John W. Sansom Manuscript

Open original Digital object

Identity elements

Reference code

US TxSaT SC.012

Level of description

Collection

Title

John W. Sansom Manuscript

Date(s)

  • 1916 (Creation)

Extent

1 volume, 120 pages; 1 folder of loose leaves.

Name of creator

(1834-1920)

Biographical history

John William Sansom was born in Dallas County, Alabama, on February 5, 1834. His family moved to the Republic of Texas in the winter of 1838-1839. Sansom joined the Texas Rangers in 1855, and rose to the rank of captain in 1856. During the Civil War Sansom was a staunch Union supporter, and joined the Union Loyal League, an underground militia. After the Battle of Nueces River, where the Unionist militia was attacked by Conferederate soldiers, Sansom escaped and joined the First Texas Cavalry, a Union regiment made up of Texan soldiers. In 1905, Sansom authored "Battle of Nueces River in Kinney County, Tex., Aug. 10, 1862," considered the authoritative account of the battle. After the Civil War, Sansom continued military service in the Texas Rangers until 1883. He spent the remainder of his career ranching, before retiring in 1904.

Sansom married Helen Victoria Patton in 1860. They had one daughter, Elizabeth. Sansom died on June 19, 1920 in San Antonio.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

Typewritten manuscript of the "Memoirs of John W. Sansom, 1834-1916." Written several years before Sansom's death, this volume includes his first person accounts of his childhood, Union support during the Civil War, involvement in the Battle of Nueces River, and career in the Texas Rangers.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

This collection is open and available to the public for research in the Special Collections & Archives reading room. The materials are non-circulating.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

    Language and script notes

    Finding aids

    Generated finding aid

    Acquisition and appraisal elements

    Custodial history

    Believed to have been purchased by Coates Library as part of the Beretta Texana collection in the 1980s.

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

    Accruals

    Related materials elements

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Click on the thumbnail at the top of finding aid to download a pdf of this document.

    Related archival materials

    Related descriptions

    Notes element

    Specialized notes

    • Citation: John W. Sansom Manuscript. Coates Library Special Collections & Archives, Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas).

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Description control element

    Rules or conventions

    DACS

    Sources used

    Archivist's note

    Finding aid created by Colleen Hoelscher, February 1, 2019.

    Access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Digital object metadata

    Master file

    Reference copy

    Thumbnail copy

    Digital object (Master) rights area

    Digital object (Reference) rights area

    Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

    Accession area