Texas

Biographical Sketch of Gibson, J. T.

Fort Bend County, Tax Assessor John ‘T. Gibson, the present Tax Assessor of Fort Bend County, was born in the county December 16, 1878. His father, J. A. Gibson, was a native of Mississippi, and came to Texas when a boy, but returned home and came main, at an early day, and settled in Fort Bend County. He married, Miss Caroline Foster of Fort Bend, daughter of the old pioneer, Randolph Foster. She died and Mr. Gibson married his second wife, Missy Tennie Anderson, still living, and who is the mother of the subject of our sketch. J. A. Gibson, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jones, Wiley P.

Fort Bend County, Justice Of The Peace, Precinct No. 1. Judge Wiley Powell Jones was born in Fort Bend County, eight miles below Richmond, on October 17, 1843. His father, Henry Jones, came to Texas in 1822 among the first installment of Austin’s colonists, and first settled on New Year’s Creek in what is now Washington County, near Independence. There a brother, William Jones, was born, the first child born in the colony. They lived one year on New Year’s Creek, and then came on down the Brazos River and settled below the present town of Richmond, where the Henry … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Fenn, F. M. O.

Fort Bend County, County Attorney Francis Marion Oatis Fenn was born and raised in Fort Bend County, nineteen miles below Richmond. His father was John Rutherford Fenn, who came to Texas in 1833 and located on the Brazos River. His mother, Rebecca Williams, came to Texas in 1846, and her parents also settled on the Brazos, in Fort Bend County. F. M. O. Fenn was educated at Roanoke College, Virginia, and the holder of the orator’s medal from that institution against nine competitors on the 9th of June 1879. He then took two years course of law at the University … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wessendorff, T. B.

Fort Bend County, Treasure Tony B. Wessendorff, present County Treasurer, was born in Richmond, Fort Bend County, on the 19th day of November 1872. His father, Anton Wessendorff, came to this County from Hamburg, Germany, when but eighteen years of age and made Fort Bend his permanent home. Here, in the course of time, he married Miss Johanna Janske, was industrious in his habits and made a worthy citizen. When the great civil war broke out between the North and South, he served the Confederacy under Gen. John B. Hood in the famous Fourth Texas Regiment, his captain being Thomas … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Florer, J. C.

Fort Bend County, Superintendent Of Public Instruction. Mr. Flora is a young man of sterling qualities, affable, pleasant manners and has faithfully performed the duties of his office in looking after the schools of Fort Bend County. Recently he became the owner and publisher of the Texas [Richmond] Coaster, and is fully alive to the best interests of his patrons, and to that of Fort Bend County. No doubt under his management the Coaster will be up-to-date in all of the leading topics of the day, and be a credit to Fort Bend County as well as to himself.

Biographical Sketch of M. M. Newell

Fort Bend County, County Clerk Mr. Newell is a young man and is now serving his first term of office. He has proved himself to be very efficient in the management of his work. His is one of the historic names of Fort Bend County, his people coming here in 1830, performed their part during the trying times of frontier days and Mexican invasion, held offices of trust and were classed among the staunch, upright citizens of Fort Bend County.

Terry Rangers, Company A.

(Enlisted by Lieutenant J. W. Sparks.) Thomas Harrison, Captain, Waco, Texas, elected Major at the organization. Rufus Y. King, 1stLieutenant, Burleson County, elected Captain at organization, wounded at Shiloh and resigned. W. H. Jones, Falls County, Texas, elected Lieutenant at organization, wounded in East Tennessee, January 12th, 1864, retired. M. L. Gordon, Jr., 2nd Lieutenant, Bosque County, Texas, promoted 2nd Lieutenant, wounded at Shiloh, and subsequently Captain of Wharton’sscouts. T. C. Freeman, 1st Sergeant, Bell County, Texas, wounded gat Shiloh and discharged. Dan Neel, 2nd Sergeant. Rufus Beavers, 3rd Sergeant, Coryell County, wounded at Shiloh and discharged. G. Thompson, 4th … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company B

John A. Wharton, Captain, Brazoria, County, Texas, elected Colonel of the regiment January, 1862, promoted Brigadier General, October, 1862, Major General, and transferred, wounded twice, transferred to Mississippi Department, and killed in private altercation at Houston, Texas, by Colonel Geo. W. Baylor. Geo. M. McNeil, 1st Lieutenant, Brazoria County, resigned at Oakland, Ky., in 1862. William Henry Shark, 2nd Lieutenant, Brazoria County, promoted. T. J. Bennett, 3rd Lieutenant, Brazoria County, promoted. J. C. Herndon, 1st Sergeant, Brazzoria County. William Groce, 2nd Sergeant, Austin County, Texas, elected 1st Lieutenant January 1st, 1862, resigned April, 1862. E. A. Herndon, Harris County, Texas, … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company C

