USA > Texas > A pictorial history of Texas, from the earliest visits of European adventurers, to A.D. 1879. Embracing the periods of missions, colonization, the revolution the republic, and the state; also, a topographical description of the country together with its Indian tribes and their wars, and biographical sketches of hundreds of its leading historical characters. Also, a list of the countries, with historical and topical notes, and descriptions of the public institutions of the state > Part 19
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In November, 1838, Congress passed a law for the crea- tion of a new navy. Samuel M. Williams was appointed by President Houston to make the purchase. A contract
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
was made with Frederick Dawson, of Baltimore, for one ship, two brigs and three schooners. In March, 1839, General Hamilton, of South Carolina, purchased for the government the steamer Charleston, (afterward the Zaval- .la). Mr. Dawson delivered, during the same year, the schooners San Jacinto, San Bernard and San Antonio ; and the brigs Colorado and Dolphin, and the sloop of war Austin.
There being no demand for these ships on the Texas coast, they were placed in the service of the revolutionary government of Yucatan; that government to defray all expenses, and render other compensation to Texas. *
There always had been a strong party opposed to the location of the seat of government at the city of Houston ; and by an act of Congress, approved January 14, 1839, commissioners were appointed to select another location. The village of Waterloo, on the Colorado, was chosen. It was sufficiently near the geographical center of the State; but was then on the extreme frontier, and exposed to incur- sions of the Comanche and other tribes of prairie Indians. The new site was appropriately named Austin.+ The city
* The following is a list of the vessels and their armament and officers, as they left Galveston harbor on the 24th of June, 1840, for the coast of Yucatan: Sloop Austin, 20 guns, Commodore E W. Moore; steamship Zavalla, 8 guns, Captain J. K. T. Lathrop; schooner San Jacinto, 5 guns, Lieutenant W. R. Postell; schooner San Bernard, 5 guns, Lieutenant W. S. Williamson; schooner San Antonio, 5 guns, Lieutenant Alexander Moore ; and brig Dolphin, - guns, Lieutenant John Rudd.
t Albert C. Horton, Lewis P. Cook, Isaac W. Burton, William Menifee and J. Campbell, were the commissioners to select the location. Edwin Waller was the agent to lay off the city and locate the different public buildings. Austin has had a severe struggle to retain the government. General Houston was bitterly opposed to the location ; and in 1842, removed the executive departments to Houston. This was in March. In October the President called an extra session of Congress in Washington ; where the governinent remained until July, 1845, when the Annexation Convention assembled in Austin. It became the seat of government. In 1850, by a popular vote, Austin was chosen the capital for twenty years. The places voted for were Austin, 7,674; Palestine, 1,854; Tehuacany, 1,143 and some scattering. In 1872 it was permanently located at the same place, Austin receiving 63,297 votes ; Houston, 35,188; Waco, 12,776, and a few scattering.
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NEW COLONIES.
was promptly laid out; lots sold, and buildings erected for the accommodation of the various departments of the gov- ernment. These buildings were in such a state of prepara- tion that by the first of October, the President and heads of departments removed to the new capital.
To induce a more rapid settlement of the Republic, Con- gress gave encouragement to the introduction of new colonies. In 1841-42, W. S. Peters took two contracts, engaging to introduce 800 families into the fine region of country around Dallas. Fisher & Miller took a contract for settling 600 families on the Upper Colorado and Llano rivers ; C. F. Mercer, two contracts for settling 600 fam- ilies in the region of country above the Peters colony, towards Red river. A German Emigration Company set- tled Comal and Gillespie counties ; and Henry Castro intro- duced about 600 families into Western Texas, settling Castroville in 1844; Quihi in 1845; Vanderburg in 1846, and Dhanis in 1847.
