Sam Houston and the meager army of Texans retreated eastward following the fall of the Alamo in the spring of 1836. The troops were becoming increasingly impatient, however, by the time they reached Buffalo Bayou, a few miles southeast of present-day Houston. On the morning of April 19, the Texans crossed over and marched down the … Read more
Toward the end of November 1835, it was reported to the Texans around San Antonio that a shipment of silver coming from Mexico. According to the report, the silver was being transported on a train of pack mules on its way to pay the soldiers of Mexican General Cos, who then occupied the town. The … Read more
The Battle of Gonzales was the first battle of the Texas Revolution and occurred on October 2, 1835. Leading up to the battle, tensions had been growing between the Texians and the Mexican government as Santa Anna came to power. Many of the Texan settlers were from the United States, continuing to speak English and … Read more
The town of Goliad held a strategic position at the time of the Texas Revolution. It was located about 50 miles up the San Antonio River on a key route between San Antonio and the port of Copano on the Gulf coast. Thus, any Mexican naval supply line to San Antonio passed by the town. … Read more
As part of the Mexican invasion of Texas in early 1836, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his main force of at least 5000 men followed an inland route toward San Antonio. At the same time, Mexican General Jose Urrea with some 900 troops, left Matamoros and followed a coastal route into Texas. The first town approached … Read more
In the fall of 1862, Union Commodore William B. Renshaw sailed into Galveston harbor and demanded the surrender of the island city by its occupants. With virtually no defense force, the Confederate commander on the island, Colonel Joseph J. Cook, had little choice but to comply. About the same time in late 1862, Major General … Read more
O. Henry is known for writing short stories with unexpected twists at the end. “The Last of the Troubadours” is no exception. Set in southwest Texas in the late nineteenth century, it may well have taken place in Europe seven centuries earlier–at a time in which troubadours flourished in most every courtyard. Within the tale, … Read more
The Trail Drivers of Texas is a collection of narrative sketches of early cowboys and their experiences in driving herds of cattle through the unfenced Texas prairies to northern markets. They are true narratives told by the cowpunchers who experienced the long rides. In total, there are more than 300 independent narratives contained in Trail Drivers, a … Read more
J. Frank Dobie (1888-1964) was already widely known as a Texas author and folklorist when he first published his Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest in 1943. The Guide evolved from notes Dobie had collected and revised over the previous dozen or so years. It served as the basis for a class which he then taught at … Read more
For many southerners, the election of Abraham Lincoln in the fall of 1860 was equivalent to a declaration of war on the South. A few, including Texas’ aging Governor Sam Houston, argued against secession. They proclaimed the benefits of mediation and compromise. Further, if Texas did separate from the Union, Houston reasoned, she would fare better … Read more