The U.S. Army and the Texas Frontier Economy,

Seventy million dollars in fifty-five years. From Texas' annexation in 1845 until the turn of the twentieth century, the U.S. Army pumped at least that much or more into the economy of the fledgling state, a fact that directly challenges the popular notion of Texas as the state with roots of pioneer capitalism and fervent independence.

In The U.S. Army and the Texas Frontier Economy, 1845-1900, Thomas T. Smith sheds light on just who bankrolled the evolution of Texas into viable statehood. Smith draws on extensive research gathered from both government archives and Texas army posts in order to evaluate the symbiotic relationship between army quartermasters and Texas' economy. Texas was the army's largest -- and most costly -- engagement, absorbing up to 30 percent of the total operating budget.

Writing with exceptional detail and clarity, Smith expands on historian Robert Wooster's theory that the military was allied with the political authority in Texas, and using documents such as army contracts for freighting, foraging, and fort leasing, he illustrates h

List of Illustrations

ix

List of Tables

x

Acknowledgments

xi

The Army Dollar in Texas

3

(12)

The Army Logistical System in Texas

15

(33)

Transportation: Prairie Schooners, Steamers, and the Iron Horse

48

(23)

Forage: Corn, Hay, and Oats

71

(7)

Real Estate: Fort Leasing, Purchase, Building, and Repair

78

(25)

Additional Expenses: Fuel, Rations, Beef, Horses and Mules, Military Cemeteries, and Sutlers and Post Traders

103

(19)

Payday: Paymasters, Soldiers' Silver, and Civilian Employment

122

(14)

Army Engineers: Exploration and Mapping, Road Building, and River and Harbor Improvement

136

(19)

Contributions to the Economic Network: Stagecoaches, Mail, the Military Telegraph System, and the Weather Service

155

(19)

Conclusion: Swords, Cities, and Plowshares

174

(9)

Appendix 1. Wagon Freight Contractors with the U.S. Army in Texas, 1849--1890

183

(12)

Appendix 2. Steamship Contractors with the U.S. Army in Texas, 1850-1890

195

(8)

Appendix 3. Forage Contracts with the U.S. Army in Texas, 1850--1860

203

(6)

Appendix 4. Beef Contractors with the U.S. Army in Texas, 1849--1860

209

(6)

Notes

215

(46)

Bibliography

261

(24)

Index

285

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The U.S. Army and the Texas Frontier Economy, 1845-1900

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