A Guide to the George W. Grover Papers, 1841-1842
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator: | Grover, George W. | |
| Title: | Grover, George W. Papers | |
| Dates: | 1841-1842 | |
| Abstract: | Photostats and typescripts comprise the George W. Grover Papers, 1841-1842, which document Grover’s experiences on the Texan Santa Fe Expedition. | |
| Accession No.: | 1934 | |
| Extent: | 37 items | |
| Language: | Materials are written in English. | |
| Repository: | Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin | |
Biographical Note
George Washington Grover (1819-1901), Galveston merchant and city leader, participated in the Texan Santa Fe expedition in 1841, an effort to bring New Mexico under Texas’ jurisdiction. Prior to the expedition, Grover, who moved to Texas in 1839, served in the battle of Plum Creek, 1840, with Mathew Caldwell. During the Texan Santa Fe expedition, Grover, along with other members of the expedition, was captured near San Miguel, New Mexico, and imprisoned in Mexico City. During his incarceration, Grover edited a manuscript newspaper, The True Blue, under the name Simon Pure. Grover intended The True Blue, which included foreign news and short stories, to lighten the mood of his fellow Texan prisoners. After his release in April 1842, Grover wrote a memoir of his experiences, entitled Minutes of Adventure from June, 1841. He joined the California Gold Rush in the later half of the 1840s, but eventually returned to Texas to engage in the mercantile business. A civic leader, Grover served as an alderman, 1861, and as mayor pro tem. Grover died in Galveston in 1901.
Source:Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Grover, George Washington," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/GG/fgr78.html (accessed July 15, 2010).
Scope and Contents
Photostats and typescripts comprise the George W. Grover Papers, 1841-1842, which document Grover’s experiences on the Texan Santa Fe Expedition. The papers contain photostats of his prison newspaper, The True Blue, as well as photostatic newspaper clippings concerning the Texan Santa Fe Expedition. The papers also contain both a photostat and a typed transcript of Grover’s memoirs, Minutes of Adventure from June, 1841. The memoirs constitute one of the principal primary sources documenting the Texan Santa Fe Expedition. Furthermore, the papers include a photostatic muster roll for the expedition and a typed list of the Texas prisoners captured during the Mier Expedition in 1842, listing the various companies and their fates.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
Index Terms | ||
| Subjects (Persons) | ||
| Grover, George Washington, 1819-1901--Archives. | ||
| Brenham, Richard Fox, 1810-1843. | ||
| Cooke, William Gordon, 1808-1847 | ||
| Subjects | ||
| Texan Santa Fé Expedition, 1841. | ||
| Texan Mier Expedition (1842-1844) | ||
| Places | ||
| Santa Fe (N.M.) | ||
| San Miguel (San Miguel County, N.M.) | ||
| Mexico City (Mexico) | ||
| Galveston (Tex.) | ||
Related Material
For the originals of these papers see the George Washington Grover Papers, 1824-1896, at the Galveston and Texas History Center Rosenberg Library. |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
George W. Grover Papers, 1841-1842, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers