This Day In Texas History - February 16

[joe817]

1685 - French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, looking for the mouth of the Mississippi River, lands in Texas by mistake. He establishes a colony, Fort St. Louis, on Garcitas Creek in present-day Victoria County.

1836 - Jonathan Hampton (J. Hampton, Hamp) Kuykendall, riding overland from Matamoros, arrived at Goliad with news of Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna's intention to subdue Texas by invading Texas in 3 divisions and was moving on Bexar. At great personal risk he escaped from Mexico to warn the colonists of their danger. His report to Col. James Walker Fannin was probably the first authentic news of the impending attack.

1836 - James Bonham was sent by Travis to obtain aid for the garrison at Bexar.

1846 - The First Legislature of the state of Texas convened with 20 senators and 66 representatives. Senators and representatives in the first legislature earned a compensation of $3 a day and had a mileage allowance of $3 for every 25 miles they traveled to and from the Capitol. The Democratic Party had the most members in the legislature. The Know-Nothing, or American Party, an anti foreign and anti-Catholic society, also had a presence in the legislature with about 20 representatives and five senators. During it's time in session, the first legislature elected the states' first two U.S. senators: Sam Houston and Thomas J. Rusk. The legislature was in session for three months and adjourned on May 13.

1852 - The Texas State government passed a bill that authorized the governor to negotiate with the federal government to create territory for Indian reservations in Texas.

1852 - A joint resolution was introduced into the Texas legislature proposing that Texas be divided into East Texas and West Texas, thus creating 2 States, but the measure was defeated by a vote of 33 to 15. The congressional joint resolution for the annexation of Texas, passed on March 1, 1845, provided that new states, not to exceed four, could be carved out of Texas, the new states to be entitled to admission to the Union, with or without slavery if south of the Missouri Compromise line, and without slavery if north of that line. There were many such proposals in Texas history.

1852 - The Texas Western Railroad Company, later to be know as the Texas & Pacific Railway, was chartered. The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was the only railroad in Texas, and one of the few in the United States, to operate under a federal charter.

1861 - Just two weeks before Texas seceded from the Union, a band of Texans led by Benjamin McCulloch, a veteran Texas Ranger and Mexican War hero and now colonel of Texas cavalry, led at least 500 volunteers into San Antonio, where they surrounded Twiggs and his headquarters garrison. Maj. Gen. David E. Twiggs, the commander of United States troops stationed in Texas, agreed to surrender all federal property in Texas and evacuate the 2,700 Union troops scattered in frontier forts throughout the state.

1871 - Texas received title to 180,000 acres of land in Colorado. The land was sold for seventy-five cents an acre and produced $156,000 that was then invested in 7 percent gold frontier defense bonds of Texas, which, with the discount, had a face value of $174,000. The state legislature approved a bill providing for the organization of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College on April 17, 1871, and appropriated $75,000 from those bonds, for the construction of academic buildings and suitable accommodations.

1877 - The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway reached San Antonio. Formerly named the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado Railroad, the name and Charter were changed to lay rails to San Antonio instead of Austin (it's original destination). Within six years, the lines would extend to West Texas where it met up with the Southern Pacific Railroad near Langtry, becoming part of SP's New Orleans to Los Angeles "Sunset Limited" route.

1893 - Hattie Henenberg, associate justice of the state All-Woman Supreme Court, was born in Ennis, Texas, on February 16, 1893, to Samuel and Rosa (Trebitsch) Henenberg. Before she reached school age the family moved to Dallas, where she attended public schools. She studied law at the Dallas Law School (affiliated with Southern Methodist University), then gained admission to the Texas bar in 1916. When Governor Pat M. Neff sought qualified attorneys in 1925 for a special Supreme Court composed solely of women, he chose Hattie Henenberg to be a justice. After serving on the All-Woman Supreme Court and then in 1928 on the state Democratic party executive committee, she became a Texas assistant attorney general and held the post from 1929 to 1931.

1927 - Arthur Jerome Drossaerts was consecrated as the first archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio in San Fernando de Béxar Cathedral. He kept the old Spanish missions alive and went without salary in order to assist poor parishes with expenses. During his tenure as archbishop, he dedicated about 134 churches and religious buildings.

1943 - Aloe Army Air Field, an advanced single-engine training field for fighter pilots, was opened in January 1943 on a 1,820-acre tract five miles southwest of Victoria. The field, named for a nearby railway station, became the new home of the Lake Charles Army Flying School from Lake Charles, Louisiana; Lt. Col. Charles B. Harvin was director. Using the North American AT-6 "Texas" and Curtis P-40 trainers, cadets were schooled in flying and in ground and aerial gunnery. The first class of pilots graduated on February 16, 1943. Soon after V-J Day the government made plans to reassign the field as a subpost of Foster Army Air Field, but both Aloe and Foster were closed on October 31, 1945. Aloe Field, with its 304 buildings, was transferred to Victoria County by the War Assets Administration in 1948, after which the site became Victoria County Airport. In 1960 the airport was moved to Foster Field, and Aloe returned to private ownership.

