James Grant and Santiago Grant

[stuart]

I'm currently writing an article for submission to the Southern Historical Quarterly on James Grant, and in particular distinguishing between the three James Grants who were in Texas at the time of the Revolution.

1. was of course Dr. James Grant (now confirmed as a British agent)

2. was James Grant from Nacogdoches, who was confused by the late R.B. Blake with Dr. Grant

3. was the James Grant who was in correspondence with Stephen Austin in 1824 and 1825. I have a recollection that this one was also known as Santiago Grant and was killed by Mexican bandits in the 1840s. I can't find my notes, but I remember that we did discuss him a few years back.

Can anybody help?

[Rich Curilla]

And there was James Edward Grant who wrote an atrocious screenplay for "The Alamo". (Sorry, had to stick that in.)

[stuart]

And if we really want to be picky Karle Wilson Baker reckoned she spoke with Dr James in seances when writing "Star of the Wilderness".

James "Santiago" Grant, by the way was actually based in Matamoros and certainly still alive in 1838.

[estebans]

This is so frustrating . . . I know I saw that within the last month, but have looked at so much recently that I can't say where I saw it. I distinctly remember scratching my head and wondering if British agents were so tough back then that they had to be killed more than once. There are multiple Cordovas and Manuel Floreses with the same problem in that era. If I was looking at newspapers, it was probably 1840-1841. Usually I make a note if I see anything really odd, however random, so I will check later today, but IRRC I didn't make one for the Grant item because it was too confusing, due to not having heard there was more than one of him. I don't believe it was in the Wilkins or Moore TX Ranger books about the mid-1840s, because I Googled the indices on those just now and didn't spot him.

[stuart]

I've partially managed to track him down.

As I mentioned in the OP, there was a James Grant from Nacogdoches who took part in the siege of Bexar and wrote, urging Sam Houston to come and take charge. He went back home during or after the siege and nothing much is known of him although Robert Bruce Blake succeeded in spectacularly confusing him with Dr. James Grant - check out his article still used by the Handbook of Texas Online and spot the deliberate error in placing him in Nacogdoches and Parras, Coahuila at one and the same time.

The one I'm interested in is the one who was writing to Stephen Austin in 1824 and 1825, and later referred to by James Ogilvie (the agent for Grant's heirs) as James Grant of Matamoros. He and Dr James Grant were apparently acquainted and in 1834 was referred to by the Doctor as "scamp (a namesake of mine)". Perhaps in order to distinguish between them, Dr James Grant was referred to by his Mexican colleagues as Don Diego Grant, while I have a recollection of seeing documentation referring to James Grant of Matamoros as Santiago Grant. He was certainly still alive in February 1839 when he had a meeting with James Ogilvie, and lurking in the back of my mind is another recollection of him being killed by Mexican bandits in the 1840s.

Just to further confuse matters there is a possibility that in the mid 1820s Dr James Grant may have been using an alias as Dr. Wilson.

[estebans]

Sorry, Stuart: I checked my newspaper notes and it looks as though I did not record the item I saw on the later James Grant killing. Killed by bandits along with another man is what I recall, but I didn't make a note despite being puzzled by the story.

[estebans]

Stuart, I just ran across my notes that I think are from Vol. I of Hobart Huson's history of Refugio, and find a mention on page 473 of James Grant being appointed an Indian agent around August 15, 1842, apparently with a citation of the Sam Houston papers (III: 146). That is a more likely area to find the "James Grant of Matamoros," and of course a good region for getting killed by bandits. I don't seem to have a note of a later mention of Grant in Huson's book, though it may well be where I read of his death. Don't know if this helps you any at this point--

[stuart]

Thanks for that, I'll follow it up.

[Rich Curilla]

I'm beginning to wish this HAD been James Edward Grant of "The Alamo" screenplay infame. lol.