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News
from Texas
by
Mike Cox
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A
newspaper called Niles’ National Register was the U.S.A. Today for
much of the first half of the 19th century.
In this pre-telegraph era,
news traveled by letter or via other newspapers no more rapidly than the fastest
horse or ship. Much of the Texas news reported in the Register came from newspapers
in Houston, Galveston or New Orleans when the latest issues arrived by ship at
Baltimore, where the national newspaper was published. Because of that, the dates
listed below should be taken as substantially after the fact. Even so, yesterday’s
news makes for interesting reading. Spelling, capitalization and other style points
are 19th century.
Here’s a sampling of news items from Texas during its time as an independent republic:
“An encounter took place on the 25th ult. at Quintana, between Wm. H. Butler and
E.S. Kirby, in which the latter was killed with a bowie knife.–Butler surrendered
himself to the civil authorities.” (July 13, 1839)
“The rumored arrival
of four thousand Mexican troops in the vicinity of Matamoras produced some excitement
among the people of Texas, who were preparing to meet them and give a good account
of them.” (July 27, 1839)
“The Houston Intelligencer states that the
yellow fever has made its appearance at Galveston, and that a number of the most
distinguished citizens of the place have fallen victim to its ravages.” (Nov.
9, 1839)
“A dinner was given to president Lamar on his arrival in Austin,
the new seat of government. His reception there is spoken of as quite flattering.”
(Nov. 23, 1839)
“Of Austin, the new capital of Texas, the Houston
Telegraph thus speaks: The population of Austin is now eight hundred and fifty
souls. Five months since there were scarcely eight citizens upon the site of this
new city.” (March 7, 1840)
“A Spanish dollar bearing date of 1793
was recently picked up on the gulf shore – supposed to be some of Lafitte’s surplus
revenue.” (April 4, 1840)
“The anniversary dinner of the battle of
San Jacinto, went off with great eclat. General Sam Houston, commodore Moore and
a number of navy and army officers were present.” (April 4, 1840)
“The Lipan Indians were committing depredations upon travellers and defenceless
persons on the Colorado, in the neighborhood of Bastrop.” (April 4, 1840)
“The Cumanches are willing to obtain peace on nearly any terms. They have promised
that their chiefs should come in to Bexar, bring with them all their prisoners,
by the 15th of March.” (April 4, 1840)
“Col. O’Brien has returned
from a trip high up the Trinity river. He found no difficulty in navigating [number
not legible] miles. The land is represented as very fertile and well timbered.”
(June 13, 1840)
“A million dollars of the promissory notes of the
government have been funded previous to the 1st inst. drawing ten per cent interest.”
(Aug. 8, 1840)
“Crowds of emigrants were arriving in Texas from Louisiana.
Great sickness prevailed at Matagorda.” (Aug. 8, 1840)
And that’s
the way it was, when yesterday’s news was slowly on its way to becoming today’s
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