(1782-1862) US President 1837-1841

Martin Van Buren

(1782-1862) US President 1837-1841

(1795-1849) US President 1845-1849

James Knox Polk

(1795-1849) US President 1845-1849

(1793-1863) Leader of Texas who fought in the War of 1812. He was the governor of Texas once it became a state but was disposed because he refused to swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America.

Samuel Houston

(1793-1863) Leader of Texas who fought in the War of 1812. He was the governor of Texas once it became…

(1793-1863) Leader of Texas who fought in the War of 1812. He was the governor of Texas once it became a state but was disposed because he refused to swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America.

Sam Houston

(1793-1863) Leader of Texas who fought in the War of 1812. He was the governor of Texas once it became…

(1816-1898) Military and Political leader of Texas. He raised Confederate troops in the West

William Polk

(1816-1898) Military and Political leader of Texas. He raised Confederate troops in the West

Seal of the state of Texas, 1890

Texas Seal

Seal of the state of Texas, 1890

First Governor of Texas

J. Pinkney Henderson

First Governor of Texas

Seal of the state of Texas, 1876

Texas seal

Seal of the state of Texas, 1876

Seal of the state of Texas, 1876

Texas seal

Seal of the state of Texas, 1876

this is the common round clam of the Atlantic coast found from Texas to Cape Cod. It is frequently seen in eastern markets and much esteemed as food, (Beach, 1909).

Clam

this is the common round clam of the Atlantic coast found from Texas to Cape Cod. It is frequently seen…

Seal of the state of Texas, 1904

Texas seal

Seal of the state of Texas, 1904

"General J. T. Sprague, born in Newburyport, Mass., July 3rd, 1810, died in New York city, September 6th, 1878. In 1834 he became second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and served in the Florida War, being twice promoted for meritorious conduct, and brevetted captain on March 15th, 1842. He was given the full rank in 1846, and brevetted major, May 30th, 1848. He was made major of the First Infantry, May 14th, 1861, and when stationed with his regiment in Texas was taken prisoner by General Twiggs, but was released on parole, and became mustering and disbursing officer at Albany, N. Y. He retired from the army, July 15th, 1870." — Frank Leslie, 1896

J. T. Sprague

"General J. T. Sprague, born in Newburyport, Mass., July 3rd, 1810, died in New York city, September…

"General George Sykes, born in Dover, Del., October 9th, 1822, died in Brownsville, Texas, February 9th, 1880, was graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1842, and assigned to the Third Infantry; served in the Florida and Mexican Wars, and was brevetted captain for gallantry at Contreras, Churubusco and the capture of the city of Mexico. He became major of the Fourteenth Infantry, May 14th, 1861; was at the battle of Bull Run, and then commanded the regular infantry at Washington till March, 1862. He took part in the Peninsula campign, receiving the brevet of colonel for gallantry at Gaines's Mill and in the succeeding operations of the Army of the Potomac. At the close of the war he was brevetted major general for gallant services in the field." — Frank Leslie, 1896

George Sykes

"General George Sykes, born in Dover, Del., October 9th, 1822, died in Brownsville, Texas, February…

"General Ord, born in Cumberland, Md., October 18th, 1818, died in Havana, Cuba, July 22nd, 1883, was graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1839, and assigned to the Third Artillery. He served with distinction in the Florida and Mexican Wars and during the war for the Union. The battle of Dranesville, in 1861, was won under his leadership, and he was severely wounded at the battle of Hatchie and at the assault on Fort Harrison. Having been several times promoted for gallant and meritous conduct, he became commander of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina in 1865, and led the Army of the James in the victorious engagements that ended the war. In March, 1865, he received the brevet of major general in the regular army, and he subsequently held successive command of the Departments of Arkansas, California, Texas and the Platte."— Frank Leslie, 1896

