Overview
Texas State Archives
Texas. Secretary of
State.
General correspondence of the
Department of State, Republic of Texas
1822-1859, undated
bulk 1835-1846
Domestic
correspondence, home letters, and correspondence relating to domestic affairs
were all created and/or collected by the Texas Department of State, later
office of the Secretary of State, during the normal course of business (mostly
excluding diplomatic and consular business), and document the non-diplomatic
functions of the Department of State of the Republic of Texas, and the
Secretary of State's office of the State of Texas. The records date 1822-1859,
undated, bulk 1835-1846. These
materials are written predominately in English.
4.96 cubic ft., 4
microfilm reels
Restrictions on
Access Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State
Archives search room. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage
areas by staff members.
Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be
freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not
created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher
is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Technical
Requirements The four letter books are restricted due to their
fragile physical condition, so researchers must use the microfilmed copies of
these volumes.
Microfilm readers are available in the Lorenzo de Zavala
State Archives and Library Building. Ask staff members for exact
locations.
Agency
History The Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the
executive branch of state government, appointed by the governor and confirmed
by the senate for a term concurrent with the governor's (a two-year term at
first, a four-year term since 1974). The office was first created by the
Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836 (Article VI, Section 10), and has
been continued by each succeeding Constitution.
The only duty of the
Secretary of State specified by the Constitution of 1836 was to receive
returns of all elections for officers who are to be
commissioned by the President (General Provisions, Section 2). The 1st
Congress approved a Joint Resolution on December 13, 1836
defining the duties of the heads of departments of
the government. However, the duties of this cabinet (composed of the
Secretaries of State, War, Navy, and Treasury, and the Attorney General) were
expressed in extremely vague terms, i.e.: to conform
to and execute the instructions of the president, whether general or
particular; and to give respectively and collectively, such needful aid and
counsel whenever required so to do by the chief magistrate of the republic, as
may be requisite to a firm, wholesome and harmonious administration of the
government. Much of our knowledge of what the Secretary of State did
during the Republic period derives from the existing records themselves.
Although never so stated in law, obviously a major function of the Secretary of
State under the Republic of Texas was diplomatic, a function unique to Texas'
history as an independent nation.
During the next nine years of the
Republic's existence, Congressional acts added little in the way of explicit
duties: to receive from the chief justices of the county courts
a description of their county boundaries, and such
other information and observations relative to the same, as they may conceive
conducive to the convenience of their citizens (December 17, 1836); to
furnish Texan consuls with instruction for the proper regulation of foreign
trade (December 18, 1837); to contract for the printing of the laws and
journals of the Republic of Texas, and to arrange for their distribution
(December 18, 1837 and later dates); to contract for the translation and
compilation of Republic laws into Spanish (the
Castilian language) (December 18, 1837 and January 12, 1842); to become
the depository for a Library purchased for the Republic of Texas (January 24,
1839); to create a Patent Office, as a bureau of the office of Secretary of
State, and to grant patent rights for any new and
useful art, machine, instrument or composition of matter, liberal arts,
sciences or literature, books, maps or charts, or any new and useful
improvement of the same . . . invented or discovered (January 28, 1839);
to draw from the war department funds appropriated to run a boundary line
between the Republic of Texas and the United States (November 26, 1840); to
assume the duties of the Postmaster General, appointing and supervising a clerk
for a bureau called the General Post Office,
and to receive from the former Postmaster General all records of the abolished
Post Office Department (January 18, 1841); to issue writs of election to fill
certain vacancies in counties (December 7, 1841).
Except for its
diplomatic duties, most of the functions of the Secretary of State under the
Republic were apparently continued during the period of early statehood
following annexation. An act of the 1st Legislature (approved May 9, 1846)
to define the duties of Secretary of State
included the following: to maintain a register of all official acts of the
governor, and to provide the same to the legislature when required (this duty
had also been spelled out by the first state Constitution, 1845); to keep a
complete register of all officers appointed and elected in the state; to
commission all such appointed and elected officers when not otherwise provided
for by law; to record depositions and affirmations required by law to be made
by resident aliens wanting to hold real estate in Texas; to arrange and
preserve all books, maps, parchments, records, documents, deeds, conveyances,
and other papers belonging to the State, that have been or may be properly
deposited there, and sealed with the state seal (which copies shall be
considered admissible as evidence in the state's courts of law); to attend
every legislative session to receive bills which have became laws, and to bind
and maintain such bills and enrolled joint resolutions in the office of the
Secretary of State; to deliver a certified copy of these laws (with indices and
marginal notes) to the public printer, and to edit and correct them after
printing; to distribute the printed laws and journals to a list of state,
local, and federal officials specified; and to furnish forms to county election
officials for election returns, and to receive certified election returns from
these officials for members of the legislature (this last duty included in
an act regulating elections, approved May 11,
1846).
