Texas. Secretary of State. General correspondence of the Department of State, Republic of Texas, 1822-1859, undated, bulk 1835-1846.
Title:
General correspondence of the Department of State, Republic of Texas, 1822-1859, undated, bulk 1835-1846.
Domestic correspondence, home letters, and correspondence relating to domestic affairs were all created and/or collected by the Texas Department of State, later the office of the Secretary of State, during the normal course of business (mostly excluding diplomatic and consular business), and document the non-diplomatic functions of the Department of State of the Republic of Texas, and the Secretary of State's office of the State of Texas. The records date 1822-1859, undated, bulk 1835-1846. Domestic correspondence consists chiefly of letters received by the Executive and State departments (including the Consultation, Provisional, and Ad Interim governments), and also outgoing letters of the Department of State; as well as letters received by Sam Houston as commander-in-chief of the Army. Also included are some commissions, resolutions, and proceedings of citizen's meetings and committees of safety, reports to the President, and addresses of the Convention of 1836 to the people of Texas. Materials prior to the Republic include correspondence, circulars, and reports of Mexican political chiefs and citizens. These records date 1822-1845, bulk 1835-1845. Also included are four letter books containing domestic correspondence, 1836-1842 (which contain, among other things, lists of commissions, estimated expenditures, reports on county boundaries, and lists of county officers). Subjects covered include military defense, Indian relations, land claims, supplies for the Army, the Texas Navy, organization of the government, appointments and commissions, loans and credit of the government, capture and disposition of Santa Anna, claims against the Republic, relations with other nations, elections, printing and translation of laws, reports on county boundaries, and colonization contracts. Correspondents include Robert A. Irion, Stephen F. Austin, Juan N. Seguin, and the presidents of the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones. Home letters are letters received and sent by the Secretary of State, with some going to the Executive Department, Provisional Governor, and the General Council. Dates covered are 1835-1847. Also included are two letter books labeled <emph render="doublequote">Home Letters,</emph> 1842-1847: one contains letters from the Secretary of State to Republic officials, both national and county; the other contains a list of Perote Castle prisoners, correspondence and colonists lists for several colonization ventures, and a copy of the annexation ordinance adopted July 4, 1845. Most letters pertain to Presidential nominations, appointments, resignations, and supplies for the Army and government offices; also the Texas Navy, postal contracts, claims against the government, printing and distribution of laws, county boundaries, elections, bonds and oaths of office, receipts for payments, and some election returns are covered. Correspondents of note are the presidents of the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones. Correspondence relating to domestic affairs consists of letters received by the Department of State, the Executive Department or the Provisional Government. Dates covered are 1825-1846, the bulk being 1836-1846. This series of letters was added by State Archives staff to the General correspondence from various sources (including but not necessarily limited to records of the Provisional government, the Convention of 1836, Proclamations of the President, Indian Affairs, and letters received by the President); they were added after the transfer of the other subseries--"Domestic correspondence"and "Home letters"--and therefore contain documents that are not listed on those original inventories. Subjects covered include Indian affairs, relations with Mexico and other nations, organization of the government, contracts, resignations and appointments, loans and credit of the government, colonizations, land claims, claims against the Republic, supplies for the government and the Army, and proclamations of the President. Correspondents include Stephen F. Austin, Santa Anna, William Bryan, and the presidents of the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones. Finally, a one-volume index to incoming and outgoing correspondence of the President/Governor and the Secretary of State covers the years 1822-1859. Information given in the index includes dates and names of correspondents. Names are arranged first in a roughly alphabetical order, and are then divided by type of correspondence: general (untitled), Army and Navy of Texas, Colonial Affairs, Financial Affairs, and Indian Affairs. Because the Secretary of State?s records are not maintained as they were when the index was created, it cannot really be used to locate specific correspondence. It is nevertheless useful as a guide to what kinds of correspondence were received and sent, providing a context and therefore adding to our knowledge and understanding of the period. Researchers need to consult the several other series of correspondence (domestic correspondence, home letters, and correspondence relating to domestic affairs) to locate specific items written to or by the Secretary of State or the President/Governor. [Note: Researchers need to consult all three series of general correspondence, including domestic correspondence, home letters and correspondence relating to domestic affairs.]
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