We have not attempted to keep our readers advised of the changes constantly taking place among our trans-Rio Grande neighbors. But in 1839 a revolution occurred in which not a few of the Texas soldiers participated. The disbanding of the army left many ready for any enterprise that promised excitement, and congenial employment. It was natural that the Republicans in Mexico should look to Texas for sympathy and support. During the summer a considerable number of Republicans assembled at Lipan- titlan, on the west side of the Nueces river. President Lamar issued a proclamation ordering them to disperse. But little attention was paid to the order. Among the Mexican leaders the most noted were General Lic. Antonio Canalis and Colonels Jose Maria Gonzales and - Zapata. Among the Americans the principal were Colonels S. W. Jordan and Reuben Ross. The "Republic of the Rio Grande" was formally proclaimed, and a military organiza- tion effected. The force, including 180 Texans, amounted
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
to about 600 men. They left Lipantitlan on the 20th of September, and crossed the Rio Grande on the 30th. Their first point of attack was Guerrero, three miles from the river, occupied by General Parbon, of the Centralist army. Parbon retreated, without offering to fight, to Alcantra, near Mier. Here he was overtaken by the Republicans on the 3d of October, when a severe battle was fought. Early in the engagement the Indians and rancheros in Canalis' ranks became demoralized, and the Texans had to bear the brunt of the battle. The Centralists, after losing about 150 of their men, retreated, leaving the Republicans masters of the field. Their loss in killed was 14. After this recruits flocked to their standard, but Canalis, instead of availing himself of the enthusiasm which this victory had kindled, remained for two months inactive. Finally, on the 12th of December, he moved down the river with 1,000 men, and laid siege to Matamoras. The siege was not very vigorously prosecuted; but on the 15th a skirmish took place in which fifteen Centralists were killed. The city was strongly fortified and well garrisoned and provisioned. It had a garrison of 1,500 regulars, under General Canalizo. On the 16th, Canalis, at a council of his officers, announced his intention to abandon the siege. This offended the Texans, and Colonel Ross with about fifty of his men returned to their homes.
Canalis retired towards Monterey. Arriving within six miles of that city, his troops found themselves suddenly con- fronted by an army of 2,000, under General Arista. This was December 24th. After some skirmishes and manœuvres, in which the Texans thought Canalis exhibited a conspicuous want of generalship, the intriguing Arista succeeded in detaching a large number of the Mexicans from Canalis' ranks to his own, where the pay was more certain. Jordan, with the Texans, and a few faithful Mexicans, retreated towards the Rio Grande, crossing that stream on the 7th of January.
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SUSPICIOUS OPERATIONS.
Canalis, not at all disheartened, collected a few of his followers, and called a convention at Guerrero, January 28. Jordan rejoined him at Presidio, but not liking the pros- pect, remained only a few days. Arista, being fully posted as to the movements of the Republicans, attacked and de- feated Canalis at Moralis, on the 15th of March. Canalis, with a portion of his men, escaped to Texas, and unfurled the banner of the Republic of the Rio Grande, at San Pa- tricio. Here he was joined by Jordan, with 110 men; William S. Fisher, with 200; and John N. Seguin, with 100. Including about 300 Rancheros, the whole force amounted to 700.
For some unaccountable reason, Colonel Jordan, with 260 men, was dispatched, in advance of the main body, with two Mexican officers for guides. With very little oppo- sition, this comparatively small party occupied successively the towns of Guerrero, Mier, Comargo, Tula, Morallo, Li- nares, and finally Victoria, the capital of the State of Tamau- lipas. Jordan strongly suspected that his Mexican guides were seeking an opportunity to betray him and his men into the hands of the Centralists. This was nearly accom- plished, near Saltillo, on the 23d of October. The Repub- licans were confronted by a Centralist army numbering over 1,000 men, with two nine-pounders, under the command of Vasques. As soon as the battle opened, the suspected offi- cers deserted to the Centralists with their companies. The Texans, however, maintained the fight, killing (by estima- tion), 400 of the enemy. They lost of their number, five killed and seven wounded. Jordan and his party returned to Texas.
The subsequent conduct of Canalis created a suspicion that, in dividing his force, and dividing the small party of Texans, and sending Jordan into the interior without sup- port, he acted in bad faith. A majority of the troops were Texans, and he perhaps feared that should they succeed in gaining important advantages, he would be displaced from
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
the command, and one of the Texan officers promoted. At any rate, after the departure of Jordan, though Canalis cross- ed the Rio Grande, he remained comparatively inactive, and finally, at Comargo, surrendered his entire force to Arista. It is to his credit that in the surrender he stipulated for the lives and liberty of the Texans in his ranks. Thus ended the attempt to establish the " Republic of the Rio Grande." But this organization, for the time, gave employment to the Mexican army under Arista, and so prevented an invasion of Texas.
The Texans claimed the Rio Grande as the southwestern boundary of the Republic, but no attempt had as yet been made to extend the laws over that portion of Santa Fe lying on the Texas side of the river. Between St. Louis and the city of Santa Fe, a lucrative trade was springing up, which the Texans were anxious to divert to their own gulf ports. To open communication with that distant region, an expedition to Santa Fe was projected in 1841. The object of this expedition, as announced by President Lamar in his proclamation, was to have a friendly inter- view with the authorities of the State, and if they were willing to come under the laws of Texas, arrangements would be entered into to extend our laws over that territo- ry; but if the people were averse. to this, he wished to establish friendly commercial relations with the people of New Mexico. For protection through the Indian country, a military organization was effected, and placed under com- mand of General Hugh M'Leod. It consisted of five com- panies of mounted infantry, and one of artillery-270 soldiers. The President sent Messrs. William G. Cooke, R. F. Brenham, and Don J. A. Navarro, as commissioners, who were charged to so conduct the negotiations as to accomplish the purposes of the Government in sending out the expedition. There were also about fifty traders, team- sters and adventurers. The commander was instructed not to attempt a subjugation of the people by arms.