General Edward O. C. Ord

"General Ord, born in Cumberland, Md., October 18th, 1818, died in Havana, Cuba, July 22nd, 1883, was…

"General Stoneman, born in Busti, Chautauqua County, N. Y., August 8th, 1822, was graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1846, and entered the First Dragoons. In February, 1861, while in command of Fort Brown, Texas, he refused to obey the order of his superior, General Twiggs, for the surrender of the government property to the Secessionists, evacuated the fort and went to New York by steamer. He became major of the First Cavalry, May 9th, 1861, and served in Western virginia till August 13th, when he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers and chief of cavalry of the Army of the Potomac. He served during the Virginia Peninsular campaign of 1862. He was appointed major general, November 29th, 1862. He was engaged in the Atlanta campaign from May to July, 1864; was captured at Clinton, Ga., July 31st, and held a captive till October 27th. He became colonel of the Twenty-first Infantry, July 28th, 1866, and was brevetted colonel, brigadier and major-general for gallant conduct."— Frank Leslie, 1896

General George Stoneman

"General Stoneman, born in Busti, Chautauqua County, N. Y., August 8th, 1822, was graduated from the…

"Battle of Corinth, Miss., October 4th, 1862. Scene in the roundabouts of Fort Robinett after the repulse of the Confederates. We present an exact copy of a photograph showing the scene which presented itself to the Federals at Fort Robinett. As our readers are aware, the battle of Corinth, which took place on the 3rd and 4th of October, was one of the most sanguinary, in proportion to the numbers engaged, that occurred in the West, and it was contested on both sides with great valor and skill. The Federal troops were led by General Rosecrans, and those of the enemy by Van Dorn, Price and Villepigue. The Confederates lost two acting brigadier generals, Johnson and Rogers, who, by a singular coincidence, both fell at the same time and within a few feet of each other. In addition to those officers, they lost Colonels Ross, Morton and McLaine, and Major James. An officer of the Third Michigan Cavalry said: 'Fort Robinett was garrisoned by the First United States Artillery, and here the greatest slaughter took place. In the roundabouts of the fort were found the remains of Generals Johnson and Rogers, and close to them were the bodies of fifty-six of their men, principally of the Second Texas and Fourth Mississippi Regiments. General Rogers was a brave man; he was killed while planting the Confederate flag upon the parapet of the fort, from which the enemy were finally repulsed with great slaughter.'"— Frank Leslie, 1896

Battle of Corinth

"Battle of Corinth, Miss., October 4th, 1862. Scene in the roundabouts of Fort Robinett after the repulse…

"The War in Texas. Brownsville, occupied by the army under Major General N. P. Banks, in 1863. The sudden movement of General Banks by water, after drawing Magruder into the low grounds of Louisiana, was most successful, and the important line of the Rio Grande was occupied without loss. The importance of this movement cannot be overrated. This great step was looked for by the country after General Banks sailed to New Orleans. We give a fine view of Brownsville, which was immediately occupied, but not before the Confederates retreating from Fort Brown had endeavored to destroy it. The Federals extinguished the fires and a bloody fight ensued. Our sketch shows the ferries busy at work transporting the cotton to the Mexican shore."— Frank Leslie, 1896

War in Texas

"The War in Texas. Brownsville, occupied by the army under Major General N. P. Banks, in 1863. The sudden…

"The war in Louisiana. General Banks's army, in the advance on Shreveport, crossing Cane River, March 31st, 1864. Our sketch represents the Army of the gulf, under General Franklin, crossing Cane River by bridge and pontoons, on March 31st, 1864. The point sketched is about fifty-four miles above Alexandria. The battle at Cramps' Hill which followed is thus described by our correspondent: 'On the 2nd of April our cavalry advancing on Shreveport came upon the Confederates in force at Cramp's Hill, twenty-two miles from Nachitoches, where the roads to Manny and Pleasant Hill branch off. Major Bassford, being in the advance of Lucas's brigade, skirmished with the Confederates, who made a stand eight times, but could not hold their ground. The first line of our skirmishers was dismounted and the second mounted. After their repulse here the Confederates retired up the Manny road, pursued by Major Bassford. They made a stand and opened with artillery, but Rawles's battery silenced their guns and routed De Bray's Texas cavalry in confusion."— Frank Leslie, 1896

