NOTES AND FRAGMENTS

Major John Tyler's “Memorial” Again.—Since publishing in the October Quarterly the memorial of Major John Tyler, Jr., to the Texas authorities in 1863, ¹¹¹ I have found that he subsequently published in De Bow's Review,—July, 1864, pp. 1-33, a rare number—an article entitled “Our Present Confederate Status, Foreign and Domestic” in which he refers to the exposition made by himself “fourteen months before”—evidently in the Richmond Whig, not in De Bow as I was led to think—of the diplomatic situation in Europe, and in which he renews the argument made to the Texas authorities concerning the possibilities of French intervention on the basis of the Louisiana treaty of 1803. He quotes here a considerable part of his memorial, evidently in the belief that the scheme is still feasible. This article makes it almost certain that this plan to secure intervention was Major Tyler's own, for there is a very evident and direct connection between the article in the Richmond Whig, the memorial to the Texas officials in 1863, and the article in De Bow in 1864. Moreover, in the last one Tyler discusses the idea as if he alone were responsible for it.

This theory is further strengthened by the character of another proposition advanced in his contribution to De Bow. The lively imagination of the Major had seized upon the magnificent possibilities of a bran-new scheme to save the Confederacy. Drawing a vivid picture of the jealousy entertained by the middle and northwestern states for New England, he gravely proposes an alliance or “reconstruction” between these states and those in the Confederacy to the end that they should shut the intriguing New Englanders out in the cold, frustrate the imperial designs of the leaders of the Republican party, and bring about the trial and conviction of Lincoln, Seward, et al. for treason to the Constitution. One is amazed that so acute an observer as Major Tyler manifestly was could so far miss the real significance of what he saw.

Charles W. Ramsdell.

Some Memorial Legislation by the Thirty-second Legislature—

1. Monument to Stephen F. Austin: Among the first measures introduced in the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature was a bill by Hon. A. T. McKinney “to provide for the erection of a monument over the remains of General Stephen F. Austin, in the State Cemetery at Austin, Texas.” ¹¹² The bill, carrying an appropriation of $10,000 for this purpose, was passed by the Legislature and approved by the Governor.

2. Monument to Mrs. Elizabeth Crockett: Senators Lattimore and Ward introduced a bill in the Senate “to provide for the erection of a monument over the remains of Mrs. Elizabeth Crockett, the wife of David Crockett, in the cemetery at Acton, Hood county, Texas.” This bill carried an appropriation of $2,000 and has received the Governor's approval.

The following extracts from Senator Ward's address in support of this bill give a brief history of the family of David Crockett after his death at the Alamo:

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Senate:

Possibly it may not be out of place for me to explain to this Senate why I am one of the proponents of this measure, asking for an appropriation of $2000 for the erection of a suitable monument to the memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Crockett, the wife of Col. David Crockett, one of the heroes who sacrificed his life at the Alamo. I will say that I was a student of Texas history when a schoolboy. I remember well when I entered Granbury College in the fall of 1880, and it was there I learned that one of Granbury's citizens, Robert Patton Crockett, was the son of David Crockett. Naturally I felt like making his acquaintance and I found him residing near the banks of the Brazos river, manager and keeper of the toll bridge that spans the river, and I would often visit him, seeing that he was ready, and that it was a great pleasure for him to entertain college boys; he would relate many incidents of his father's career as he had learned them when a boy. ...

It may not be out of place for me to state here some history of the family of David Crockett that I obtained from the many talks that I have had with the son, Robert Patton Crockett, and his children, the grandchildren of David Crockett. His grandchildren, viz.: Mrs. M. M. Parks and Mrs. T. H. Hiner now reside in Hood county; Mr. Ashley W. Crockett resides in Glen Rose, Somervell county, and a granddaughter, Miss Dolly, is married and lives in Oklahoma. Her name I can not call at this time. These grandchildren, like the children of Sam Houston, are modest and have never asked the State to erect a monument to their heroic ancestors, but the proud spirit they have so richly inherited will make them appreciate the erection of this monument.

David Crockett was married to Miss Elizabeth Patton in Lawrence county, Tennessee, about the year 1815. Their first child, Robert Patton Crockett, was born September 8, 1816, and he is the father of the children I have just mentioned.

