I don't know about Muleshoe on the New Mexico border, or Cut 'N Shoot in East Texas, but every civilized city in Texas (even Dallas) has a Robert Burns dinner. Houston has two dinners, both sold out long before the events.
There's a reason. Our state was essentially 'pacified' and settled by Scots, back when the Comanche Indians considered the region to be theirs to plunder, and the Spanish-Mexican hacienda system was helpless to defend settlers. The works of Robert Burns were treasures of literate people who lived in earth-hovels and log shacks as they fought for their own land in the new world.
When it came time to win freedom from Mexico, Scots were in the forefront. At the Alamo, leaders were Scot-surnamed Travis, Crockett and Bowie. Many of the defenders were Scots, or had Scot surnames. All of those men would have been familiar with Burn's poems, songs and views.
A McGregor played his pipes from the battlements of the Alamo, no doubt mystifying the attacking Mexicans. On the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo, hundreds of people from around the world crowd into that small square. At sunrise, a lone piper on the parapet plays Amazing Grace, and even tough old Texans like this writer have tears in their eyes.
General Sam Houston was known to have memorized much of Burns works, and often regaled listeners with Burns poems and songs. Houston's copy of Burns' work is on display in a San Antonio museum near the Alamo. A few weeks after the fall of the Alamo, the ragtag Texian army advanced on General Santa Anna's army at the world-changing battle of San Jacinto. As General Sam Houston led the attack on the far larger Mexican force, he yelled, "Now's the day, and now is the hour!"
There is a Caldwell connection to both King Robert the Bruce and to Scotland's great bard, Robert Burns. Allen Bruce of Georgia, Lord Elgin's Lieutenant, reports that Mrs. Katherine Bruce of Clackmannan, a descendent of Robert the Bruce and a fan of Robert Burns, "knighted” Robert Burns with the great sword of The Bruce during Burn's visit to her home at Clackmannan. My connection-- I handled the sword and photographed it at Lord Elgin's home in 2006.
I hope the Burns World federation will accept the Robert Burns painting as a donation from grateful Texans.
Best wishes, Sam Caldwell
Texas State Artist, 2004
John F. Haining, Director of the Robert Burns World FederationLimited, accepted the Robert Burns painting from Sam Caldwell at Haining's home near Paisley, Scotland, July 30, 2009.
