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 42
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 42
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Ile was born in Georgia, October 14, 1847, was brought up on a farm, and at the age of sixteen years he left home and went to Louisiana, but afterward came to Texas. Ilis marriage to Miss Louisa C. Doyle took place January 6, 1876, she being a daughter of John W. P. and Mary A. Doyle, of Ala- bama. They came to Texas in 1855, and first located in Navarro county, but came to Hill county three years later. Here they made rapid strides in the aceumulation of a competency and soon became wealthy, but this wealth unfortunately cost Mr. Doyle his life, for his honse was attacked by seven burglars one night, and he and his eldest son were killed in trying to defend their prop- erty! The murderers made their escape with over 830,000, but a number of them were captured and paid the penalty of their crime with their lives. The robbery and murder occurred in 1866. The mother is still living, is about sixty-nine years of age, and makes her home with her children. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Jones has resulted in the birth of seven children: Anna G., who was born November 16, 1876; Eugene, born July 19, 1878; Nora, born April 29, 1880; Bert B., born October 22, 1882; Grover C., born July
Mr. Jones is a Democrat in polities, but has never been an especially active politician, although he always exercises his right of sut- frage. He is a son of W. D. and Martha II. Jones, natives of South Carolina, the former an extensive slave-owner before the war, and a successful planter. They both reside in Georgia, the former being now about seventy- two years of age, and the latter sixty-five. To them four sons and three danghters were bern, the subject of this sketch being the third of the family in order of birth. Hle was the only one of the family in Texas until the fall of 1891, when his brother Charles X. eame hither, and is engaged in teaching at Mertens. The maternal grandfather, Johu B. Word, served as Judge of the County Court for a long term of years, also filled the position of Justice of the Peace, and was a inan of much prominence in the seetion in which he resided.
AVID D. SANDERSON, of Whitney, Hill county, was born in Buckingham county, Virginia, November 20, 1822, a son of Major William B. Sanderson, who was born in Cumberland county, Virginia, January 8, 1794. The latter was married, February 7, 1822, to Catherine B. Patterson, who was born May 4, 1792. Mr. Sanderson was a Major in the war of 1812, and was in the battles of Norfolk, Coney Island, Light
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House, and was under Major General John Cocke. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson had four children: D. D., our subject; Sarah B .; William J .; and Daniel P., deceased. The father died June 8, 1838, at the age of forty- five years, and the mother survived until September 4, 1856. The grandfather of our subject, David Patterson, was left an orphan when quite young, and inherited valuable property of lands and negroes. At the age of fourteen years ho conceived a great desire to become a gunsmith, and only one person in the county understood that trade, an old Scotchman by the name of Mathers, to whom he wished to be bound, as Mathers would not learn him the trade otherwise. This was sternly objected to by his uncle and guardian, but the boy applied to the county court of Albemarle county, and after the nnele ad- dressed the court, denouncing Mathers as a drunkard, the boy was interrogated by the court to learn why he wished to be bound out to such a man. He coolly and deliberately stated that be had determined to learn the gunsmith's trade, and there was no other person in the county who could teach him, and for that reason he wished to be bound out to Mr. Mathers. The court overruled the unele's objections, and bound him to said Mathers. When the Revolutionary war broke ont he was running a successful gunsmith establishment, with a number of apprentices, and was several times visited by marauding parties to destroy his plant, but on such ocea- sions his material and machinery were scat- tered among the hills and put out of the way. Hle carried on business throughout the war, I
and supplied guns to the Government, for which he received land in Virginia and Ken- tueky. Our subjeet has now in his possession a number of bills issued by Congress and the State Government of Virginia, which were paid to his grandfather for guns. One of these State bills has on it the following: "These bills of $500 shall be exchanged and redeemed in Spanish milled dollars, or the value thereof in gold or silver, at the rate of One for Forty at the Treasury of Virginia, on or before the 30th day of December, 1792, according to an act of Assembly passed the 1st day of Mareli, 1781." The bill is of common white paper, 23 x 3 inches, printed with black ink, on but one side. The national bills are 2 x 3 inches, in heavier white paper, printed on both sides. On one side the inseription, " This bill en- titles the bearer to receive five Spanish milled dollars or the value thereof in gold or silver, according to a resolution of Congress, passed at Philadelphia November 2, 1776," and on the other side is the card of the printers, Hall & Sellers, and a picture of two tobacco leaves.