1949 - The body of Private Felix Longoria of Three Rivers, Texas, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Longoria had died in the Philippines near the end of World War II. When his recovered remains were sent to Three Rivers for burial, the funeral director refused the use of his chapel for a "Mexican." After action by the American G.I. Forum and Lyndon Johnson, Longoria was buried in Arlington. The affair provided a model case in the Mexican-American struggle for civil rights.

[joe817]

As tensions rise between Santa Anna and the Texas colonists, the Texans are scrambling to raise an army, arms & ammunition for defense of their land. Letters are flying back in forth in haste, to coordinate the activities of the Army of Texas.

Letters From The Past: Governor Robinson to James Fannin:

"San Felipe de Austin Feby. 13th. 1836 My Dr. Col. This moment I am informed that scouts sent out from San Antonio, who proceeded as far as Reo Freo, saw no troops and the scouts returned 2 days previous to your order reaching there, and further that a Mexican arived there from the Town of Reo Grand, and says that 1600 men were there,and had halted and were baking bread &c and was preparing to march upon San Antonio, as was reported, and that many of the men were daily deserting- I do not think the Enemy will atack eith San Antonio de Bexar or the Fortress of Goliad. But that he will endeavour to throw reinforcements into Matamoras is more than probable- Therefore you will always Keep in view the original objects of the campaign against the latter place, and dash upon it as soon as it is prudent to do so in your opinion. I am verbally informed that the Tamaulepas was lossed off Velasco bar, and that her cargo was sold at Auction three days since, and the Col J A Wharton was at Brazoria, and that no lives were lost, the men were Regulars from N. Orleans, say 150 men, and th[e] Julias Cezar was about to be chartered to carry out the men to Copano, and also a vague report has reached here that 400 men has arrived, at Velasco from N. York. I cannot vouch for the truth - Heaven prosper & your companion in Arms - I am yours truly Col. J. W. Fanning, Jr. James W. Robinson Commander of Volunteers Acting Governor "

Fannin's response to Robinson on this date: (A very stirring, impassioned letter)

"Head Quarters, Army of Texas. Fort Gollad, Feb. 16, 1836. To His Excellency, J. W. Robinson, And General Council. Since my communication of the 14th last., enclosing several documents, received from various sources, from the interior, in relation to the movements of Santa Anna, Mr. Pantallion and young Mr. Kuykendall have arrived here, only five days from Matamoras. Both of these gentlemen are known to me, and likewise to most of the people of middle Texas; and their statements. confirming in the smallest particular my former intelligence, may be confidently relied on. As these gentlemen will visit San Felipe, and can communicate fully with you, I will not go into a detailed account of the facts, &c., collected from them, but only draw your attention to the plan of the intended campaign against Texas.

It is designed to enter our country in three divisions - one to take Bexar, commanded by Generals Sezma, Filisola, and Cos-one against Goliad, under Urea, (recently Governor of Durango,) and Colonel Garay-the third under Santa Anna himself, to pass either above Bexar, or between that post and Goliad, and proceed directly into the heart of the colony, and there to fortify. I understand the General says he will not go into the Woods and swamps to find us, but proceed through open prairies to the centre of Texas, and immediately fortify, and let us come to him, and make the best fight we can, or that he will allow us. I only say to this, Amen-so might it be. Send from twelve to fifteen hundred men to Bexar immediately, and provisions plenty., and anywhere from five to eight hundred here, with like stores; and then a reserve army on the Colorado, to salute the General with a feu de joie, and then all will be well. I tell you, and must urge it upon you for the safety and protection of the families of the colonists, to go about getting this reserve organized. Guard well Bastrop, Gonzales, and some lower point on the Colorado, and have it so arranged that all the forces may be concentrated in two days, to defend the point selected to pass. Get your artillery ready, and have good teams, and high tip the country sonic heavy pieces in your train. He expects to cover his troops with his artillery, and has a large train. The militia from the east can form the corps of reserve while those nearer here can be pushed on forthwith to Bexar and this place.

Stir up the people, but do not allow them to come into camp unless organized. I never wish to see an election in a camp where I am responsible in any manuer. I have taken measures to forward provisions to Bexar, and forwarded orders there to-day to place that post in a state of defence, which if attended to will make it safe. If General Houston does not return to duty on the expiration of his furlough, and it meets your approbation, I shall make head quarters at Bexar, and take with rue such of the force as can be spared. I hope to have this place well secured by the time I can hear from you. If I do not go to Bexar, I would prefer the reserve army, and think I could do some service. In this, however, do with me, while a public servant, as you deem best. Bexar and Guadaloupe, and Colorado, I think will be the posts of danger and honour. A cross of honour and a pension of four dollars a month have been awarded to the hero and his men who defended Tampico, agreeable to rank; and the same pension to all who aid in expelling us from Texas. Provisions are very scarce in Matamoras and the adjoining country, and they must depend upon New Orleans. Where is your navy? Stop those ports, and they are ruined. Go ahead-rely on yourselves, and the arms of your men. No aid need be expected from Mexicans. I will make a full and complete return of all matters between this and the 22d and hope something good. Nothing certain from Johnson & Co. The artillery is on the way up here. Nothing from Colonel Wharton & co. I am your obedient servant, J. W. Fannin, Jr., Colonel."