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311
KIOWAS ATTACK THE EXPEDITION.
The expedition started from the neighborhood of George- town on Brushy, on the 20th of June, 1840. Many diffi- culties were encountered, from the very start; and from Little River, they sent back for more beef cattle. The guides were not well acquainted with the route, and after wandering about for some time, finally mistook the Wichita for Red river, and got lost in the Wichita mountains. Pro- visions gave out, water was scarce, the Indians trouble- some, horses were stolen, and occasionally men that strag- gled off from their companions were killed. On the 11th of August, Messrs. Howland, Baker and Rosenbury were sent forward to procure supplies. A few days later, the main party fell in with a large band of Kiowa Indians. Lieutenant Hull and four men being a short distance from the others, were attacked by these Indians, and after des- perate fighting, in which a dozen Indians were killed, they were overpowered and slain. Lieutenant Hull had no less than thirty lance and arrow wounds. They were then on the Quintufue, a branch of the Palo Duro river. After this, a consultation of officers was held, and it was deter- mined to divide the command, sending forward to the settle- ments for provisions. "Those best able to travel," says Kendall, "were detailed by General M'Leod to march in advance, and were placed under command of Captain Sut- ton, an excellent officer. The party consisted of eighty-seven officers and privates, with merchants, travellers, and servants enough to swell the number to ninety-nine. Among the officers were Captain Lewis, Lieutenants Lubbock, Munson, Brown, and Seavy, the latter acting as Adjutant. The civ- illians were Colonel Cooke, Dr. Brenham, Major Howard, Messrs. Van Ness, Fitzgerald, Frank Combs, and myself." This party left M'Leod on the 31st of August, and arrived at Anton Chico, a village on the Galinas, a tributary of the Rio Grande, on the 10th of September. Here an ample supply of provisions were obtained, and on the 14th, Cap- tain Lewis, with Kendall, Van Ness, and some others,
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
started for San Miguel. They had heard that Howland and his companions had been taken prisoners, but did not doubt that when the authorities understood the peaceful objects of the mission, all would be well. In this they were sadly mistaken.
It seems unaccountably strange, that the Texans, after the experience of 1836, should have acted with so little caution. Although they heard that the Governor was hos- tile to their enterprise, no word was sent back either to M'Leod, or to the more advanced party at Anton Chico. When Kendall and his party arrived at a small village called Cuesta, they were met by a party of Mexicans, under Don Salezar, a military officer. The men were disarmed, and their papers and valuables taken from them, with the assurance, however, that they would soon all be returned. Disarmed and robbed, they were marched as prisoners into San Miguel. Howland and his party, for an attempt, or an alleged attempt, to escape, were barbarously shot. In the meantime, it was observed that Lewis was becoming quite intimate with the Mexican officers. The result was, that Lewis, one of their trusted officers, turned traitor, and plot- ted the capture of the party at Anton Chico, with Cooke, and those with M'Leod, who was then at the Laguna Colo- rado, some forty miles distant. These unfortunate men, after being disarmed and plundered, were tied in compa- nies of four and six, and marched first to San Miguel, thence to Santa Fe, and finally to the city of Mexico, and confined in the prisons of St. Jago, Puebla, and Perote, where they languished for nearly two years. A few, at the solicitation of influential friends, were released ; and among them, Kendall, the historian of the expedition. Senor Navarro, however, being an object of special hostility, was confined in the castle of San Juan D'Ulloa, until the revo- lution of 1844, when he, too, was set at liberty. Mr. Ken- dall gives the following reasons for the failure of the expe- dition :
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TOWN OF SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAR, TEXAS, 1840.
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REASONS FOR THE FAILURE.
