Deaf Smith …ERASTUS "DEAF" SMITH
"Deaf Smith was one of the most celebrated patriots in the Texas fight for independence. His greatest contribution in the war was his skill as a scout and spy that would influence the battles at Conception, the Grass Fight and most importantly, the Battle at San Jacinto.
Ironically, this soldier, who became the eyes and ears of the Texas Army was going blind and was nearly deaf.
Smith came to Texas in 1817 for his health, which improved in the Texas climate but his hearing and eyesight was affected. In 1822, he married a widow with three children, Guadalupe Reyes de Duran and the union enabled him to move easily between both cultures. His expertise in the Texas terrain and knowledge of Tejano culture would prove invaluable to Sam Houston.
At the outbreak of the hostilities at Gonzales, Smith planned to remain neutral. However, during the siege at San Antonio, the Mexican Army occupying the town had clamped down on security while he was out hunting. Upon returning he was forbidden from re-joining his family. He joined the Texans declaring indignantly, the Mexicans had treated him "rascally."
After the Battle of the Alamo, Houston dispatched him to report on the fate of the defenders. Smith then escorted Mrs. Almeron Dickenson and the others to meet with Houston.
Just before the battle of San Jacinto, Houston sent Smith and a group of hand-picked soldiers to remove and burn Vince's Bridge thereby cutting off any reinforcements coming to the aid of Santa Anna's army and blocking any chance for El Presidente from escaping. The Texans knew this also kept them from retreating. The message was clear, "Victory or Death."
On the afternoon of April 21st, 1836 a grinning Houston told his men, "Victory is certain. Trust in God and fear not. The victims of the Alamo and the names of those who were murdered at Goliad cry out for vengeance. Remember the Alamo. Remember Goliad."
At 3:30 PM, a small rag-tag band struck up a risque Irish tune, "Will you come to the Bower I have shaded for you?'
The Texans; tired, hungry, dirty, angry and vastly outnumbered, routed Santa Anna's army. In eighteen minutes his entire army was killed, captured or wounded. The Texans only lost six men and had twenty-five wounded.
Before Smith's death in 1837, he raised a company of Texas Rangers and defeated a larger force of Mexican soldiers on the Rio Grande, nearly a year after Santa Anna had surrendered at San Jacinto. He died at the age of fifty, some nine months later.
Today a county in Texas is named for him: Deaf Smith county.
But mostly Deaf Smith is remembered as a hero from the storied Battle of San Jacinto and as one of the Lone Star Republic's greatest patriots."
Written for the True West magazine, April 12, 2016, by Marshall Trimble.
Photograph of portrait of Deaf Smith circa-1836 by noted Welsh American artist Thomas Jefferson Wright (1798-1846)--from the collection of the University of Houston Libraries.
Texas Painted Churches
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.My husband and I did these in March! Definitely worth it!
They should add Wallis’ Guardian Angel church. 💕
Karen DeWald Frazee
Battleship TexasBattleship Texas is the last surviving Dreadnought battleship and one of only a few remaining ships to have served in both world wars.
The battleship—more formally USS Texas or BB-35—was commissioned in 1914 and served in the Atlantic Fleet during World War I.
During the late 1920s, the ship was modernized by converting the coal-fueled burners to oil. In 1939, it received the first commercial radar in the U.S. Navy.
When the United States entered World War II, the three-decade-old ship again answered the call. USS Texas was a flagship at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944, and in 1945 supported the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
In 1948, Battleship Texas was decommissioned. It became the nation’s first battleship memorial museum. The ship is also a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
USS Texas, which is owned by Texas Parks and Wildlife and operated by the Battleship Texas Foundation , is preparing for extensive rehabilitation and is closed to the public. It can presently be seen from San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site .
For National Armed Forces Day, explore Texas’ military history: texastimetravel.com/travel-themes/military-history
📷: Christening of USS Texas on May 18, 1912, courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
DAVID Crocket!Did you know David Crockett referred to Texas as "the garden spot of the world"? You can take photos with this statue of Crockett by George Lundeen, which is now located in front of the Alamo Church.
I’m there right now
Archer City / Archer CountyThe 1891 Archer County Courthouse was designed by architect Alonzo Dawson of Fort Worth. The original building featured a tall central tower; however, this was removed in order to add a third floor during a dramatic 1926 remodel.
The 1960s brought further alterations to this historic Archer City building. But in the early 2000s, a restoration through the THC’s Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program brought back the 1926 design. As part of this project, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were replaced, and the courthouse was made accessible to people with disabilities.
The courthouse and jail comprise part of a designated historic district; this area around Archer City’s public square was a filming location for much of “The Last Picture Show.”
Learn more about our work to preserve Texas courthouses: www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/projects-and-programs/texas-historic-courthouse-preservation
Ms Enid and Nacona Boots - TEXAS!!!!!Did you know:
Enid Justin started her own company in Nocona in 1925—an unusual move for a woman at that time. Nocona Boot Company, which she steered through the Depression and World War II, became a great success and a major employer in the tiny North Texas town. Justin, along with some of the state’s finest spur makers, will be featured in the upcoming issue of Texas HERITAGE magazine. bit.ly/3Ppmzw5
#texashistory #noconaboots #texas #success
Image Courtesy of the Tales n’ Trails Museum.
Another Dodson Court House, just like Granbury’s
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14 Top-Rated Things to Do in Granbury, TX | PlanetWare
www.planetware.com
Historic Granbury is a small town in Texas that is big on history, culture, outdoor recreation, and authentic Southern food. Granbury boasts a broad list of things to do during your stay, from a live ...Another Texas treasure off the beaten path
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.F Y ITexas is the top-producing state for cattle, sheep, goats, horses, hay and cotton! Learn more facts about Texas agriculture: txfb.us/TXNEfarmfacts21