelford; Lona Shawver; J. Z. Sloan; Smithwick; W. Preston Stapp; Dean T. U. Taylor; Nic Tengg; Noah Tevis; J. M. Thompson; Eugene Thumim; J. Torrey; William Barrett Travis; J. Trumbull; Urrea; Mrs Dollie Ussery; Marquis Valero; Mrs G. L. Vawter; Chief Walker; Samuel Walker; Wallace; Ward; Prof Webb; Walter P. Webb; Walter Prescott; Mrs Julia D. Welder; H. Whaling; James Taylor; B. G. Wiemers; J. W. Wilbarger; Williams; M. C. Wing; Woll; Arthur Woodson; Joseph "Buster" Woodson; T. E. Woodson; Mrs T. E. Woodson; Will Wright; Yoakum; Yett