" And what mistake had brought this sorrowful issue to our enterprise ? In as few words as possible, I will answer the question. In the first place, the expedition began its march too late in the season by at least six weeks. Had it left Austin on the first of May, the grass would have been much better, and we should have had little difficulty in finding good water both for ourselves and our cattle. In the second place, we were disappointed in obtaining a party of Lipan Indians for guides, and were consequently obliged to take a route some three hundred miles out of our way, and in many places extremely difficult of travel. Thirdly, the Government of Texas did not furnish wagons and oxen enough to transport the goods of the merchants, and this, as a matter of course, caused tedious delays. Fourthly, cattle enough on the hoof were not provided, even with the sec- ond supply sent by the commissioners from Little river. Again, the distance was vastly greater than we had anticipated, in our widest and wildest cal- culations; owing to which circumstance, and an improvident waste of provisions while in the buffalo range, we found ourselves upon scant allow- ance in the middle of our long journey-a privation which weakened, dis- pirited and rendered the men unfit for duty. The Indians also annoyed us much, by their harrassing and continual attempts to cut off small parties and steal our horses. Finally, the character of the Governor of New Mex- ico, was far from being understood, and his power was underrated by all. The General's estimate of the views and feelings of the people of Santa Fe and the vicinity, was perfectly correct; not a doubt can exist that they all were and are anxious to throw off the yoke of Armijo, and come under the liberal institutions of Texas. But the Governor found us divided into sinall parties, broken down by long marches and want of food; he discov- ered a traitor among us, too, and taking advantage of these circumstances, his course was plain and his conquest easy. Far different would have been the result, had the expedition reached the confines of New Mexico a month earlier, and in a body. Then, with fresh horses, and a sufficiency of pro- visions for the men, the feelings of the inhabitants would have been differ- ent. The proclamation of General Lamar would have been distributed among them; the people would have had an opportunity to come over to Texas without fear, and the feeble opposition Armijo could have made, and I doubt whether he would have made any against the Texans in a body, could have been put down with ease. Had it been evident that a majority of the inhabitants were satisfied under their present government, and un- friendly to a union with Texas, then the goods would have been sold and the force withdrawn; at least, such was the tenor of the proclamation. No attack would have been made upon the inhabitants-that was expressly understood. But had Armijo seen fit to commence hostilities, his power in New Mexico would have been at an end. Fate decreed otherwise, and by a series of unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, the expedition was thrown into his hands."
19
316
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
During the year 1840, France and Belgium recognized the independence of Texas.
Toward the Indian tribes, the policy of General Lamar was diametrically opposed to that of his predecessor. While General Houston sought to conciliate them with kind treat- ment, Lamar thought they should be excluded from our territory, and proposed, if necessary, to mark the bounda- ries of the Republic with the sword. There was then, as there has been ever since, a difference of opinion as to which was the true policy.
Financially, the administration of Mr. Lamar was not a success, though his most bitter opponent never accused either the President or the members of his cabinet of dis- honesty ; (and the same remark is true of all the Presidents of the Republic and the members of their cabinets respect- ively). The public credit was low, and declining when Lamar was inaugurated, and continued rapidly to grow worse. Under the administration of Houston the salaries of officers had been fixed exorbitantly high-the President's at $10,000, and the members of his cabinet at $3,500 each ; and this at a period when the whole population was less than 50,000, and the ability of the Republic to maintain its independence quite problematical. To add to the bur- dens of the incoming administration, a new navy had been contracted for, and no means provided to defray the expense of purchase. The revenue was small-the annual expenses enormous-and it is not to be wondered at that treasury notes-called red-backs, from the color of the paper upon which they were printed-should have declined, in the three years, from seventy cents to twenty cents or even less, on the dollar. Nominally, the expense of the Government for the year 1841 was $1,176,288. The public debt
*See Part VII for a sketch of the various Indian tribes, and their battles with the whites.
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OFFICERS OF THE REPUBLIC.
increased during the three years from $1,877,525 to $7,300,000. *
The cares and responsibilities of office weighed heavily on President Lamar, and the severe strictures of political opponents affected his deeply sensitive nature, and he applied to Congress for permission to absent himself from the Republic. The request was granted, and during the last year the Government was administered by Vice-Pres- ident Burnet.+
*Mr. Gouge, in his Fiscal History, says the average amount of expenses per annum, during Lamar's administration, was $1,618,405; while the aver- age in the succeeding administration of Houston was only $170,361; and adds, this difference is owing in part only to the differences in the charac- ter of the men who presided over the Government. President Lamar, as a paper-money man, was profuse on principle. He knew no limit on expend- iture but the limit of credit. President Houston, as somewhat of a hard- money man, was more inclined to economy. But if Houston had been Chief Magistrate from 1839 to 1842, he could have restricted but in part the expenditures of those years. And if Lamar had succeeded him, he would have been compelled, from the force of circumstances, to be, in some degree, economical.
