The San Augustine, Texas Papers (1783-1937)
Title:
The San Augustine, Texas Papers (1783-1937)
The San Augustine, Texas Papers were collected by Fred Rosenstock and contain the papers of numerous persons important to the early history of San Augustine, such as John and Matthew Cartwright, William and Jacob Garrett, John W.P. McKenzie, and George Teel. Their papers include documentation of land sales and purchases, land surveys, inventories of property, property tax receipts, receipts for goods either bought or sold, and probate records. The records indicate that prominent men such as George Teel and William Garrett knew each other and had business dealings (see, for example, Box 2, folder 26). John Cartwright was, in fact, William Garrett's father-in-law. Thus, the records document the development of the San Augustine community over time. Documents that record the sale and purchase of land in the San Augustine area also present a snapshot of the physical development of the town itself. The Cartwrights, Garretts, and George Teel had business dealings in Nacogdoches, New Orleans and Nachitoches; their tax receipts thus document the growth of an economic network that connected Louisiana and Texas during the Republic era and after statehood. The collection also contains numerous manuscripts documenting the purchase and sale of slaves by the Cartwrights, Garretts, and George Teel. While slavery was never as central to the Texas economy as it was in the South, there were parts of the state - especially eastern portions -- where slavery flourished to some extent. San Augustine was one of those areas. By. By 1840, it was the third largest slave-holding area, behind only Brazoria and Red River (Randolph Campbell, An Empire for Slavery, p. 57). By 1864, 1,674 slaves lived in San Augustine County (266). Campbell lists William Garrett as one of the largest slaveholders in Texas in 1860 (275). The San Augustine, Texas Papers thus provide valuable insight into the history of slavery in east Texas. In addition to the papers of prominent families of San Augustine, the collection contains miscellaneous papers from other residents of the town as well as typed transcripts of papers and other documents concerning aspects of Texas history. There is an indenture signed by Stephen Blount, transcripts of letters written by Sam Houston to Alexander Horton, a copy of the Nacogdoches criminal code from 1783 and the House of Representatives declaration on the invasion of Louisiana by Texas in 1839. There are also muster rolls from Company H, Tenth Regiment, Company K, First Texas Infantry, Hood's Brigade, and Company C, First Texas Legion, Ross' Brigade. Because the collection is small, it is arranged into two boxes in simple alphabetical order (based on the last name of the person, event, or issue that is the subject of the file). For example, the papers of George Teel are located in Box 2, folder 26, filed simply under "Teel." Records concerning slavery can be found in Box 1, folders 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and Box 2, folders 23 and 25. The bulk of the slavery documents are dated from the late 1840s through the. Early 1850s.
ArchivalResource:
1 linear foot.
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