War in Louisiana

"The war in Louisiana. General Banks's army, in the advance on Shreveport, crossing Cane River, March…

"Voluntary dispersion of Kirby Smith's Confederate army at Shreveport, La., May 23rd, 1865. There was a great difference between the surrenders of General Lee and Kirby Smith. The former surrendered his army to General Grant; while the army under Kirby Smith dispersed itself, leaving the Confederate leader no army. Our sketch represents the manner in which those roughest of the Confederates broke up their military organization, and scattered to their homes and haunts. The following is Kirby Smith's orders, dated Houston, May 30th. 'Soldiers: The day after I refused the demand of the Federal Government to surrender this department I left Shreveport for Houston; I ordered the Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana troops to follow. My purpose was to concentrate the entire strength of the department, await negotiations, and, if possible, secure terms alike honorable to soldier and citizen. I reached here to find the Texas troops disbanded and hastening to their homes. They had forsaken their colors and commanders; had abandoned the cause for which we were struggling, and appropriated the public property to their personal use. Soldiers, I am left a commander without an army; a general without troops. You have made your choice. The enemy will now possess your country, and dictate his own laws. You have voluntarily destroyed your organization and thrown away all means of resistance.'"— Frank Leslie, 1896

Kirby Smith

"Voluntary dispersion of Kirby Smith's Confederate army at Shreveport, La., May 23rd, 1865. There was…

"The war in Louisiana- Battle of Grand Coteau- capture of the Sixty-seventh Indiana by the Texas Mounted Infantry, November 3rd, 1863."— Frank Leslie, 1896

Battle of Grand Coteau

"The war in Louisiana- Battle of Grand Coteau- capture of the Sixty-seventh Indiana by the Texas Mounted…

Found from Texas to Brazil. Being sixeen inches long and the ail being fourteen inches.

Tatou Peba

Found from Texas to Brazil. Being sixeen inches long and the ail being fourteen inches.

"The Tarantula is a large spider, with a body about an inch in length; its bite was formerly supposed to produce Tarantism, and doubtless in some cases, produces disagreeable symptoms. It is a native of Italy, but varieties, or closely allied species, are found throughout the S. of Europe. The tarantulas of Texas and adjacent countries are large species of Mygale."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Tarantula

"The Tarantula is a large spider, with a body about an inch in length; its bite was formerly supposed…

(1818-1905) Representative and Senator from Texas. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as Postmaster General.

John Henninger Reagan

(1818-1905) Representative and Senator from Texas. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as Postmaster…

Cotton Wagons on Elm Street, in Dallas, Texas.

Dallas

Cotton Wagons on Elm Street, in Dallas, Texas.

Court-house in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fort Worth

Court-house in Fort Worth, Texas.

The official seal of the U.S. state of Texas in 1889.

Texas

The official seal of the U.S. state of Texas in 1889.

The United States seal of Texas with the Alamo in the background.

Texas

The United States seal of Texas with the Alamo in the background.

The second class Battleship Texas.

Battleship Texas

The second class Battleship Texas.

The site of the historic 1836 battle in Texas.

The Alamo

The site of the historic 1836 battle in Texas.

(1793-1836) Known as the "Father of Texas," he led the Anglo-American colonization of the region.

Stephen F. Austin

(1793-1836) Known as the "Father of Texas," he led the Anglo-American colonization of the region.

(1793-1863) 19th century American politician who was a key figure in the history of Texas and President of the Republic of Texas, Senator of Texas, and Governor of Texas.