An act of February 11, 1854 created a Board of Commissioners
composed of the Secretary of State, the Comptroller, and the Attorney General,
to superintend the arranging and filing of the
archives of the late Republic of Texas and of the State Legislature, and also
the recording of the Journals of the said Congress and State Legislature ... to
be deposited in the General Land-office of the State. An act of December
14, 1863 made the Secretary of State the custodian
of the records of the Senate and House of Representatives. And an act of
March 25, 1887 provided that the entire archives of
the late Republic of Texas, ... together with the records, books, and journals
of said Congress would be deposited in the
Office of the Secretary of State, and declared to be Archives of said office.
(Sources include: the
Secretary of State Republic of Texas records
appraisal report
(December 1998); and the enabling legislation
(1836-1887).)
Scope and Contents of the Records Domestic correspondence, home
letters, and correspondence relating to domestic affairs were all created
and/or collected by the Texas Department of State, later the office of the
Secretary of State, during the normal course of business (mostly excluding
diplomatic and consular business), and document the non-diplomatic functions of
the Department of State of the Republic of Texas, and the Secretary of State's
office of the State of Texas. The records date 1822-1859, undated, bulk
1835-1846.
Domestic correspondence consists chiefly of letters received
by the Executive and State departments (including the Consultation,
Provisional, and Ad Interim governments), and also outgoing letters of the
Department of State; as well as letters received by Sam Houston as
commander-in-chief of the Army. Also included are some commissions,
resolutions, and proceedings of citizen's meetings and committees of safety,
reports to the President, and addresses of the Convention of 1836 to the people
of Texas. Materials prior to the Republic include correspondence, circulars,
and reports of Mexican political chiefs and citizens. These records date
1822-1845, bulk 1835-1845. Also included are four letter books containing
domestic correspondence, 1836-1842 (which contain, among other things, lists of
commissions, estimated expenditures, reports on county boundaries, and lists of
county officers). Subjects covered include military defense, Indian relations,
land claims, supplies for the Army, the Texas Navy, organization of the
government, appointments and commissions, loans and credit of the government,
capture and disposition of Santa Anna, claims against the Republic, relations
with other nations, elections, printing and translation of laws, reports on
county boundaries, and colonization contracts. Correspondents include Robert A.
Irion, Stephen F. Austin, Juan N. Seguin, and the presidents of the
Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones.
Home letters are letters received and sent by the Secretary of State,
with some going to the Executive Department, Provisional Governor, and the
General Council. Dates covered are 1835-1847. Also included are two letter
books labeled Home Letters, 1842-1847: one
contains letters from the Secretary of State to Republic officials, both
national and county; the other contains a list of Perote Castle prisoners,
correspondence and colonists lists for several colonization ventures, and a
copy of the annexation ordinance adopted July 4, 1845. Most letters pertain to
Presidential nominations, appointments, resignations, and supplies for the Army
and government offices; also the Texas Navy, postal contracts, claims against
the government, printing and distribution of laws, county boundaries,
elections, bonds and oaths of office, receipts for payments, and some election
returns are covered. Correspondents of note are the presidents of the
Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones.
Correspondence relating to domestic affairs consists of letters received
by the Department of State, the Executive Department or the Provisional
Government. Dates covered are 1825-1846, the bulk being 1836-1846. This series
of letters was added by State Archives staff to the General correspondence from
various sources (including but not necessarily limited to records of the
Provisional government, the Convention of 1836, Proclamations of the President,
Indian Affairs, and letters received by the President); they were added after
the transfer of the other subseries--Domestic
correspondence and Home letters--and
therefore contain documents that are not listed on those original inventories.
