Telegraph and Texas Register
Encyclopedia
Telegraph and Texas Register (1835–1877) was the second permanent newspaper in Texas
. Originally conceived as the Telegraph and Texas Planter, the newspaper was renamed shortly before it began publication, to reflect its new mission to be "a faithful register of passing events". Owners Thomas and Gail Borden
and Joseph Baker founded the paper in San Felipe de Austin, a community long at the center of Texas politics.
The first issue was printed on October 10, 1835, days after the outbreak of the Texas Revolution
. The Telegraph continued to report news of the war and the formation of the new Republic of Texas
through the end of March 1836. As the Mexican Army approached the colonies in eastern Texas, most residents fled eastward. The owners of the Telegraph and their printing press evacuated on March 30 with the rear guard of the Texian Army
. The press was quickly reestablished in Harrisburg. On April 14, Mexican soldiers captured the printing press and threw it into Buffalo Bayou
.
The newspaper was reestablished in August 1836 in Columbia. When the 1st Texas Congress named Houston the new capital of the Republic, the Telegraph was relocated to Houston. Faced with financial losses, the Bordens sold the paper to Francis W. Moore, Jr.
and Jacob Cruger in 1837. Under Moore's leadership, the newspaper became "the most influential news organ of the Republic of Texas". In 1846, following the annexation of Texas
to the United States, the newspaper changed its name to Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register.
Moore purchased Cruger's shares in 1851, then sold the entire newspaper in 1854. The new owner transformed it into a tri-weekly instead of a weekly. When the paper was sold again in 1856, Edward H. Cushing became chief editor. He guided the newspaper through the difficulties of the American Civil War
, occasionally printing on wallpaper when newsprint was scarce. Following the war, the paper went through a series of owners and gradually declined until it was shuttered at the end of 1873. In March 1874 it was resurrected and briefly held the largest circulation any newspaper in Houston had ever received. It closed permanently in 1877.
entered a partnership with Joseph Baker to publish a newspaper. Although none of the three had any previous printing experience, Baker was considered "one of the best informed men in the colony on the Texas-Mexican situation". He was the secretary of the ayuntamiento
of San Felipe de Austin, a community which had long been at the center of Texas politics, and he could read Spanish well. Because San Felipe was centrally located among the colonies in eastern Texas, the group chose that location for their newspaper enterprise, hoping it would be easier to gather and distribute news.
They announced their venture in an advertisement in the March 15 edition of The Texas Republican, promising that the new paper, Telegraph and Texas Planter, would be "a tool to no party, but would fearlessly expose crime and critical error wherever met with". The advertisement also vowed that the new newspaper would "be ready to advocate such principles and measures as have a tendency to promote union between Texas and the Mexican Confederation, as well as to oppose everything tending to dissolve or weaken the connexion [sic] between them."
The first issue was published October 10, 1835, days after the Texas Revolution
began. By this time, the owners had changed the name to Telegraph and Texas Register. In an editorial, the owners explained that the paper's original name had been chosen when "the engrossing object was the accumulating of wealth and consequent aggrandizement of the country. Since that time affairs have assumed an entirely different aspect, and the all-absorbing question is how to protect ourselves, and what we already possess." The newspaper was therefore renamed to reflect their new goal of serving as "a faithful register of passing events".
The inaugural edition contained letters from Stephen F. Austin
, a report on the development of the Texian Army
, translations of several Mexican documents, and reports from the Committees of Correspondance and Safety in several other communities. As editor, Gail Borden strived to be somewhat objective, avoiding blatantly biased or partisan opinions unless a counterpart was also provided.
The newspaper was published weekly. Each issue contained eight pages, with three columns of text. In earlier issues, the first page generally contained poetry and an article reprinted from another newspaper. Later issues usually had advertisements printed on the front page. The second page was miscellaneous news, while the third contained an editorial. The remaining pages were filled with ads, articles from other newspapers, and local news. Occasionally, the first two pages would contain reprints of recently released official documents.
Readers could purchase six- or twelve-month subscriptions. Those who paid in advance were charged only $5 per year. An extra dollar was added if the subscription was paid at the end of the first six months, and the price was increased to $7 if the subscription was paid at the end of the year. Advertisements were limited to 8 lines. The first time the advertisement appeared in the paper, advertisers were charged $1. Each subsequent insertion was worth 50 cents. By November 1, they had collected less than $75, although their expenses were about $250 per month.
had occurred on October 2. Over the next few weeks, men began gathering at Gonzales
to form an army. John Borden joined them, and his brother Thomas took his place in the newspaper partnership. Gail Borden wrote to Austin on October 10 that both his brother Thomas and Joseph Baker also wanted to join the army. All were worried that they would be castigated for not joining, and Gail explained that he thought the newspaper was "of more importance than their services can be in the camp." Thomas Borden joined the Siege of Bexar
and on November 5, Gail Borden again refused to allow Baker to join the army because he was their only translator.
