The Texas That Might Have Been

[sloanrodgers]

I bought this book last week and it seems interesting for one without a complete narrative
form. It's called: The Texas That Might Have Been. Before Margaret Swett Henson passed
away, she collected numerous letters to Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston from Sam Houston's
bitter political enemies. Johnston's friends M. B. Lamar, James Love, Albert Triplett Burnley,
Charles Harrison, J. B. Ransom and a Kentucky cabal hoped to entice the general into runs
against Houston for Texas president and governor. The book is edited by some guy named
Donald E. Willett and has really good introductions by him and Henson.

From what I've read so far, these politicos and schemers seem to have hated Gen. Houston
primarily because he wasn't a Whig and a dirty Unionist, who was trying to bind their Texas
Republic to the United States. The obvious premise from the title and the text is that Texas
would be a very different place if they had been successful and blocked Houston from public
office instead of the other way around. Thank God for a crafty old Raven.

The Texas That Might Have Been.
www.deastore.com/book/the-texas-that-might-have-margaret-swett-henson-donald-willett-texas-a-e-m-university-press/9781603441452.html

[sloanrodgers]

I had trouble sleeping last night, so I read some of the letters, then noticed that our old friend, Dr. James E.
Crisp from the Emily Wars gave this book high praise on the back dust jacket. He also gave kudos to Willett
for finishing Henson's work. I havn't heard anything on Jim Crisp in ages and hope he's doing well.

[TRK]

Thanks for the mini-review of the book, RR. What are the earliest letters in the book: late 1850s, or do they go back further than that?

Ditto on Dr. Crisp.

[Kevin Young]

Jim was in Dallas this past weekend. He was signing copies of a "new" version of Dan Kilgore's How Did Davy Die.

[Allen Wiener]

I just ordered that online and was notified that it shipped a few days ago. I think the book is the same, but has a new intro by Crisp, as with his edition of the Perry translation of de la Pena.

[sloanrodgers]

Mar 11, 2010 7:39:18 GMT -5 TRK said:

Thanks for the mini-review of the book, RR. What are the earliest letters in the book: late 1850s, or do they go back further than that?

Ditto on Dr. Crisp.

I'm not at home with the book right now, but I believe the letters start in late 1839 after Johnston returned to his old
Kentucky home. Until I found this book, I didn't know he hated Houston so much. After all as president, Houston made
Johnston General of the Republic's army. Strange, but maybe I just don't understand the man or the time period.

[sloanrodgers]

One thing I found interesting with this book. There is a reference in one of the introductions
to Johnston sending Gen. Houston a letter and apparently challenging him to a duel. I wonder
if Gen. Houston told him to take a number.