Sam Houston

(1793-1863) 19th century American politician who was a key figure in the history of Texas and President…

The basis for funding for the college was established by the Morrill Act, passed by the US Congress in 1862, which provides for donation of public land (land grants) to the states. The land could then be sold at public auction to establish a permanent fund to support a college where the "leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanical arts...in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life."

Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas

The basis for funding for the college was established by the Morrill Act, passed by the US Congress…

John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

John Tyler

John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - oval or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - pointed. Leaf/Stem - slightly hairy when young. Leaf - two to five inches long; usually about half as broad; dark green and very shining above, especially when old; light green and shining below; thick, tough, and firm. Middle rib slightly hairy when young; side ribs rather indistinct and curved. Bark - grayish and often broken into short sections. Fertile Flowers - small, in clusters of three to eight on slender stems. April, May. Fruit - nearly one half inch long; bluish-black when ripe; egg-shape or oval; acid and rather bitter until "frosted." Stone - oval, somewhat pointed at each end, slightly flattened, and with three or four blunt ridges on each side. September. Found - from Southern Maine to Michigan, and southward to Florida and Texas. General Information - A tree twenty to forty feet high (larger southward), with flat, horizontal branches. The wood, even in short lengths, is very difficult of cleavage, and so is well fitted for beetles, hubs of wheels, pulleys, etc. Its leaves are the first to ripen in the fall, changing (sometimes as early as August) to a bright crimson. In the South, opossums climb the tree in search of its fruit and are immortalized in stories.

Genus Nyssa, L. (Sour Gum)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - oval or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base -…

Leaves - simple; alternate (and in alternate bunches); edge unevenly sharp-toothed (with five to nine deep cuts almost forming small lobes). Outline - rounded egg-shape Apex - pointed Base - usually slightly pointed, but often blunt or slightly heart-shape. Leaf/Stem - slender and often with small wart-like glands. Leaf - usually one and a half to two and a half inches long, but of variable size on the same tree; thin; smooth; shining. Branchlets - greenish, or whitish and shining, as though washed with silver. Thorns - one to two inches long, stout, often whitish, usually slightly curved. Flowers - about two thirds of an inch across; white (often with a rosy tinge); twelve or so in a bunch; with a strong and rather disagreeable odor. May. Fruit - nearly one half inch in diameter; rounded or egg-shape; bright red; with thin pulp and one to five stones; somewhat edible. September Found - through the Atlantic forests southward to Northern Florida and Eastern Texas. General Information - A low tree (or often a bush), ten to twenty feet high, with crooked, spreading branches; very common at the North; rare in the South. From a Greek word meaning strength.

Genus Crataegus, L. (Thorn)

Leaves - simple; alternate (and in alternate bunches); edge unevenly sharp-toothed (with five to nine…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharply and unequally toothed (sometimes with quite deep and sharp cuts, almost forming small lobes. Outline - oval or reverse egg-shape Apex - slightly pointed Base - tapering in a hollow curve and along the sides of the leaf-stem to a point Leaf/Stem - bordered by the leaf, to its base Leaf - about three to five inches long, one and a half to three inches wide; upper surface smoothish, and furrowed above the ribs; under surface downy at least when young; rather thick; permanently downy on the ribs. Thorns - one to two inches long Bark - of trunk, smooth and gray. New twigs, light greenish-brown Flowers - often one inch across; white eight to twelve in a cluster; at the ends of the branches; fragrant. May, June. Fruit - about one half inch in diameter, round or pear-shaped; orange-red or crimson; edible. October. Found - through the Atlantic forests to Western Florida, and from Eastern Texas far westward. Common. General Information - A thickly branching tree (or often a shrub) eight to twenty feet high; the most widely distributed of the American Thorns. It varies greatly in size, and in the style of its fruit and leaves. From a Greek word meaning strength.

