The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 53, July 1949 - April, 1950 Page: 277
538 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Notes and Documents
trayed the reaction of an educated and well-to-do young man
to the vicissitudes of frontier experience. Constantly he referred
to the inconvenience of travel, to the poor quality of food, and
to his own infirmities. Faithfully he recorded acts of violence
and his indignation at them.
A Kentuckian by birth, Herndon was zealously loyal to his
native state. Before he left home he called upon the aged
Governor James Clark to obtain his benediction. In Texas he
associated with many from Kentucky, and met at least two
alumni of his alma mater. His frequent references to his cousin
Willina and of letters received from friends and relatives re-
vealed a nostalgia for Kentucky. He often used Kentucky as a
standard by which to judge Texas. He attended a ball in Hous-
ton and compared it favorably with one in Kentucky; he
described a certain day in Texas as a Kentucky May morning;
he found weather in Texas worse than that in Kentucky; and
he dressed in Kentucky style.
Although a significant figure, Herndon was not of heroic
stature. His misfortune was always to be a bit tardy or somewhat
removed from the central theatre of even Texas history. He was
born in Scott County, Kentucky, near Georgetown, on July 8,
1813, son of Boswell and Barbara Herndon.2 Apparently his
parents died before his departure for Texas, for he never men-
tioned them in his diary. From Transylvania College at Lexing-
ton he is said to have been graduated in both arts and law."
Certainly he was registered as a law student in 1833 and was
a member of the Whig Society at the college in 1834.4 He seems
to have been admitted to the bar in Kentucky and to have
practiced there for a short while. For some reason that he did
not bother to record, he determined to remove to Texas. With
him he carried several thousand dollars and a substantial ward-
robe of three pairs of silk and four pairs of yarn socks, three
pairs of boots, one pair of pumps, and one pair of overshoes,
five pairs of drawers, six pairs of pants, four linen and seven
2History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of the Cities of Houston
and Galveston, 6oi; tombstone in Hempstead Cemetery, Hempstead.
albid., 6ox.
4Mrs. Charles F. Norton, librarian of 'Tansylvania College, to editor, January
14, 194R.277
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 53, July 1949 - April, 1950, periodical, 1950; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101126/m1/353/?rotate=90: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.