A history of Texas and Texans, Part 94

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 906

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them chiefly the 'good roads' idea," It was along this line that the successor of Judge Mims Judge F. P. Maishall made a most laudatory speech. "Judge Marsh- all paid tribute to the honoree for his good work while county judge, recalling things done and precedents set that will live long,-to say nothing of the 'good roads' feature, of which Judge Mims is clearly the originator in this section."

At the conclusion of the banquet resolutions were adopted which show clearly the esteem in which Judge Mims is held by all who know him and are therefore worth quoting.

"Resolved, By the members of the Nacogdoches Bar, that in view of the fact that one of our members, Judge C. D. Mims, is about to remove from among us to a distant portion of the state, that we deem it meet and proper that we take some foimal action in expressing our esteem for Judge Mins as a man and lawyer and in commending him to those with whom he may come in contact in his new home, and in so doing, it affords us pleasure collectively and individually to resolve :

".First, That having been intimately associated with Judge Mims both personally and professionally for the many years of his residence and professional life among us, we have found him as a man thoroughly honorable and reliable. As a lawyer; earnest, able, studious and profound. As a judge, careful, conscientious, painstak- ing and correct, and as a citizen, always for the right and for the best interests of the people.

"Second, To the profession, the courts and the peo- ple of his newly selected home, we commend him as in all respects entitled to their fullest confidence as a man, a lawyer and a citizen; and-

"Third, We feel that the loss of Judge Mims to the Bar and to the people and citizenship of this county is one which is keenly felt, and earnestly hope his sue- cess ju his new field will be commensurate with his merits. ''

It was in October, 1909, that he moved to Merkel, in Taylor county, Texas, and it was not long before he had as many friends in his new home as in the one he had left behind him. In April, 1910, he was elected Mayor of the city without opposition.

Judge Mims is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and the Woodmen of the World. In politics he is a Democratic, and in religious matters both be and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1881, when he was only a youth of twenty-one, Judge Mims was chairman of the Ex-governor Jim Hogg Club at Tyler, and ever since this time he has taken a keen interest in political questions. Judge Mims has acquired valuable farming lands in Taylor county and is also the owner of oil lands iu different parts of Texas. He owns an attractive home in Merkel, and he and his fam- ily play an important part in the social life of the com- munity.

Judge Mims was married in June, 1890, to Miss Vallie C. Price, of Nacogdoches. She was the daughter of Vin- cent and Annie J. (Mims) Price, and although her mother had the same name as her husband there was no relationship. Four children have been born to the Judge and his wife, as follows: Ruth, who is the wife of Irving C. Gilliland, of Fort Worth; Gordon; D. Vin- cent and Billie Burke, the younger three being with their parents.

Judge Mims prediets a bright future for Taylor county. He believes the land will become many times more valu- able than its present selling price, for Taylor county has a good climate and an abundance of underground water within easy reach for irrigation, which must soon come.

RUPERT CLYDE PRIEST, M. D. The Priest family, of which Dr. Priest is a prominent representative in the field of medicine, with important professional and civic connections at Rusk, is one of the oldest in Cherokee county. The grandfather of Dr. Priest came to Cherokee

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county about the time Rusk was founded as a settlement, was a pioneer member of the bar of that city, and be- sides serving as the first district judge of this locality, an office he held for a number of years, he also offici- ated as the first pastor of the Rusk Congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and divided his time for many years among the spheres of law, religion and politics. He had no connection with the military estab- lishment of the south during the war, but furnished sev- eral sons who wore the grey uniform. Mr. Priest was born in Alabama, and his children were: Henry and William, both of whom were killed while wearing the Confederate uniform during the war; Elisha M., of Rusk; Mige of ' Fort Worth; Albert of Dallas; Mary, who married Wil- liam Bird and died in Cherokee county; Lizzie, wife of Judge Sam A. Wilson of Rusk; Sallie, wife of Wm. David of Jacksonville.

Elisha M. Priest, father of Dr. Priest, came from Lawrence county, Alabama in 1844, and was at that time four years of age. His early years were spent in the home of his father, Judge Priest, and the greater part of his active life has been devoted to merchandising at Rusk. His career in that direction began when he was a young man, and he prosecuted his affairs with great vigor and enterprise. He missed the war so far as military service was concerned, and never figured in politics. His first wife was Miss Bettie MeCord, who came from an Alabama family. His first wife died in 1883 and was the mother of the following children: Edgar, of Lub- bock, Texas, who married Miss Mozelle Frazier; Mack, of Rusk, who married Lizzie Tittle; Dr. R. C. Priest, the youngest. Mr. Elisha M. Priest married for his see- ond wife, Mrs. Ellen (Summers) Clark.

