In 1839, the new Republic of Texas faced trouble from all sides. Mexico did not officially condone the surrender agreement of Antonio Santa Anna and continued to harass southern Texas. Comanche Indians raids threatened American settlers. Recognition by European powers was slow to come. And the treasury was empty.
The Borderland is an impressive mixture of history, imagination and fantasy, set in that chaotic time period. The context – struggle between President Lamar and the Sam Houston faction, the founding of the town of Austin far to the west, the Council House fight, the Linville Raid, the Plum Creek Battle – all are there, overlain with some historical characters of Texas, some fictitious ones and some outright fantasy. And it's so well described that its hard to tell the difference.
The author, Edwin Shrake, sent me to the Handbook of Texas to look for some of his characters. The Texas Ranger Matthew Caldwell really existed. He was new to me; his nickname “Old Paint” referred to his multicolored beard. Other principal characters include Romulus Swift and his sister Cullasaja, and a villan named Henry Longfellow. They are inserted so neatly into the context of Texas history that I wonder if they, too, are real, possibly under different names. You’ll recognized others in the story – Mary Maverick, Big Foot Wallace, Albert Sidney Johnson, Felix Huston – and some minor characters whose names aren’t familiar. And I wonder how historic some of them might actually be, too.
The Cherokees described here are historic; I don’t think the Comanches names are real. I share the author’s praise for the Cherokees and his dislike for the Comanches (in your face, M.). President Lamar "dislodged" the Cherokees from their lands; he had no such success against the Comanches.
I recommend The Borderlands to all those interested in the history of the Republic of Texas. It is crammed with agonizing detail that is so well presented that it doesn’t interfere with the fast-paced action. The description of events in the new town of Austin is historically accurate and fascinating; that alone is worth the read.
For me, this well-written blend of history and fiction gives a much better feel for that troubled time, than does the recounting of the facts alone.
And I think that’s what history is really about.
dac 6/28/2008