The paper's first issue was late, despite long hours worked by the printers. By the time the second issue was printed, the printers did not know where to deliver many of the subscriptions, as the subscribers had left their homes to join the army. The papers' expenses were approximately $250 each month, while it collected about $75 in its first month of operations. Borden contracted with the Consultation to print items for the interim government. By November 24, they had incurred $593.75 in costs, but the cash-strapped government was unable to provide reimbursement. The frequent public document printings caused the press to run low on newsprint, and by mid-December the Telegraph consisted of only four pages rather than eight. Gail asked his brother Thomas to travel to New Orleans to purchase more supplies, but Thomas refused to leave the army. The paper missed an edition in mid-December due to lack of paper. New supplies towards the end of 1836 allowed the Telegraph to resume service, but by February newsprint again ran low. Borden attributed this to a larger-than-expected subscriber list and frequent opportunities to publish other documents.
According to historian James Lee, the Telegraph was the most important newspaper in Texas during the Texas Revolution and was "one of the foremost papers devoted to the revolutionary cause". Historian Eugene C. Barker
describes the paper as "an invaluable repository of public documents during this critical period of the state's history".
Editorials in the newspaper often compared the fighting in Texas to the American Revolution
, even publishing extracts from United States documents of that era. Stephen F. Austin
, leader of the Texian Army until December 1835, sent news directly from the Siege to the Telegraphs editors. Borden received news directly from
other military leaders, including Jim Bowie
and James Fannin
, and political heavyweights such as Sam Houston
and Lorenzo de Zavala
.
From early December 1835 until early March 1836, there was little political stability in Texas. The Telegraph, along with the other major newspaper in the region, the Texas Republican, began printing more circumspect stories about the war after a January report in the Telegraph on a rumored counterinvasion by Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
sparked a panic among Texas settlers. For the next few weeks, the paper primarily featured official documents and letters, with little editorial comment.
The paper at first stopped short of endorsing a full split from Mexico. The editorial in the February 20, 1836 issue stated that: "To have advocated a declaration of independence, before understanding the true situation of the Mexican government, and without any assurance of assistance from the United States, would have been a rashness to which others as well as ourselves might have fallen victim." Borden further noted that "It has never been the objective of this paper to forestall public opinion and to crowd upon the people our own views in a matter so important as that touching a change in government." Nine days later, Baker joined the army.Baker later served in the Battle of San Jacinto
. Franklin (1932), p. 136.
In February 1836, Borden seriously considered moving the press to Washington-on-the-Brazos
, where the Convention of 1836
was set to meet. He scrapped those plans when another group announced plans to establish a press there. The competing publisher never formed, and Borden remained the official printer of the interim government, but at a disadvantage as he was 20 miles (32.2 km) from the proceedings.
On March 3, 1836 the Convention officially declared independence, creating the Republic of Texas
. The publishers of the Telegraph immediately offered their services to the interim government, pledging that they were "prepared to execute any order, either at night or day". The March 5 issue noted the declaration of independence in a small blurb at the bottom of the back page.In this era, printers set as much of the type in advance as possible, generally leaving only a small area on an inside or back page for breaking news. Sibley (1983), p. 10. More prominently displayed was the letter To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World
, which Texian commander William B. Travis
had written begging for reinforcements and supplies for his garrison at the Alamo
. By the following issue, the Telegraph was decisively for independence, praising Consultation delegates for their "unparalleled" speed, as "the alarming situation of our country admitted of no delay". That issue also reprinted articles from the New Orleans Bulletin and the New York Evening Star which had sympathy for Texas independence. The March 12 issue also printed the letter Travis wrote to the Convention shortly before the Alamo was attacked. The original letter was misplaced or destroyed during the confusion, and the only record of it is from the newspaper edition and the thousand broadsheets the Bordens printed on order of the Convention.
After their victory at the Battle of the Alamo
on March 6, the Mexican Army began moving east into the colonies. The Texian Army, in disarray after losing so many men, began to retreat east. The newspapers in Brazoria
and Nacogdoches soon stopped printing. The Telegraph–the only newspaper in Texas still operating–printed its twenty-first issue on March 24. This contained the first list of names of Texians who died at the Alamo. Borden refused to join the Runaway Scrape
, asserting that "so long as a paper should be printed west of the Brazos, the people east of it would not take alarm."
On March 27, the Texas Army reached San Felipe with word that the Mexican advance guard was approaching. According to a later editorial in the Telegraph, the publishers were "the last to consent to move". The printing press
was dismantled, and the Bordens brought it with them as they evacuated with the rear guard on March 30.
