USA > Texas > Johnson County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 10
USA > Texas > Hill County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 10
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"SECTION 4 .- That the county judge be authorized to appoint commissioners to locate the boundaries of said county as contem- plated by this act."
March 25, 1871, the eastern boundary line was changed as follows: "Be it enacted," etc., "that that part of Ellis county west of a line beginning at the southeast corner of Johnson county, running thence north to the southern boundary of Tarrant county, be and the same is hereby annexed to Johnson county."
The petition asking the Commissioners' Court of Hill county to order an election for the purpose of determining whether a portion of the territory of said county should be de- tached from llill and attached to Johnson county, was presented at the February (1880) term. An election was ordered at the same
term, and was accordingly held March 20, following. The returns showed that the prop- osition was carried by a majority of twenty. This territory is described as follows: "Be- ginning at the southeast corner of the Will- iam Kinsey 320-acre survey, lying north of and adjoining Kimball's bend on the Brazos river; thence with said William Kinsey's east boundary line north, thirty degrees west, to the Hill and Johnson county line; thence in a westerly direction with said county line to the Brazos river, to the northwest corner of Hill county; thence down the Brazos river with its meanders with the Hill county line to the lower corner of the said William Kin- sey's survey; thence north, sixty degrees east, with the said William Kinsey's survey to the place of beginning."
The above described territory contains 5,- 324 aeres, and embraces the following sur- veys: Mark M. Ridley, 500 acres; A. J. Gil- bert, 100 aeres; Thomas Larrison, 6-10 acres; II. P. Moses, 230 acres; C. B. Roberts, 640 acres; J. Crouch, 320 aeres; L. N. West, 320 acres; Thomas Russell, 1,474 acres; M. A. Johnson, 180 acres; B. S. Jenkins, 320 acres; and William Kinsey, 320 acres; total, 5,321 acres.
The present boundary line of Johnson county, according to Art. 822 of the Revised Statutes of 1879, stands as follows: "Be- ginning at the northeast corner of Ilood county, thence south with the east line of said county and the county of Somervell to the upper corner of J. Lyon's 320-acre sur- vey on the Brazos river; thence with the Brazos to the northwest corner of Hill county ;
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thence with the Hill county line north, seventy-five degrees east, to the west line of Ellis county (said point lies south, thirty de- Kreca east, twenty-two miles from the west corner of Ellis county, as established January ">, 1550); thence due north to the south line of Tarrant county; thence west to the place of beginning."
Thus Johnson county was originally ere- ated out of Navarro (principally) and Me- Lennan counties, and at first included Hood und Somervell counties, and since then a corner was taken from Ellis county, and a emall tract from Hill.
There still remains a dispute concerning a half mile strip running quite across on the north side of the county. The question is a somewhat complicated one. By special aet of the legislature, Dallas county's north line was made the south line of the old Fannin distriet or on what is known as the "Orr line." Dallas county's northwest corner is admitted. From that point the Dallas county west line is to extend due south thirty miles, but in run- uing it the surveyor did not run straight but rut off a considerable amount of Tarrant county and gave it to Dallas. Tarrant ob- jected to this and a compromise was effected by allowing Dallas county to keep Tarrant's territory, and running 801g varas south, far- ther than authorized, thereby going 801} varas into Ellis county. Now, Johnson county's north line is to extend thirty miles due west from the northwest corner of Ellis, which is 801g varas farther south than it should be, thereby giving Tarrant a strip about thirty miles long and 801g
varas wide which does not belong to her. This is the land in dispute, and has been for some time. The surveyor has recently written to Judge Adams facts and figures in regard to it, which it is more than probable will convince the proper authorities that Johnson county's elaim is correct. Johnson county, embracing 687 square miles in its area, is located a little northeast of the geo- graphical center of the State of Texas, and is bounded on the north by Tarrant and Parker counties, on the west by Hood, on the south by Bosque and IIill, and on the east by Ellis county.
During the Centennial occasion of 1876, J. R. Mckinsey published the following his- torical items:
"The county was created by the Fifth Legislature of Texas on the 13th day of Feb- ruary, 1554, and the county officers were elected on the 7th day of August following. David Mitchell was chosen the first chief justice: Jeremiah Easterwood, county clerk; J. Roberson, treasurer; A. II. Onstott, sher- iff; F. L. Kirtley, assessor and collector; A. D. Kennard, Christopher Billingsley, Carr Wise and William O'Neal, county commis- sioners.