Colonel D. D. Sanderson, the subject of this notice, was reared and educated in Vir- ginia, and in 1848 he moved to Marshall county, Mississippi, where he bought a large tract of land. Before the war he was a rich man, but was one of many others that suf- fered greatly by that struggle. Although he was a slave owner, both he and his wife were always opposed to slavery and secession, and he remained loyal to his country. Mr. San ler- son moved to Texas in March, 1875, having previously purchased land in this State, and
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he afterward added 330 acres to his original purchase, making in all 4, 727 acres in one body, all nnder enltivation. In company with his sons he is engaged in stock-raising, having on an average about 700 head of steers. The Colonel takes pride in colleeting and keeping old mementoes, having his grandmother's Bible that she read before the Revolutionary war, and his wife has her father's Bible, which is over 100 years old. Hle also has a copy of a newspaper, titled Virginia Gazette, pub- lished on Saturday, January 21, 1786. On the first page of the paper is an advertisement that reads as follows: " I sell on the 27th day of February, 1756, all my horses and cattle, farming ntensils, together with some very likely slaves, ete." The Colonel also has a deed that was made by an Indian tribe to a man named Ballow, which is dated May 15, 1781, conveying 200,000 acres of land, describing the boundaries, and warrants and detends the same against any red man as long as the Mississippi river runs water and the Chickasaw land bears timber, signed by the chief and sealed with their horse brands. The man Ballow was a second scion of Colo- nel Sanderson's grandmother, and the deed has been handed down to the Colonel. The land, which was located in Mississippi was given him for some kind and friendly act done by him to the Indians. The maternal grandfather of our subjeet was one of the first Baptist ministers of Virginia.
The Colonel was married, November 1, 1854, to Miss Elizabeth P. Jones, who was born May 15, 1833, a daughter of William Jones, who was born in South Carolina, June | ters.
8, 1783. He was married, November 4, 1809, to Miss Phalba Hutchings, who was born in 1794. The father died Jannary 8, 1855, at the age of seventy-two years, and the mother September 1, 1857, aged sixty- three years. They were the parents of six children, viz .: Rufus, Jasper, Mallerb, and William Lucius, deceased; and Elizabeth, wife of Colonel D. D. Sanderson. Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson have had eight children, four of whom still survive: Ilelen A., William Lucins, Phalba, and Warwick D. In his political views Mr. Sanderson is an old-time Whig.
We copy the following notice from the Whitney Messenger of January 23:
" Colonel D. D. Sanderson, a well known and highly respected citizen, who resided a few miles below Whitney in the vicinity of Prairie Valley, on Wednesday, January 20th about 1:30 o'clock, passed quietly over the river of death to the unknown beyond. The remains were buried at his home in a spot selected by himself several years ago. He was a kind and affectionate father, a devoted husband and, a whole-souled neighbor. lle was radical in some of his religions and polit- ical opinions, but questioned the right of none to differ with him, and some of his warmest friends were numbered among those who held opposite views on these questions."
AMES E. McQUATTERS, a successful farmer of Johnson county, is a son of James and Martha (Haywood) MeQuat- The father was born in Fairfield dis-
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
triet, South Carolina, in 1>12, was a farmer by occupation, a deacon in the Missionary Baptist church, and died in 1883. Mr. and Mrs. McQuatters were married about 1836, and were the parents of five children: Will- iam A., deceased; Georgiana, wife of W. A. Hood, of Hubbard City, Ilill county; Mary E., deceased, was the wife of Daniel Stringer, of Jackson parish, Louisiana; James, our subject, and Joseph J., of Waxahachie.