The interim president of the Republic of Texas, David G. Burnet
, requested that Borden bring the press to Harrisburg, where the interim government had fled. The Bordens successfully set up the press in Harrisburg, and on April 13 the Telegraph was named the official paper of the Republic of Texas. The following day they began printing the first issue in Harrisburg. It contained extracts from the Constitution of the Republic of Texas
and a proclamation from Burnet calling all men to arms. Only six issues were printed. Shortly after the sixth sheet was printed on April 14, Mexican soldiers arrived in Harrisburg and seized the press. The soldiers threw the type and press into Buffalo Bayou
and arrested the printers.The components were later retrieved from the river, cleaned, and used to print The Morning Star, the first daily paper of the Republic of Texas. Lee (1917), p. 216. The Texas Revolution ended one week later, when Santa Anna was captured following the Mexican defeat at the Battle of San Jacinto
. For the next few months, there were no newspapers in Texas.
The twenty-third issue of the Telegraph was published in Columbia on August 2, 1836. The first page was devoted to the new Constitution, which few Texans had seen. An editorial on the second page described the events in San Felipe and Harrisburg during the Runaway Scrape
. The editorial concluded: "Notwithstanding so many embarrassments and difficulties, we announce to the citizens of Texas, that we are again prepared to do their printing, and are ready once more to defend the cause of our country." By the end of the year, over 500 readers had subscribed to the newspaper.
Although Burnet had expected the 1st Congress to name Columbia the capital, they instead chose a brand-new city, Houston. The new capital had only been founded on August 30, 1836 and the land was still being surveyed at the time of its elevation to capital. Houston and Columbia were separated by 50 miles (80.5 km) of boggy river bottoms. It was very difficult to transport large loads overland, so publishers made arrangements to ship the printing press via boat. On April 16, 1837, the press arrived in Houston, on the same boat as the executive departments of the Republic of Texas. The first issue to be printed in Houston appeared on May 2, 1837.
, who took over as chief editor. Three months later, Gail Borden transferred his shares to Jacob W. Cruger.Gail Borden returned to the United States, where he founded Borden Milk Company
. The new partnership continued until April 1851, when Moore bought out Cruger.
Under Moore's leadership, the newspaper became "the most influential news organ of the Republic of Texas". Most newspapers of this time period were primarily vehicles for the editor to express his views. Editors generally made little effort to gather and report news, as the information would already be widely known by the time the paper was printed. In many cases, local news was given cursory treatment, as the editor did not want to anger any of his subscribers by appearing to pick a side in a local feud. The Telegraph participated in newspaper exchange. The Republic of Texas followed the example of the United States and allowed newspaper editors to exchange papers with each other without paying postage, allowing for the quicker dissemination of information. Texas also allowed each editor to send up to 30 newspapers to editors of papers in foreign countries, which included the United States. Until 1842, the United States mirrored this practice.
Although the capital moved to Austin in 1840, the newspaper remained in Houston.When the capital was relocated, Moore and Cruger established another newspaper, The Texas Sentinel, in Austin.
Many of the paper's articles were aimed at attracting immigrants to Texas, or retaining those who had recently arrived. Articles emphasized the good character of recent settlers (as opposed to the widespread belief that residents of Texas were scoundrels) and the advantages of living in the country. Through much of 1837, Moore wrote a series of articles describing the natural resources of Texas and the geography of various regions of the nations. Moore's series on the geography of Texas was in 1840 compiled into a book Maps and Descriptions of Texas. The book was reprinted in 1844 as Description of Texas. The articles were widely quoted in other newspapers and journals; an 1843 issue of Southern Agriculturist copied at least one Telegraph article in whole.
In 1838, the company purchased a printing press from R. Hoe & Company
. The new press was powered by cranks turned by workmen.
The newspaper continued to publish throughout the American Civil War
(1861–1865). There were no paper mills in Texas, and most Texas newspapers received newsprint from mills in the northeastern United States. A Union
blockade of the Gulf Coast made newsprint even scarcer, and Cushing was forced to print the newspaper on wallpaper and wrapping paper. After Union
forces closed the Mississippi River
, making transportation more difficult, Cushing relied on a pony express
to gather and forward news from the battlefronts. He published so many extra editions that on February 6, 1864 the newspaper officially became a daily.
After the war ended, Cushing travelled to the northern United States to purchase new equipment. When he returned to Houston his editorials began to "counsel[...] acquiescence" as he related some of the attitudes he had seen in the north. Many Texans, staunch Confederates
who were still unhappy that they had lost the war, resented the advice, and the newspaper began to lose readership. Cushing sold the paper to a syndicate, which put C.C. Gillespie in charge. Gillespie's editorials reflected a very different political leaning than Cushing's but the paper continued to decline. The syndicate soon sold the paper to William J. Hutchins, who retained Gillespie as editor.
