The Yellow Rose of Texas:
the legend, the song, the rose,
and the honor
The Legend:
Emily West of Morgan's Point spent less than two years of her life in Texas, yet in that brief time she became a folklore figure as the heroine of the Texas Revolution.
Emily, a beautiful twenty-year-old mulatto woman from New Haven, Connecticut, signed a contract with James Morgan in New York City to work at his entrepreneur settlement
of New Washington in Mexican Texas. She arrived in December 1835.
Located near the mouth of the San Jacinto River, New Washington, and part of Morgan?s land, extended into the San Jacinto Bay.
In the winter of 1835-1836 the Texians became dissatisfied with the Mexican rule and they decided to sever their relations with Mexico. James Morgan, without restriction, gave his famous oranges, various grains and fattened cattle to Houston's army. He also
arranged for flatboats to transport the provisions to Harrisburg, where Houston?s supply station was located.
Because of Morgan's generosity, Sam Houston commissioned the businessman to Colonel in the Texas Army. In March 1836, he was assigned to Fort Travis at the Port of Galveston (thirty miles away) to guard Texas refugees and fugitive government officials. In order to continue shipping supplies to Houston's army, Morgan left Emily in charge of the loading of the flatboats destined to feed the army.
By the afternoon of April 18, 1836, General Santa Anna?s troops forged through New Washington, which had become nearly deserted as its inhabitants fled before the marching Army. However, Emily had remained behind along with other servants to take care of the Morgan plantation. The Mexican general's first observation of the mulatto woman was at the wharf. Mesmerized by Emily?s beauty, Santa Anna could not get her out of his mind.
Defying all military logic, he settled his troops nearby on the San Jacinto plains. The next morning, after his men helped themselves to the crops and cattle, Santa Anna being somewhat of a lady's man, ordered Emily?s capture, along with a ?yellow boy? named Turner.
Santa Anna persuaded Turner to lead his scouts to Sam Houston?s camp. But before they departed, Emily pulled Turner aside and convinced him that he should escape from Santa Anna?s scouts and inform Sam Houston of the Mexican general's arrival.
After hearing of General Santa Anna's location, Sam Houston moved his troops into the woods nearby the Mexican Army's headquarters. On the morning of April 21, Houston climbed a tree to spy on the Mexican camp. From there he saw Emily preparing a champagne breakfast for Santa Anna. Houston was reported as saying, "I hope that slave girl makes him [Santa Anna] neglect his business and keeps him in bed all day."
That afternoon at 4:00, Houston?s army engaged a surprise attack on the Mexican camp and caught Santa Anna "with his pants down." After the general's capture, Santa Anna signed a treaty granting Texas Independence. The attack lasted just eighteen minutes. In General Houston's official report, he states that 630 Mexican were killed, 208 wounded, and 730 taken prisoner. Only nine Texians were killed and thirty wounded.
Emily survived the battle and went back to New Washington. When James Morgan returned home, two days later from Galveston, he heard of Emily's bravery. The colonel, impressed with her heroism, repealed her indenture and gave her a passport back to New York.
The Song:
The first recorded copy of the "Yellow Rose of Texas" was handwritten on a piece of plain paper about 1836 signed only with the initials "H.B.C." Historical records indicate this copy transcribed either shortly before or just after the Battle of San Jacinto. The original transcription is full of spelling errors; therefore indicating the author was somewhat uneducated. This copy is now housed in the archives at the University of Texas in Austin.
The original folksong's lyrics tell of a black American (presumably a soldier) who left his sweetheart (a "yellow rose") and yearns to return to her side. "Yellow" was a term given to Americans of mixed race in those days, most commonly mulattos. And "Rose" was a popular nineteenth century name.
Although no name is given as the song's composer, a hint comes in the fourth line of the chorus which refers the soldier is from Tennessee.
The first copyrighted edition of the song was published in 1858 in New York. The cover states the song was "Composed and Arranged Expressly for Charles H. Brown by J.K. In the nineteenth century ghost" composers were kept secretive, especially if the songs had slave folksong origins.
Soon after publication, the song increased in worldwide popularity and was sung in this country and Europe. As the Civil war began, marching troops adopted the song by soldiers everywhere- most often, as you might expect, by those soldiers from Texas. But since it referred to a black soldier, the song?s lyrics were changed. By the early 1860's, the term ?darky? was replaced with "soldier," and the first line of the chorus was changed to "She"s the sweetest little flower!!
The Rose:
In rose literature, the Old Garden Rose most frequently associated with the "Yellow Rose of Texas" is Harison's Yellow. In the 1830s, George F. Harison of Long Island an amateur rose hybridizer cross bred what is believed to be Persian Yellow with the Scotch Briar Rose, thus resulting with the hybrid Harison?s Yellow. Pioneer's carried the species west into Texas some years later. However, many rose growers believe Harison's Yellow doesn't deserve to hold the place of honor, because the species grows well only in the northern parts of Texas and doesn't take well to heat and high humidity. Nevertheless, rosarians often refer to this resilient old rose as the "Yellow Rose of Texas" or the "pioneer rose."
The Honor:
While the facts surrounding the Yellow Rose of Texas legend remain elusive, no one disputes the esteem in which "the heroine of the Battle of San Jacinto" is held in Texas culture. For more than four decades, that esteem had taken the form of a special Governor's award given only to Texas Women.
In the late1950s, Governor Allen Shivers' administration created the Yellow Rose of Texas Award ?to honor Emily West Morgan's important role in the battle for Texas Independence.? The award, given only through the Office of the Governor, recognizes Texas women for their "significant contributions to their communities and to Texas in the preservation of our history, the accomplishments of our present and the building of our future."
On January 15, 2005, I received the "Yellow Rose of Texas" award. For my loyalty, support and devotion as a military wife during my husband?s forty year career in the Texas Army National Guard.
by Joy Nord
