Justin H. Smith Collection

The Justin H. Smith Collection was received by the Benson Latin American Collection from two sources. Twenty bound volumes of transcripts, as well as assorted other materials, were presented to UT by Galveston bookdealer, Michael M. Russell, in 1931. In 1980, the Antiquarian Society of Boston donated seven packages of note cards and one bound index. The collection was described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in April 1995.

The collection's physical extent comprises seven linear feet. Its materials are in English and Spanish. The bulk are available on microfilm as part of "García Manuscripts on Microfilm," reels 22-27. The date span covered by the information in the papers is 1825-1848; however, because the papers are comprised primarily of transcripts of archival holdings and of notes made by Smith, the papers physically date from the late nineteenth- and early twentieth centuries.

The following guide is available in Rare Books Reference: Castañeda, Carlos E. and Jack Autrey Dabbs, eds., Guide to the Latin American Manuscripts in the University of Texas Library. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1939.

The suggested citation is "Justin H. Smith Collection, 1878-1929, Benson Latin American Collection, General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin."

Born 1857 in Boscawen, New Hampshire; died 1930 in Brooklyn, New York. Educated at Dartmouth (B.A. 1877; M.A. 1881) and Union Theological Seminary (1879-1881). Smith worked for Charles Scribner's Sons publishers 1881-1883 and Ginn & Co. 1883-1898 (becoming a partner in 1890); he was Professor of Modern History at Dartmouth 1899-1908. He resigned his professorship in 1908 to pursue historical research, and published The Annexation of Texas in 1911 and The War with Mexico in 1919. For the latter he received the Pulitzer Prize for 1920 and the first Loubat Prize in 1923. From 1917 to 1923 Smith was chairman of the Historical Manuscripts Commission of the American Historical Association.

Transcriptions accumulated by Smith in the preparation of his works on the annexation of Texas and the U.S.-Mexico war of 1846-1848, as well as notes for publications, teaching, and speeches; page proofs from The War with Mexico; correspondence; a diary; and assorted material.

Transcriptions are of documents in archives, libraries, and private holdings in the United States, Mexico, Spain, France, England, and Cuba. They include excerpts from the correspondence of U.S. ministers, consuls, and Spanish agents in Mexico (1825-1848); diplomatic correspondence with England and France on relations between Mexico and the U.S. (1830-1848); reports of U.S. agents and others in Texas (1836-1845); reports of U.S. military operations in Mexico, California and New Mexico (1846-1848); materials about political, social, economic, and military conditions in Mexico from 1844 to 1848; letters from Antonio López de Santa Anna relating to the U.S.-Mexico war; and diaries and memoirs of participants and others. A few items relate to Smith's 1903 work, Arnold's march from Cambridge to Quebec, 1775-1776.

Correspondence dates from 1878 and 1897-1929 (bulk 1915-1929). Some letters pertain to the publication of Smith's works on Texas and Mexico; the rest concern various personal and professional matters. The diary dates from 1914-1920; although it consists of only 11 leaves, it contains entries relating to Smith's travels in pursuit of research, his progress in writing The War with Mexico, and his professional and social activities.

The Justin H. Smith Collection was arranged into series by staff members of the Benson Latin American Collection and of the Mexican Archives Project. The Mexican Archives Project staff completed the processing of the collection in April 1995.

1. Series, Transcripts of documents dated 1825-1848, 2.5 linear feet.

2. Series, Notes and drafts, 3.5 feet.

3. Series, Page proofs of The War with Mexico, 2.5 inches.

4. Series, Correspondence.
   • Letterbook, 1878.
   • Correspondence, 1897-1929, 6 folders.

5. Series, Diary (1914-1920) and other assorted material.

Box		Contents
1	Volume I	Notes and documents relative to Arnold's march from Cambridge to Quebec, 1775-1776. 9 folders.
1	Volume II	Correspondence of American ministers in Mexico, 1825-1829. 8 folders.
1	Volume III	Correspondence of American ministers in Mexico, 1829-1844. 6 folders.
2	Volume IV	Consular letters relative to conditions in Mexico, the Texas Question and California, 1833-1847. 4 folders.
2	Volume V	Correspondence and reports of American agents and others in Texas, 1836-1845. 14 folders.
2	Volume VI	Correspondence of American ministers in Mexico, 1845-1848. 6 folders.
3	Volume VII	Diplomatic correspondence with England and France on relations between Mexico and the U.S., 1830-1848. 3 folders.
3	Volume VIII	Diplomatic correspondence of Spanish agents in Mexico on conditions of the country and progress of the war with the U.S. (5 folders) / Official letters of General Antonio López de Santa Anna relating to the war between the U.S. and Mexico (1 folder).
3	Volume IX	American military operations in Mexico, 1846-1848. 9 folders.
3	Volume X	American military operations in Mexico, 1846-1848. 11 folders.
4	Volume XI	Military operations in Mexico / Advance from Point Isabel and Matamoros to northern states. 4 folders.
4	Volume XII	Military operations in Mexico / Advance from Tampico and Veracruz to Mexico City. 4 folders.
4	Volume XIII	Military operations in New Mexico and California, 1846-1848. 8 folders.
5	Volume XIV	Diaries, recollections and memoirs of the War with Mexico, pt. 1. 15 folders.
5	Volume XV	Diaries, recollections and memoirs of the War with Mexico, pt. 2. 6 folders.
5	Volume XVI	Diaries, recollections and memoirs of the War with Mexico, pt. 3. 11 folders.
6	Volume XVII	Political, social, economic, and military conditions in Mexico, 1844-1848, pt. 1. 2 folders.
6	Volume XVIII	Political, social, economic, and military conditions in Mexico, 1844-1848, pt. 2. 2 folders.
6	Volume XIX	Political, social, economic, and military conditions in Mexico, 1844-1848, pt. 3. 6 folders.
6	Volume XX	Miscellaneous papers concerning the Mexican War. 12 folders.
7		"Duplicate notes, G220" = W #9 Drafts of War with Mexico, preface and Ch. I; W #9 (2); W #4 (2); W #4; W #8 Retypes. Notes on Monterey chapter of The War with Mexico.
8		Notes : Teaching notes; notes on readings; notes for The War with Mexico; assorted notes)
9		Notes : Guerra 1846-1847
10		Notes : Guerra 1847-1848 and 1855; Letters with Causa de Arista; Santa Anna letters
		Index
11		Page proofs of The War with Mexico
12		Letter book (trip to Europe) Mar. 30, 1878-Aug. 31, 1878
		Correspondence, April 20, 1897-Dec. 6, 1917
		Correspondence, May 2, 1918-Nov. 11, 1918
		Correspondence, May 10, 1919-July 11, 1919
		Correspondence, June 1, 1920-Sept. 22, 1927
		Correspondence, May 4, 1928-Sept. 5, 1928
		Correspondence, May 31, 1929-Sept. 3, 1929
		Diary, January 1, 1914-June, 1920
		Literary notes, August 26, 1886-
		Literary notes, Dec. 5, 1886-
		Literary notes, undated
		Notes on India
		Documents relating to Crisanto Rodriguez, 1898-1899
		Massachusetts Historical Society. Proceedings, Dec. 1916-Jan. 1917
		Assorted materials
		Assorted materials
		Portland [Maine?] advertising flyer of undertaker Edward Holman
Oversized		Map of Monterey, Sept. 1846
Oversized		Music "Aires Nacionales Mexicanos"

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