Declining sales led Hutchins to sell the paper in 1867 to William G. Webb. Webb again reversed the newspaper's political leanings, yet he was unable to make the newspaper a success. In 1873 the Telegraph suspended publication.
In March 1874, the Telegraph was resurrected by Allen C. Gray. For a time, it received the largest circulation any newspaper in Houston had ever received. The revival lasted less than three years, however. Unable to satisfy impatient creditors, on February 11, 1877 Gray ceased publication of the Telegraph.
once referred to Moore as that "'lying scribbler of the Telegraph, whose one arm could write more malicious falsehoods than any man with two arms'".Despite his opinion of Moore's reporting, in 1860 Houston–nowGovernor of Texas
–appointed Moore the State Geologist. Geiser (1944), p. 421.
Moore included many articles explaining and justifying the Texas Revolution and the very existence of the Republic. At the same time, as early as 1837, the newspaper advocated annexation to the United States, even publishing a series of articles explaining that Texas should have been considered part of the Louisiana Purchase
. In 1846, not long after Texas was annexed
, Moore and Cruger changed the name of the newspaper to Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register, as they explained, "to designate the plotical tenets that we shall advocate".
According to Barker, the Telegraph "is an invaluable repository of public documents during the" Texas Revolution. All but six issues printed between its inauguration and the end of 1845 have been preserved at the University of Texas at Austin
. This collection has been invaluable to researchers, especially genealogists, as there are no widespread censuses available for the Republic of Texas. Researcher Kevin Ladd compiled much of the biographical information available in the early years of the newspaper's existence into the book Gone to Texas: Genealogical Abstracts from the Telegraph and Texas Register, 1835–1841.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Originally conceived as the Telegraph and Texas Planter, the newspaper was renamed shortly before it began publication, to reflect its new mission to be "a faithful register of passing events". Owners Thomas and Gail Borden
Gail Borden
Gail Borden, Jr. was a 19th century U.S. inventor, surveyor, and publisher, and was the inventor of condensed milk in 1853.- Early years :...
and Joseph Baker founded the paper in San Felipe de Austin, a community long at the center of Texas politics.
The first issue was printed on October 10, 1835, days after the outbreak of the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. The Telegraph continued to report news of the war and the formation of the new Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
through the end of March 1836. As the Mexican Army approached the colonies in eastern Texas, most residents fled eastward. The owners of the Telegraph and their printing press evacuated on March 30 with the rear guard of the Texian Army
Texian Army
The Texian Army was a military organization consisting of volunteer and regular soldiers who fought against the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. Approximately 3,700 men joined the army between October 2, 1835 during the Battle of Gonzales through the end of the war on April 21, 1836, at...
. The press was quickly reestablished in Harrisburg. On April 14, Mexican soldiers captured the printing press and threw it into Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
.
The newspaper was reestablished in August 1836 in Columbia. When the 1st Texas Congress named Houston the new capital of the Republic, the Telegraph was relocated to Houston. Faced with financial losses, the Bordens sold the paper to Francis W. Moore, Jr.
Francis W. Moore, Jr.
Francis W. Moore, Jr. became the second mayor of Houston, Texas in 1838. He was elected twice more and served as mayor of the city in three consecutive decades, the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s.-Telegraph and Texas Register:...
and Jacob Cruger in 1837. Under Moore's leadership, the newspaper became "the most influential news organ of the Republic of Texas". In 1846, following the annexation of Texas
Texas Annexation
In 1845, United States of America annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. The U.S. thus inherited Texas's border dispute with Mexico; this quickly led to the Mexican-American War, during which the U.S. captured additional territory , extending the nation's...
to the United States, the newspaper changed its name to Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register.
Moore purchased Cruger's shares in 1851, then sold the entire newspaper in 1854. The new owner transformed it into a tri-weekly instead of a weekly. When the paper was sold again in 1856, Edward H. Cushing became chief editor. He guided the newspaper through the difficulties of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, occasionally printing on wallpaper when newsprint was scarce. Following the war, the paper went through a series of owners and gradually declined until it was shuttered at the end of 1873. In March 1874 it was resurrected and briefly held the largest circulation any newspaper in Houston had ever received. It closed permanently in 1877.
Establishment
In February 1835, brothers John and Gail BordenGail Borden
Gail Borden, Jr. was a 19th century U.S. inventor, surveyor, and publisher, and was the inventor of condensed milk in 1853.- Early years :...
entered a partnership with Joseph Baker to publish a newspaper. Although none of the three had any previous printing experience, Baker was considered "one of the best informed men in the colony on the Texas-Mexican situation". He was the secretary of the ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
of San Felipe de Austin, a community which had long been at the center of Texas politics, and he could read Spanish well. Because San Felipe was centrally located among the colonies in eastern Texas, the group chose that location for their newspaper enterprise, hoping it would be easier to gather and distribute news.