The subject of this sketch was born in Fairfield district, South Carolina, April 15, 1547, and in 1854 he removed with his parents to Louisiana, and in 1866 to Ellis county, Texas. Ile began life for himself in 1865, and in 1870 he began farming on rented land in Navarro county, where he re- mained two years; next pre-empted 160 aeres of land fifteen miles west of Waxahachie, Ellis county; six years later sold this place and bought 200 acres in the same com- innnity, and five years afterward bonght his present farin of 100 acres four miles east of Alvarado, Johnson county. lle has since added to his first purchase until he now owns 200 acres. In 1863 Mr. McQuatters enlisted in the Third Louisiana Infantry, and served about one year on guard duty.
lle was married in 1871, to Sarah J., a daughter of Alfred O. and Louisa Tullos, and they have had eight children, namely: Lucy, wite of Joseph Brown, of Johnson county; Ilettie MeQuatters, also of this county; and Katy, Jennie, Nannie, Otis, Mattio, Chester, at home, and also Edgar MeQuatters, deceased, born September 29, 1885, and died November 30, 1887.
Politically Mr. MeQuatters is identified with the Democratic party, and religiously both he and his wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church.
FOIIN P. COX .-- The political history of Hill county would be materially incom - plete without an outline of the career of John P. Cox, the present Sheriff of the county. Ile is the son of Euclid M. Cox, one of the heroes of San Jacinto and a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, who came to Texas in 1831; he served in the border wars with the Indians, volunteered in the war by which Texas won her independence; served also in the wars following the independence of the State, and was finally killed in October, 1838, on Battle creek, Navarro county, in an engage- inent against a number of Indian tribes, the struggle being between the settlers and red- skins. Enclid M. Cox was united in marriage to Sallie I. Seott, a native of Montgomery county, Alabama, who died in Hill county, Texas, in 1884, at the age of seventy-two years. Of this union three children were born: John P., the subject of this notice; J. Fred, a Presiding Elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, who died at Fort Worth, Texas; and Mollie, the wife of Dr. J. M. Griffiin, of Ilill county.
John P. Cox, the eldest child, was born October 23, 1836, in Washington county, Texas; he spent his childhood in Burleson county, and was trained in all the details of agriculture; his early years wore devoted to
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these pursuits, tilling the soil and raising stock. Ilaving shown a marked degree of executive ability, his name was presented to the people of Hill county as a candidate for Sheriff, to which office he was elected in Au- gust, 1872. Ile served continuously for a - period of ten years, and in 1886, was re-elected to the office. Ile has never failed to win in the race when his name has been proposed, the best evidence of his popularity as an official. Ile has been Ilill county's Sheriff during some of her most trying times, and he has had a varied experience in dealing with her lawless element. Ile is a man absolutely without fear, and his name is a terror to evil doers; he has made thousands upon thousands of arrests, and has chased law-breakers over a hundred counties or more in this State; when Sheriff Cox starts out after a criminal the guilty party hus little hope. More than once, when in the performance of his duty, has he faced unflinchingly the pistols and guns of the lawless element. IIe has been present at the opening of four different court- houses in Hill county, being now one of the oldest public servants.
Mr. Cox was a volunteer in the late war, enlisting in the fall of 1861, in Company B, Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, Confederate ser- vice. He was in the Trans- Mississippi De- partment through Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri, taking part in a number of im- portant engagements in that region; he was in the fight at Mansfield, Pleasant Hill and Yellow Bayou, in Louisiana, and was with Marmaduke on his last raid in Missouri. Hle served as a private and as Orderly Ser-
geant, and had the good fortune never to be wounded or captured, although he was always faithful to his post of duty and frequently in the heat of battle.
In May, 1861, Mr. Cox was united in mar- riage to Miss Annie M. Anderson, of Hill county, a native of Alabama; her parents re- moved to Texas in her childhood. Her fam- ily was one of the most prominent in the early days of Texas. Her brothers were soldiers at the battle of San Jacinto, and in fact participated in all the early wars for Texas and her independence. Her death occurred in 1883, and Mr. Cox's second mar- riage was to Mrs. Emma V. Vines. Ile is the father of eight children, six by his first union and two by the last. For the past quarter of a century he has been a member of the Masonie fraternity, and he also belongs to the I. O. O. F. Ile is a man of the highest integrity of character, a citizen in whom llill county takes great pride.
