Early Expeditions into Texas

As early as 1791, Louisiana horse trader Philip Nolan began traveling Spanish Texas in search of wild mustang horses.  His efforts were profitable but he had more on his mind than just horses.  He is believed to have surveyed Spain's defenses of the territory, which of course aroused the suspicions of the Spanish officials.  When he returned to Texas with 28 armed men in 1800 to round up more horses, he was shot and killed by the Spanish officials.

Beginning in 1810, uprisings in central Mexico took Spain's attention away from Texas as well as gained the sympathy of the US frontier.  Americans, fresh from the American Revolution, believed that an independent, republican Mexico would be more hospitable to US settlers than Spain was. 

In the summer of 1812, Bernardo Gutierrez, a revolutionary from Mexico, and Augustus  Magee, an ex-US Army officer, led a Republican army of the North deep into Texas.  Most of the 600 man army were rough and tough men interested in loot as much as in liberty for Mexico.  After Magee died at La Bahia, the army disintegrated and most of the men were killed by those loyal to Spain.

The last expedition into Texas was led by Dr. James Long with a 300 man volunteer army that believed Texas rightfully belonged to the US as part of the Louisiana Purchase.  Long was a friend of Andrew Jackson and in June of 1819 captured the town of Nacogdoches without a shot fired.  Dr. Long proclaimed the "Republic of Texas" and himself the president with Nacogdoches the capital.

Dr. Long made one mistake - he left his new capital to go to Galveston Island to enlist the help of  the Gulf Coast pirate, Jean Lafitte, who refused him.  In Long's absence, the Spanish trounced the disorderly defenders of Nacogdoches. 

Next time...the Americans come to stay
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Today in Pioneer History:  On August 11,  1856, a hurricane hits the Louisiana coast, killing more than 400 people.  Isle Derniere, a resort community, was totally submerged by the storm surges.