"The entire vote cast at this election was less than 120.
"The next thing in order was the selection of a county seat. Four places were put in nomination,-William O'Neal's, Stephens', Patton & Tarrant's and Robinson's. The election, held January 18, 1855, resulted in no majority for either place. A second elec- tion was ordered August 16 following, when
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the following named places were in nomina- tion: William O'Neal's and Henderson & Chambers'. The vote stood: O'Neal's, 161; Henderson & Chambers', 59, O'Neal's do- nation was declared elected; and the legisla- ture having proviously named the county seat Wardville, in honor of a Texas veteran of the name of Ward, this name was accord- ingly attached to this first county seat of Johnson county. O'Neal's, or Wardville, was situated on the west bank of Noland's river five miles west of Cleburne.
"Dissensions soon arose about the county seat being outside the constitutional limits, and this supposition was ascertained to be true. A removal becoming then necessary, an election was ordered to be held Septem- ber 8, 1856, and this time the places put in nomination were Wardville, Bailey's and Manley's. No one of these places having re- ceived a majority of the votes polled, it was declared no election. It was then ordered by the chief justice that another election be held October 4, following, for the purpose of relocating the county seat of Johnson county. For this election the following places were placed in nomination: Bailey's and Manley's. The former received 151 votes and the latter 47. Bailey's was accor- dingly declared to be the county seat.
"It being the duty of the county court to give the place chosen a name, it was agreed to call it Buchanan, in honor of James Buchanan, then president of the United States.
"This put a quietus upon county troubles for a time, and the new county seat bid fair to make a sprightly and pleasant county
town. This point is five miles northwest of where Cleburne now is,
" At a session of the legislature a petition was presented from different parts of the county, praying that a portion of the west end of Johnson county be cut off, in order that a new county might be created, taking along with the section thus cut off a part of Erath, Bosque and Palo Pinto counties, and forming what is now Hood county. This being accomplished, it opened up afresh the question of the removal of the county seat of Johnson county. Accordingly, an election was ordered for March 23, 1867, when the following places were nominated: Buchanan, Camp Henderson (now Cleburne), Sanders' and Hollingsworth. Camp Henderson, being elected by an overwhelming majority, was declared the county seat of Johnson county.
" From that time on the population and prosperity of the county was much more rapid than at any previous period. It must be ap- parent to all that so many removals of the county seat retarded the progress of the county. Had Camp llenderson been chosen at the start, the population and prosperity of the community would be far in advance of what it has been since.
"The county was settled up rather slowly for several years, for drouths were common then, and one summer generally satisfied a new-comer, especially if he were from Arkan- sas. Since the war very few sections of coun- try have been settled up more rapidly than Johnson county."
After reciting the foregoing facts in the Centennial year, 1876, Mr. MeKinsey fell
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into a long series of retrospections, beginning the morals of the community thus: In the earliest times there was but little prop- erty and no money here to tempt thieves, robbers and swindlers to this section of the country, and not enough voters to support demagognes; but, after all, there was some deviltry in pioncer times, and after the war (up to the date of his writing), a great deal more than now exists; and Johnson county, on the whole, is better than the average. thus: " Over twenty years ago we had broad arres spread out before us of rich, undulating lands, but few occupants and small fields; now, many of these rich, broad acres are en- closed in large fields, well-cultivated and growing under heavy- laden crops of wheat, vats, hay and cotton. Over twenty years ago few houses were to be seen in the distance before you; now they can be seen in abun- dance looking east, west, north or south. Over twenty years ago most settlers were ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF THIS COUNTY. contented to follow after a few head of stock This county was named in honor of Colonel M. T. Johnson, who was born in the State of Georgia and emigrated to the northern part of the State of Alabama, where he represented his county in the State legislature one or more terms. In 1842 he removed from Ala- bama to Texas, settling in Shelby county. unid but little effort was made to till the ground; now nearly all are actively engaged, seving who can excel in the raising of rich produets on their land. Then very few houses in the county could be regarded as respect- able domiciles; now many fine and costly mansions are reared, of brick, wood