A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897 . Edited by Dudley G. Wooten . In two volumes. Dallas: William G. Scarff. 1898.
This history is often called the “New Yoakum.” On account of the magnitude of the work, and the interest attaching to it, the Table of Contents is, with the exception of matter explanatory of the titles, given in full:
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
Part I.
History of Texas, 1685-1845 By Henderson Yoakum. 31
Part II. 32
Chapter.
I. Sketches of Moses Austin, and Stephen F. Austin, with an Account of Their Colonial Enterprises. By Guy M. Bryan.
II. The Plan, Progress, and Government of Austin's Colonies. By Guy M. Bryan.
III. Official Documents, Laws, Decrees, and Regulations Pertaining to Austin's Colonies By Guy M. Bryan.
IV. Stephen F. Austin's Influence in Mexico, Captivity there, Return to Texas, and Reception by His Colonists. By Guy M. Bryan.
V. The Fredonian War in Edward's Colony, 1826-1827. By Guy M. Bryan.
VI. The Campaign of the Texan Army in 1835, Under Austin and Burleson, Ending in the Capture of Bexar. By Guy M. Bryan.
VII. Reports, Letters, and Speeches of Stephen F. Austin, Giving His Views on Independence in 1835-1836. Compiled by Guy M. Bryan.
VIII. Austin and Williams' Colony—Robertson's Colony—Last Days, and Public and Private Character of S. F. Austin. By Guy M. Bryan.
IX. Mode of Living, Customs, and Perils of the Early Settlers of Texas By Guy M. Bryan.
X. Fannin at Goliad—Battle of the Coleta—Massacre of Fannin and His Men By Dr. J. H. Bernard, an eye-witness.
XI. The Siege and Fall of the Alamo By Seth Shepard.
XII. The Women of Pioneer Days in Texas—Domestic and Social Life in the Period of the Colonies, the Revolution, and the Republic By Mrs. M. Looscan.
XIII. The “Runaway Scrape”, 1836. By Mrs. Kate Scurry Terrell.
XIV. The Annexation of Texas to the United States. By Sam Bell Maxey.
XV. The Mexican War, 1845-1848 By Sam Bell Maxey.
XVI. The History and Evolution of the Texas Flag. By Mrs. M. Looscan.
XVII. Tombs and Monuments of Noted Texans. By Mrs. M. Looscan.
XVIII. The Indian Tribes of Texas. By M. M. Kenney.
XIX. The Land System of Texas: Part I. Spanish and Mexican Titles to Land in Texas. Part II. Land Titles, Policy and Legislation of the Republic and State of Texas, 1835-94. By Dudley G. Wooten.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME II.
Part III.
The Political, Legislative, and Judicial History of Texas for its Fifty Years of Statehood, 1845-1895. By Ex-Governor Oran M. Roberts.
Part IV. 33
Chapter.
I. History of the Texas Rangers. By Gen. W. H. King.
II. History of the Texas Press. By A. C. Gray.
III. History of the Educational System of Texas. By J. J. Lane.
IV. The Physical Geography, Geology, and Natural Resources of Texas. By E. T. Dumble.
Part V.
Texas and the Texans in the Civil War. By C. I. Evans.
Chapter.
I. Military Events and Operations in Texas along the Coast and Border, 1861-1865.
II. Service of Texan Troops in the Armies of the Confederate States.
III. Hood's Texas Brigade. By Mrs. A. V. Winkler.
IV. Terry's Texas Rangers. By Mrs. Kate Scurry Terrell.
V. History of Green's Brigade. By J. H. McLeary.
VI. Notes on Granbury's Brigade. By O. P. Bowser.
Part VI.
The Results of Fifty Years of Progress in Texas. By the Editor, Dudley G. Wooten.
Considering its conglomerate character, this work is something more than a history in the ordinary acceptation of the term. Its basis, however, is the exact text of Yoakum, minus the matter in appendix. The addenda to Yoakum, bringing the history down to the present time, are on two lines—the civil by Ex-Governor Roberts, and the military by C. I. Evans, with a closing paper on the whole work by the editor. Thus the proper historical continuity has been preserved, and all the other supplemental matter may be regarded as so many side-lights thrown upon the main subject.
The dedication is to The Daughters of the Republic of Texas. The character and scope of the work are well indicated in the publisher's preface.
Col. A. T. McKinney's preliminary sketch of the author is doubtless welcomed by the public, who know curiously little of Henderson Yoakum. Even well-informed Texans will be rather surprised to learn that before leaving his native Tennessee, Henderson Yoakum was considered a great lawyer, had been a member of the State Senate, and had attained in the army the rank of colonel, and commanded a regiment in an Indian campaign.
Judge Seth Shepard's introduction, touching on every phase of Texan development, is an admirable summary of the whole work.
In the preparation of his work, Mr. Yoakum did not have access to any respectable collection of documents bearing on our earliest history; for in the fifties none existed in the State. From his scant and faculty treatment of the Franciscan missions, it is to be inferred that he made but little use of the valuable mass of Spanish MSS. then in the archives of Nacogdoches and Bexar. For want of better authorities on our early history, ecclesiastical and secular, Mr. Yoakum resorted almost exclusively to the Spanish diplomatic documents in the American state papers, and he did not always intelligently construe these.