They announced their venture in an advertisement in the March 15 edition of The Texas Republican, promising that the new paper, Telegraph and Texas Planter, would be "a tool to no party, but would fearlessly expose crime and critical error wherever met with". The advertisement also vowed that the new newspaper would "be ready to advocate such principles and measures as have a tendency to promote union between Texas and the Mexican Confederation, as well as to oppose everything tending to dissolve or weaken the connexion [sic] between them."
The first issue was published October 10, 1835, days after the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
began. By this time, the owners had changed the name to Telegraph and Texas Register. In an editorial, the owners explained that the paper's original name had been chosen when "the engrossing object was the accumulating of wealth and consequent aggrandizement of the country. Since that time affairs have assumed an entirely different aspect, and the all-absorbing question is how to protect ourselves, and what we already possess." The newspaper was therefore renamed to reflect their new goal of serving as "a faithful register of passing events".
The inaugural edition contained letters from Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
, a report on the development of the Texian Army
Texian Army
The Texian Army was a military organization consisting of volunteer and regular soldiers who fought against the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. Approximately 3,700 men joined the army between October 2, 1835 during the Battle of Gonzales through the end of the war on April 21, 1836, at...
, translations of several Mexican documents, and reports from the Committees of Correspondance and Safety in several other communities. As editor, Gail Borden strived to be somewhat objective, avoiding blatantly biased or partisan opinions unless a counterpart was also provided.
The newspaper was published weekly. Each issue contained eight pages, with three columns of text. In earlier issues, the first page generally contained poetry and an article reprinted from another newspaper. Later issues usually had advertisements printed on the front page. The second page was miscellaneous news, while the third contained an editorial. The remaining pages were filled with ads, articles from other newspapers, and local news. Occasionally, the first two pages would contain reprints of recently released official documents.
Readers could purchase six- or twelve-month subscriptions. Those who paid in advance were charged only $5 per year. An extra dollar was added if the subscription was paid at the end of the first six months, and the price was increased to $7 if the subscription was paid at the end of the year. Advertisements were limited to 8 lines. The first time the advertisement appeared in the paper, advertisers were charged $1. Each subsequent insertion was worth 50 cents. By November 1, they had collected less than $75, although their expenses were about $250 per month.
Texas Revolution
The small skirmish known as the Battle of GonzalesBattle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops....
had occurred on October 2. Over the next few weeks, men began gathering at Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
to form an army. John Borden joined them, and his brother Thomas took his place in the newspaper partnership. Gail Borden wrote to Austin on October 10 that both his brother Thomas and Joseph Baker also wanted to join the army. All were worried that they would be castigated for not joining, and Gail explained that he thought the newspaper was "of more importance than their services can be in the camp." Thomas Borden joined the Siege of Bexar
Siege of Bexar
The Siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar . Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly...
and on November 5, Gail Borden again refused to allow Baker to join the army because he was their only translator.
The paper's first issue was late, despite long hours worked by the printers. By the time the second issue was printed, the printers did not know where to deliver many of the subscriptions, as the subscribers had left their homes to join the army. The papers' expenses were approximately $250 each month, while it collected about $75 in its first month of operations. Borden contracted with the Consultation to print items for the interim government. By November 24, they had incurred $593.75 in costs, but the cash-strapped government was unable to provide reimbursement. The frequent public document printings caused the press to run low on newsprint, and by mid-December the Telegraph consisted of only four pages rather than eight. Gail asked his brother Thomas to travel to New Orleans to purchase more supplies, but Thomas refused to leave the army. The paper missed an edition in mid-December due to lack of paper. New supplies towards the end of 1836 allowed the Telegraph to resume service, but by February newsprint again ran low. Borden attributed this to a larger-than-expected subscriber list and frequent opportunities to publish other documents.
According to historian James Lee, the Telegraph was the most important newspaper in Texas during the Texas Revolution and was "one of the foremost papers devoted to the revolutionary cause". Historian Eugene C. Barker
Eugene C. Barker
Eugene Campbell Barker was a distinguished professor of Texas history at the University of Texas at Austin. He was the first living person to have a UT campus building, the Eugene C. Barker Texas History Center, named in his honor. The structure is part of the Center for American History and was...
describes the paper as "an invaluable repository of public documents during this critical period of the state's history".
Editorials in the newspaper often compared the fighting in Texas to the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, even publishing extracts from United States documents of that era. Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
, leader of the Texian Army until December 1835, sent news directly from the Siege to the Telegraphs editors. Borden received news directly from
other military leaders, including Jim Bowie
Jim Bowie
James "Jim" Bowie , a 19th-century American pioneer, slave trader, land speculator, and soldier, played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution, culminating in his death at the Battle of the Alamo...
and James Fannin
James Fannin
James Walker Fannin, Jr. was a 19th-century U.S. military figure on the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36...