M. L. Evans, Captain, Gonzales: County, died of wounds at Perryville, Ky., October 18th, 1862; acting Major at the time. A. M. Shannon, 1st Lieutenant, Karnes County, promoted to Captain October 18th, 1862; afterwards commanded efficient scouts; promoted to Colonel, commanding special scouts and secret service February 8th, 1865. James M. Dunn, 2nd Lieutenant, Karnes County, resigned and died at Decatur, Alabama, February, 1863. J. W. Baylor, Jr., 2nd Lieutenant, Karnes County, promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, in 1863, now dead. B. F. Batchelor, 1st Sergeant, Gonzales County, promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and killed at Tome, Ga., October 13th, 1862. Daniel … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company D

Steven C. Ferrill, Captain, Bastrop County, promoted Major and Lieutenant Colonel, resigned in May, 1861, amd died in Fayette County November 14th, 1868. Charles Leroy Morgan, 1st Lieutenant, Bastrop County, resigned in September, 1861, came home and commanded a regiment in the Trans-Mississippi Department. J. W. Burdett, 2nd Lieutenant, Travis. County, resigned June, 1862, and died. W. R. Doak, 3rd Lieutenant, Burleson County, present. G. M. Decherd, 1st Lieutenant, Burleson County, elected 2nd Lieutenant April, 1862, and 1st Lieutenant and Adjutant General on Harrison’s staff. R. T. Hell, 2nd Sergeant, Bastrop County, captured twice and once wounded. J. Milam Duty, … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company E.

L. N. Rayburn, Captain, Gonzales County, wounded at Shiloh in 1862, promoted to Major and resigned. W. L. Poster, 1st Lieutenant, Gonzales County, resigned in September, 1861. A. T. Storey, 2nd Lieutenant, died of wounds received at Shiloh April 8th, 1862. P. H. Coe, 3rd Lieutenant, Gonzales County, resigned in September, 1861. M. A. Hunter, 1st Sergeant, Gonzales County, wounded at Danbridge, Tenn., September, 1864. C. C. Littlefield, 3rd Sergeant, Gonzales County, elected 2nd: Lieutenant and promoted, to 1st Lieutenant. C. E. Littlefield, 4th Sergeant, Gonzales County, wounded severely at Manchester, Tenn., September, 1862, and promoted tro 2nd Lieutenant. W. … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company F

L. M. Stroble, Captain, Fort Bend County, resigned December 1st, 1861; died at LaGrange, Texas, in 1872. W. R.. John, 1st Lieutenant, Fayette County, promoted to Captain June, 1862, wounded September 17th, 1863, at Gorsbyville, Ga., and Bentonville, N. C., in November, 1865. Phoecian Tate, 2nd Lieutenant, Fayette County, resigned in May, 1862. W. N. Tate, 3rd Lieutenant, Fayette County, resigned in December, 1861. A. J. Murray, 1st Sergeant, Fayette County, promoted to Lieutenant July, 1862, absent at close of war. V. T. Coop; 2nd Sergeant, Fayette County, discharged December, 1861. C. D. Barnett, 3rd Sergeant, Fayette County, promoted to … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company G

W. Y. Houston, Captain, killed August 9th, 1862. W. M. Ford, 1st Lieutenant, Bexar County. William Ellis, 3rd Lieutenant, killed at Murfreesboro December, 1862. M. Mitchell, 2nd Lieutenant, died in Nashville, Tenn., December, 1861. D. F. Lilley, 1st Sergeant. Pue Arthur, 2nd Sergeant, promoted to Lieutenant in White’s Battery; killed at Bandera, Texas, in 1880. J. M. Tanquary, promoted to 4th Sergeant. J. B. Brisco, promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. E. R. Tyler, 1st Corporal. Thomas H. Barry, 2nd Corporal. William H. Jenkins, 3rd Corporal, promoted Commissary of regiment. T. Drinkard, 4th Corporal, wounded and arm amputated discharged August 9, 1863. … Read more

