Description:

Sam Houston
Austin, Texas, February 2, 1861
Governor Sam Houston Endorses Texas Treasury Warrant for Use of Pack Horses by Company of Texas Rangers Led by Future Confederate General and Texas Governor
Partially printed DS

[SAM HOUSTON.] George J. Durham, Partially Printed Document Signed, Treasury Warrant for $100 to J. M. Smith, February 2, 1861, Austin, Texas; Printed Endorsement on verso signed by Houston as governor. 2 pp., 8" x 4.25". Durham's name stricken on recto and entire warrant stricken and marked "Cancelled"; light toning; very good.

Acting Comptroller George J. Durham and Treasurer Cyrus H. Randolph signed this treasury warrant for $100 to J. M. Smith on February 2, 1861. The money was for the "Hire of Pack Horses for use of Capt Ross's Co." and would be paid from money appropriated by an act of February 3, 1860, for the "Protection of the Frontier" against both "Mexican Marauders" and "Indian Depredations." It was one of eight warrants to J. M. Smith for the hire of pack horses for Captain Ross's company. Smith was the lieutenant colonel of the regiment of Texas Rangers.

In October 1860, Captain Lawrence Sullivan Ross (1838-1898) organized at Waco, a town his family founded, a company of Texas Rangers, who enlisted for six months. They fought against the Comanches at the Battle of Pease River in December 1860 and recaptured Cynthia Ann Parker (1827-1871), who had been captured by the Comanches as a child in 1836. After Texas seceded, Ross joined the Confederate States Army, participated in 135 battles and skirmishes, and became one of the youngest Confederate generals. After the war, he served as sheriff of McLennan County, delegate to the 1875 Texas Constitutional Convention, and state senator. From 1887 to 1891, he served as Governor of Texas. He then served as president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A & M University) from 1891 to 1898.

On the same date that the comptroller signed this warrant, February 2, 1861, the Texas Secession Convention, meeting in Austin, issued "A Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union." Among those causes was that the "abolition organization" (the Republican Party) "have refused to vote appropriations for protecting Texas against ruthless savages, for the sole reason that she is a slave-holding State." The convention had passed an Ordinance of Secession the day before, and Texas was accepted as a state by the provisional government of the Confederate States of America on March 1.

Excerpt
"Agreeable to an Act of the Legislature, approved February 14t, 1860, this Warrant will draw ten per cent, per annum interest until paid,
Sam Houston / Governor George J. Dunham / chf clk & actg Comptroller."

Samuel Houston (1793-1863) was born in Virginia and left home at age 16 and lived with the Cherokee. He enlisted to fight the British in the War of 1812 and came under the tutelage of Andrew Jackson. After the war, he settled in Tennessee and began to practice law. In 1822, he was elected to Congress and served from 1823 to 1827. He was a strong supporter of Andrew Jackson during his term in Congress. In 1827, he became governor of Tennessee but resigned in 1829 before his term ended after his wife left him amid rumors of alcoholism and infidelity. In the early 1830s, Houston was in Washington to expose the frauds committed by government agents against the Cherokee. When a Congressman accused him of impropriety, he beat the Congressman with a cane on Pennsylvania Avenue. He was arrested and found guilty but given a light fine, and he left for Mexico. By 1835, he was a major general in the Texas Army, and he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in March 1836. In the Battle of San Jacinto in April 1836, Houston surprised Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and won a decisive victory that secured Texas independence. Houston served as President of the Republic of Texas from October 1836 to December 1838, and again from 1841 to 1844. After the annexation of Texas to the United States, Houston served as a U.S. senator from 1846 to 1859. In 1859, Houston became governor of Texas but resigned less than two years later because he refused to take the Confederate loyalty oath. He retired from public life and died at his home.

George J. Dunham (1820-1868) was born in Norwich, England, and immigrated to the United States in 1835. He moved to Texas in 1837 and the next year became the chief clerk in the comptroller's office, then located in the state capital of Houston. He moved to Austin with the government in 1839. He served as an officer in the Travis Guards and Rifles in 1840 and resisted the removal of government documents from Austin in the 1842 Archives War. He was elected mayor of Austin in 1852. While mayor in 1854, he shot and killed a man who had repeatedly threatened his life and was acquitted at trial. In 1861, he was a delegate to the Secession Convention. He served briefly in the Confederate Army as an orderly sergeant but was recalled to serve as a state tax collector. After an unsuccessful bid in 1866 to become state treasurer, he served as secretary of the Democratic state convention in 1868. He was also an ornithologist and an authority on Texas grapes. He died of typhoid fever in Austin.

J. M. Smith served in the U.S. Army in Florida, and by 1858 commanded the Waco Rifle Rangers from Waco, Texas. In May 1860, Smith was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Texas Rangers. During the Civil War, Smith served in the 8th Texas Calvary, Company G (popularly known as Terry's Texas Rangers), which primarily fought in Tennessee.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

  • Dimensions: 8" x 4.25"
  • Medium: Partially printed DS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

April 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000