Descriptive Summary
Brooks, John Sowers, 1814-1836
Brooks, John Sowers, Letters
1834-1856
Materials are written in English.
39 items
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin
Correspondence composes the John Sowers Brooks Letters, 1834-1856, documenting Brooks’ experiences in the U. S. Marine Corps and the Texas Revolution as well as his family’s activities following his death in the Goliad Massacre.
Biographical Note
Born to Absalom H. Brooks in Staunton, Virginia, John Sowers Brooks (1814-1836) worked for the Staunton Spectator, before joining the United States Marine Corps in 1835. That November, he moved to Texas to fight in the Texas Revolution, serving as adjutant of the Georgia Battalion under the command of James W. Fannin, Jr., and participating in the Matamoros Expedition. In 1836, Brooks was appointed an aide to Fannin while also becoming chief engineer of the artillery, shortly before his death in the Goliad Massacre on March 27, 1836.
Source:
Brooks, John Sowers. Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed May 5, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbr72.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence composes the John Sowers Brooks Letters, 1834-1856, documenting Brooks’ experiences in the U. S. Marine Corps and the Texas Revolution as well as his family’s activities following his death in the Goliad Massacre. The majority of correspondence consists of letters to his family members, describing Brooks’ service as adjutant and as an aide to James W. Fannin, Jr., in the Texas Army and the Matamoros Expedition. Letters written after Brooks’ death concern his family’s attempts to settle his estate.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Brooks, John Sowers, 1814-1836 -- Archives.
Fannin, James Walker, Jr., 1804-1836.
Brooks family.
Subjects (Organizations)
Texas. Army.
United States. Marine Corps.
Subjects
Matamoros Expedition (1835-1836).
Places
Goliad Massacre, Goliad, Tex., 1836.
Texas -- History -- Revolution, 1835-1836.
Preferred Citation
John Sowers Brooks Letters, 1834-1856, 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
Inventory
3H90
Correspondence,
1834-1856
3S166
Oversize correspondence,
1835