Dr. Rupert Clyde Priest was born in Rusk, December 1, 1881, and his early education was acquired in the pub- lie school. Before reaching his majority, he had consid- erable experience as an employe in his father's store, but when starting out on his own account, learned the trade of moulder at Lufkin. He worked in that line of occupa- tion at Algiers, Houston, and Beaumont, and finally abandoned it in 1896, in order to study medicine. His professional course was taken in the Southern Medical College at Dallas, and resulted in his graduation in 1910. In the same year he began practice at Rusk, and at the present time is acting prison physician for the Rusk penitentiary.

Dr. Priest was married in Rusk in October, 1912, to Miss Lottie Caupland, a daughter of Ben C. Canpland, one of the early settlers of this place, whose wife was Miss Sarah Tucker. The Canpland children are: Ollie, wife of Charles Chapman; Adda, wife of Dr. Cobble, of Rusk; Frank Caupland; and Mrs. Priest.

RICHARD G. MAURY, criminal district attorney of Harris county, Texas, has made a record for himself among the leading young attorneys of Houston.

Mr. Maury is a native of Mississippi. He was born near Suqualak, Noxubee county, that state, January 10, 1878, son of Matthew H. and Virginia (Gathright) Maury. The first of the Maurys who came to America were Matthew and Mary Ann (Fontaine) Maury, who in 1817 came from Dublin, Ireland, to this country and settled in Virginia. Their ancestors had fled from France to Ireland after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. Matthew H. Maury was a planter and mer- chant in Mississippi, where he spent his life and died, his death occurring in 1889. His wife died in 1905.

Richard G. Manry was reared and received his educa- tion in private schools in his native state. He first came to Texas in 1893. He spent one year in Fort Worth, and then went to Mexico, where he sojourned for a time. Returning to Texas, he again took up his residence at Fort Worth, where he found agreeable em- ployment and studied law. He read law in the offices of Cowan & Burney and Judge N. A. Stedman, and also while stenographer and librarian of the Court of Civil "Vol. IV-20

Appeals, second supreme judicial district. In 1900 he was admitted to the bar at Fort Worth, and at once began the practice of law in that city, where he remained thus engaged for a period of three years. In January, 1903, he came to Houston. Here he became associated with Hunt & Myer, with whom he remained until 1906. From 1906 to 1910 he was alone in practice. In 1909 he served under special appointment by the City of Houston as special assistant to the criminal district attorney of Harris county, the conditions at that time being such that the City of Houston employed him at its own ex- pense to assist the county criminal district attorney, and during the year which followed his record was such that in 1910 he was elected to the office in which he had served as deputy, receiving a large majority of the votes cast. And at the expiration of his term he was re-elected by a large majority. During the first year of his administra- tion of this office he not only put it on a systematic, business-like basis for the first time in the history of the county, but also he brought the docket virtually up to date, for the first time in many years. In this time twenty-two men were convicted for murder, a large num- ber of which were whites. Mr. Maury while district at- torney brought suit against the Standard Oil Company, the outcome of which was a judgment for $500,000. He was also instrumental in having all road houses and un- lawful clubs in Harris county closed.

In the social life of Houston, Mr. Maury is promi- nent. He is identified with numeorus clubs and fraternal organizations, including the Houston Club, the Thalian Club of Houston, the Houston Light Gnards, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Modern Woodmen, Wood- men of the World, Houston Turn Vereiu, Knights of Pythias, and Houston Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Maury is unmarried. He resides at No. 8 The Beacorfield apartments, in Houston.

J. S. JONES, the popular and efficient incumbent of the office of county clerk of Deaf Smith county, Texas, a position which he has held since 1910, is another ex- ample of the self-made men of which the West is so proud. Content to begin his life in a humble capacity, he has gradually worked his way up to independence and prestige among his fellow men. Today he has the full confidence of the people of his community, who have sig. nified their faith in his ability and trustworthiness by electing him to one of the most responsible county posi- tions within the gift of the people.