ESSE A. MCGOWAN was born in White county, Tennessee, June 19, 1841, and, although he learned the tannery business in his youth and followed this call- ing for some time after he began life for him- self, he is now a successful tiller of the soil and owns an excellent farm of 260 acres in Hill county, of which ninety-five acres are under cultivation and well improved with good buildings, etc. His parents, Samuel and Sarah (Markham) McGowan, were born in Tennessee, and died in 1851 and 1869 . respectively, the latter being 45 years of age
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at the time of her death. Upon the opening of the Civil war Jesse A. MeGowan aban- doued the tannery bneiness to enlist in the Confederate service, and for one year was in Captain Hubbard's independent company, after which he joined a Mississippi regiment commanded by Colonel Perrin, with which he remained until the close of the war, being Sergeant of his company. He was in the bloody battle of Shiloh, besides many en- gagements of less importance, but after a time his company was detached to do scout- ing duty for the brigade and still later he was detailed to make saddles for the Con- federate army. At the close of the war he returned home and was united in marriage September 29, 1865, to Miss Deoliece Rosa- mond who was born in 1849, her father being Samuel Rosamond. Mr. MeGowan became a resident of the Lone Star State in 1865 and during his residence in Henderson county he superintended a large tannery. Ile next went to Johnson county, from there to Me- Lennan county, remained two years. then moved to Freestone county. His wife died in 1569, at the age of twenty, leaving him with one daughter to eare for: Lillie D., who is still at home with her father. He re- mained in Freestone county untill 1876. Miss Lon Williams became Mr. McGowan's second wife in 1876. In the same year, first located in Ilill county, on a portion of the farm on which he now resides, which then consisted of 160 acres; after, purchased 100 acres. His second wife died in 1886, leaving four children: Katie L., Walter R., desse A. and Henry B. The mother of these children
was the daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Roarks) Williams, the former of whom died many years ago, and the latter in 1887. Mr. MeGowan and three of his children nre members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is a devoted Christian, taking great interest in church work and striving with all his power to bring others into the fold. He is one of the substantial men of this county and his career may well be emulated by the youth of to-day.
OWELL L. CRIGGS, a prosperous far- mer of Johnson county, is a son of W. A. Criggs, who was born in Henry county, Virginia, in 1826. He came to Texas in 1857, locating first in Ellis county, and three years later, in 1860, in Johnson county. At the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in the Southern army, serving three years, or until the elose of the war. The mother of our subject was Cassandra F., a danghter of William Henry Clark. They had six chil . dren, viz .: Ilowell L., Sara C., wife of M. L. Baker, of Livingston, Montana; Dennis F., Alvarado; Silas M., of Eastland, Texas; Annie M., wife of John Davis, of Cleburne, and Effie S., wife of E. F. Kiblinger.
Howell L., our subject was born in Henry county, Virginia, May 30, 1852, and in 1857 he came with his parents to Texas. Ile re- mained at home until 1873, when, at the age of twenty-one years, he began teaching school. 1874 he bought 230 acres of land at his present location, six miles east of Alvarado, which he immediately began to improve,
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building the first wire fence east of the latter place. The dry weather of 1884-'85 suggested to Mr. Criggs the idea of an artesian well. lle succeeded but fairly well with the first attempt, and drilled another, with much better success, both of which now give an abundance of water for stock. lle now has a well-im- proved and well stocked farm and a fine new honse, the whole valued at $7,500.
In 1880 he was married to Nannie M. Griggs, a daughter of Louis and Sarah Griggs, natives of Henry county, Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Criggs have six children: Jerry F., Annie L., Raymond E., Dou Roger, Kate and Maggie May. In politics Mr. Criggs favors the Democratic party. In early life he joined the Primitive Baptist Church, and showed such zeal in the service that he was given a lieense, and is now a minister in that denomination. Ile is at present Clerk of his church, and of the Vil- lage Creek Primitive Baptist Association,
ENRY C. FORD, Whitney, Texas .- As might naturally be expected, men- tion is made in the present work of many citizens of Hill county, Texas, now prominent in their different eallings, but none more so than Mr. Ford, who has repre- sented the mercantile interests in this section until recently. Ile owes his nativity to Louisiana, his birth occurring in Sabine par- ish November 1, 1844, and when but six years old came with his father to Texas. Tho latter settled in Bosque county, in!
