The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 3, July 1899 - April, 1900 Page: 44
294 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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44 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
COLONEL AMASA TURNER'S REMINISCENCES OF
GALVESTON.
FRANCES HARWOOD.
[Colonel Turner was born in Plymouth county, Mass., November 9,
1800. He lived there until he was twenty-five years old, with the excep-
tion of two years spent in New York (1822-24). In 1825 he left Boston for
Mobile, Alabama. After remaining in Alabama ten years he emigrated to
Texas in April, 1835. He was so pleased with Texas that he declared his
intention of becoming a citizen, and received a certificate of "headright"
to a league and labor of land. October, 1835, he joined the armed citizens
of the country in the campaign against Bexar. After the capitulation of
that place he returned to San Felipe, where the Council of the Provisional
Government was in session, and was presented with a commission in the
First Infantry, Regular Army of Texas. As he was on his way to visit his
family in Mobile, General Houston gave him orders to recruit as many men
for the Texas army as possible. In Mobile he found it difficult to raise
recruits, but during the few days that he remained in New Orleans on his
return, he obtained one hundred men; to which number he added enough
men to make two full companies soon after landing in Velasco, early in
February. One of these companies he enlisted for two years as regulars;
while the other, which elected Richard Roman as captain, was mustered in
for two years as permanent volunteers. He soon received orders to join
with these two companies the main army, supposed to be at Gonzales; but
on starting he met General Houston on the Colorado river and they fell
back first to the Brazos, and then to Harrisburg, where they heard of the
movements of General 'Santa Anna's army. The campaign ended at San
Jacinto.
In 1839 and '40 he improved a plantation on Cedar Bayou, Harris county,
but divided his time between that place and Galveston until 1848, when he
moved to the Navidad, in Lavaca county, and began to farm. While en-
joying this pleasant home he was elected, in 1852, to represent Lavaca
and Gonzales in the lower house of the 'State Legislature, and again in
1854 to represent the counties of Lavaca and De Witt. In 1865 he moved
to Gonzales, where *he remained until his death in 187-.
At his home in Gonzales, M'arch 20th, 1876, Colonel Turner made notes
of some of his recollections of 'Galveston's early days. On these notes is
based the following paper.-F. H.]
In 1836 Colonel Turner belonged to the army of Texas under
the command of Major General Sam Houston. On the fourth day
of May, 1836, he was ordered with his command (Company B,
First Infantry Regulars) to go on board the steamboat Yellow
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 3, July 1899 - April, 1900, periodical, 1900; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101015/m1/52/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.