Elizabeth Crockett came to Texas in 1854 with her son, Robert Patton Crockett, from Gibson county, Tennessee. They located on the David Crockett headright, a league of land patented to Elizabeth Crockett by the Republic of Texas as the surviving widow of David Crockett, which was situated between Rucker and Long Creeks in Johnson (now Hood) county. She lived with her son, Robert Patton Crockett, in his rude log cabin in Johnson county until 1860, when death claimed her. She was buried in the Acton cemetery on Walnut Creek, some five miles south of their home, and about six miles east of Granbury, and now a mound and stone slab mark her resting place.

Immediately after the fall of the Alamo in 1836 and the death of his father, David Crockett, Robert Patton Crockett left his home, came to Texas and joined the revolution, remaining in the service until the Independence of Texas had been secured. He returned to Tennessee in 1841, where he was married. In 1854, as I have stated, he moved his family to Texas, bringing his mother with him, locating at the place I have just mentioned. Robert Patton Crockett died in Hood county, September 23, 1889, aged 73 years and eight days. He was also buried in the same lot of land in the Acton cemetery.

I have a plat before me showing the present location of the graves of Elizabeth Crockett, wife of David Crockett, and their son, Robert Patton Crockett, as they appear in the Acton cemetery. The graves are all in the same lot. The first on the north is Robert Patton Crockett, the middle grave is that of his wife, Matilda Crockett, while the one on the south is Elizabeth Crockett. Acton is a beautiful little village, and was one of the first settlements west of the Trinity river, settled by people from the different Southern States, and here they shared in the upbuilding of that section of our State. But the old settlers have passed over the river and left behind them the children and grandchildren who now constitute a citizenship who are proud and patriotic in their nature, and they, too, will be stimulated in their patriotism to see erected a monument to the memory of the illustrious dead, who sleep in the Acton cemetery to await the Resurrection morn. . . .

E. W. Winkler.

The Butler Papers and a Supplement to the Austin Papers.—Some years ago Colonel Guy M. Bryan, the nephew of Stephen F. Austin, gave the University of Texas the Austin Papers. This rich collection contains the history, as yet unwritten, of the Anglo-American colonization of Texas. Now Mr. Guy M. Bryan, Jr., of Houston, and Mrs. Emmett L. Perry, of Bay City, have increased the obligation of the University to their family by another gift. This consists of certain papers of their great-uncle which were not included in the former gift, of the papers of Colonel Anthony Butler, who was chargé d'affaires of the United States at the City of Mexico from 1829 to 1836, and of many rare books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, and clippings which deal with the history of Texas.

The additional Austin papers are: a bound account book, covering the years 1825 to 1836, with many of the entries—some of which are of considerable historical and biographical importance—in Austin's own writing; an unbound book of about one hundred pages containing field notes of surveys in Austin's colonies; and fourteen plats of various portions of Austin's several colonies. The Butler Papers may be divided roughly into two classes: (1) diplomatic correspondence, and (2) personal papers. In the diplomatic correspondence there are many dispatches from the State Department at Washington, signed by Secretaries Van Buren, McLane, and Forsyth; copies of many of Butler's notes to the State Department; correspondence between Butler and the Mexican Foreign Office; and finally a number of autograph letters from President Andrew Jackson to Butler. Most of the diplomatic correspondence is prior to 1834. Copies of substantially all of the correspondence with the State Department are to be found at Washington in the department archives and at Mexico in the records of the American Embassy, and copies of the correspondence between Butler and the Mexican Foreign Office are likewise to be had in the Embassy records; but it goes without saying that the possession of autograph copies is of great importance to the University. Perhaps the most valuable documents are the letters of President Jackson. There are nineteen of them, all dealing with the question of the purchase of Texas from Mexico by the United States. There are copies of some of them in the Jackson Manuscripts in the Library of Congress, but some of them appear to be unique. The personal papers give us many important glimpses into the history of Texas and of the United States from 1828 to 1846. Among them are letters from Joel R. Poinsett, General Zachary Taylor, Lucas Alamán, and from many interesting Texas characters of whom we do not know too much, for example Ben Fort Smith and Padre Muldoon. The letters from Poinsett, of which there are thirteen discuss chiefly general political news, with some emphasis on the secession of South Carolina.

