Texas Revolution and the K.G.C.

[senior deacon]

With the new mini-series Texas Rising on the History Channel I have been doing some R&I into some of the characters of the revolution. There appears that a few might later have had ties to the K.G.C. One that stands out right away is Sam Houston's Secretary of War Thomas Jefferson Rusk. Seems he was tied at the hip with the Buchanan administration.

Most of the main characters of the revolution were very young men and would live well into the 1870's past the Civil War. Some even would fight in the U.S. Mexican war. What I found interesting was most of the leaders of the Texas War of Independence considered New Mexico as part of Texas and when Texas was taken in to the union they tried to get the U.S. to agree to let that land be part of Texas.

I am beginning to think that some of the very early K.G.C. expansion policy was rooted in the Texas Revolution. We had slave traders with Cuba, Gun runners with Mexico, and pirates from Louisiana(France) all fighting for the riches of Texas. Most of these Texicans were from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia the rest from other parts of the deep south. Maybe one of the reasons that Texas had so many Castles and that the Lone Star Club was just a V.F.W. of the Texas Revolution still wanting vengeance for both the Alamo and Goliad. Something to think about.

Senior Deacon

 

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[Rebel - KGC]

With the new mini-series Texas Rising on the History Channel I have been doing some R&I into some of the characters of the revolution. There appears that a few might later have had ties to the K.G.C. One that stands out right away is Sam Houston's Secretary of War Thomas Jefferson Rusk. Seems he was tied at the hip with the Buchanan administration.

Most of the main characters of the revolution were very young men and would live well into the 1870's past the Civil War. Some even would fight in the U.S. Mexican war. What I found interesting was most of the leaders of the Texas War of Independence considered New Mexico as part of Texas and when Texas was taken in to the union they tried to get the U.S. to agree to let that land be part of Texas.

I am beginning to think that some of the very early K.G.C. expansion policy was rooted in the Texas Revolution. We had slave traders with Cuba, Gun runners with Mexico, and pirates from Louisiana(France) all fighting for the riches of Texas. Most of these Texicans were from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia the rest from other parts of the deep south. Maybe one of the reasons that Texas had so many Castles and that the Lone Star Club was just a V.F.W. of the Texas Revolution still wanting vengeance for both the Alamo and Goliad. Something to think about.

Senior Deacon

I agree with ya... glad to see TR on TV. Texas became the "HOTbed" of KGC acvtivities, pre-Confederate War; they were ready to invade Mexico. Think of Texas Rangers, also...

 

[senior deacon]

Rebel the Army of Texas had a three tiered system. The Rangers the ones of Sam Houston's time were the scouts and shock troops. All mounted with the latest firearms. They all reported to Houston and were independent of the rest of the Army. Yes I like you believe that was one of the goals to invade Mexico. By the way after the battle of San Jacinto the Rangers followed Santa Anna's Army back to Mexico to see that is where they went. To insure that they went back there they took Santa Anna as a POW kept him for a year then sent him to Washington D.C. to have a chit chat with Andrew Jackson. He returned to Mexico with egg on his face.

S.D.

 

[ECS]

... Texas became the "HOTbed" of KGC acvtivities, pre-Confederate War; they were ready to invade Mexico...

"The Southern rebellion was largely the outgrowth of the Mexican War"-Ulysses S Grant
It was the beginning of establishing a "golden circle".

 

[L.C. BAKER]

With the new mini-series Texas Rising on the History Channel I have been doing some R&I into some of the characters of the revolution. There appears that a few might later have had ties to the K.G.C. One that stands out right away is Sam Houston's Secretary of War Thomas Jefferson Rusk. Seems he was tied at the hip with the Buchanan administration.

Most of the main characters of the revolution were very young men and would live well into the 1870's past the Civil War. Some even would fight in the U.S. Mexican war. What I found interesting was most of the leaders of the Texas War of Independence considered New Mexico as part of Texas and when Texas was taken in to the union they tried to get the U.S. to agree to let that land be part of Texas.

I am beginning to think that some of the very early K.G.C. expansion policy was rooted in the Texas Revolution. We had slave traders with Cuba, Gun runners with Mexico, and pirates from Louisiana(France) all fighting for the riches of Texas. Most of these Texicans were from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia the rest from other parts of the deep south. Maybe one of the reasons that Texas had so many Castles and that the Lone Star Club was just a V.F.W. of the Texas Revolution still wanting vengeance for both the Alamo and Goliad. Something to think about.

