The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 30, July 1926 - April, 1927 Page: 1

THE
SOUTHWESTERN HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
VoL. XXX JULY, 1926 No. 1
The publication committee and the editors disclaim responsibility for views expressed by
contributors to THE QUARTERLY
DIARY OF A TEXAN VOLUNTEER IN THE MEXICAN
WAR1
JAMES K. HOLLAND
Diary of the march of 17th Rangers-Mounted company of
Texas volunteers-Kept by James K. Iolland on 24th May-
the day of our departure from Harrison county [Texas]-Com-
pany commanded by Capt Bird Holland. We left Elysian Field
on this day about 11 o'eclock-for the Rio Grande-women in
tears, God bless them--their tears would make a recreant brave-
we all felt gloomy of course for such a seperation I look upon as
'James K. Holland, the writer of this diary, was born at Paris, Ten-
nessee, in 1822. His early youth was passed at Holly Springs, Mississippi.
In 1842, at the age of twenty, he moved to Texas with his father, Spearman
Holland, and settled in Harrison County. The father immediately stepped
into the political life of the Republic. He represented his district in
Congress, and served in the Convention of 1845, which accepted annexa-
tion to the United States and framed the first State Constitution of Texas.
The father continued to serve in the legislature of the State from time to
time until the Civil War. James K. Holland first entered the legislature
in 1849, as representative of Panola and Rusk Counties. In 1853 he was
a member of the senate, and was chairman of the senate committee on
education. He declined nomination to the secession convention of 1861,
but was soon afterward elected to represent Brazos, Grimes, and Mont-
gomery Counties in the Ninth Legislature, which assembled on November
4, 1861. In 1863 he was appointed on Governor Murrah's staff, with
the rank of Colonel. In 1866 he was a delegate to the National Union
Convention at Philadelphia. He had served as deputy United States
Marshal of the eastern district of Texas in 1851. He died in 1898. Two
daughters and a son still survive him-Mrs. Stella Vannoy, Mrs. E. G.
Myers, and Mr. Ernest J. Holland, all of Dallas. Three other daughters,
all of whom have left descendants are dead-Mrs. Bates McFarland. Mrs.
R. T. Flewellen, and Mrs. Sam P. Weisiger, Jr. The original of this
diary is owned by Mrs. Myers, but the library of the University of Texas
possesses a photostat copy. E. C. B.