and stone. Then the site of the present Cleburne was a howling wilderness, wild Indians camping and hunting all over it and around it; now behold a beautiful city! Then our country was blessed with honest, peaceable citizens, while horse-thieves, robbers and highwaymen were almost unknown; now the country is flooded with criminal classes, -so much so, indeed, that it is hazardous for a man to travel from one county into another without being attacked, especially if it be known that he has money," etc., etc. The writer proceeds to draw many contrasts between primitive and modern times, with the coloring highly in favor of the former in respect to morals and political government. We can conseientiously comment on Mr. MeKinsey's reflections upon | between sixty-two Regulators and 225
Colonel Johnson was a " Regulator" in the. famous war of 1842-'44, in Shelby county, between the " Regulators" and " Moderators." One prime cause of this war was the conduet of one Charles W. Jackson, master and owner of a Red river steamer running between New Orleans and Shreveport, Louisiana, who, after some fighting and bloodshed at Shreveport took refuge in Shelbyville, ran for Congress, was beaten, and then, after exposing some fraudulent headrights, was notified to leave the country or he would be killed. After some skirmishing between parties, in which several were killed on both sides, war was formally declared and the Regulators and Moderators met in battles at the Cowpens and the Church. The first was a drawn battle
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Moderators, in which several were wounded and one killed. The battle of the Church resulted in the defeat of the 225 Mod- erators by 300 Regulators, with the loss of four killed and seven wounded; and immedi- ately after this the parties were dispersed by the State militia under orders from President Ilonston. Some of the parties were arrested, but they were never tried, and the great war between the United States and Mexico soon coming on the above parties shook hands and became friends in that struggle.
In 1841 Colonel Johnson was a representa- tive of his (Shelby) county in the State leg- islature, and served with distinction.
Upon the breaking out of hostilities be- tween the United States and Mexico, in 1846, Colonel Johnson raised a company of minute men, mounted volunteers, and soon afterward he and his men were on Mexican soil, where they remained with General Zach- ary Taylor until after the battle of Monterey, in which memorable engagement, lasting three days, he and his men participated. After the surrender of the city of Monterey Captain Johnson's company was discharged.
Returning to Texas Captain Johnson was commissioned by Governor Pinckney Hen- derson to raise a company of cavalry, or " rangers," as they were known in Texas, for frontier defense. The company was soon raised, but before it entered the field of ae- tivity the Government authorized its ang- mentation to a full regiment. When this became known Texans flocked to Johnson's standard without delay. The regiment was organized and our hero elected to the command
of the same. This regiment served through the remainder of the war with Mexico, with distinguished honor on many battle-fields, and was finally discharged in 1848.
In 1851 Colonel Johnson and General Tom J. Rusk were employed by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company to survey the route of that railroad west of Fort Worth. Ae- cordingly, the survey was made for a distance of 200 miles, after which General Rusk went to Washington eity as a Texas Senator, and Colonel Jolinson remained in the service of the Pacific Railway Company for several years afterward.
As will doubtless be inferred by the reader, Colonel Johnson was a very brilliant man, lacking neither education nor common sense; and hence it was that his splendid abilities were frequently brought into requisition into some field or other of usefulness. He was a good sponker, and his brusque style of oratory made him at home with his audience, what- ever might have been his topic. Ile was as generous as he was brave, and a better neighbor could not be found. Ile was of an impulsive nature and fond of adventure. With the Indians on the Texas frontier he had much to do, both as friend and foe, and in either relation he always seemed equally poised. Ile would as soon range the frontier in search of the hostile Comanches as to sit down to eat a meal, and frequently he was compelled to range in order to get something to eat.
In 1852, and for several years afterward, his name was frequently mentioned with the office of State Governor, but his following,
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though large and highly respectable, were located chiefly in North Texas, which portion of the State in those days was sparsely popu- lated and without the political strength that it now commands, and they were therefore unable to secure his nomination. In 1860 he was again commissioned to raise a regi- ment of rangers for frontier defense. lle raised the required quota of men and made several expeditions into the Indian country, with more or less success.