Genus Crataegus, L. (Thorn)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharply and unequally toothed (sometimes with quite deep and sharp…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed; (edge of the lobes entire or sometimes coarsely notched and hollowed at their ends.) Outline - reverse egg-shape. Apex - of lobes, rounded. Base - wedge-shape. Leaf - quite variable in size and shape; four to seven inches long; smooth; pale beneath; the lobes oftenest five to nine, long and narrow, and sometimes widening toward the end, but at other times only three to five, short and broad, and radiating obliquely from the middle rub. Bark - of trunk, slightly roughened (comparatively smooth for an oak), light-gray; in older trees loosening in large, thin scales; the inner bark white. Acorns - usually in pairs on a stem one fourth of an inch or more in length. Cup - rounded saucer-shape, not scaly, but rough and warty and much shorter than the nut. Nut - three fourths to one inch long, slightly egg-shape or oval; brown, sweet, and edible. October. Found - from Ontario and the valley of the St. Lawrence southward to Florida, and westward to Southeastern Minnesota, Arkansas, and Texas. Its finest growth is on the western slopes of the Alleghany Mountains, and in the Ohio basin. General Information - A noble tree, sixty to eighty feet or more in height, with hard, touch wood of very great value in many kinds of manufacturing, and for fuel. The withered, light-brown leaves often cling throughout the winter. The "oak-apples" or "galls" often found on oak-trees are the work of 'gall-flies" and their larvae. When green tiny worms will usually be found at their centre. Quaint reference is made to these galls in Gerardes' "Herbal": "Oak-apples being broken in sunder before they have an hole thorough them do fore shewe the sequell of the yeere. If they conteine in them a flie, then warre insueth; if a creeping worme, then scarcitie of victuals; if a running spider, then followeth great sickness or mortalitie." The oak, probably more than any other tree, has been associated with workshop of the gods. The "Talking Tree" of the sanctuary in Dodona (the oldest of all the Hellenic sanctuaries, and second in repute only to that at Delphi) was an oak. Oak groves were favorite places for altars and temples of Jupiter. The Druids worshipped under the oak-trees. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed; (edge of the lobes entire or sometimes coarsely notched and…

Leaves - simple; alternate; lobed (the edge of the lobes entire, or of the larger ones sometimes wavy). Outline - reverse egg-shape. Apex - of the lobes, rounded. Base - wedge-shape. Leaf - six to fifteen inches long (the longest of the oak-leaves); smooth above, downy beneath; the lobes usually long and rather irregular, the middle ones longest and often extending nearly to the middle rib. Bark - of the young branches always marked with corky wings or ridges. Acorns - large, with short stems. Cup - two thirds to two inches across, roughly covered with pointed scales, and heavily fringed around the nut. Nut - very large (one to one and a half inches long); broad egg-shape; one half to two thirds or often wholly enclosed by the cup. Found - along the coast of Maine southward as far as the Penobscot, in Western New England, in Western New York, in Pennsylvania, and thence westward to the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains of Montana, and from Central Nebraska and Kansas southwest to the Indian Territory and Texas. It is found farther west and northwest than any other oak of the Atlantic forests. In the prairie region it forms a principal growth of the "Oak Openings." General Information - One of the most valuable and widely distributed oaks in North America, growing sixty to eighty feet in height, or more, with hard, tough wood resembling that of the White Oak. "The most interesting thing about this tree, perhaps is its power, quite unknown in the other White Oaks, of adapting itself to very different climatic conditions, which enables it to live in the humid climate of Maine and Vermont, to flourish in the somewhat drier climate of the Mississippi Valley, and to exist (still farther west) in the driest and most exposed region in habited by any of the Eastern America Oaks." - Sargent. Q. m. olivaformis is a variety found only in a few districts (near Albany and in Pennsylvania), having narrower and rather more deeply lobed leaves. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; lobed (the edge of the lobes entire, or of the larger ones sometimes wavy).…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - egg-shape, or often broad oval, or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed, often taper-pointed. Base - pointed and usually slightly unequal. Leaf/Stem - short (about one half inch). Leaf - three to five inches long; smooth above; pale and nearly smooth beneath; with the whitish ribs very distinct and curved. Bark - of trunk, blackish and rough, with short, broken ridges. The bark, especially of the roots, is very bitter and is used as a tonic. Flowers - The real flowers are greenish-yellow, in a small rounded bunch; but this bunch is surrounded by four large, petal-like leaves, white and often tinged with pink, more than an inch in length, reverse egg-shaped, and ending in a hard, abruptly turned point. The appearance is of a single large flower. The tree blossoms in May before the leaves are fully set. Fruit - The "Flower" is succeeded by a bunch of oval berries that turn bright red as they ripen, making the tree in the autumn, with its richly changing foliage, nearly as attractive as in the spring. Found - in rich woods, from New England to Minnesota, and southward to Florida and Texas. It is very common, especially at the South. General Information - A finely shaped, rather flat-branching tree, usually twelve to thirty feet high, but dwindling, northward, to the dimensions of a shrub; one of the most ornamental of all our native flowering trees. Its character throughout the extent of its range would seem to warrant the recognition of its blossom as the "national flower." Cornus, from a Greek word meaning horn, because of the hardness of the wood.