Subjects covered include Indian affairs, relations with Mexico and other
nations, organization of the government, contracts, resignations and
appointments, loans and credit of the government, colonizations, land claims,
claims against the Republic, supplies for the government and the Army, and
proclamations of the President. Correspondents include Stephen F. Austin, Santa
Anna, William Bryan, and the presidents of the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam
Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones.
Finally, a one-volume index
to incoming and outgoing correspondence of the President/Governor and the
Secretary of State covers the years 1822-1859. Information given in the index
includes dates and names of correspondents. Names are arranged first in a
roughly alphabetical order, and are then divided by type of correspondence:
general (untitled), Army and Navy of Texas, Colonial Affairs, Financial
Affairs, and Indian Affairs. Because the Secretary of State’s records are not
maintained as they were when the index was created, it cannot really be used to
locate specific correspondence. It is nevertheless useful as a guide to what
kinds of correspondence were received and sent, providing a context and
therefore adding to our knowledge and understanding of the period. Researchers
need to consult the several other series of correspondence (domestic
correspondence, home letters, and correspondence relating to domestic affairs)
to locate specific items written to or by the Secretary of State or the
President/Governor.
[Note: Researchers need
to consult all three series of general correspondence, including domestic
correspondence, home letters and correspondence relating to domestic
affairs.]
Organization of the
Records The records are organized by State Archives staff into four
series:
- Domestic correspondence, 1822-1845, bulk 1835-1845,
2.4 cubic ft., 2 microfilm reels
- Home letters, 1835-1847, 1.28
cubic ft., 2 microfilm reels
- Correspondence relating to domestic
affairs, 1825-1846, undated, bulk 1836-1846, 0.85 cubic ft.
- Index
to correspondence, 1822-1859, 0.43 cubic ft.
Index Terms The
terms listed here were used to catalog the records. The terms can be used to
find similar or related records.
Personal
Names: Burnet, David
Gouverneur, 1789-1870. Austin, Stephen F. (Stephen Fuller), 1793-1836.
Houston, Sam,
1793-1863.Santa Anna,
Antonio Lopez de, 1794?-1876.
Lamar, Mirabeau Buonaparte,
1798-1859.Jones,
Anson, 1798-1858. Seguin, Juan Nepomuceno, 1806-1890.
Irion, Robert A.
Bryan, William.
Corporate Names:
Texas (Republic). Dept.
of State. Texas. Congress.
Texas.
President.Texas. President
(1836 : Burnet)Texas. President
(1836-1838 : Houston)Texas. President
(1838-1841 : Lamar)Texas. President
(1841-1844 : Houston)Texas. President
(1844-1847 : Jones)Texas.
Consultation.Texas
(Provisional Government, 1835)Texas.
Convention (1836)Texas (Ad
Interim Government, 1836)
Texas.
Army.
Texas.
Navy.
Subjects: Elections--Texas.
Resolutions,
Legislative--Texas.Indians of North America--Texas--Government
relations.Land
settlement--Texas. Legislative bodies--Texas--Publication of
proceedings.Armies--Texas--Equipment.
Postal service--Texas.
Places:
Texas--Politics and
government--1835-1836. Texas--Politics and government--1836-1846.
Texas--History--Revolution--1835-1836.
Texas--History--Republic--1836-1846.
Texas--Officials and
employees--Selection and appointment.Texas--Foreign
relations--Mexico.Mexico--Foreign
relations--Texas.Texas--Foreign relations.
Texas--Colonization.Texas--Diplomatic and
consular service.Texas--Emigration and
immigration.Texas--Boundaries.
Texas--Frontier troubles.
Document Types: Correspondence--Texas--Politics and
government--1822-1859. Reports--Texas--Politics and
government--1822-1859.Resolutions--Texas--Politics and
government--1822-1859. Related
Material The following materials are offered as
possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by
the records. The listing is not exhaustive.
