The Memoirs and Selected
Correspondence of Juan N. Seguín.
Edited by Jesús F. de la Teja
Winner of the Summerfield G. Roberts Award of the the Sons of the Republic of Texas.
"I embraced the cause of Texas at the sound of the first cannon which foretold her liberty, fulfilled an honorable role within the ranks of the conquerors of San Jacinto, and was a member of the legislative body of the Republic."--Juan N. SeguinDr. Jesús F. de la Teja has written the most extensive biographical study yet done on this controversial Tejano, who has not yet gained his rightful place among the more familiar names in the litany of the illustrious patriots of the Texas revolution. Appointed a captain in the Army of Texas by Stephen F. Austin, Seguin escaped the fate of the Alamo defenders only when sent out through the Mexican lines with a plea for reinforcements. For Sam Houston, Seguin's "chivalrous and estimable conduct [at the battle of San Jacinto] . . . won for him my warmest regard and esteem." Promoted to lieutenant colonel and to the command of San Antonio, it was Seguin who collected the ashes of the defenders of the Alamo, conducted their military burial, and delivered their funeral oration. His prominence earned him the enmity of some of the new Anglo-American families of Texas, and he felt compelled to flee the new republic for refuge in Mexico.
Seguin's Memoirs, first published in 1858, are his apologia for his flight and for subsequent decisions which denigrated his reputation in Texas. Never before critically analyzed, the memoirs are edited and examined by Dr. de la Teja in a study destined to become an important addition to the literature of the history of the Southwest. Here is a wealth of information for serious historians but, even more, a readable and informative account for any person interested in early Texas history and the influence of the Mexicans who settled in Texas generations before the Americans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jesús F. de la Teja, born in Cuba, arrived in the United States in 1963 at the age of seven. Raised in northern New Jersey, he attended Seton Hall University from which he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Political Science, History and Latin American History. He received his Ph.D. in Colonial Latin American History from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. de la Teja's eclectic background as a resident of Texas for the past seventeen years has included experiences as a college instructor, as research assistant to James A. Michener, and as Director of Archives and Records of the Texas General Land Office. He has authored or edited numerous publications concerning the Hispanic influences in Texas and the Spanish land grants.
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Hardcover Ltd signed edition
(October 1991)
State House Pr; ISBN: 0938349694 |
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Paperback (September 1991)
Special Order
Fromm Intl; ISBN: 0880510340 |