Among the books are the original edition of the Laws and decrees of Coahuila and Texas (1838), the Journals of the General Council (1835-1836), the House Journals of the first, second, third, and fifth congresses of Texas, the Journal and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of 1845, the Ordinances of the Secession Convention (1861), thirteen volumes of the Texas Almanac, a file of the Proceedings of the Texas Veterans' Association, and a number of valuable pamphlets. Among the newspapers are scattering numbers of The Texas Republican extending from February to November, 1835, many numbers of The Telegraph and Texas Register extending from October, 1835, to 1841, some numbers of The Brazos Courier for 1840, and of the San Luis Advocate for 1841. Besides these, there are a great many clippings containing historical material.

Eugene C. Barker.

Abner S. McDonald.—The letters which follow are from the Daily Eastern Argus (of Portland, Maine), December 24, 1910. They were reprinted by The Dallas News, January 8, 1911, and their historical value justifies their preservation in The Quarterly.

Prison House, Columbia, Texas,  July 19, 1836.  My Dear Brother:

No doubt my long silence caused anxious feelings with you and the balance of my friends at home. My situation has been such it was utterly impossible for me to give you any information concerning myself. After arriving in this country I joined myself with the army of Texas and was soon ordered on the frontier of the country. In this situation I was so unfortunate as to be taken prisoner by the Mexican Army with 75 others of my unfortunate countrymen. Our captors marched us to Goliad, where we found a large number of other prisoners that had been taken a few days previous to our surrender. We had not been in this situation many days before orders arrived for all prisoners at Goliad to be shot, but through the humanity of the officer commanding this garrison we (I mean the battalion under the command of W. P. Miller) were spared by his disobeying the above order, while 415 of my fellow countrymen were executed at sunrise on Sunday, March 27. This was an awful day to me; never shall I forget it or the night previous. I thought of home, how my friends would receive the news of a brother being executed in a strange land as a pirate; but through the goodness of God I was spared, but was still kept a prisoner of war until the 19th of May when with 25 others we made our escape by seizing the guard placed over us and disarming them. The balance of the prisoners could have escaped also if they had made the attempt, but poor fellows they let the opportunity pass without effecting their object. Where they now are I am unable to say, probably made slaves of ere this in Mexico. After getting clear of danger of the Mexicans we made all possible speed to the Texan Army, which we labored under a good deal of discouraging circumstances; we were ignorant of the situation of our own army; we also had to pass through a country full of Indians that were enemies to us; we were without arms, without provision, and were obliged to subsist on grass and nuts that we found in the woods. We however reached the army on the 25th of May, seven days after our escape from the enemies' prison. Thus you will perceive that a soldier's life is not so pleasant at such times.

After joining the army again I was elected a captain of a volunteer company composed principally of those who made their escape with me. I was then in a few days ordered to this place to take charge of Gen. Santa Anna, who is our prisoner. Since having this important personage entrusted to my keeping I have not had time to write you or even think of home; such is the excitement against Gen. Santa Anna the inhabitants of the country are determined that he shall never leave Texas alive; therefore it requires every attention for his safe keeping. Since I have had charge of him there has been two attempts to kill him, but without success.

I have just received orders to take to the army Gen. Santa Anna, for a purpose I do not know, but am fearful that it is for no good. My health is good.

Your affect. Brother,  Abner S. McDonald.

It will be needless for you to write to me as it will be altogether uncertain where I shall be ordered to, and we also have to depend upon private conveyance.