Texas State Archives
Texas
Department of State diplomatic correspondence, 1831-1832, 1835-1846, undated,
6.9 cubic ft., 3 reels microfilm
Texas
Department of State records of legislative and executive bodies prior to the
Republic, 1835-1836, undated, 2.64 cubic ft., 1 reel microfilm
Texas
Department of State Post Office records, 1836-1846, undated, 3.72 cubic ft., 1 reel microfilm Financial
Records of the Department of State, Republic of Texas, 1837-1845, 0.3 cubic
ft., 1 reel microfilm
Texas
Department of State Republic of Texas election returns, 1835-1845, 3.06 cubic
ft.
Texas
Secretary of State election registers (a.k.a. appointment registers),
1837-2007, 32.15 cubic ft. (originals), 36 reels microfilm (duplicates)
Texas Secretary of State bonds and
oaths, 1835-1920, 68.04 cubic ft.
Texas Secretary of State public
printing records, 1835-1905, bulk 1874-1897, 3.05 cubic ft.
Texas
Secretary of State executive record books, 1835-1917, 15.18 cubic ft.
(originals), 14 reels microfilm (duplicates)
Texas Secretary of State colonization
records, 1820-1879, bulk 1836-1845, 1.5 cubic ft.
Records Relating to Indian Affairs,
1825-1957, 2.75 cubic ft.
Texas Adjutant
General's Dept. Army papers, 1835-1846, 16.28 cubic ft.
Texas Adjutant
General's Dept. Navy papers, 1835-1847, 1852, 1855, bulk 1836-1846, 17.24 cubic
ft.
Publications
Binkley, William C. (ed.),
<emph render="underline">Official Correspondence of the Texas
Revolution, 1835-1836</emph>
, New York, D. Appleton-Century Co., 1936, 2 volumes.
Jenkins, John H. (ed. and comp.),
<emph render="underline">Papers of the Texas Revolution,
1835-1836</emph>
, Austin, Presidial Press, 1973, 10 volumes
Preferred Citation
(Identify the item and cite the series), General correspondence of the
Department of State, Republic of Texas, Texas Secretary of State. Archives and
Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Appraisal
Information Texas State Archives staff completed an appraisal of the
Texas Secretary of State holdings already in the custody of the Texas State
Archives in December 1998. Fifty-seven series of these holdings were determined
to be archival, including General correspondence of the Department of State,
Republic of Texas. The complete appraisal report (in two parts: Republic of
Texas records, and non-Republic records) is available for consultation online
at
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/sosrepublic.html
and
http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/sosstate.html
, and also in the search room of the Texas State Archives.
Processing
Information Processed by State Archives staff, dates unknown
Finding aid encoded by Tony Black in EAD Version 2002 as part of the TARO
project, July 2010
Authority name and other changes by Tony Black, February 2011.
Accession Information Accession numbers: 1904/001, 1905/003
These records were transferred to the Texas Department of Insurance,
Statistics, and History (the predecessor of the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission) by the Texas Secretary of State on May 25, 1905; and April
25, 1906.
Other Formats for the Records The letterbooks were microfilmed
(35mm) due to their fragile physical condition, so researchers must use the
microfilmed copies of the volumes.
Detailed Description of the Records
Domestic correspondence,
1822-1845,
bulk 1835-1845,
2.4 cubic ft., 2 microfilm reels
Domestic
correspondence was both created and collected by the Texas Department of State
during the normal course of business (mostly excluding diplomatic and consular
business), and documents the non-diplomatic functions of the office. These
records consist chiefly of letters received by the Executive and State
departments (including the Consultation, Provisional, and Ad Interim
governments), and also outgoing letters of the Department of State; as well as
letters received by Sam Houston as commander-in-chief of the Army. Also
included are some commissions, resolutions, and proceedings of citizen's
meetings and committees of safety, reports to the President, and addresses of
the Convention of 1836 to the people of Texas. Materials prior to the Republic
include correspondence, circulars, and reports of Mexican political chiefs and
citizens. These records date 1822-1845, bulk 1835-1845. Also included are four
letter books containing domestic correspondence, 1836-1842 (which contain,
among other things, lists of commissions, estimated expenditures, reports on
county boundaries, and lists of county officers).
Subjects covered
include military defense, Indian relations, land claims, supplies for the Army,
the Texas Navy, organization of the government, appointments and commissions,
loans and credit of the government, capture and disposition of Santa Anna,
claims against the Republic, relations with other nations, elections, printing
and translation of laws, reports on county boundaries, and colonization
contracts. Correspondents include Robert A. Irion, Stephen F. Austin, Juan N.
