Vol 26 No. 05 - February 1949

Sam Houston's Letter to Santa Anna

When General Santa Anna, president of Mexico, was captured by the Texas forces after the battle of San Jacinto, in April, 1836, he was released, and returned to Mexico. Before leaving Texas for Washington City on his way to Vera Cruz, he wrote a letter to General Houston (included in this article) wherein he made numerous expressions of gratitude and promises. But Santa Anna, six years later seemed to have forgotten all of his protestations of gratitude and, in 1842, sent an expedition into Texas to "retaliate" and perhaps "reconquer" Texas. This story includes the letter from General Houston to Santa Anna in response.

Mentions: , Orozimbo , Messrs. Hockley, Patton , Mr. Bee and General Hamilton , Zacatecas , Velasco, and Nacogdoches , Anahuac , Stephen F. Austin , the battle of San Jacinto , Col. Almonte , Gen. Filisola , Gen. Ardian Woll , Capt. Dimmitt , Gen Cos , The butchery of McAllister, Galphin, Yates, ,

In The Days of Chills and Fevers

J. Marvin Hunter, Sr.

Account describes remedies and medicines used in pioneer days to fight the effects of flu and flu-like symptoms.

Mentions: little newspaper at Alvin , elderly couple named Franklin , two grown daughters, Mary and Annie , the "Bugle Blast of Health" , Doctor Squill's Almanac , Mother Franklin ,

David Crockett -- Alamo Hero

Col. M. L. Crimmins

Davy Crockett lived up to his motto and died in the belief -- "Be always sure you're right then go ahead." This immortal hero who died a martyr's death at the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, March 6, 1836, was born on August 17, 1786, in Rogerville, Hawkins county, Tennessee. Here is Mr. Crimmins life-sketch of the great Texas hero.

Mentions: , Mary Hawkins of Maryland , Abington, Virginia , Front Royal, Virginia , Fort Mims, Alabama , Thimblerg, a bee-hunter, a pirate and an Indian , Mrs. Almaron Dickerson , John Sutherland , Chester Newell, John Fordes , Maury Maverick ,

The Tampico Expedition

Eugene C. Barker

The Tampico expedition was an episode in the Texas revolution. Its success would almost certainly have changed the course of the war and, perhaps, averted the declaration of independence, but it has received scant attention from the historians, and its relation to the larger movement has never been shown. Its origin and purpose are the theme of this article.

Mentions: , Valentin Gomez Farias , Santa Anna , President Pedraza , Zacatecas and Coahuila , Jose Antonio Mexia , George Fisher , Mr. Gustavus Schmidt , James Ramage , Correo Atlantico , William Christy , Bank's Arcade , Messrs, Christy and Ramage , Thomas E. McKinney , Gregorio Gomez , Capts. Allen and Lambert , ex-Governor Viesca , Governor Smith , Captain Julian Miracle , William Pettus , Thomas F. McKinney, Capt. John M. Allen , Mr. James Power , James W. Robinson , Palo Blanco , Bustamante , George Fisher...

Crossing The Desert in 1848

The following narrative of a horse-back journey with Kit Carson is related by Col. George Douglas Brewerton, of the U. S. Army, who published his experiences in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in the 1850's. Douglas was a 19-year-old boy, and had gone to California by sailing vessel as a second lieutenant in the Stevenson Regiment of New York Volunteers. He returned overland from Los Angeles to Independence, Missouri, by the Old Span Trail and the Santa Fe Trail, and made the journey as far as Taos, New Mexico, in company with Kit Carson. The expedition left Los Angeles on the 4th of May, 1848, and Brewerton reached Independence some time during the month of August following. Here is that story.

Mentions: The 'Jornada del Muerto' (the journey of death) , the Spanish Trail , "The Pau-Eutaw, or Digger Indians.

More People Drowned in Concho

“In the November, 1948 issue of Frontier Times, there appeared an account of the drowning of the wife of Colonel Merriam and five other members of his party in the North Concho river, April 24, 1870. Old timers of West Texas re-call several drownings which have occurred , during flash floods in that stream during the early days. The following letter from E. W. Walker, 120 West Wood Street, San Marcos, Texas, recalls one of those terrible tragedies, which occurred in 1900.”

Mentions: , Mr. W. A. Threadgill , Cal Suggs and Iker Suggs , the 4 Cross L ranch, then owned by the Suggs brothers , the 7D ranch , Eighteen Mile Crossing on the Concho below San Angelo , Colonel Dalrymple.