This Day In Texas History - January 14

[joe817]

1836 - James Clinton Neill(commanded the garrison at San Antonio de Béxar.), wrote to General Sam Houston that his people were in a "torpid, defenseless condition." That day he dispatched a grim message to the provisional government: "Unless we are reinforced and victualled, we must become an easy prey to the enemy, in case of an attack." At this time, the Bexar and the Alamo suffered severely from lack of adequate provisions, men and weapons.

1836 - David Crockett and 65 other men signed oaths volunteering for six months in the service of Texas: "I have taken the oath of government and have enrolled my name as a volunteer and will set out for the Rio Grande in a few days with the volunteers from the United States." Upon completion of their six months of service, the men are each to receive 4,600 acres of land (about 50 square miles). Before reaching the Rio Grande, however, Crockett stopped in San Antonio and met with James Bowie. Santa Ana was already marching toward the city.

1836 - The Republic of Texas Marine Corps was swiftly formed by the urgings of acting governor James W. Robinson in his message to the General Council. The Texas Marine Corps served under the direction of the Navy Department of the Republic, and the duties of the corps were specifically ordained in fifteen articles passed by the Texas Congress on December 13, 1836. The corps was modeled upon the United States Marine Corps.

1865 - Thomas Harrison who commanded the Eighth Texas Cavalry, better known as Terry's Texas Rangers, was promoted to the rank of brigadier general by president of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis.

1873 - Republican William Henry Sinclair was replaced as Texas House Speaker. No Republican held that post until Tom Craddick was selected in 2003. Sinclair was an enthusiastic promoter of the new sport of baseball. After the war, Sinclair stayed in occupied Texas and served in the Radical Republican-dominated legislature. He was instrumental in creation of the Texas League, a minor league baseball institution for more than a century.

1874 - When Governor Edmund Davis, the last Republican Governor before the modern era, lost his bid to Richard Coke for reelection by a wide margin, he refused to relinquish the office. The Capitol filled with armed men. Davis wired President Ulysses Grant requesting Federal troups to assist him retain the office, but Grant urged him to abide by the will of the people. Davis finally departed, but bolted the door to the Governor's office, requiring friends of the new Governor to use an axe to break in.

1901 - Clara Driscoll writes the San Antonio Express in a plea to save the Alamo.

1924 - Howard Robard Hughes, Sr., founder of Hughes Tool Company died. His son, Howard Hughes Jr., 18, is left to inherit his father's company upon his 21st birthday. His uncle will operate the company in the mean time.

1942 - Camp Hood was activated. The temporary camp, named for Confederate general John Bell Hood, is now one of the largest military bases in the world. It was officially opened on September 14, 1942, and has since been continuously used for armored training. By 1950 it was made a permanent base and renamed Fort Hood. Units from Hood have contributed significantly to all important overseas United States military actions since 1942. The installation, the largest piece of Texas owned solely by the federal government, has also been critically important economically and socially in the Killeen area.

1963 - The border dispute between Mexico and Texas is finally settled with the Treaty of El Chamizal.

1985 - Former Texas governor Allan Shivers died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Robert Allan Shivers was born in Lufkin in 1907. His political career began at the University of Texas, where he was elected president of the Students' Association. In 1934 he became the youngest person ever elected to the state senate. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945, when he was discharged with the rank of major, having earned five battle stars and the Bronze Star. In 1946 he was elected lieutenant governor; he was reelected two years later. When Governor Beauford H. Jester died in 1949, Shivers assumed the governorship, which he held effectively for the next 7½ years.

[seamusTX]

Minor nitpick: David Crockett was never known as Davy in his lifetime. That is a Disney invention, though a pervasive one.

I don't know why they bothered. David scans the same as Davy.

I am forced by conscience to admit that I had a fake coonskin cap when I was a kid.

- Jim

[joe817]

Minor nitpick: David Crockett was never known as Davy in his lifetime. That is a Disney invention, though a pervasive one. I don't know why they bothered. David scans the same as Davy. I am forced by conscience to admit that I had a fake coonskin cap when I was a kid. - Jim

I had one too! My Mother used to break into laughter every time she saw me wearing it in the middle of the summer heat, with sweat just pouring down my face.