At the commencement of the late eivil war Colonel Johnson was not in accord with the seceders; but when war became in- evitable, he, like General Lee, Governor Throckmorton and other great men of that period, gave in his adhesion to the land of his nativity and offered his services to the Con- federate Government. Upon receiving as- surance from President Jefferson Davis that he would be commissioned a brigadier gen- eral in the Confederate service if he succeeded in raising a brigade of Texans, he raised that number, and accompanied his men to Little Rock, Arkansas, the point of rendezvous, from which place he reported to President Davis, at Richmond, Virginia, and in due course of time he was surprised and deeply mortified when the intelligence came that the President had changed his mind; but, gener- ons and self- sacrificing as he always was, he turned over the command without a mnrmnr, at the same time counseling his men to go into the service and battle for their homes and the Sonth.
After this Colonel Johnson did not par- tieipate in the war but remained at home on
his farm, where he madehimself nseful to his neighbors by his wise counsel and deeds. Of his abundance he gave liberally to sol- diers' families, -indeed, no one suffered long where Colonel Johnson could hear of his case. After the war he was elected to the State legislature, the first after the so-called re- construction. A. J. Hamilton was Govern- or at the time, with whom Colonel Johnson was very intimate, and it is thought, there- fore, that Tarrant county was fortunate in having Colonel Johnson as its representative in the legislature at that critical juneture in the State's affairs. Soon after the adjourn- ment of this legislature the colonel died and was buried at his old home near Johnson's Station, Tarrant county, Texas.
EARLY SURVEYS AND SURVEYORS.
The surveyor's first report on the boundary of Johnson county is given on page 320, Book A, of the Minutes of the Commission- ers' Conrt; the report concerning the bound- ary between Johnson and Hood, page 303 of the same book; and that concerning the line between Johnson and Ellis on page 379. A survey was made concerning the boundary between Johnson and Hill, but the report is not on record here.
The northern half of Johnson county was originally in the Peters colony, which ex- tended westward on through Ilood. The eastern bonndary of Peters colony was three miles west of the present eastern boundary of Dallas county. Titles to land in this northern section have always been more set- tled than in the southern, from the other
-
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colony, as the former was vacated by agreement with the State sooner than the latter. The Memphis & El Paso railroad reservation was placed upon it, and the company finally agreed to yield all their elaim in the Peters colony if they were allowed to run a twelve-mile belt through the State; and that line is now established, embracing Weatherford.
Land litigation in Johnson county eeased sooner than in most surrounding counties, and henee this region has had an earlier and better advantage for development. There is not a Mexican " league " title in the county. The title is all direct from the sovereignty of the State.
Johnson county has within its own ter- ritory four leagues of school land, and three seetions of school land for Ellis county, a traet for Jackson county, and about twenty- five seetions belonging to the general State sehool fund. The school lands of Johnson and Jackson counties lie in the western sub- division of Johnson county, and comprise eiglit leagues, or 35,424 acres, as riel as any in Texas.
Of the original surveyors in this region, Colonel Joseph Philpot died near Mexia and the Telinacana Hills; Colonel B. J. Chambers still living, at Cleburne; and besides these there were Colonels James E. Patton and 1). R. Mitchell, Richard Bell, - Jenkins, George M. Pieree, G. II. Cunningham, Warren Doug- las, S. G. Graham, ete. All these did survey- ing here before Johnson county was formed, Pieree doing most of the, work on the ground now embraced in the county. Several parties of surveyors were killed by Indians.
It is related of Colonel Philpot that he had an old sorrel horse named " Buek," which he caused to step off a piece of land as well as the average chain-carrier! and of Col- onel Patton that he would step off ground with a rawhide hobble! It is indeed a singu- lar fact that the work of the early surveyors is remarkably correct, considering their crude methods of surveying.