Flowering Dogwood

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - egg-shape, or often broad oval, or reverse egg-shape.…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very sparingly and coarsely sharp-toothed or the lower pair entire. Outline - rounded, with three to five lobes, usually five, with the hollows between the lobes and between the coarse teeth rounded. Apex - of the lobes, pointed. Base - heart-shaped or nearly squared. Leaf - dark green above; slightly lighter beneath; smooth or somewhat downy on the ribs; closely resembling that of the introduced "Norway Maple" by lacking the latter's milky-juiced leaf-stem. Bark - light gray, usually smoothish when young, becoming rough and scaly. Flowers - yellow-green and very abundant. April, May.  Fruit - greenish-yellow, smooth, drooping, on thread-like and hairy stems one to two inches long, with wings about one inch long, broad and slightly spreading. September. Found - from Southern Canada through the Northern States, southward along the Alleghany Mountains, and westward to Minnesota, Eastern Nebraska, and Eastern Texas. Its finest development is in the region of the Great Lakes. It grows in rich woods; often it forms "groves," sometimes extensive forests.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very sparingly and coarsely sharp-toothed or the…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes irregularly sharp-toothed and notched. Outline - roundish, with three to five lobes (the lowest pair, if present, the smallest); and with the hollows between the lobes pointed and usually extending less than half-way to the base of the leaf. Apex - of the lobes, pointed. Base - heart-shaped (or sometimes rounded.) Leaf/Stem - long and round. Leaf - (very variable in size and in the toothing and shape of its lobes); whitish beneath. Bark - smoothish; gray, becoming dark and rough with age. Flowers - rich crimson, on short stems in drooping clusters. March, April. Fruit - bright red, smooth, with stems two to three inches long. The wings are about one inch long. At first they approach each other, but afterward are somewhat spreading. September.Found - widely distributed in swamps and along streams especially in all wet forests eastward from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, and from Southern Canada to Florida and Texas. General Information - A tree thirty to sixty feet high, with wood of considerable value, especially when it shows a "curly grain." It is one of the very earliest trees to blossom in the spring, and to show its autumn coloring in the fall.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes irregularly sharp-toothed and notched. Outline…

The Alamo in Texas.

Alamo

The Alamo in Texas.

The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas where the battle occurred during the war for Texan independence.

Alamo

The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas where the battle occurred during the war for Texan independence.

Amole has a cluster of thick spiny-margined leaves, from which arises a stem an inch or two in diameter, bearing at the top a showy pancle of creamy white flowers.

