Paul N. Spellman illuminates the overlooked events in the life of Hugh McLeod, whom history has ignored except ignominiously as "the commander of the failed Santa Fe expedition". In this comprehensive retelling of the 1841 expedition, Spellman reminds history readers that the failure of that venture was caused by many factors, including McLeod's uneven leadership, but that the personable general went on to live an active life in service to Texas and the causes in which he fervently believed.
As Spellman tells the story of the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, the Council House Fight, and other signal events in early Texas history, Hugh McLeod comes alive as a legitimate but heretofore forgotten Texas leader. Forgotten Texas Leader: Hugh McLeod and the Texan Santa Fe Expedition lights the way to a new understanding of McLeod's contribution to the making of Texas.