Senior Deacon

If you look at him closely, Benjamin Ficklin was among those Texan K.G.C. members who were the closest to the top of the food chain. He was their go to man when it came to special operations such as comunications and transporting military freight or charting a path through uncharted Indian territory, and like many other key players in the K.G.C. Ficklin was a veteran of the Mexican War. It is also quite an acomplishment to have a town in Texas named after you or a county and in some cases both.

 

[senior deacon]

There are several reasons that Texas was important to the old south pre and post civil war. Size it was so big a person could get lost in it. Size it was so big that it had a great number of natural resources. It is the longest boarder of any state in the United States. It was the key to a southern route to a transcontinental railroad.

Texas has been a place where people can make a new start to their lives. It was a place for misfits. It contained enough land that after the Appalachian mountains filled up the immigration was to Texas. The same people came south west to Texas. Even some of the same people who settled there and thought it too crowded came to Texas. From the Piney Woods of deep east Texas to the hill country. The high desert of the south west part of the state to the fertile land of the panhandle. Land was cheap and plentiful. There were gold, silver, coal, iron, copper, wheat, and cotton. Even now it is the leading state for energy production gas, oil, wind, and coal.

On another board that I frequent a Texas thread was started because there were so many of us Texans. We found that many people not only from the states but from other countries would post comments and stories there. Many have said that they wished that they lived here. Something of the old wild west that is so enticing.

Sorry to get a little off topic and tout the great state of Texas. As John Steinbeck said "Texas is a state of mind, Texas is a obsession, Above All, Texas is a nation, in every sense of the word." As for me I was not born here but got here as fast as I could.

Senior Deacon

 

[Walker Colt]

Sam Houston was more than likely a member. He was good friends with Ben McCulloch and Elkanah Greer who were leaders in the KGC. Houston wanted to establish a protectorate in Mexico at the same time the KGC wanted to invade. The KGC companies volunteered to help him.
I believe Houston distanced himself from them over the secession debate.

 

[senior deacon]

Walker Colt you are correct. I believe that Sam Houston only was a member for political reasons. He was a close companion to Ben Mc Culloch. Greer was at political odds with Houston. Houston did make a trip to Marshall made a impassioned speech for Texas to stay in the union. It gained him 48% of the popular vote in the election from Harrison county. Must have been a heck of a speech. The only reason that Houston agreed to let Greer and the K.G.C. go into Mexico is the state legislature left him no money for border defense.

S.D.

 

[senior deacon]

With all the rain we have been having this last few days, I had a chance to reread some threads. I believe that Walker Colt makes a very good point (see post#7 this thread). One I will admit that I missed. In reading more about the Texas Revolution, Sam Houston did want a buffer between Texas and Mexico. Maybe he was closer to the K.G.C. than we all think. Even though he Gen.Greer, and Ben Mc Culloch were at odds about secession they all remember the two wars that were fought with Mexico.

In their older years these men didn't not want a fight with Mexico. The reason that Houston didn't want to secede was that the United States could offer protection for the border. If the state seceded then Mexico might invade and he might have two fronts to fight on. I believe all his life after San Jacinto he feared one day Santa Anna would be back to try to retake Texas. Greer and Mc Culloch wanted to take Mexico,Central America, and Cuba. To cement the south's sovereignty and the right to have a labor force and maintain their lifestyle.

S.D.

 

[TheInspector]

I'll admit I know little to nothing about K.G.C., but take a look at my Sam Houston Ledger and the names mentioned within.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what-s-worth/466510-what-appears-sam-houston-s-pocket-ledger.html

 

[senior deacon]

Not going to spend much time on this subject as it is really not K.G.C. If you look at the earliest maps of Texas you will find that the north most part of Texas was the city of Nacogdoches. From there south was where Texas activity was. Nacogdoches is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It was one of those crossroad cities along one of the old Indian trails that follows a river. The main stop on the Forest trail here is a link. Texas Trail of Forests

The area I live in was no man's land. A disputed area that Mexico, United States, and Spain had interest in. Not until before the war of northern aggression did this part of Texas get going. Only because of the natural resources and agriculture did it became important. After the war it wasn't until oil was discovered that this part of Texas boom.

S.D.

As a postscript this is trails name was El Camino Real de los Tejas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Camino_Real_de_los_Tejas_National_Historic_Trail