This Day In Texas History - April 22

[joe817]

1540 - An expedition led by Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado left Culiacán in Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Cíbola, concerning which wondrous tales had been brought to Mexico by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. There was no gold at Cíbola (the Zuñi villages in western New Mexico), but the explorer was led on by stories of great rewards to be found in Quivira, a region on the Great Plains far to the east. Chasing this chimera occupied Coronado until the early part of 1542; along the way he apparently marched across the Llano Estacado of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, passing through present Palo Duro Canyon.

1689 - Spanish explorer Alonso De León discovered the ruins of a French settlement, Fort St. Louis, on the Texas coast. The fort had been established by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, in the summer of 1685. In February 1685 La Salle, seeking the mouth of the Mississippi River, had landed 280 colonists, including 100 soldiers, at the mouth of Matagorda Bay in Spanish-claimed territory. The explorer made a temporary camp on Matagorda Island while he sought a more secure location farther up the bay. In April he chose a site on an eminence overlooking the "Riviére aux Boeufs." Though disease devastated his men, La Salle saw the building well under way by autumn, when he set out to explore the surrounding country. In January 1687 he departed on his last journey, leaving at the fort scarcely more than twenty men, women, and children in the charge of the Sieur de Barbier. In late 1688 or early 1689 the Karankawa Indians gained entry to the fort under guise of friendship and murdered all the occupants but five children. Meanwhile, news that the French had founded a settlement on the northern Gulf Coast had agitated New Spain in the mid-1680s. As a result, De León led four expeditions between 1686 and 1689 seeking to find and destroy the French installation. The fourth expedition left Coahuila on March 27, 1689, with a force of 114 men, and found the deserted settlement on April 22. De Leon later discovered a river that he named the San Marcos.

1833 - Following the April 1, 1833 convention at San Felipe where Texans including Sam Houston drew up a petition requesting separation from Coahuila, Stephen F Austin is sent to represent the convention to the Mexican Government.
On this date in 1833, Austin left his home headed for Mexico City. On his way to the Mexican capitol, Austin had to disguise himself as a peasant to escape from bandits. Once in Mexico city, Austin was arrested for inciting an insurrection in Texas.

1836 - A day after Texans had defeated the Mexican Army at San Jacinto, a Mexican soldier was capture wearing a silk shirt under his uniform. Later he was greeted by other prisoner's with cries of "El Presidente". It was Santa Anna himself.

1892 - The first class graduates from the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston.

1897 - Sarah Seelye became a member of the McClellan Post, Grand Army of the Republic, in Houston. She was the only woman in history to have served in the Union army.

1898 - The advent of the Spanish-American War in 1898 saw the regular United States Army and the state militias inadequately staffed to support operations overseas. Under a law passed on April 22, three regiments of volunteer cavalry were raised in the western states and territories to augment the regular defense establishment. President William McKinley was to appoint all commanding officers, who in turn selected their own staff and line officers. Recruiting began late in April. The most famous of these units—in fact, the only one to serve in combat—was the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the "Rough Riders"." Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt led the unit. This legendary aggregation of cowboys, Indian fighters, outlaws, Eastern aristocrats, and Ivy League athletes took part in the attack on Santiago de Cuba and wrote a gallant and bloody record during its brief existence. "We drew a great many recruits from Texas," wrote Roosevelt, "and from nowhere did we get a higher average, for many of them had served in that famous body of frontier fighters, the Texas Rangers. Of course, these rangers needed no teaching. They were trained to obey and to take responsibility. They were splendid shots, horsemen, and trailers. They were accustomed to living in the open, to enduring great fatigue and hardship, and to encountering all kinds of danger." "We rendezvoused at San Antonio," one of the men wrote in later years, "Twelve hundred as separate, varied, mixed, distinct, grotesque, and peculiar types of men as perhaps were ever assembled in one bunch in all the history of man . . . and one—possibly two—Democrats." Roosevelt joined his regiment in San Antonio on May 16. [ a fascinating read: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qlf01 ]

1919 - Samuel M. Sampler received the Medal of Honor from Gen. John J. Pershing. Sampler, born in Decatur in Wise county. His company suffered severe losses from machine-gun fire, and its advance was stopped. Sampler detected the enemy positions on an elevation. Armed with German grenades, which he had picked up, he advanced alone until he was near the enemy nest. His third grenade killed two Germans and caused the surrender of twenty-eight more. As a result of his brave and unselfish action the company was able to advance on its objective. Corporal Sampler was a member of Company H, 142d Infantry, Thirty-sixth Infantry Division.

1967 - Randy Matson set a new world record with a shot put toss of 71 feet, and 5 1/2 inches in College Station, TX.

[joe817]

The Battle of San Jacinto was won yesterday, and Santa Ana was captured today. The road to Independence for the fledgling Republic of Texas was long and hard fought. One can only get glimpses of the actions of the Battle through this humble thread.

For those who would like a more in depth recounts of the events leading up to and the after action reports of the Battle, The Sons of Dewitt Colony Texas offers excellent insights. In fact all of the "Letters From The Past" have come from these archives. It fascinates me to no end to read these writings. I invite you all to do the same.

"SAN JACINTO, birthplace of Texas liberty! ... San Jacinto, one of the world’s decisive battles! . . . San Jacinto, where, with cries of "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!" Sam Houston and his ragged band of 910 pioneers routed Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, President and Dictator of Mexico and self-styled "Napoleon of the West," with his proud army, and changed the map of North America!

Here is a story that has thrilled Texans for more than a century ... a story of desperate valor and high adventure; of grim hardship, tragedy and romance ... the story of the epochal battle that established the independent Lone Star Republic, on April 21, 1836, and indelibly inscribed the names of Texas patriots on history's scroll of American immortals. "

http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt ... acinto.htm

God Bless Texas forever!

[ELB]

...The most famous of these units—in fact, the only one to serve in combat—was the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the "Rough Riders"." Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt led the unit. ...

Lt Col Roosevelt was the de facto/operational leader of the unit, but the unit commander was really no slouch himself...and he was a surgeon! Col Leonard Wood was a career military doctor who had been awarded the Medal of Honor for leading infantry troops in a close-quarters fight against Apaches after all the other officers had been killed. He was personal physician to a couple Presidents, and was friend of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Teddy Roosevelt prior to becoming his commanding officer. While in Cuba Col Wood was promoted and ended up commanding, as combat commander, all the volunteer troops, not just the Rough Riders. He later became Army Chief of Staff. Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri is named after him. Pretty interesting career for a doctor!

[joe817]

Fascinating ELB! Thanks for the input!

[ELB]

I just discovered there is a book specifically about these two: Teddy Roosevelt and Leonard Wood; Partners in Command. It is by John S. D. Eisenhower, son of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

[joe817]

I just discovered there is a book specifically about these two: Teddy Roosevelt and Leonard Wood; Partners in Command. It is by John S. D. Eisenhower, son of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I'm gonna have to find that book! Thanks! I hope it's an e-book.

ELB, you think we have to much time on our hands?