Seguin, and the presidents of the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston,
Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones.
A copy of the original list that
accompanied the 1905 transfer is available on request; ask for accession file
1904/1.2, Domestic and miscellaneous
correspondence.
Arrangement These records were once part of a group of records
labeled by the Secretary of State as Diplomatic,
Domestic, and Consular Correspondence, arranged numerically. Just prior
to their transfer to the State Archives in 1905, they were separated out and
each series was rearranged chronologically. At some time after transfer,
Domestic correspondence was combined with
Home letters, but then later separated again, both
times by State Archives staff. At some point in the early 20th century, State
Archives staff also removed items from the Domestic correspondence and added
them to the Army papers, Navy papers, and Financial papers. Their current
arrangement is chronological.
Preferred Citation (Identify
the item), Domestic correspondence, General correspondence of the Department of
State, Republic of Texas, Texas Secretary of State. Archives and Information
Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession Information
Accession number: 1904/001
These records were transferred to the
Texas Department of Insurance, Statistics, and History (the predecessor of the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission) by the Texas Secretary of State on
May 25, 1905.
2-9/3
2.
January 31, 1822-December 22, 1834
2-9/3
3.
June 2-July 17, 1835
2-9/3
4.
July 18-July 30, 1835
2-9/3
5.
August 1-October 2, 1835
2-9/3
6.
October 19, 1835-February 28, 1836
2-9/3
7.
March 1-April 28, 1836
2-9/3
8.
May 1-June 17, 1836
2-9/49.
June 18-November 30, 1836
2-9/410.
December 3, 1836-January 29, 1838
2-9/411.
February 7, 1838-January 29, 1839
2-9/412.
February 12-November 15, 1839
2-9/413.
January 11-December 28, 1840
2-9/414.
January 1-December 28, 1841
2-9/415.
January 26-December 26, 1842
2-9/416.
January 7, 1843-July 31, 1844
2-9/5
17.
August 8, 1844-October 17, 1845
Box
202. Domestic
correspondence,
1835-1845
Reel
3493Department of State, Republic of Texas: Letter book,
January 18, 1836-December 30, 1841
Reel
3494Department of State, Republic of Texas: Letter book
Number 1, Letters sent,
November 12, 1836-January 10, 1842
Reel
3494Department of State, Republic of Texas: Letter book
Number 2, Letters received,
November 28, 1836-March 24, 1841
Reel
3495Department of State, Republic of Texas: Letter book,
January-June 1839
Home letters,
1835-1847,
1.28 cubic ft., 2 microfilm reels
Home letters
were both created and collected by the Texas Department of State, later the
office of the Secretary of State during the normal course of business
(excluding diplomatic and consular business), and document the non-diplomatic
functions of the office. These are letters received and sent by the Secretary
of State, with some going to the Executive Department, Provisional Governor,
and the General Council. Dates covered are 1835-1847. Also included are two
letter books labeled Home Letters, 1842-1847:
one contains letters from the Secretary of State to Republic officials, both
national and county; the other contains a list of Perote Castle prisoners,
correspondence and colonists lists for several colonization ventures, and a
copy of the annexation ordinance adopted July 4, 1845.
Most letters
pertain to Presidential nominations, appointments, resignations, and supplies
for the Army and government offices; also the Texas Navy, postal contracts,
claims against the government, printing and distribution of laws, county
boundaries, elections, bonds and oaths of office, receipts for payments, and
some election returns are covered. Correspondents of note are the presidents of
the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and Anson Jones.
A copy of the original list that accompanied the 1906 transfer is
available on request; ask for accession file 1905/3.3,
Home letters.
Arrangement These records
are arranged chronologically by Secretary of State staff. At some time after
transfer, Domestic correspondence was combined with Home letters, but then
later separated again, both times by State Archives staff. (Home letters have
never had a numerical arrangment.)
Preferred Citation (Identify
the item), Home letters, General correspondence of the Department of State,
Republic of Texas, Texas Secretary of State. Archives and Information Services
Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Accession Information Accession
number: 1905/003
These records were transferred to the Texas Department
of Insurance, Statistics, and History (the predecessor of the Texas State
Library and Archives Commission) by the Texas Secretary of State on April 25,
1906.
