They Slept Upon Their Rifles: A Texas Pioneer Family Chronicle
This comprehensive family history chronicles the Captain Robert H. Kuykendall family's journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific, spanning ten generations of American settlement. The book documents the family's entry into Mexican Texas with Stephen F. Austin's Colony in 1821 as part of the legendary Old 300 settlers.
Complete Family Records and Allied Lineages
The volume includes detailed genealogical records of the Kuykendall family and five allied families: Early, Hardin, Moore, Shannon, and Swift. Researchers will find Texas Kuykendall death records spanning 1903-2000, providing nearly a century of vital documentation for family historians and genealogists.
Texas Civil War Documentation
The book covers the Kuykendall family's participation in the Civil War, documenting their service and experiences during this pivotal period in Texas and American history. These accounts provide firsthand perspectives on the conflict from a Texas settler family's viewpoint.
Author and Historical Context
Written by sixth-generation Texan Marshall Kuykendall, this work combines family chronicle with Texas state history. The narrative captures what University of Texas historian Walter Prescott Webb described as the "high adventure" of historical research. The book has earned recognition from prominent Texas historians, including former Texas State Historical Association Director Ron Tyler and past president Al Lowman.
Historical Significance
The Kuykendall family roots in Texas extend back to the earliest Anglo settlement period. As Mike Cox of Austin notes, this family history doubles as Texas history itself, documenting the experiences of families who shaped the state from its Mexican colonial period through modern times. The chronicle captures the westward expansion of American families with the verve, candor, and humor that brings historical accounts to life.
Published by Nortex Press, this hardcover volume serves as both a family genealogy resource and a window into early Texas settlement, Anglo colonization under Mexican rule, and the development of pioneer communities in the American Southwest.