+ During this Administration the following gentlemen filled various office-, at home and abroad : Barnard E. Bec, James Webb, Abner S. Lips- comb, James S. Mayfield, Samuel A. Roberts, Secretaries of State; A. Syducy Johnston, Branch T. Archer, Secretaries of War; Richard G. Dun- lap, James IL, Starr, J. G Chaliners, Secretaries of the, Treasury; Memu- can Ilunt and Louis P. Cooke, Secretaries of the Navy; J. C. Watrous, James Webb and F. A. Morris, Attorney Generals; Robert Burr, Edwin Waller and John R. Jones, Post Master-Generals; Asa Brigham and James W. Simmons, Treasurers; James W. Simmons and James B. Shaw, Comp. trollers; Jown W. Moody and Charles Mason, First Auditors; Musgrove Evans, Second Auditor; John P. Borden and Thomas William Ward, Com- mi-sioners of General Land Office ; Thomas R. Stiff, Jackson Smith, Joseph Moreland and Charles de Morse, Stock Commissioners; Richard G. Dun- lap and Barnard E. Bee, Ministers to the United States; James Hamilton, Minister to Great Britain ; William Henry Dangerfield and George S. Mc- Intosh, Ministers to France; Barnard E. Bee and James Webb, Ministers and Agents to Mexico; M. Austin Bryan, Samuel A. Roberts and Nathaniel Amory, Secretaries of Legation to the United States; George L. Hamme- ken, Secretary of Legation to Mexico; James Hamilion, Commissioner to treat with Holland, Belgium, Great Britain and France; Samuel M. Wil- liams. A. T. Burnley, James Hamilton and James Reiley, Loan Commis- sioners.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
At the election held in September, 1841, Sam Houston was elected President, and Edward Burleson, Vice-Pres- ident. *
* At this election there were 11,531 votes polled, of which Houston receiv- ed 7,915, and Burnet 3,616. For Vice President, Burleson received 6 141, and Memucan Hunt 4,336.
CHAPTER III.
HOUSTON'S SECOND ADMINISTRATION-STATE OF THE PUBLIC FINANCES-RAIDS OF VASQUEZ AND WOLL-THE ARCHIVE WAR-SOMERVELL IN THE SOUTHWEST-THE MIER EXPEDITION-ITS DISASTERS-THE SNIVELY EXPEDITION-SANTA ANNA'S PROPOSALS THROUGH ROBINSON-THE NAVY.
"OUSTON was, for the second time, inaugurated Presi- dent, December 13th, 1841. He found the Sixth Congress then in session, diligently at work, introducing measures of retrenchment and reform. From the first organization of the Government, agents had been kept in foreign countries, vainly endeavoring to effect a loan. This fantasy of an expected foreign loan had kept up the hopes of the Texans, when their own paper was worth but fifteen or twenty cents on the dollar. General James Hamilton, of South Carolina, was still in Europe, and reported favorably as to the prospect of success. But the Texans had been so often sadly disappointed, that but little reliance was placed upon his report; and his efforts finally, fortunately for Texas, proved abortive. In Hous- ton's message to Congress, he said : "There is not a dollar in the treasury. The nation is involved from ten to fifteen millions ; we are not only without money, but without credit, and for want of punctuality, without character. Patriotism, industry and enterprise are now our only resources-apart from our public demain, and the precarious revenues of the country. These remain our only hope, and must be improved, husbanded, and properly employed." He recommended, as the only practicable method of relief, the suspension of all attempts, at present, to pay off the indebtedness ; and the issue of exchequer bills, not to exceed $350,000 in amount, to take the place of the old promissory
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notes, as a medium of exchange. He also recommended a reduction of taxes; and that taxes and customs dues be collected in par funds. Congress reduced the taxes, but failed to require them to be paid in par funds. The old promissory notes, now no longer receivable for public dues, soon lost a marketable value and ceased to circulate. For a short time the "new issue" was better; but the public feared that, after a short trial, this paper would not pay their taxes, and it rapidly declined in value. These fears were realized. At an extra session of Congress, in June, 1842, a law was passed, requiring the collectors of customs, sheriffs, clerks and postmasters, throughout the Republic, to receive exchequer bills only at the current rates at which such bills were sold in the market. Though this was well calculated to destroy confidence in the paper issues, even of the "reform Congress," the small amount authorized to be put in circulation prevented the exchequer bills from falling so low in the market as the old red-backs. Many real reforms were introduced. A rigid economy was practiced in the various executive departments of the Government, and in the management of Indian affairs ; and all unneces- sary officers were dispensed with .*
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