J. S. Jones hails from the East, having been born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, September 17, 1858. He is a son of H. C. and Mary Elizabeth (Fisher) Jones, natives of Maryland, who spent their entire lives in Baltimore, where the mother died in 1884 at the age of fifty-four years, and the father in 1902, when seventy years of age. H. C. Jones was for years engaged in the insurance business in the East and was well known in that line, for a long period having been vice president of the United States Fire and Marine Insurance Company. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom J. S. was the second in order of birth.

After attending the public schools of his native city, he came to Texas in 1880, first locating at Dallas, and from that time until 1884 was located at various points in Texas. At that time he returned to Baltimore and entered the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and during the next two years was in the offices at Baltimore. He then spent ten years at Topeka, Kansas, with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, but in 1900 came to Amarillo for the Santa Fe. Two years later he came to Hereford as ageut for the same line, but after five years resigned his position to engage in the real estate business, in which he was engaged on his own account for three years. He was thus occupied in 1910 when he received the election to the office of county clerk, a position he has continued to fill efficiently to the present time. Mr. Jones has proven himself an able and

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conscientious official, faithfully discharging the duties of his office in a manner calculated to best benefit his county. His record will bear comparison with that of others who have been the incumbents of the office of county clerk of Deaf Smith county, while personally he is popular with men of all classes and political creeds. An enthusiastic Mason, he is secretary of the Blue Lodge at Hereford, and also holds membership in the Chapter and Council of this order. In political matters he sup- ports the principles of the Democratic party.

On February 7, 1891, while a resident of Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Jones was married to Mrs. Regis S. Hushin, daughter of the late John Fraser, of New Orleans, Louisi- ana. Four children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Jones: Mary Elizabeth, born in 1892, at Topeka, Kansas, at- tending the Canyon Normal School, class of 1914; John Henry, born in 1895, at Topeka, Kansas, attending high school at Hereford; Rebecca, born in 1894, at Pueblo, Colorado, who died there in 1895 and was there buried; and James, born in 1897, at Topeka, Kansas, who is a student in the Hereford public schools. Mr. Jones has resided in numerous parts of the United States, but has never before lived in a section for whose future he has been more optimistic than the Panhandle country of Texas. He is an enthusiastic "booster" of his adopted section, and is every ready to extoll its climate, its op- portunities and its people. With his family he attends the Presbyterian church.

GEORGE M. CALHOUN. A resident of Houston county since before the war, and a veteran of the great strife between the states, Mr. Calhoun has spent a long and useful life, prosperous as a farmer and merchant and distinguished by a public spirit which has always been ready to serve and assist in the progress of his com- munity.

George M. Calhoun was born in South Carolina, De- cember 4, 1844. His parents were Squire and Laura ( Williams) Calhoun, both parents being natives of South Carolina and of Scotch-Irish descent, belong to the same family which produced the great statesman, John C. Calhoun. Of John Calhoun, a Revolutionary ancestor, the following information was received from the Depart- ment of the Interior :

"John Calhoun was allowed pension on his applica- tion executed October 17, 1832, at which time he was a resident of Laurens District, South Carolina. He stated that he was born August 10, 1757, in Meclenburg county, North Carolina, and resided in Ninety-sixth District, South Carolina, when he volunteered in the Revolution- ary war. His service was as follows: In November, 1775, under Capt. John Rodgers and Major William- son, and was in the siege of Ninety-six; served three weeks. In December, 1775, under same captain, Colonel Richardson, served in the 'Snow Campaign' one month and three weeks. In May, 1776, under Capt. John Rod- gers, Colonel Williams, and was engaged at Lindley Fort, Black-Hole, and in the Ring fight with the Indians; served six months. In 1777, under Captain Chew, in pursuit of Boyd, the Tory; two months. In 1778, under Captain Raney; three months. September 1, 1780, and Sumter, was in the battle of Blackstocks; served five months. In 1781 he engaged in the pursuit of Dunlap, the British officer, who was captured in Abbeville, South Carolina ; served one month. In the fall of 1781, under Colonels White and Thomas, two months. In 1782, under Captain Collins, he served one month, making a total of twenty-two months' service. No dates of discharge are given. This soldier married December 8, 1793, Sarah Camp. He died September 29, 1838, and she was allowed pension, W. File No. S, 579, on her application executed February 22, 1845, at which time she was seventy-one years of age and a resident of Laurens District afore- said. There is no other family data on file."

