James T. DeShields

author

James T. DeShields

1861–1948

A Texas merchant turned historian, he spent decades gathering stories, documents, and images that helped shape how readers imagined the frontier and the Texas Revolution. His books on Cynthia Ann Parker, Jack Hays, and border conflict made him a lasting figure in Texas historical writing.

1 Audiobook

Cynthia Ann Parker The Story of Her Capture at the Massacre of the Inmates of Parker's Fort; of Her Quarter of a Century Spent Among the Comanches, as the Wife of the War Chief, Peta Nocona; and of Her Recapture at the Battle of Pease River, by Captain L. S. Ross, of the Texian Rangers

Cynthia Ann Parker The Story of Her Capture at the Massacre of the Inmates of Parker's Fort; of Her Quarter of a Century Spent Among the Comanches, as the Wife of the War Chief, Peta Nocona; and of Her Recapture at the Battle of Pease River, by Captain L. S. Ross, of the Texian Rangers

by James T. DeShields

About the author

Born in Louisiana on May 3, 1861, he moved with his family to Bell County, Texas, around the end of the Civil War. He later worked as a merchant and book agent, but his lasting reputation came from his deep interest in Texas history and his habit of collecting manuscripts, books, and pictures tied to the state's past.

He wrote widely on frontier history, the Texas Revolution, the Texas Rangers, and figures such as Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Jack Hays, and Cynthia Ann Parker. Among his best-known books are Cynthia Ann Parker, Border Wars of Texas, and Tall Men With Long Rifles. Archival records also show that he donated and preserved historical material, reflecting how seriously he took the work of remembrance as well as storytelling.

He died in 1948. Today he is remembered less as an academic historian than as an energetic popularizer and collector whose writings helped keep dramatic episodes of Texas history in public view.