Recollections of Early Texas Read Free

John Jenkins took his mother and the rest of the family back to their half-league of land across the river from Bastrop, where he cared for his mother until her death in 1840, and raised his younger brothers and sister. On October 29, 1845, he married Mary Jane Foster, daughter of another old pioneer family. They had six sons and one daughter.
    Much of the material in the Jenkins reminiscences has appeared in other works, usually without acknowledgment, but the memoirs themselves present such an interesting and enlightening view on pioneer life in early Texas that publication in full is long overdue.
    The book has its shortcomings. The original reminiscences are rough and loosely connected, words and names are frequently misspelled, and there are some confusing grammatical errors. It seemed desirable, however, to preserve the original flavor of the narrative; hence revision has consisted mainly in correcting spelling and grammar and rearranging thearticles for the sake of continuity. Critical and explanatory notes have been added.
    Noah Smithwick was used as much as possible for comparison of accounts, rather than John Henry Brown, Frank Brown, James DeShields, or J. W. Wilbarger. Smithwick moved to California in 1861 and lived there the rest of his life. Hence there is little chance of his narrative having been influenced by Jenkins, who was first to attempt to assemble a history of the Indian hostilities in Texas. The two Browns, DeShields, and Wilbarger, however, used Jenkins’ reminiscences freely and many of their narratives are exact repetitions of the Jenkins accounts. Wilbarger, particularly, quotes Jenkins word-for-word without acknowledgment.
    It is hoped that the succeeding pages will not only be of value to the historian as a reference but will also prove as entertaining and as exciting to those who are interested in understanding and reliving the lives of their forefathers as it has to this young Texan.
    J OHN H OLMES J ENKINS, III
    Beaumont, Texas

Acknowledgments
    My sincere and grateful thanks are due to many persons throughout the state who assisted me in the preparation of this book. First, I give my most heartfelt thanks to my greataunt, Mrs. W. T. Decherd of Austin. She it was who showed me the Jenkins reminiscences and who, instead of laughing at the thought of a fifteen-year-old writing a book, encouraged me to do so. Fostering the love of Texas and of history in general which I share with her, she gave much of her time telling what she knew of her grandfather and her mother, who copied by hand the original memoirs.
    Next I thank Miss Claire Andrews, Mrs. Harriet L. Willis, and my Grandmother Lila of Beaumont, who helped me make this book a surprise for my mother and father.
    In Bastrop, Texas, Tignal Jones allowed me the use of the probate and deed records, and Hartford Jenkins spent much time showing me the exact location of many of the places mentioned in this book. Misses Grace and Nell Fitzwilliam permitted me to use material belonging to the Bastrop Historical Society, as well as their own personal data on Bastrop County.
    An important necessity in writing a book is a place to work without interruption and where books and papers may be scattered about without danger of their being “straightened” or put in neat little stacks by some helpful elder. Forarranging such bachelor quarters for me, my love and thanks go to my Gran and Grandaddy Chalmers of Bastrop.
    Essential material was gathered during two summer vacations at the Archives Collections of the University of Texas Library and the Texas State Library. The Archivists of these two libraries willingly gave me much helpful information. I especially appreciate the trust that they reposed in me and the liberties they granted me in the use of their invaluable source material relating to Texas history.
    I also thank Mrs. Carl Swanson of the Austin Public Library for the use of the Frank Brown papers and for trusting me with other valuable