Squire Calhoun had a varied and useful career. He was the possessor of many accomplishments, an excellent

mechanic, a carpenter, a millwright, gin builder and farmer, and was also a local preacher of the Methodist Church. Throughout his life he was deeply interested in the social, religious and educational questions of the time. For many years he served as a justice of the peace. When the son, George M., was five years of age, the father moved his family to Chattanooga county, Georgia, settling at Summerville. There the father continued his work as a minister, and at the same time was a builder of mills, gins, and took such an active part as to leave the results of his work almost a permanent record on' the industry of the vicinity. Seven years after locating in Georgia, the father came to Texas, settling south of Crockett, in Houston county. Here he had a large estate and farmed his plantation with the labor of a hundred slaves. That remained his home until his death, and his wife also passed away in Houston county.

George M. Calhoun had just begun working for himself as a farmer during the year the Civil war came on. When the great conflict was actually engaged between the North and the South, he left his cotton, corn and other crops in the field and at Crockett, enlisted in Cap- tain Adair's Company H, Green's Brigade of Cavalry, and with Walker's Division went to the front. He was with the Texas troops engaged in the western movement into New Mexico, and from El Paso went to Fort Craig, in New Mexico, where he participated in the battle with the Union forces at that point. Subsequently the troops moved up the Rio Grande by way of Las Cruces and took part in the battle of Glorieta. After a furlough of thirty days the company was reorganized and sent to Galveston. Here it was the distinction of Mr. Calhoun to take part in the remarkable exploit which will always live in history, in the capture of the Federal gunboat, "The Harriet Lane," and the taking of the city of Galveston, which had been occupied by the Federal forces since early in the war. The Harriet Lane was one of the finest and most formidable of the enemy's gunboats, and in order to capture it the Confederates improvised three gunboats from cotton transports, two of these being sunk in the fierce conflict which raged on the surface of Gal- veston Bay during that eventful night. Mr. Calhoun was next transferred with the troops into Louisiana, where he took part in the bloody fight at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, at the latter place having his horse shot from under him. Then succeeded the unsuccessful attack at night upon Fort Donaldsonville and the bloody fight during the retreat up the bayou. He was next at Brasure City, where, after crossing the bayou in sugar coolers, the troops of which he was a member captured the town and 700 prisoners of war. Next transferred to Arkansas, and subsequently to Louisiana, he was with the army which camped near Red River and captured two Union gunboats. With the death of the commander, General Green, Gen- eral Bee took command, and the army went by way of Old Caney and Nibley 's Bluff to Yellow Bayou, where the fierce engagement occurred of that name. The troops next went into Arkansas, and thence to Bellevue, Texas, where Mr. Calhoun 's company remained until the final disbandment at Mt. Enterprise, in Anderson county.

On returning home, Mr. Calhoun adapted himself as soon as possible to the changed conditions brought on by the war and took up his life work as a farmer. Sub- sequeutly for a number of years he was one of the pros- perous merchants at the town of Pennington. During his many years' residence and industry in Houston county he has acquired a substantial position and owns a comfort- able residence in Crockett and a fine farm in the county.

On November 8, 1867, Mr. Calhoun married Miss Au- gusta Hill, of Crockett, and their happy wedded life has been extended over a period of more than forty-five years. Nine children were born to their marriage. Ca- milla and Ada are both deceased. Those living are: Beatrice, wife of John Bruten, a farmer of Houston county; Frank and Rad, both of Crockett; George E., of Grapeland; Harry Montgomery, of Dallas; Thomas,

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of Leon county, and Richard, who is in the railroad service and travels in and out of the state.

Mr. Calhoun was reared in the Methodist Church, but he and his wife are both Universalists and have active communion with that faith. They are intelligent and broadminded people whose lives have never run in the selfish grooves, but have reacted to the welfare and happiness of many others. Mr. Calhoun was affiliated with the Knights of Honor until the order disbanded at Crockett some years ago. He is one of the most popu- lar members of Crockett Camp, United Confederate Vet- erans, being at the present time lieutenant of the camp.

EDWIN WINFREE. The career of Judge Winfree has been marked by large and worthy achievement and he has had much to do with the civic and material develop- ment and progress of Houston county, Texas, where he has maintained his home for forty years and where his benignant influence has permeated in divers channels. He is presiding on the bench of the county court, in which important judicial office he has served for a full decade, though not consecutively, and he is one of the best known and most honored of the loyal aud progres- sive Citizens of Crockett, the thriving metropolis and judicial center of the county. Further distinction per- tains to Judge Winfree by reason of his gallant service as a soldier of the Confederacy in the war between the states, and he is now the popular incumbent of the posi- tion of commander of the Crockett camp of the United Confederate Veterans' Association.

