New Orleans and the Texas Revolution

295 Pages·2004·16.12 MB·English

by  Edward L. Miller

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new orleans and the texas revolution
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edward l. miller
New Orleans
and the
Texas Revolution
Foreword by Archie P. McDonald
Texas A&M University Press
College Station
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Copyright © 2004 by Edward L.Miller
Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica
All rights reserved
First edition
The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements ofthe American
National Standard for Permanence ofPaper for Printed Library Materials,
z39.48-1984.Binding materials have been chosen for durability.
(cid:2)(cid:2)
library of congress cataloging-in-publication data
Miller,Edward L.
New Orleans and the Texas Revolution / Edward L.Miller.—1st ed.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
isbn1-58544-358-1 (cloth :alk.paper)
1.Texas—History—Revolution,1835–1836. 2.New Orleans (La.)—
History,Military—19th century. 3.Texas—Politics and government—
1835–1836. 4.New Orleans (La.)—Politics and government—19th century.
5.Texas—History—Revolution,1835–1836—Finance. 6.New Orleans
(La.)—Economic conditions—19th century. 7.Capitalists and financiers—
Louisiana—New Orleans—History—19th century. 8.Businessmen—
Louisiana—New Orleans—History—19th century. I.Title.
f390.m73 2004
976.4(cid:3)02—dc22
2004001179
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For my wife, Marie
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table of contents
Foreword,by Archie P. McDonald ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 3
chapter 1 New Orleans in 1835 6
chapter 2 Anfictiones 19
chapter 3 Nacogdoches Land Men 37
chapter 4 The Big Men 56
chapter 5 Immigrant Soldiers 71
chapter 6 Disaster at Tampico 85
chapter 7 San Antonio de Béxar,La Bahía,and the Texas Navy 108
chapter 8 The Texas Agency in New Orleans 129
chapter 9 A New Government,Military Tragedy and Triumph,
andthe Texas Navy 152
chapter 10 Confusion and the Clash ofthe Texas Agencies at
NewOrleans 177
Epilogue 203
Notes 211
Bibliography 255
Index 271
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foreword
During the statewide sesquicentennial commemoration in 1986, the an-
nual meeting of the Texas State Historical Association featured eclectic ses-
sions that celebrated aspects ofTexas’s varied culture over the 150 years since its
separation from Mexico.I remember leading the singing of“Texas,Our Texas”
at an elaborate birthday party that included a gigantic birthday cake with
sparklers and presenting a paper on William B. Travis, commander of the
Alamo,which remains the crucible ofTexas history.
When the meeting closed on Saturday,several ofus drove to Winedale for
a follow-up seminar hosted by Jenkins Garrett of Fort Worth.After an excel-
lent meal and during what would have been “cigar time”in a more Victorian set-
ting,Garrett asked each of about twenty lay and professional historians their
opinion ofwhat made Texas unique.
Later responders had the advantage ofmore time to ponder the question,
which in any event does not have a single,always correct,answer,but what was
notable was that the majority ofthe responses involved the Texas Revolution.
That “revolution”captures the interest ofTexans as much today as it did in
1986,or even 1936,when we were likely more interested in promoting tourism
as economic development than we were in history itself.The best-known icons
of the revolution define much of Texas’s history. These include the recon-
structed façade of the chapel of the Mission San Antonio de Valero, better
known the world over as the Alamo,which was emulated in small-town store-
fronts for a century.Picture William Barret Travis drawing a line as real as it
was imaginary,for every defender knew the consequence ofremaining within
the Alamo’s walls.And recall the several score and more movies that focus on
the Alamo or its aftermath.
The Texas Revolution interests scholars more than any other aspect ofthe
state’s history.Eugene C.Barker wrote ofthe revolution’s causes nearly a cen-
tury ago.Distinguished historians and writers such as William C.Binkley,Wil-
liam Wharton,Walter Lord,Lon Tinkle,and Ben Procter,whose monograph
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