New [Near?] Columbia, March 11, 1838.  Bro. John:

Yours and sister Miriam's letters were duly rec'd and with pleasure I hear of the good health of friends at home. I have just returned from a long and tedious tour to San Antonio de Bexar with good health but rather low spirits. I have not had the success which I anticipated owing to the false report that the Mexicans were about to make another invasion upon Texas. The same report has gone its rounds through the papers of the United States which you probably have seen. To give you a full account of my journey to San Antonio would be more than would justify the contents of one letter. I will therefore give you the most prominent incidents that occurred. I left this place in Nov. last with $4500 worth of goods, of different kinds for the Mexican trade. I had not proceeded but six days before I met the above report of the Mexican invasion. I immediately changed my course for the timberland where I secreted my goods in the woods and left them in charge of a part of my men whom I had employed to assist me on my intended journey. I then mounted my horse in company with two other men for the purpose of ascertaining the correctness of said report. After scouring the country for nearly two weeks, we could not gain any information that could be relied upon. I determined to return back to the place and wait for the event. When I returned to where my goods were secreted what was my surprise to find that my men that I left to take care of my property had not only deserted them, but had broken open my trunks and boxes and stolen some of the most valuable articles I had. It now being winter, the cold northern winds had driven my oxen into the Bottom and my goods were exposed to all the wet weather which damaged them greatly. What to do I did not know—my goods exposed and spoiling, my oxen lost in the Bottom, and myself nearly worried out from fatigue, etc., and about 60 miles from the American settlement. I however came into the settlement and employed some teams to take what property I had left back to this place.

My loss will be considerable. I can not tell the amount until I find sale for balance of my goods which nearly all of them are damaged more or less. The foundation of the report is this: About 400 of the Mexican cavalry had come over the Rio Grande for the purpose of driving off the property of Mexican citizens in Texas. Thus we see the uncertainty of things in this world; six months ago my prospects were good, but now the scale has turned. I am now determined as soon as I get through with my present difficulties to quit this roving and speculating business. It is true if I could have been fortunate enough to have got to San Antonio with the amount of goods that I had at the time, I could have returned home to my friends and lived the balance of my days with ease.

I attended a Sabbath school meet a few weeks since at the Capitol in Houston. The meeting was well attended and was addressed by Gen. Thomas J. Rusk, late commander of Texian Army, and also by Dr. Rouse, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Both of these gentlemen are leading characters in Texas and take a very active part in organizing said school. There are also three houses of worship now erecting within the Republic. This speaks volumes in favor of Texas. I believe the day will soon arrive when we shall not only have Sabbath schools and houses of worship, but a population that fears the Lord.

The immigration to this country is great. Our population within the last six months has more than doubled and business of all kinds is good, but the currency of the country is quite bad. The government has commenced paying notes which have taken the place of bills in the different banks of the United States, and consequently all our money at present is government notes.

Your aff't Bro.,  Abner S. McDonald.

The Argus gives the following sketch of Captain McDonald, which the Editors have not verified:

“The writer of the letters was a native of Limerick, Maine, and was educated at Limerick Academy. He was but a young man at the time of his career in Texas, the date of his birth being August 5, 1808, which made him 27 when the first letter was written. He was well equipped to participate in the martial enterprise of the citizens of Texas for the establishment of a republic, as when he left his native state in quest of fortune he held the rank of lieutenant colonel of the State Militia, of which his father was major general.

“The young man served with distinction throughout the entire war, and, after the restoration of peace and the realization of Texas' ambition to be free and untrammeled he figured prominently in the Republic's affairs, being a member of the Legislature, one of its jurists and chief executive of his own local community.

“The young man continued his connection with the military department of the Republic of Texas, and at the time of his death in 1842 was in command of a force on the frontier with the rank of colonel. His death was accidental, a spent ball which a soldier had discharged at a steer inflicting a mortal wound in the person of the unhappy fellow's commander.”

Bibliography of Professor Garrison.—The list of Professor Garrison's writings published in The Quarterly, XIV, 180-181, failed to indicate with sufficient definiteness the whereabouts of the articles on “Guy Morrison Bryan” and “Richard Montgomery Swearingen.” The first is in The Quarterly, V, 121-136; and the second is in The Quarterly, VIII, 225-231. To the list should be added his sketch of General Sam Houston in Library of Southern Literature, VI, 2561-2564.

Texas Library and Historical Commission.—The personnel of the Texas Library and Historical Commission now consists of Mrs. Joseph B. Dibrell, Mrs. Joseph D. Sayers, Walter Tips, F. M. Bralley, and Eugene C. Barker. At a meeting held February 2d the Commission organized by electing Dr. Barker, Chairman, and Mrs. Dibrell, Vice-Chairman. The former staff of the State Library was re-elected.