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Stock# 107213
Description

Important Early History of the Texas Revolution

With One of the Earliest Maps to Show the Republic of Texas

This 1837 edition was the first to include the Texas content by L. T. Pease. The hand-colored map shows the Texas Republic as separate entity, colored a light magenta or pinkish hue, and entirely distinct from the internal provinces of Mexico, thus making the map a very early depiction of independent Texas indeed. The first edition of the book, published in 1825, was covered only the revolutions in Latin America, and without the Texas material introduced for the first time in the present 1837 edition.

The Geographical and Historical View of Texas, comprising pages 213-370, stands as one of the most extensive accounts of Texas for the time. This part of the book was written by Lorraine Thompson Pease, the father of Governor Elisha M. Pease (who would serve two stints as governor: in 1853-57 and 1867-69). The first chapter begins with a detailed account of the boundaries and extent, stating that "the territory claimed by the present government of Texas, is bounded north and east by the United States, south by the Gulf of Mexico, and west by the river Bravo del Norte."

This is an excellent contemporary account of the Texas Revolution and its beginnings written by Lorraine Thompson Pease... father of Elisha M. Pease, who by this time, though a young man, was already prominent in Texas affairs. The account includes reprintings of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Burleson's report on the taking of Bexar in December, 1835, and the Travis letter of February 24, 1836, and several other reports and documents. One of these is a reprinting (p. 329-335), which I do not recollect having seen elsewhere, of the report of Benjamin H. Holland, Captain of the 2d Company of Artillery, on the Fannin Massacre...I am inclined to think the value of this contemporary account of the Texas Revolution, compiled by the father of one of the participants...has been overlooked - Streeter.

The 2 folding maps:

  • Mexico & Texas. Hand color. No imprint or date, as is proper with the 1837 edition of the book - a later 1838 edition was issued with a modified version of the map. The main towns in Texas are identified: San Felipe de Austin, Columbia, Goliad, Matagorda, Acalita de Bejar (for Alcaldía de Béjar) - St. Antonio, Brazoria, Galveston (with "Bay of Galvorton") and Nacogdoches. Indian tribes in Texas: "Cumanches," Apaches Mescaleros, and Apaches Faraones. In the region that is now New Mexico and Sonora about a dozen additional Native American tribes are indicated, including: "Yabipias Indians with long beards" and Moqui, Nabajoa, Cocomaricopas, Apaches Chiricagus.
  • South America with inset of Guatemala. Hand color.

The plates include the frontispiece engraving of the Battle of San Jacinto and portraits of Sam Houston and Santa Anna.

The handsome vignette on the engraved title page is among the earliest published views of the Battle of the Alamo.

"A well written and reliable volume, now scarce" - Raines.

Rarity

Nice complete examples of this 1837 edition, with both maps and all the plates, are becoming scarce in the market.

Condition Description
12mo. Modern polished calf. Spine stamped in blind and gilt. Hand-sewn headbands. Two volumes in one: 370; 230 pages. Extra engraved title page (with vignette of Battle of the Alamo) plus 2 folding hand-colored maps and 3 engraved plates. Complete. Very occasional fox mark. Overall a clean very good example. The maps with nice original hand color.
Reference
Howes N156. Raines, page 163. Streeter Texas 1285. Sabin 55319. Dorothy Sloan Cat. 6: 42. Kelsey & Hutchison, Engraved Prints of Texas, 1554-1900, Pages 31-32.