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1830 - Jim Bowie and a friend left Thibodaux, Louisiana, headed for Texas. In Louisiana James and his brothers Rezin and Stephen established an 1,800 acre sugar plantation, which was the first in Louisiana to use steam power in the sugar mill. The Sugar Mill would be sold in 1831 for $60,000. Once in Texas, Bowie will visit Jared Groce, weathy cotton farmer and owner of a large plantation off the Brazos River near San Felipe. In Texas, Bowie will become a Mexican Citizen and become wealthy in land speculation and other ventures. In 1831, he will get married.

1839 - The women and children at Morgan Point, the home of the Morgans, were killed in what came to be called Morgan's Massacre. On January 10 the same group of Indians attacked Fort Marlin and were repulsed. Six days later the men from Bucksnort attacked the Indians; each side lost ten men, but the Indians won the encounter. Later that year the Texas legislature authorized men to patrol the region, and conflicts with Indians soon ceased. Peace was officially declared in 1845. This occurred in present day Falls county. The county seat is Marlin, 24 miles south of Waco. Marlin was previously known as Fort Milam. {for more information and a fascinating read see: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/onli ... /hcf1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1846 - The first issue of the CORPUS CHRISTI GAZETTE was published. Though no more than half the run exists in archives, the Gazette is significant as a source of information about the Corpus Christi of its day. The sixth issue, for example, contains a detailed list of the officers at Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and St. Joseph Island in February 1846.

1849 - The Diocese of Texas of the PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized at a meeting in Christ Church, Matagorda. There were members of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America in Mexican Texas, but because the laws under which they had been granted land demanded allegiance to the Catholic Church, they could not practice their faith openly.

1863 - Confederate forces under Gen. J. B. Magruder began their assault on Union forces that had held Galveston since October. Magruder placed artillery and dismounted cavalry aboard two river steamers, the Bayou City and the Neptune. He also gathered infantry and cavalry, supported by artillery, to cross the railroad bridge onto the island. The Confederates entered Galveston on New Year's night, January 1, 1863, and opened fire before dawn. The Union ship Harriet Lane sank the Neptune, but the Bayou City's crew seized the Federal vessel. Union commander William B. Renshaw's flagship, the Westfield, ran aground, and the commander died trying to blow it up rather than surrender it. The other Union ships sailed out to sea, ignoring Confederate surrender demands, while their infantry comrades in town surrendered. Magruder had retaken Galveston with a moderate loss. Galveston was Texas' most important seaport.

1906 - William Carlton Farmer established the San Antonio Tent Colony, an open-air colony for the treatment of tuberculosis.

1925 - Governor Pat M. Neff appointed an All-Woman state Supreme Court, the first in Texas and probably in the nation. The case before the court involved the Woodmen of the World. All three justices belonged to this organization and were consequently disqualified. Since most of the other judges in Texas were also Woodmen, Neff decided to choose female lawyers, who were ineligible for lodge membership. The special court first met on January 8, 1925. Women did not serve on juries in the state until 1954.

1929 - Author and playwright, Larry L King was born in Putnam, Texas. He authored 13 books and seven stage plays, plus many screenplays, short stories, television documentaries, and more. He was nominated for Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Book (Musical) with collaborator Peter Masterson for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" a theatre production based on the 1973 closing of the legendary "Chicken Ranch" in LaGrange.

1937 - The Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas was played for the first time on this day in 1937 at the Texas State Fair Grounds. Behind the legendary arm of Sam Baugh, Texas Christian University beat Marquette in the first Cotton Bowl ever, by a score of 16-6.

1936 - TCU beats LSU for National Championship

The Battle of Galveston is a fascinating story of courage and desperation. Here are some links:

http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/civ ... 863_1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/tx/tx003.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/onli ... /qeg1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://books.google.com/books?id=Rn0xlc ... on&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Galveston Historic Foundation will conduct tours of sites associated with the battle on January 8 though 10: http://www.galveston.com/battleofgalveston/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My family ate dinner today at Pier 21, which is as close to the site of this battle as you can get, given all the changes that have occurred over the years.

- Jim

Jim, thank you so much for expounding on The Battle of Galveston.

I read with intent interest on your first link. Shivers went down my spine when I read this. Your 3rd link is where I paraphrased(or attempted to) the Battle.

Folks, if you are unfamiliar with Texas history, I urge you to read all of the links that Seamus posted. It will give you an insight to the heritage of Texas......one of which each and every one of you(who live in this State) can claim as yours.

IMHO, Texas is unique. Not only of its history and heritage, but also of the present day attitude of its citizens. I see this every time I read about other people's efforts to circumvent our RKBA, as it relates to Texas, and the attitude of our elected officials fervently support our 2A rights. This even is brought to light when I listen/read the Public Safety Committee meetings of DPS, when CHL issues are discussed. ( http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/calendar/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ).

The Battle of Galveston is but only one of many events in Texas history that helped shape this unique and great State, to be what it is.

In the coming months, there will be MANY more demonstrations of bravery, sacrifice and resolve that helped shape Texas from an independent nation to a State. I refer to the months of February, March and April......

Stay tuned. And JIm, please feel free to contribute to this feeble attempt of Texas through the years.

God bless Texas!

Thank you.
Joe

Not feeble at all, Joe. You are finding things that I was unaware of, living here only 14 years (so far).