, and political heavyweights such as Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
and Lorenzo de Zavala
Lorenzo de Zavala
Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Saenz was a 19th-century Mexican politician. He served as finance minister under President Vicente Guerrero. A colonizer and statesman, he was also the interim Vice President of the Republic of Texas, serving under interim President David G...
.
From early December 1835 until early March 1836, there was little political stability in Texas. The Telegraph, along with the other major newspaper in the region, the Texas Republican, began printing more circumspect stories about the war after a January report in the Telegraph on a rumored counterinvasion by Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón , often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, known as "the Napoleon of the West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government...
sparked a panic among Texas settlers. For the next few weeks, the paper primarily featured official documents and letters, with little editorial comment.
The paper at first stopped short of endorsing a full split from Mexico. The editorial in the February 20, 1836 issue stated that: "To have advocated a declaration of independence, before understanding the true situation of the Mexican government, and without any assurance of assistance from the United States, would have been a rashness to which others as well as ourselves might have fallen victim." Borden further noted that "It has never been the objective of this paper to forestall public opinion and to crowd upon the people our own views in a matter so important as that touching a change in government." Nine days later, Baker joined the army.Baker later served in the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
. Franklin (1932), p. 136.
In February 1836, Borden seriously considered moving the press to Washington-on-the-Brazos
Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas
Washington-on-the-Brazos is an unincorporated area along the Brazos River in Washington County, Texas, United States. It was founded when Texas was still a part of Mexico, and the settlement became the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
, where the Convention of 1836
Convention of 1836
The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether to declare independence from Mexico or pledge to...
was set to meet. He scrapped those plans when another group announced plans to establish a press there. The competing publisher never formed, and Borden remained the official printer of the interim government, but at a disadvantage as he was 20 miles (32.2 km) from the proceedings.
On March 3, 1836 the Convention officially declared independence, creating the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
. The publishers of the Telegraph immediately offered their services to the interim government, pledging that they were "prepared to execute any order, either at night or day". The March 5 issue noted the declaration of independence in a small blurb at the bottom of the back page.In this era, printers set as much of the type in advance as possible, generally leaving only a small area on an inside or back page for breaking news. Sibley (1983), p. 10. More prominently displayed was the letter To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World
To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World is an open letter written on February 24, 1836, by William B. Travis, commander of the Texian forces at the Battle of the Alamo, to settlers in Mexican Texas...
, which Texian commander William B. Travis
William B. Travis
William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army...
had written begging for reinforcements and supplies for his garrison at the Alamo
Alamo Mission in San Antonio
The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, and now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas....
. By the following issue, the Telegraph was decisively for independence, praising Consultation delegates for their "unparalleled" speed, as "the alarming situation of our country admitted of no delay". That issue also reprinted articles from the New Orleans Bulletin and the New York Evening Star which had sympathy for Texas independence. The March 12 issue also printed the letter Travis wrote to the Convention shortly before the Alamo was attacked. The original letter was misplaced or destroyed during the confusion, and the only record of it is from the newspaper edition and the thousand broadsheets the Bordens printed on order of the Convention.
After their victory at the Battle of the Alamo
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...
on March 6, the Mexican Army began moving east into the colonies. The Texian Army, in disarray after losing so many men, began to retreat east. The newspapers in Brazoria
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria is a city of Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,787.Brazoria was originally founded as a port for Stephen F...
and Nacogdoches soon stopped printing. The Telegraph–the only newspaper in Texas still operating–printed its twenty-first issue on March 24. This contained the first list of names of Texians who died at the Alamo. Borden refused to join the Runaway Scrape
Runaway Scrape
The Runaway Scrape was the name given to the flight and subsequent hostilities that occurred, as Texan, Tejano, and American settlers and militia encountered the pursuing Mexican army in early 1836....
, asserting that "so long as a paper should be printed west of the Brazos, the people east of it would not take alarm."
On March 27, the Texas Army reached San Felipe with word that the Mexican advance guard was approaching. According to a later editorial in the Telegraph, the publishers were "the last to consent to move". The printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
was dismantled, and the Bordens brought it with them as they evacuated with the rear guard on March 30.
The interim president of the Republic of Texas, David G. Burnet
David G. Burnet
David Gouverneur Burnet was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas , second Vice President of the Republic of Texas , and Secretary of State for the new state of Texas after it was annexed to the United States of America.Burnet was born in Newark,...