He could not, for want of the proper documents, begin further back than 1685, and even then he was much hampered for authorities to present clearly the struggle between France and Spain for dominion in Texas. The sale of Louisiana to the United States in 1803, followed by an influx of Americans, paved the way for diplomatic intrigue and military incursions into Texas. Thanks to the jealous Spaniard and enterprising Yankee, there is henceforth no lack of material for history. In this period of the filibusters, ending in 1821, Yoakum's outline assumes more the fullness of history, enlivened with many well-told, exciting adventures. It is not, however, till the period of American colonization that the author appears in full sympathy with his subject, as he graphically portrays the labors of Austin and his colonists in laying the foundations of our mighty commonwealth.
Then ensues, in the reviewer's opinion, the best part of Yoakum's work, with its well-told story of the life of the Republic, ending abruptly with annexation in 1845.
The new notes on Yoakum do not begin till 1831. They seem to be entirely trustworthy, made up as they are from the unpublished MSS. of Col. F. W. Johnson and from the contributions of Moses Austin Bryan and Col. Guy M. Bryan, giving “the other side,” never before published, on many disputed points of our history. These notes are very valuable, and will probably stimulate further inquiry for the truth.
Colonel De Bow thus noticed Yoakum's History of Texas on its first appearance: “Mr. Yoakum seems to have collected with great care all the existing material, with much that has never yet appeared in print. All contemporary accounts, personal narratives, private correspondence, individual reminiscences, newspaper statements, and official documents are called into requisition. The work, though wanting in system and condensed expression, is still of very great interest and value, and is deserving of general study. The author was evidently an enthusiastic admirer of General Houston. 34
While approving this criticism, I would also state that “Yoakum,” with whatever defects it may have, is the accepted standard of authority to-day, having more merit than any other history of the State ever written by a Texan.
The author of the continuation of the history on its main line was a lifelong lawyer, and had been successively a colonel in the Confederate army, Chief Justice of our Supreme Court, and Governor of the State. Besides this, he was an ardent secessionist and an honest doctrinaire of the Calhoun school of State Rights politics. He has, however, given the public the most impartial history of Texas for the period covered that has ever been written.
Beginning with a striking picture of scenes attendant on the demise of the Republic and on the inauguration of the first Governor of Texas in the Union, the author patiently goes through every administration, noticing public events according to his estimate of their importance, and giving fairly both sides of every disputed question. The many public documents, with proceedings of political conventions, the courts, and the Legislature, given in the work, add greatly to its value. All public questions are fearlessly met and treated with judicial fairness.
Perhaps the best part of Roberts' history is that which relates to the disruption and reconstruction of the Union. The author's mental bias and legal training peculiarly fitted him for the task. The rise, progress, and consummation of the secession movement in Texas are described with the calmness and impartiality of a well-trained jurist. This is the more remarkable, as the author was one of the prime movers of secession and the president of the Secession Convention. In narrating the events of those exciting times, he never loses his dignity or his sense of fairness towards Houston and other Unionists. But reconstruction was the hideous nightmare worse than war for Texas. The exasperating events of this period are given without loss of temper, but the tyranny of the Davis administration does not escape recital and the proper condemnation. The period succeeding the restoration of Democratic supremacy in the State government has been an unbroken rule of peace and progress, and the author records with becoming pride these triumphs of popular rule.
“History,” said a great thinker, “is philosophy teaching by example.” The Old Alcalde does not content himself with a faithful narrative, but often probes for the philosophy of events. His style is plain and unpretending, without ornament, and without close adherence to the accepted canons of history-writing; but the sincerity of the author is reflected on every page; and, whether we agree with his conclusions or not, we are bound to recognize his impartiality, his patriotism, and his imperturbable common-sense.
In conclusion, the first thing noticeable about this work is its immense size—two royal octavo volumes, of nearly 1800 pages. Reduced to a 12mo in size of page, it would contain thirty volumes. The next thing to attract attention is the great variety of subjects treated. But the line of history is clear and unbroken through Yoakum and Roberts from 1685 to 1895. The size of the work is no disparagement, but rather a guaranty of extraordinary scope and comprehensiveness. The monographs, however seemingly diverse, are all germane to the text. It will be borne in mind that Justin Winsor constructed his Narrative and Critical History of North America on the same plan. This plan has its merits and demerits. It throws greater labor upon the editor to have the proper harmony, while it tends to secure better work on any special topic; and the rule, as I take it, holds good as to the excellence of the monographs in these volumes. Certainly it would be hard to find a more respectable array of well-known Texas writers than the contributors to the Comprehensive History.
A gem in typography and mechanical finish, this history is a vast picture gallery, with its hundreds of portraits, never before published, of famous men and women of Texas.
If a man were to be restricted to one book on Texas, I would advise him to get Scarff's “Comprehensive History,” as it makes, in itself, a good library on Texas. The citation of authorities at the proper places would have added much to the value of the work.
The editing of such a comprehensive work, with its many monographs, must have been an arduous task, requiring critical taste, mental equipoise, and thorough acquaintance with the subject in all its details, to say nothing of patient industry and common-sense. From the excellence of the editorial work apparent on its face, it may be inferred that Mr. Wooten, the editor, possessed all these qualifications in an eminent degree. Both editor and publisher are to be congratulated on the production of these volumes.
C. W. Raines.
32. This consists of “special chapters, embracing topics not adequately treated by Yoakum. * * *”
33. Consisting of “Supplemental Chapters, Covering New Matter.”
34. De Bow's Review, September, 1857.
How to cite:
"A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897", Volume 002, Number 1, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 87 - 93. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v002/n1/review_10.html
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