- Jim

Your input is deeply appreciated Jim. I've learned so much from what you've posted.

joe817 wrote:Your input is deeply appreciated Jim. I've learned so much from what you've posted.

Same here. Sure wish I could have sat next to Jim in history class.

USA1 wrote: Sure wish I could have sat next to Jim in history class.

You would have been annoyed by my snoring.

I didn't become interested in history until long after I finished school. I realized from my reading that what we were taught was oversimplified and sanitized to satisfy some committee that decided on book purchases.

Much more information is at our fingertips now, but we have to be cautious about revisionism and pure bunk.

- Jim

Several events will commemorate the Battle of Galveston in January 2011. The Blues and Grays will set up camps the first week of January, and a reenactment will be held on January 8 on The Strand.

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Battle_ ... Press1.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:

USA1 wrote: Sure wish I could have sat next to Jim in history class.

I didn't become interested in history until long after I finished school. I realized from my reading that what we were taught was oversimplified and sanitized to satisfy some committee that decided on book purchases.

Much more information is at our fingertips now, but we have to be cautious about revisionism and pure bunk.

- Jim

Me, too. History was my, by far, worst subject until I got to college. I had a professor who ran counter to the Liberal culture and taught the subject correctly. I ended up taking a "majors only" 2nd semester with him just so that I could attend his classes. It always has amazed me about how far from the truth the text book materials have gotten and how the interpretations of historical events get spun by far Left leaning teachers.

Thanks again to you who post historical Texas links. I really enjoy reading them. I, too, have learned a lot as a transplanted Texan.

Several events will commemorate the Battle of Galveston in January 2011. The Blues and Grays will set up camps the first week of January, and a reenactment will be held on January 8 on The Strand.

http://www.galvestonhistory.org/Battle_ ... Press1.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/203230" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Today.

- Jim

joe817:

It seems that your New Years resolution was to revive
"This Day in Texas History" - kudos to you sir.

History/English were my best subjects (being math
challenged from algebra forward!) so I look forward
to reading these from you.

Regarding the veracity of written history,
it has been said that "Victors write history."

Air Force general Curtis LeMay once said that if
the Allies had lost the WW II, the Allies would have been
prosecuted for war crimes such as the fire bombing
of civilians. I agree that we had to win the war in
any fashion once the Germans/Japanese started it,
but this was a rather surprising comment coming
from an Allied general.

SIA

The fire-bombings of Dresden and Tokyo were criticized on the Allied side as they were planned and after they happened. They remain two of the most controversial episodes of WW II.

Of course, had the Axis won, they would have enslaved the entire planet. They had no remorse about killing innocent "inferior beings" in their racist ideology.

One of the most shocking experiences of my (then relatively young) life was working in the U.K. on July 4, 1985.

No one that I talked to admitted that July 4 had any significance except maybe it was some kind of holiday in the U.S. I didn't dare ask them if they had ever heard of George Washington or John Hancock.

So it isn't just the victors who write history. Those who go home licking their wounds also create their own version.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:The fire-bombings of Dresden and Tokyo were criticized on the Allied side as they were planned and after they happened. They remain two of the most controversial episodes of WW II.

Of course, had the Axis won, they would have enslaved the entire planet. They had no remorse about killing innocent "inferior beings" in their racist ideology.

Of course, nobody wants to remember that the Germans were carpet bombing London before they were themselves carpet bombed.

The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The Blitz hit many towns and cities across the country, but it began with the bombing of London for 76 consecutive nights. By the end of May 1941, over 43,000 civilians, half of them in London, had been killed by [German] bombing and more than a million houses were destroyed or damaged in London alone.

SOURCE...

Dresden was bombed between 13 February and 15 February of 1945. Tokyo was carpet bombed in 1945, but not until years after the Japanese had carpet bombed Chinese cities. Furthermore, the Germans launched V1 and V2 missiles on London, which were indiscriminate killers which could not be accurately targeted at any specific military targets. They were exclusively weapons of terror, and even the German high command understood this and used this justification for firing them at civilian populations. Whenever anyone beats up on the Allies for the carpet bombings of German and Japanese cities, my answer is, "cry me a river." The Axis set the rules for how enemy civilians would be treated during this war, not the Allies, and it is a sad but terrible fact that we could not have won the war were we not willing to act in kind.

The Germans and the Japanese bit off way more than they could chew. That is always the risk for the aggressor at the opening of a war. It is a terrible shame that all those German civilians were killed; but they also enabled and supported one of the most murderous and racist regimes in the history of mankind. Ditto the Japanese. There were no innocents on that side, unless they joined or supported an underground resistance. There are tens of thousands of records of Germans who lived in towns outside of which were located death camps, and they did nothing. Or if they knew, they looked the other way. And millions of these same Germans were already adults the day the Treaty of Versailles ending WW1 was signed. In WW1, the Germans laid waste to other nations, and then claimed that they were being treated unfairly by being required to pay reparations to those same nations.

I have no pity on that generation of Germans. They reaped exactly what they sowed. My only regret is that it took as long as it did to deliver an overwhelming response. Perhaps if they had been sufficiently well carpet bombed in 1939 instead of 1945, our boys could have come home sooner.

There is no question that the Axis forces during WW II were among the most evil and destructive in history. I have not forgotten the way that they bombed England. I have stood in the ruins.

I was only acknowledging that even someone like Admiral Nimitz (who was born in Fredericksbug, BTW) had reservations about certain events.

- Jim