Important Contemporary Account of the Texas Revolution

"History of South America and Mexico; Comprising Their Discovery, Geography, Politics, Commerce and Revolutions ... A Geographical and Historical View of Texas, with a Detailed Account of the Texian Revolution and War...",

This work includes an important history on the Republic of Texas by Lorraine Thompson Pease and a history of South America and Mexico by John Milton Niles. Included in the work are two maps engraved by T. Twitchel, engraved portraits of Generals Santa Anna and Houston, and an engraved frontispiece of the "Battle of Jacinto." The first map, A Map of Mexico and the Republic of Texas (16.3 x 12.7"), is dated 1838 and features a young Republic of Texas. Settlements are confined to the eastern coast and include Houston, San Antonio, Galveston and Nacogdoches to name a few. The states of Mexico are delineated and the map extends to show a portion of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The second map, Map of South America (14.8 x 19.4"), is also dated 1838. This map is divided by country and shows the extensive river system throughout the continent. There are several spurious mountain ranges and a number of cities are identified.

The Geographical and Historical View of Texas by Pease includes reprints of several important documents and accounts, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitusion, Burleson's report on the 1835 Siege of Bexar, William Barret Travis' letter of February 24, 1836, and Benjamin H. Holland's report on the Fannin Massacre. Pease was the father of Elisha M. Pease, who was a prominent participant in Texas affairs at the time. Streeter notes that "the value of this contemporary account of the Texas Revolution, compiled by the father of one of the participants, buried as it were in a rather bulky volume on South America, has been overlooked."

This work was first published in 1837, with subsequent editions in 1838, 1839, 1843, and 1844. Two volumes bound in one: 369 pp., frontispiece, 2 portraits, 1 map; 230 pp, 1 map. Octavo, hardbound in full contemporary leather with embossing on covers and gilt titling and tooling on spine.

References: Howes #N156; Sabin #55319; Streeter (Texas) #1285D.

Condition: B+

The folding maps have light toning and offsetting with a few spots of foxing. The portraits and frontispiece are moderately to heavily toned and foxed (B), and the text is fairly clean and bright with light, occasional foxing (A). The binding is sound and the covers and spine are moderately worn with some small abrasions.