Amole (agave parryi)

Amole has a cluster of thick spiny-margined leaves, from which arises a stem an inch or two in diameter,…

The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, now a museum in San Antonio, Texas located at 30 Alamo Plaza. The compound which originally comprised a santuary and surrounding buildings, was built by the Spanish Empire in the 18tth century for education of local Native Americans after their conversion to Christianity. In 1793, the mission was secularized and soon abandoned. Ten years later, it became a fortress housing the Mexican Army group the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras. Mesican soldiers held the mission until December 1835, when General Matrin Perfecto de Cos surrendered it to the Texian Army following the siege of Bexar. A relatively small number of Texian soldiers then occupied the compound. Texian General Sam Houston believed the Texians did not have the manpower to hold the fort and ordered Colonel James Bowie to destroy it. Bowie chose to disregard those orders and instead worked with Colonel James C. Neill to fortify the mission. On February 23, Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led a large force of Mexican soldiers into San Antonio de Bexar and promptly initiated a siege. The siege ended on March 6, when the Mexican army attacked the Alamo; by the end of the Battle of the Alamo all or almost all of the defenders were killed. When the Mexican army retreated from Texas at the end of the Texas Revolution, they tore down many of the Alamo walls and burned some of the building

The Alamo

The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and…

Samuel Houston (March 2, 1793 - July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman, politician, and soldier.

Samuel Houston

Samuel Houston (March 2, 1793 - July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman, politician, and…

The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction based in Austin, the capital of Texas, in the United States. Over the years, the Texas Rangers have investigated crimes ranging from murder to political corruption, acted as riot police and as detectives, protected the Texas governor, tracked down fugitives, and functioned as a paramilitary force at the service of both the Republic (1836–45) and the state of Texas.

Texas Rangers

The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide…

The Battle of the Alamo was fought in February and March 1836 in San Antonio, Texas. The conflict, a part of the Texas Revolution, was the first step in Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's attempt to retake the province of Texas after an insurgent army of Texian settlers and adventurers from the United States had driven out all Mexican troops the previous year. Mexican forces began a siege of the Texian forces garrisoned at the Alamo Mission on Tuesday, February 23. For the next twelve days, Mexican cannons advanced slowly to positions nearer the Alamo walls, while Texian soldiers worked to improve their defenses.

The Alamo

The Battle of the Alamo was fought in February and March 1836 in San Antonio, Texas. The conflict, a…

The Texas State Capitol, located in Austin, Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat of Texas government. It houses the chambers of the Texas State Legislature and the office of the Governor of Texas. Originally designed by Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882–88 under the direction of civil engineer Lindsay Walker.

State Capitol at Austin, Texas

The Texas State Capitol, located in Austin, Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat of Texas…

Orgyia leucostigma, the White-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae. The caterpillar is very common especially in late summer in eastern North America, as far west as Texas, Colorado, and Alberta. There are two or more generations a year in eastern North America (Wagner 2005). They overwinter in the egg stage. Eggs are laid in a single mass over the cocoon of the female, and covered in a froth (Wagner 2005). Up to 300 eggs are laid at a time. he larvae are brightly coloured, with tufts of hair-like setae. The head is bright red, the body has yellow or white stripes, with a black stripe along the middle of the back. There are bright red defensive glands on the hind end of the back. Four white toothbrush-like tufts stand out from the back, and there is a grey-brown hair pencil at the hind end. Touching the hairs will set off an allergic reaction in many humans (Wagner 2005). Young larvae skeletonize the surface of the leaf, while older larvae eat everything except the larger veins (Rose and Lindquist, 1982). They grow to about 35 mm.

White-marked Tussock Caterpillar

Orgyia leucostigma, the White-marked tussock moth, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae. The caterpillar…

An illustration of a Io moth caterpillar. The io moth (Automeris io) is a very colorful North American moth in the Saturniidae family. It ranges from the southeast corner of Manitoba and in the southern extremes of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick in Canada, and in the US it is found from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, east of those states and down to the southern end of Florida.