Mier Prisoners, Fate Unknown

W. A. Alexander David Allen George Anderson Alexander Armstrong  James C. Armstrong E. Arthur James Barber Daniel F. Barney T. A. Barney D. H. E. Beasley Thomas W. Bell Bates J. Berry John Dusenbery Samuel P. Bennett Benjamin Z. Boone*  Henry Bridger Ransom Boswell B. F. Bowman John Brenon Gilbert R. Brush James Burke Bush, Zed Isam Captain Claudius Buster William T. Carter T. J. Censeleau Geo. Wilson Clark Charles Clark Wm. A. Compton Thomas Colville Willis Copeland Campbell Davis Stephen M. Coodman Daniel Davis William Davis Thomas Davis W. K. Davis* Dickson Freeman W. Douglas* N. G. Downs William … Read more

List of the Guard who Escaped from the River

Buster’s company Hockstaff, William Hensley,Hicks A. C. Ridge Hyde Major McQueen Thomas Ransom Gabriel Smith Turner Van Harm Dr. Watson Warren Wilkinson Cameron’s Company John Canty Donnall, Ernest William Ward A. J. Yates Eastland Company Geo. W. Alley M. Ambrose Theo. Bissell Oliver Buckner Clark W. S. Holton Davis Hudson Edward Marlow E. A. Vincent Ryon’s Company Edward Brown J. Buchanan William E. Dresser Ralph Gilpin Moses Kuykendall* Z. Lucas one not remembered Reese’s Company Sidney Calender F. Hancock Virgil A. Phelps George Walton Thomas Warren Guilford West Pierson’s Company Thomas Oldham Owens George Smith George W. Bonnell, was captured … Read more

Escaped at the time of the Surrender at Mier

Whitfield Clark Caleb St. Clair Left wounded at Mier, and escaped. Robert Beale* John Videler Lewis Hays Geo. W. Piland* Nathan Mollen William Rupley Henry D. Weeks Escaped at the village of Salado, and reached Texas. John R, Alexander John Blackburn Rev. Thomas W. Cox William Oldham Escaped from Perote dungeon, July 2d, 1843. Daniel D. Henry Charles R. Reese Killed at Mier. James Austin R. P. Bassett Joseph Berry Dickson Wm. H. Hannon A. Jackson John E. Jones Dr. Isaac W. Towers Calvin White William Hopson Died of wounds received at Mier. Lynn Bobo Hanks Kuykendall* Stanley Locherman Wm. … Read more

Biography of Austin, Moses

For the information of our readers who are not familiar with the early colonial scheme of settling Texas with American colonists when it was a province of Spain, we will give a short sketch of the man in whose brain it originated and the various causes which led to it. Moses Austin was a native of Connecticut, born at the village of Durham in 1767. When a boy he went to Philadelphia, and in 1787 he married Miss Maria Brown. His brother, Stephen, was then at the head of an important house in Philadelphia, and Moses Austin soon after his … Read more

Biography of Austin, Stephen F.

It seems that on account of the long distance and slow transmission of mails in those days, that Stephen F. Austin, busy at New Orleans doing the work his father had entrusted to him, was not aware of the fatal illness and death of his father until some time after that sad event. Where the father, however, laid down the work the son took it up. The application of Moses Austin was approved by General Arredonda at Monterey on the 17th of January, 1821, a few days after the departure of Austin from San Antonio. This action of the Commanding … Read more

Biography of Foster, Randolph

“Uncle Ran.” Foster, as he was familiarly known in his old days, was among the first settlers of Fort Bend County, coming with Stephen F. Austin in the first installment. “Uncle Ran.,” however, had been to Texas and camped within the present limits of Fort Bend County prior to the advent of the colonist. He was a native of Mississippi, and married there Miss Lucy Hunter. His league of land was located in. Fort Bend County, nine miles above Richmond, on the east side of the Brazos River. During the time that Austin was with the colonists on the Brazos, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Blakely, Mary L., Mrs.

Mrs. Mary L. Blakely, daughter of Randolph Foster, Was born in Fort Bend County in 1833, and was therefore three years of age during the famous “Runaway Scrape,” as it was sometimes called by the old settlers in their flight from the Mexicans. While Mrs. Blakely was in this historic retreat she has no recollection-of it, being borne through all the trying scenes of that time in the loving and tender arms of a mother, all unconscious of the significance of this rapid flight from home. Mrs. Blakely still survives, and lives in Richmond. Only three of her eight children … Read more