2-9/5
2.
June 10, 1835-July 9, 1837
2-9/5
3.
August 7, 1837-July 30, 1838
2-9/5
4.
July 2, 1838-December 16, 1839
2-9/6
5.
January 4-December 14, 1840
2-9/6
6.
January 20, 1841-December 28, 1843
2-9/6
7.
January 4-December 23, 1844
2-9/6
8.
January 9-December 30, 1845
Box
202. Home letters,
1835-1845
Reel
3495Home Letters, Number 46 (340): Letters sent by the
Department of State,
January 19, 1842-February 10, 1846
Reel
3496Home Letters: Letters received by Executive and
State Departments (index by sender),
February 8, 1842-February 1, 1847
Correspondence relating to domestic affairs,
1825-1846, undated,
bulk 1836-1846,
0.85 cubic ft.
Correspondence relating to
domestic affairs was collected by the office of the Department of State during
the normal course of business (mostly excluding diplomatic and consular
business), and documents the non-diplomatic functions of the office. This
series consists of letters received by the Department of State, the Executive
Department or the Provisional Government. Dates covered are 1825-1846, undated,
the bulk being 1836-1846. This series of letters was added by State Archives
staff to the General correspondence from various sources (including but not
necessarily limited to records of the Provisional government, the Convention of
1836, Proclamations of the President, Indian Affairs, and letters received by
the President); they were added after the transfer of the other
subseries--Domestic correspondence and
Home letters--and therefore contain documents that
are not listed on those original inventories. Subjects covered include Indian
affairs, relations with Mexico and other nations, organization of the
government, contracts, resignations and appointments, loans and credit of the
government, colonizations, land claims, claims against the Republic, supplies
for the government and the Army, and proclamations of the President.
Correspondents include Stephen F. Austin, Santa Anna, William Bryan, and the
presidents of the Republic--David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar,
and Anson Jones.
Arrangement These records are arranged chronologically by State
Archives staff.
Preferred Citation (Identify the item), Correspondence relating
to domestic affairs, General correspondence of the Department of State,
Republic of Texas, Texas Secretary of State. Archives and Information Services
Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
2-9/7 1.
January 15, 1825-December 30, 1835
2-9/7
2.
January-June 28, 1836
2-9/7
3.
July 4-December 28, 1836
2-9/7
4.
February 12-December 1, 1837
2-9/8
5.
January 4-December 30, 1838
2-9/8
6.
January 8-December 30, 1839
2-9/8
7.
January 5, 1840-December 22, 1841
2-9/8
8.
January 10-December 26, 1842
2-9/8
9.
January 8, 1843-December 28, 1844
2-9/8
10.
January 1, 1845-February 22, 1846
2-9/9
11.
undated
Box
203. Correspondence
relating to domestic affairs,
1836-1845
Index to correspondence,
1822-1859,
0.43 cubic ft.
Correspondence was both created
and collected by the Texas Department of State, later the office of the
Secretary of State, during the normal course of business (excluding diplomatic
and consular business), and documents the non-diplomatic functions of the
office. These records consist of a one-volume index to incoming and outgoing
correspondence of the President/Governor and the Secretary of State, covering
the years 1822-1859. Information given in the index includes dates and names of
correspondents. Names are arranged first in a roughly alphabetical order, and
are then divided by type of correspondence: general (untitled), Army and Navy
of Texas, Colonial Affairs, Financial Affairs, and Indian Affairs.
Because the Secretary of State’s records are not maintained as they were
when the index was created, it cannot really be used to locate specific
correspondence. It is nevertheless useful as a guide to what kinds of
correspondence were received and sent, providing a context and therefore adding
to our knowledge and understanding of the period. Researchers need to consult
the several other series of correspondence to locate specific items written to
or by the Secretary of State or the President/Governor.
Arrangement These records
are arranged by the creator roughly alphabetically by name of correspondent,
then by type of correspondence.
Preferred Citation (Identify
the item), Index to correspondence, General correspondence of the Department of
State, Republic of Texas, Texas Secretary of State. Archives and Information
Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
2-7/452
Index to correspondence,
1822-1859