Judge Winfree claims the historie Old Dominion com- monwealth as the place of his nativity and is a scion of one of its old and honored families-one that was there founded in the colonial era. He was born in Chester- field county, Virginia, on the 9th of April, 1845, and is a son of Thomas Edwin and Elizabeth Marrion (Taylor) Winfree, both of whom likewise were born and reared in that state, the former tracing his lineage to staunch English origin and the latter to fine old Welsh stock. Thomas Edwin Winfree owned and operated a large plantation in Chesterfield county, engaged in the raising of tobacco on an extensive scale, and also conducted a tobacco dry-stemming factory at Manchester, the me- tropolis of his home county. With these lines of indus- trial enterprise he continued to be actively and success- fully identified until his death, and he was one of the honored and influential citizens of his county, where he commanded unqualified popular confidence and esteem and where he was frequently called upon to serve in positions of distinctive trust, including that of guardian or "next friend" for a number of negroes who had been given their freedom for faithful service, prior to the Civil war. Both he and his devoted wife continued to reside on their old homestead plantation until they were summoned from the stage of life's mortal endeavors, both having been earnest communicants of the Methodist Church. Of the eight children four are living: Mrs. Fannie Christian, of Manchester, Virginia; George, who resides in the city of Richmond, that state; Rupert W., who remains at Manchester, in the old home county, and Edwin, whose name initiates this review. The deceased children are: Virginia, who died as a young woman; Mrs. Sallie Du Val, Marion, and William W. Winfree.

Judge Winfree was afforded excellent educational ad- vantages in his native state, and there gained valuable experience in connection with the affairs of the home plantation and his father's other business interests. He attended the Manchester and Richmond schools under Professor Jones and the Rev. Dr. Burroughs; also the Ruffins High School of Chesterfield, Virginia, under the tutorship of Professor Murray. Judge Winfree was a vigorous and ambitious youth of seventeen years at the time when civil war was precipitated upon the nation, and he forthwith subordinated all personal interests to tender his services as a defender of the cause of the Con- federacy, which gained the active allegiance of the very

flower of young Southern manhood. On the 7th of Sep- tember, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Drewery's Vir- ginia Battery, which also became known as the South Side Artillery of Smith's Battalion, and with this most valiant command he served under Gen. Robert E. Lee until the close of the great internecine conflict between the North and the South. It should be especially noted that it was Drewery's Battery that held the fort at Drewery's Bluff against five Union gunboats that came up the river from Norfolk, and this was but one of many admirable exhibitions of loyal and intrepid serv- ice on the part of this gallant command. Judge Winfree made a military record that shall ever redound to his honor, and he lived up to the full tension of the long and weary struggle which called forth the ultimate of devotion and sacrifice on the part of the fair old South- land. He had many hazardous and dramatic experi- ences during his long period of service in camp and on the field of conflict, and well it is that he perpetuates the more gracious memories of those days through his appreciative identification with the fast depleting ranks of that noble organization, the United Confederate Vet- erans, in which he is a valued member of Crockett Camp, No. 141, of which he is serving as commander in 1912-13. He was a member of the famous eight thousand of Lee's worn and depleted army that lined up for battle just before the surrender at Appomattox, and his name is upon the Confederate roll of honor now retained in the Confederate Museum in the city of Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate government. This roll is inscribed with the names of the eight thousand brave and loyal Southerners who thus made the last stand in defense of the cause for which they had fought with all of loyal zeal and devotion. The roster was prepared for General Lee in compliance with his personal request, and Judge Winfree greatly prized the certificate which he received from the museum authorities and which states that his name appears upon this historie document,. a letter from the house regent of the museum likewise having been addressed to the Judge and giving the same assurance. Another valued souvenir is a certificate which was given to him by the Adjutant General of the United States, showing his name to be upon the copy of the famous roll of honor that was given to General Grant upon his request and which was by him placed in the archives of the United States. Judge Winfree took part in virtually every engagement in and around Richmond, the fair old city whose seven hills bore the brunt of much of the important polemic activities of the great war between the states. He was twice wounded in ac- tion, but he did not long permit his injuries to keep him from his command.

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A history of Texas and Texans, Part 94

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960 Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 906

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 906