, requested that Borden bring the press to Harrisburg, where the interim government had fled. The Bordens successfully set up the press in Harrisburg, and on April 13 the Telegraph was named the official paper of the Republic of Texas. The following day they began printing the first issue in Harrisburg. It contained extracts from the Constitution of the Republic of Texas
Constitution of the Republic of Texas
The Constitution of the Republic of Texas was written in 1836 between the fall of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio and Sam Houston's stunning victory at San Jacinto. The constitution was written quickly and while on the run from Santa Anna....
and a proclamation from Burnet calling all men to arms. Only six issues were printed. Shortly after the sixth sheet was printed on April 14, Mexican soldiers arrived in Harrisburg and seized the press. The soldiers threw the type and press into Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou
Buffalo Bayou is a main waterway flowing through Houston, in Harris County, Texas, USA. It begins in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas and flows approximately east to the Houston Ship Channel and then into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico...
and arrested the printers.The components were later retrieved from the river, cleaned, and used to print The Morning Star, the first daily paper of the Republic of Texas. Lee (1917), p. 216. The Texas Revolution ended one week later, when Santa Anna was captured following the Mexican defeat at the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
. For the next few months, there were no newspapers in Texas.
Reestablishment
Lacking funds to replace his equipment, in May Gail Borden asked Burnet for governmental assistance in forming another newspaper. Burnet sent Borden a draft and instructed him to visit Texas agents in New Orleans to receive payment. The Republic was bankrupt, however, and the agents were unable to provide Burnet with funds. He instead mortgaged his land and used the money to buy a new printing press in Cincinnati. The Bordens had intended to reopen their printing business in whichever city became the new capital of the republic. Although Burnet did not officially name a new capital,Burnet did not have the authority to do so. Kemp (1944), p. 3. on July 23, Burnet called for elections for the 1st Texas Congress, which would convene in Columbia on the first Monday in October. The Bordens promptly relocated to Columbia.The twenty-third issue of the Telegraph was published in Columbia on August 2, 1836. The first page was devoted to the new Constitution, which few Texans had seen. An editorial on the second page described the events in San Felipe and Harrisburg during the Runaway Scrape
Runaway Scrape
The Runaway Scrape was the name given to the flight and subsequent hostilities that occurred, as Texan, Tejano, and American settlers and militia encountered the pursuing Mexican army in early 1836....
. The editorial concluded: "Notwithstanding so many embarrassments and difficulties, we announce to the citizens of Texas, that we are again prepared to do their printing, and are ready once more to defend the cause of our country." By the end of the year, over 500 readers had subscribed to the newspaper.
Although Burnet had expected the 1st Congress to name Columbia the capital, they instead chose a brand-new city, Houston. The new capital had only been founded on August 30, 1836 and the land was still being surveyed at the time of its elevation to capital. Houston and Columbia were separated by 50 miles (80.5 km) of boggy river bottoms. It was very difficult to transport large loads overland, so publishers made arrangements to ship the printing press via boat. On April 16, 1837, the press arrived in Houston, on the same boat as the executive departments of the Republic of Texas. The first issue to be printed in Houston appeared on May 2, 1837.
Moore era (1837–1854)
The newspaper was in financial difficulty, as bills were rarely paid. Settlers moved often as they rebuilt their lives after the war and often did not pay their subscription fee. The government also provided very little toward their debt.It took almost twelve years for the government to completely repay the Bordens. Kökény (2004), p. 289. The Bordens soon decided to leave the newspaper business. In March 1837, Thomas Borden sold his interest in the enterprise to Francis W. Moore, Jr.Francis W. Moore, Jr.
Francis W. Moore, Jr. became the second mayor of Houston, Texas in 1838. He was elected twice more and served as mayor of the city in three consecutive decades, the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s.-Telegraph and Texas Register:...
, who took over as chief editor. Three months later, Gail Borden transferred his shares to Jacob W. Cruger.Gail Borden returned to the United States, where he founded Borden Milk Company
Borden (company)
Borden, Inc., was an American producer of food and beverage products, consumer products, and industrial products. At one time, the company was the largest U.S. producer of dairy and pasta products. Its food division, Borden Foods, was based in Columbus, Ohio, and focused primarily on pasta and...
. The new partnership continued until April 1851, when Moore bought out Cruger.
Under Moore's leadership, the newspaper became "the most influential news organ of the Republic of Texas". Most newspapers of this time period were primarily vehicles for the editor to express his views. Editors generally made little effort to gather and report news, as the information would already be widely known by the time the paper was printed. In many cases, local news was given cursory treatment, as the editor did not want to anger any of his subscribers by appearing to pick a side in a local feud. The Telegraph participated in newspaper exchange. The Republic of Texas followed the example of the United States and allowed newspaper editors to exchange papers with each other without paying postage, allowing for the quicker dissemination of information. Texas also allowed each editor to send up to 30 newspapers to editors of papers in foreign countries, which included the United States. Until 1842, the United States mirrored this practice.
Although the capital moved to Austin in 1840, the newspaper remained in Houston.When the capital was relocated, Moore and Cruger established another newspaper, The Texas Sentinel, in Austin.
