Descriptive Summary
Herndon, John H. (John
Hunter), 1813-1878.
John Hunter Herndon
Papers
1814-1872
Materials are written in
English.
2 in.
Dolph Briscoe Center for American
History,The University of Texas at
Austin
Correspondence,
diary, legal documents, and military documents relating to John Hunter Herndon
(1813-1878), and his journey from Kentucky to Texas in 1837-1838.
Biographical NoteBorn and educated in
Kentucky,
John Hunter Herndon arrived in
Galveston, Texas, in 1838. He studied law in
Kentucky and
Houston, and was admitted to the bar in
Fort Bend County in November 1838. In 1839,
Herndon married
Barbara Makall Wilkinson Calvit, heir to the
Calvit sugar plantation in
Brazoria County, and by 1860 he had become one of
the wealthiest landowners in Texas. Although he was not in active military
service during the Civil War, the war and Reconstruction depleted most of his
fortune. Herndon died on July 6, 1878, and was buried at Hempstead.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, diary, legal documents and military documents relating
to observations of John Hunter Herndon (1813-1878), lawyer and soldier, during
his journey from Kentucky to Texas via
New Orleans (1837-1838), especially his
impressions of Galveston and Houston, and his opinions regarding the President
and members of the Congress of the Republic of Texas. Also included is material
relating to land transactions in Texas and to the military career of
Alexander Calvit.
Access RestrictionsUnrestricted/Restricted access.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Herndon, John H. (John
Hunter), 1813-1878.
Calvit, Alexander,
1784-1836.
Herndon, Barbara Makall
Wilkinson Calvit.
Cannon, William
Jarvis.
Carson,
Joseph.
Gray, Peter W.,
1819-1874.
Green, Thomas Jefferson,
1801-1863.
Holmes, David
A.
Houston, Sam,
1793-1863.
King, John A.
Lubbock, Francis Richard,
1815-1905.
Martin, Wylie.
Mitchell, Asa,
1795-1865.
Raguet, Henry,
1796-1877.
Riley, William
C.
Robbins,
Elliott.
Sharp, John.
Places
Lake Pontchartrain
(La.)
New Orleans
(La.)
Mississippi.
Boerne (Tex.)
Brazoria County
(Tex.)
Fort Bend County
(Tex.)
Galveston County
(Tex.)
Galveston
(Tex.)
Hempstead
(Tex.)
Houston (Tex.)
Liberty County (Tex.)
Richmond (Tex.)
Yorktown (Tex.)
Subjects
Texas--History--Republic,
1836-1846--Sources.
Texas--Politics and
government--1836-1846.
Texas--Emigration and
immigration--History--19th century--Sources.
Texas--Social life and
customs--19th century.
Legal
documents--Texas.
Preferred CitationJohn Hunter Herndon Papers, 1814-1872,
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at
Austin.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory
2E239
Correspondence,
1814-1857
2E239
Legal documents,
1814-1872
2E239
Discharge,
1814
2E239
Military orders,
1814-1815
2E239
Officer's commission,
1862
2E239
Diary,
1837-1838
2R36
Diary of a trip from Kentucky to Texas,
1837-1838