The Evolution of a State or Recollections of Old Texas Days

by Noah Smithwick

Overview

This colorful memoir brings the Texas frontier to life, from smuggling adventures to fighting in the Texas Revolution and serving as a Texas Ranger.

Having left Kentucky at nineteen, Noah Smithwick arrived in Texas in 1827 to seek his fortune in a “lazy man’s paradise.” He left in 1861, when his opposition to secession took him to California. Looking back at that time, blind and nearing ninety, Smithwick recounted the story to his daughter—and so came to be this invaluable memoir of “old Texas days.”

A blacksmith and a tobacco smuggler, Smithwick made weapons for—and fought in—the Battle of Concepción. With Hensley's company, he chased the Mexican army south of the Rio Grande after the Battle of San Jacinto. Twice he served with the Texas Rangers. In quieter times, he was a postmaster and justice of the peace in little Webber's Prairie.

Eyewitness to so much Texas history, Smithwick recounts his life and adventures in a simple, straightforward style, with a wry sense of humor. His keen memory for detail—what people wore and ate; how they worked and played— vividly evokes life on the frontier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780292787520
Publisher:	University of Texas Press
Publication date:	02/24/2022
Series:	Barker Texas History Center Series , #5
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	1,107,293
File size:	20 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

Table of Contents

ForewordPrefaceBiographical Sketch of the AuthorChapter 1: Journey to the Land of Promise-first impressions; Dewitt's ColonyChapter 2: Trip to interior--Victoria, Gonzales, LaGrange, Columbus; Karankawa Indians; Creasing a Mustang; Encounter with malarial fever; Night adventure in Brazos bottom; Ft. Bend; Bexar; Mistake of a life time; Murder of Early; An avenging Nemesis; Eventful career of the murdererChapter 3: Bell's Landing (Columbia); Josiah Bell; Other old residents; Slavery; Social events; Weddings, etc.Chapter 4: A smuggling trip to old Mexico; First introduction to horsemeat; San Fernando; Ancient customs and prejudices; Practicing medicine; Ampirico Indians; Trip to silver mines; Smuggling adventures; An "old Moke"Chapter 5: San Felipe de Austin; Pen pictures; Prominent men, Anecdotes of; Professional men; Social happenings; Early Colonists; Duels; Colonial Poet; Character of early Colonists; How it feels to be a homicide; Banished; Left a malediction on the placeChapter 6: The Redlands--general character of; San of the land; Notorious counterfeiter; Mob law; Precious metal; Brown's mine; A noted horsethiefChapter 7: Return to Texas; The gathering of the clans; First flag; March to San Antonio; Battle of Concepcion MissionChapter 8: Joined the ranging service; First Indian fight; Rescue of Mrs. Hibbon's child; The old Tumlinson block-houseChapter 9: The Mexican invasion; Fall of the Alamo; "The runaway scrape;" Massacre of Goliad; Battle of San Jacinto; Division of spoils; Jim Bowie; Noted duel; Sam HoustonChapter 10: Army falls back to Victoria; Peter Carr; Incidents of army life; Gen. Rusk; Disbanding of armyChapter 11: Rangers return to frontier; Coleman's fort; Social event in Bastrop Co.; "The Color line;" Frontier clothing; Col. Coleman; Surprising a Comanche campChapter 12: A return surprise; Stampeding a Caballado; Anecdotes of field and chase; Cure for fistula; Old frontiersmen; Commissioner to IndiansChapter 13: Camping with Comanches; Comanche language; Social and domestic customs; Indian song; Political affairs; AmusementsChapter 14: A tight place; Conclusion of treaty; Michael Andrews; Organization of Bastrop Co.; Old seals of officeChapter 15: Stone-house fight; Second attempt to treat with Comanches; Narrow escapes; Tumlinson's Rangers; Eastland's Co.; Nat Turner's insurrectionChapter 16: The San Saba Indian fight; A bad horse trade; Battle of Brushy Creek; "Flacco Colonel"Chapter 17: Webber's Prairie; Old settlers; Humble heroes; First postoffice; First justice; Official record; Social features; Financial affairs; ExchangeChapter 18: Webberville founded; Mormon Mills; Frontier hospitality; Trials and tribulations; Tonkawa scalp dance; FuneralChapter 19: Council house fight; Victoria and Linnville sacked; Plum Creek fight; Dark days; Woll's invasion; Dawson Massacre; A ride for life; Reuben Hornsby and familyChapter 20: Founding of Austin City; Early arrivals; Land grabbers; John CaldwellChapter 21: Santa Fe, Mier, and Bexar prisoners in Mexico; Stories of their suffering and illtreatment; Murder of Mark B. Lewis; The Archive war; Cherokee warChapter 22: Annexation; R. E. B. Baylor; Mexican war; Texans in the war; Occupation by the United States Army; Army officers; Public debt; Removal to Brushy Creek; Wolves; Neighbors; Early emigrants to CaliforniaChapter 23: Old Ft. Croggin; Officers in command; Early settlers; Burnet Co. organized; The town of Burnet; Mormon Mills and settlement; Character of Mormons; SchoolsChapter 24: Bear hunting; Advent of Galveston News; The agents' adventure; Old acquaintances; Social gatherings; Christening of Marble Falls; Camp meetingsChapter 25: Double Horn; Hickory Creek; Smithwick's Mill; High Water; Fight with runaway slaves; Grasshoppers; Indian trialChapter 26: Troublous times; Fleeing from the wrath to come; Preparation for departure; The last farewell to Texas; Off for California; Incidents enroute; Scenes along the Rio Grande; Arizona; Apache Indians; A. Sidney Johnston; First encounter with Indians; Tucson; Mysterious murder; Down the home stretch; Ft. Yuma; Last forced march; The great Colorado desert