Many of the paper's articles were aimed at attracting immigrants to Texas, or retaining those who had recently arrived. Articles emphasized the good character of recent settlers (as opposed to the widespread belief that residents of Texas were scoundrels) and the advantages of living in the country. Through much of 1837, Moore wrote a series of articles describing the natural resources of Texas and the geography of various regions of the nations. Moore's series on the geography of Texas was in 1840 compiled into a book Maps and Descriptions of Texas. The book was reprinted in 1844 as Description of Texas. The articles were widely quoted in other newspapers and journals; an 1843 issue of Southern Agriculturist copied at least one Telegraph article in whole.
In 1838, the company purchased a printing press from R. Hoe & Company
R. Hoe & Company
R. Hoe & Company was a New York City based printing press manufacturer established by Peter Smith, Matthew Smith , and their brother-in-law, English emigrant Robert Hoe , in 1805 as Smith, Hoe & Company.-Early Years:...
. The new press was powered by cranks turned by workmen.
Ownership changes and decline
In 1854, Moore sold the newspaper to Harvey H. Allen, who retained it for less than two years. During that time, he expanded the newspaper to a thrice-weekly printing. Edward H. Cushing became the chief editor in 1856, when Allen sold it to a corporation. Cushing later acquired all stock and became the sole owner.The newspaper continued to publish throughout the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865). There were no paper mills in Texas, and most Texas newspapers received newsprint from mills in the northeastern United States. A Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
blockade of the Gulf Coast made newsprint even scarcer, and Cushing was forced to print the newspaper on wallpaper and wrapping paper. After Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
forces closed the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, making transportation more difficult, Cushing relied on a pony express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
to gather and forward news from the battlefronts. He published so many extra editions that on February 6, 1864 the newspaper officially became a daily.
After the war ended, Cushing travelled to the northern United States to purchase new equipment. When he returned to Houston his editorials began to "counsel[...] acquiescence" as he related some of the attitudes he had seen in the north. Many Texans, staunch Confederates
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
who were still unhappy that they had lost the war, resented the advice, and the newspaper began to lose readership. Cushing sold the paper to a syndicate, which put C.C. Gillespie in charge. Gillespie's editorials reflected a very different political leaning than Cushing's but the paper continued to decline. The syndicate soon sold the paper to William J. Hutchins, who retained Gillespie as editor.
Declining sales led Hutchins to sell the paper in 1867 to William G. Webb. Webb again reversed the newspaper's political leanings, yet he was unable to make the newspaper a success. In 1873 the Telegraph suspended publication.
In March 1874, the Telegraph was resurrected by Allen C. Gray. For a time, it received the largest circulation any newspaper in Houston had ever received. The revival lasted less than three years, however. Unable to satisfy impatient creditors, on February 11, 1877 Gray ceased publication of the Telegraph.
Borden
Shortly after the newspaper launched, Borden set out his philosophy that "to render the press useful it should never be prostituted to misrepresentation, slander, and vituperation." Borden used language he described as "decorous" and tried to avoid covering issues that would divide his audience. He did not write about the quarrels between the War and Peace factions as the region moved towards independence.Moore
His reporting did not necessarily please politicians. Governor Sam HoustonSam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
once referred to Moore as that "'lying scribbler of the Telegraph, whose one arm could write more malicious falsehoods than any man with two arms'".Despite his opinion of Moore's reporting, in 1860 Houston–nowGovernor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
–appointed Moore the State Geologist. Geiser (1944), p. 421.
Moore included many articles explaining and justifying the Texas Revolution and the very existence of the Republic. At the same time, as early as 1837, the newspaper advocated annexation to the United States, even publishing a series of articles explaining that Texas should have been considered part of the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
. In 1846, not long after Texas was annexed
Texas Annexation
In 1845, United States of America annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. The U.S. thus inherited Texas's border dispute with Mexico; this quickly led to the Mexican-American War, during which the U.S. captured additional territory , extending the nation's...
, Moore and Cruger changed the name of the newspaper to Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register, as they explained, "to designate the plotical tenets that we shall advocate".
Legacy and impact
The Telegraph was the second permanent newspaper in Texas. It introduced printing to three towns: Harrisburg, Columbia, and Houston. According to historian Andrea Kökény, the Telegraph was "an influential molder of public opinion", which "has become an essential source to the understanding of the early history of American Texas and the construction of the identity of the people who lived in it".According to Barker, the Telegraph "is an invaluable repository of public documents during the" Texas Revolution. All but six issues printed between its inauguration and the end of 1845 have been preserved at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. This collection has been invaluable to researchers, especially genealogists, as there are no widespread censuses available for the Republic of Texas. Researcher Kevin Ladd compiled much of the biographical information available in the early years of the newspaper's existence into the book Gone to Texas: Genealogical Abstracts from the Telegraph and Texas Register, 1835–1841.
External links
- The Portal to Texas History contains scans of many issues of the newspaper.