WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1849
72
but it is not too late to mend it. Go over with Mrs. Yoakum and see my family, if it is a fair day. Salute Mrs. Yoakum and your pretty daughters for me. Truly thy Friend Sam Houston. Col. Yoakum. [Written across one margin]: The newspaper and accompany- ing documents have just issued. I will send them to you. 1The original letter is in the Sears Collection, San Jacinto Museum of History, Houston, Texas. Henderson Yoakum (September 6, 1810-November 30, 1856), lawyer, Texas historian, was born at Powell's Valley, Claiborne County, Tennessee. After education by a tutor and in the academic schools of his county, he entered West Point, 1828, and was graduated therefrom in 1832. He became a second lieutenant in the Third U. S. Artillery. On February 13, 1833, he married Emeline Conner, and resigned his commission in the army. He then studied law, and moved to Huntsville, Texas, where he was admitted to the Texas bar. In 1850 he began writing a history of Texas which was published in two volumes in 1855. According to the Yoalrum family statements, Houston went with Yoakum to the battlefield and there related the history of the entire San Jacinto campaign, while Yoakum took voluminous notes; they also say that while writing the history, Yoakum frequently conferred with Houston on various facts. In the history itself, however, the author makes no acknowledgments to Houston for materials, or for assistance in any way. (The above state- ments were related to the archivist of the University of Texas by Mrs. Fannie Yoakum, of San Marcos, Texas, in the presence of this annotator.) Yoakum died in the Old Capitol Hotel at Houston, Texas. See Dictionary of Ainz.erican Biogravhy, XX, 612-613, for a good brief biography. 2 Burrell (also found spelled Burril) J. Thompson was settled in Texas in the San Augustine district, as early as 1826, for on December 14, of that year, Stephen F. Austin wrote to him and John A. Williams, trying to influence them not to involve themselves in the Fredonian Rebellion, or if involved, to desert the movement. See E. C. Barker, Life of Stephen F. Au.stin, 191, 192, 193. In 1830 he bought the Cristobal Chonca league of land in the San Augustine district. See George L. Crocket, Two Centu.ries in East Texas, 73, 138, 141, also Deed Records of San Augustine County, Book A, p. 73. ·
TO MR. GRINNELL1
[No date given, probably early February, 1849]
To the Honorable Mr. Grinnell, Committee of Commerce Sir:- At your suggestion the undersigned offer a few brief statements on the trade and commerce of Galveston, which we
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