Thanks for the nitpick. I just copied/pasted w/o editing further.

[seamusTX]

I just copied/pasted w/o editing further.

I figured.

Somehow, renaming David Crockett as Davy is like renaming George Washington as Georgy, or John Adams as Johnny. It just bugs me.

- Jim

[WildBill]

Minor nitpick: David Crockett was never known as Davy in his lifetime. That is a Disney invention, though a pervasive one.

I don't know why they bothered. David scans the same as Davy.

I am forced by conscience to admit that I had a fake coonskin cap when I was a kid.

- Jim

I can handle the "Davy" part, but did he really kilt himself a bar when he was only three?

[Keith B]

Minor nitpick: David Crockett was never known as Davy in his lifetime. That is a Disney invention, though a pervasive one.

I don't know why they bothered. David scans the same as Davy.

I am forced by conscience to admit that I had a fake coonskin cap when I was a kid.

- Jim

I can handle the "Davy" part, but did he really kilt himself a bar when he was only three?

When my older brother was little, this song had just hit the charts. He asked my Mom one day 'What was he doing in a bar if he was only three?' he misheard the lyrics and though it said 'Killed in a bar when he was only three.'

[WildBill]

Minor nitpick: David Crockett was never known as Davy in his lifetime. That is a Disney invention, though a pervasive one.

I don't know why they bothered. David scans the same as Davy.

I am forced by conscience to admit that I had a fake coonskin cap when I was a kid.

- Jim

I can handle the "Davy" part, but did he really kilt himself a bar when he was only three?

When my older brother was little, this song had just hit the charts. He asked my Mom one day 'What was he doing in a bar if he was only three?' he misheard the lyrics and though it said 'Killed in a bar when he was only three.'

That's great!

[seamusTX]

I can handle the "Davy" part, but did he really kilt himself a bar when he was only three?

I give that about as much credibility as Babe the big blue ox.

- Jim

[williamkevin]

1836 - The Republic of Texas Marine Corps was swiftly formed by the urgings of acting governor James W. Robinson in his message to the General Council. The Texas Marine Corps served under the direction of the Navy Department of the Republic, and the duties of the corps were specifically ordained in fifteen articles passed by the Texas Congress on December 13, 1836. The corps was modeled upon the United States Marine Corps.

This is particularly interesting to me, as I had no idea. I think I'll look for more on this! Thanks Joe!

[joe817]

Most welcome. Here's a link that gives pretty good description:

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Republic-of ... rine-Corps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's where I took the actual text from: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/onli ... /qjr2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LaserTex]

Thank you for spending the time and trouble for looing these up. Love it - please keep going! ( my BD is 6 March - I used to tell the girls that asked for my birthday that i was boen on the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo. I married the one that knew it was 6 March 1836. 17 years TOMRROW :-) 16 Jan 1993

[surprise_i'm_armed]

...the men are to receive 4,600 acres (about 50 square miles).

There are 640 acres in 1 square mile.

4600 divided by 640 would yield 7.1875 square miles.

If they actually received 50 square miles, they would have
to receive 32,000 acres.

SIA

[boomerang]

I can handle the "Davy" part, but did he really kilt himself a bar when he was only three?

He looks older than three.

[joe817]

Thank you for spending the time and trouble for looing these up. Love it - please keep going! ( my BD is 6 March - I used to tell the girls that asked for my birthday that i was boen on the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo. I married the one that knew it was 6 March 1836. 17 years TOMRROW :-) 16 Jan 1993

Thanks LaserTex, I appreciate that. I find those things interesting. Sometimes I have to make an entry a little to long. But to put it into context requires a little explanation. Sometimes I think a thread has to many entries, but it's tough to weed out the lesser interesting one's. Most times I have to limit the number of entries a thread has and say enough is enough.

I hope each thread isn't to long. If it is, just let me know and I'll cut down on the number of entries per day. Kinda tough though, you know?

[seamusTX]

Well, Joe, now you know you have volunteered for the labors of Hercules.

I find the details of history fascinating. A horseshoe nail centuries ago determined the fates of kings and the borders of countries today.

Don't worry about the length. If someone doesn't want to read a thread, it takes no effort to stop reading.

- Jim