Io Moth Caterpillar

An illustration of a Io moth caterpillar. The io moth (Automeris io) is a very colorful North American…

Eastern Black oak (Quercus velutina), or more commonly known as simply Black Oak is an oak in the red oak (Quercus sect. Lobatae) group of oaks. It is native to eastern North America from southern Ontario south to northern Florida and southern Maine west to northeastern Texas. It is a common tree in the Indiana Dunes and other sandy dunal ecosystems along the southern shores of Lake Michigan. It is most often found in dry well draining upland soils which can be clayey or sandy in nature in most of the rest of its range. In the northern part of its range, black oak is a relatively small tree, reaching a height of 20-25 m (65-80 ft) and a diameter of 90 cm (35 in), but it grows larger in the south and center of its range, where heights of up to 42 m (140 ft) are known. Black Oak is well known to readily hybridize with other members of the red oak (Quercus sect. Lobatae) group of oaks being one parent in at least a dozen different named hybrids. he inner bark of the black oak contains a yellow pigment called quercitron, which was sold commercially in Europe until the 1940s.

Eastern Black Oak Branch

Eastern Black oak (Quercus velutina), or more commonly known as simply Black Oak is an oak in the red…

The Seal of Texas. The seal has simply a star which is a common symbol of Texas, an olive branch, and a live oak branch.

Seal of Texas

The Seal of Texas. The seal has simply a star which is a common symbol of Texas, an olive branch, and…

Sanders Creek is a small waterway located in Lamar County, Texas.

Sanders Creek

Sanders Creek is a small waterway located in Lamar County, Texas.

The Tuberous Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus) is an orchid native to the eastern United States from as far southwest as Texas and Oklahoma and southeast to the Florida Everglades to as far northeast as Maine and as far northwest as Minnesota. It is listed as an endangered species by the states of Illinois, Kentucky, and Maryland, and as exploitably vulnerable by New York. In Canada it is found in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. It also is found in Cuba and the Bahamas.

Tuberous Grass Pink

The Tuberous Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus) is an orchid native to the eastern United States from…

The Tuberous Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus) is an orchid native to the eastern United States from as far southwest as Texas and Oklahoma and southeast to the Florida Everglades to as far northeast as Maine and as far northwest as Minnesota. It is listed as an endangered species by the states of Illinois, Kentucky, and Maryland, and as exploitably vulnerable by New York. In Canada it is found in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. It also is found in Cuba and the Bahamas.

Tuberous Grass Pink

The Tuberous Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus) is an orchid native to the eastern United States from…

The Texas Sparrow or Green Finch (Embernagra rufovirgata) is a finch-like tanager of the Embernagra genus.

Tanager

The Texas Sparrow or Green Finch (Embernagra rufovirgata) is a finch-like tanager of the Embernagra…

A political cartoon of the Southern states being built from the ruins after the Civil War.

Southern Republic Built from the Ruins

A political cartoon of the Southern states being built from the ruins after the Civil War.

The spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) is a primitive freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae, native to North America from the Lake Erie and southern Lake Michigan drainages south through the Mississippi River basin to Gulf Slope drainages, from lower Apalachicola River in Florida to Nueces River in Texas, USA. It has a profusion of dark spots on the body, head and fins. It occurs in quiet, clear pools and backwaters of lowland creeks, small to large rivers, oxbow lakes, swamps and sloughs. It occasionally enters brackish waters. The fish is a voracious predator feeding on various kinds of fishes and crustaceans. They are notable for being one of the few extant fish species with ganoid scales.

Garpikes Fish

The spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) is a primitive freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae, native…

Color illustration of a 28 Star United States flag. The additional star represents the state of Texas. This flag was in use from July 04, 1846 until July 3, 1847.

28 Star United States Flag, 1846

Color illustration of a 28 Star United States flag. The additional star represents the state of Texas.…