Colonel Barzillai J. Chambers, one of the pioneers of Johnson county, and father of the city of Cleburne, is a most higlily esteemed citizen, and worthy of the space which has been accorded him in this record of the lives of those men who made the first settlements in the Lone Star State. IIe is a son of Walker and Talitha Cumi (Mothershead) Chambers, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky, The father when a young man removed to Kentucky, where he married and made his home; he was a farmer, was fairly prosperous in this avocation, and lived to a good old age; lie died in Owen county, Ken- tneky, in 1870. ITis wife was the daughter of an old Revolutionary soldier who settled in Kentneky, after seven years of service in the war for independence; she died in her native State in 1877, also well advanced in years. Their children were named as follows: Moses, who died young; Uriel, who went to Indiana after growing up, and settled near Indianapolis, where he died a few years ago, leaving a family; Barzillai J., the subject of this notice; Creath Bascom, now residing in Navarro county; Ruth, who became the wife of C. S. Forsee; Franees, who married Dr. J. B. Vallandingham; Ruth and Frances are both deceased.
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Barzillai J. Chambers was born in Mont- gomery county, Kentucky, December 5, 1817, and lived there until the age of twenty years. in 1837 he offered himself as a volunteer in the Texas Revolution, and joined a regiment at Louisville, Kentucky, which was raised by his unele, Colonel T. J. Chambers; he re- ceived a commission as captain of which he made nse in raising recruits, but never had charge of a company, his service being on his unele's (General T. J. Chambers) staff. When the regiment reached Texas, the battle of San Jacinto had been fought, and the independence of Texas won.
Colonel Chambers determined, however, to make the Republic his home. Ilaving studied surveying in Kentucky and, become quite proficient, he offered his services to the new settlers in loeating their claims, and soon worked up a profitable business in this line. For two years he was in the southern part of the State; in 1839 he removed to the section then known as the old Robertson land dis- triet, which embraced all the territory between the Brazos and the Trinity rivers; the land office was at the old town of Franklin, which is now the county seat of Robertson county und bears the same mme. For a number of years he was engaged in surveying in this district, and during that time located many thousands of acres of land. He experienced innumerable hardships, and had many adven- tures among the Indians, exhibiting that courage, daring and skill in which Texans have surprised the world.
It was in the capacity of surveyor that he first came to Johnson county in 1847, seven
years before the county was organized and at a time when there were no actual white settlers within its present limits. Ile was a deputy surveyor of the Robertson Land District in which Johnson county was then situated. Hle was busily occupied laying certificates and running ont public lands until 1855, and December 20 of that year he took up his per- manent residence here, having acquired a title to considerable land in this vicinity. He settled in what now constitutes the lower part of Cleburne, and resided there until after the death of his wife. In April, 1857, he left the county and did not resume his residence here until the fall of 1865, since which time Cleburne has been his home. Even in 1865 the county was not thickly settled, and the county seat, which was then at Buchanan was only a struggling village. Colonel Chambers, acting as agent of Colonel W. F. Henderson and for himself, offered 100 acres, sixty for the colonel and forty for himself, as a town site for a new county seat, which was accepted. (See account elsewhere in this work.) The place was then known as Camp Henderson, but was soon named Cleburne, in honor of General Patrick Cleburne, of Con- federate fame. The county seat was moved in 1867, Colonel Chambers being one of the commissioners appointed to locate it. He aided in planning the town and assisted in surveying it and laying off into lots, and since that time he has been untiring in his efforts for the welfare of the place, and has aided every enterprise that has been projected for its benefit.
le has been an active business man, and at
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one time was the largest land-holder in the county. Ile once held title to 4.000 acres, a large part of which he sold for little, soon after the war, and used the money in improve- ments in Cleburne. He now owns between 5,000 and 6,000 acres, the most of which lies in Johnson county and about 1,500 aeres in the immediate vicinity of Cleburne.
Ile has been actively interested in politics, but has nover held public oflice except local positions, as District Surveyor, Alderman, etc. lle was in an early day Deputy Surveyor and afterwards Surveyor of the Robertson Land District, which faet was mentioned in the first part of this article. In 1876 he was a candid- ate for the Viec-Presidency of the United States on the Greenback ticket with General J. B. Weaver, of Iowa. For some years lie has been out of politics. Ile is a man well- posted on the current topics, is an original thinker, and fearless in the expression of his opinions. In former years he was interested in the mercantile business and banking in Cleburne, but dropped the latter enterprise long ago, and has owned no stoek nor had any connection with such an institution. IIe is opposed to corporations being invested with tho ownership and control of any of the national or common properties of the people to be used for private benefit, ou general prin- ciples.
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