RARE
LETTERS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO FAMOUS PEOPLE IN TEXAS HISTORY
These
reproductions are a must for serious collectors.
Governor Aguayo's 1720 document
giving written permission for Father Antonio
Margil to
establish Mission San Jose at San Antonio.
The Founding Of
San Jose Mission
One of our oldest
documents is this letter written in 1720 relating to the establishment of the
San Jose Mission near present-day San Antonio.
When the French
soldiers attacked the mission at Los Adaes (near Natchitoches), the rumor was
that a hundred more were on their way to snuff out the other five missions -
the weak, fledging Spanish Colonies had no choice but to vacate East Texas for
the security of the fort in San Antonio. This was the one and only time
that East Texas would be totally vacated, regardless of what others say.
Included in this exodus of civilians and soldiers were the famous Fathers
Margil and Espinoza who founded these first missions. They were the real
beginners of Texas.
On December 26, 1719,
Father Margil requested that a new mission be founded. The Marquzs de
San Miguel de Aguayo govenor of Coahuila and Texas responded by issuing a
decree on January 22, 1720, authorizing Captain Juan Valdez alcalde at the
presidio of San Antonio de Bexar, to select a site for the mission. On
February 23rd, Valdez presented a large tract of land on the east bank of the
San Antonio River to Margil, downstream from San Antonio de Valero
Mission. Father Margil named his new mission after the governor who
allowed it. San Jose y San Miguel de A
guayo, reported to be the most
beautiful mission in the United States.
Included is a frameable
picture of San Jose Mission. Place the two side-by-side on your
wall. Postage is free. Both $35.00.
Goliad Defender
Letter. John
Logan's Letter From Goliad as
he unbeknowingly awaited his murder with 340 more freedom fighters by
order of Santa Anna.
"We are cutting up
tent cloth for pantaloons (pants) -- schooner that was bringing provisions and cloth wrecked -- there is no corn or flour -- force from Mexico of 7,000
men marching to retake this country -- our whole
force don't exceed 800 men, but we are willing to meet them --."
He would
soon be captured by these Mexicans and he along with 340 more volunteers would
be lined up and murdered by them. This is the way Texas' freedom would
be paid for.
Get a copy of this letter and have it on your Texas historic wall of
pride.
Some of the most touching
letters were written by Texans fighting for independence during the Texas
Revolution.
One
such letter was written by John C. Logan while at the Goliad Mission in winter
1836. Logan's letter to a friend tells of the hardships he and his
fellow Texans suffered in the cause of freedom. It is written in his
quaint manner and his own spelling. Logan was killed in the Goliad
massacre on March 27, 1836. Frame this letter and place it on the wall
with your historic maps. Postage free. $20.00
"Davie"
Crockett's Land Grant for his service at the Alamo.
After the Texas Revolution, the
Texas Land Office granted land to survivors of the war and/or
their heirs. All that was required was that the individual
had served honorably.
Congressman and
backwoods icon, David Crockett, was murdered at the Alamo on March 6,
1836. After victory was achieved at San Jacinto, his heirs were granted
1,280 acres. The certificate shows that Crockett was "honorably
discharged by death" on March 6, 1836.
This is one of our most popular
pieces. Postage free. $20.00
THE LETTER
THAT SPELLED THE END OF THE CHEROKEE AND ALLIED IMMIGRANT INDIANS IN
EAST TEXAS - JUNE 22, 1839. Only
the Alabama and Coashert would remain. President Lamar to his appointed
commissioners.