Smith's Bend, and here our subject was reared and received his education in the country school. When twenty-one years of age he commenced learning the saddler's trade, and worked at this until 1872, when he went to Towash and engaged in merchan- dising. He continued in business there nutil 1878, when he moved to Hamilton Springs, where he remained until Whitney was located, after which he moved to that town. He there built a store and continued merchandising until 1890, when he sold out and is now col- lecting and settling up his affairs. In 1862 Mr. Ford enlisted in the Eighth Texas Regi- ment, when but seventeen years old, and served faithfully for three years. Mr. Ford was married in 1865 to Miss Angelina Cox, a native of Kentneky, born in 1845, and the daughter of William and Mary Cox. This union resulted in the birth of five chil- dren: Mollie E., wife of O. II. Young (see sketch); Williamn T .; John II .; Ola; and Edward (deceased). The mother of these children died in April, 1875. Mr. Ford took for his second wife Miss Melvia Duncan, a native of Tennessee, born October 29, 1856, and the daughter of William W. and Dora Duncan. To the second marriage were born five children: Guy W .; Bertha C .; Howland C .; Berrell D. and Charles L. Soon after his first marriage Mr. Ford was afflicted with rheumatism, and was a eripple for two years. This was when he was just starting and time was money with him. However, he was not discouraged, but as soon as able went earnestly to work and soon retrieved his " fallon fortune, and is now comfortably situ-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON
ated in the little town of Whitney. Mr. Ford's father, Thomas Ford, was a native Georgian, born in 1807, and in 1830 he was married to Miss Salantha Liles. He came to Texas about 1854, settled at Smith's Bend, Bosque county, and bought 100 acres of land, which he improved and cultivated. He died January, 1875, and his wife in 1886. They were the parents of six children: S. W .; Car- oline, wife of John J. Mosley; S. A., wife of Dr. Attaway; Thomas J .; Ilenry C. (subject); and Elizabeth, wife of N. Bryan. The father was a member of the school board that levied the first school tax in Hill county. Our subject is a Mason, Whitney Lodge No. 355, and is also a member of the Knights of Honor, Lodge No. 3,214; also a member of the K. of I'. lodge at Whitney.
AMES M. C. WILSON, a successful farmer of llill county, was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, March 22, 1833, the youngest son of Samnel and Elizabeth (McCullongh) Wilson. The par ents were of Scotch and Welsh ancestry, the Mcculloughs having come from North Car- olina, and the Wilsons from Virginia. Samp- son Wilson and James MeCullongh, the grandfathers of our subject, were soldiers in the Revolutionary war, and the latter was also in the Indian war, was held two years by the Indians, and during that time was shot and wounded and made to run the ganut- Jet. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Wilson had six children, viz .: Joseph N., deceased a number
of years ago; Simeon, who was killed in the war; Catharine, wife of Samuel MeFall; Mary and Bettie, who died when young; and James M. C., our subject.
The latter came to Texas with his father in 1855, settling in Ilill county, where he rented land and farmed until the breaking out of the late war. Ile then enlisted in Company C, Sixth Texas Regiment, Ross' Brigade, and was soon promoted First Lieu- tenant, and next to Captain. Ile was in a number of hard-fought battles, was under Price in the MeCullough campaign, and under Joseph E. Johnson and Hood in the campaign of Georgia. Mr. Wilson was shot and badly wounded four times, was near when the standard-bearer was shot down, and he picked up his flag, and was shot down. With a broken leg he erawled off the battle field, dragging the flag with him, thus saving both himself and the flag from being captured. Ile was the seventh man shot down while carrying the flag during that battle. After the war he returned home and was elected Sheriff of litt county, but, on account of the reconstruction, he resigned after a year and a half. Mr. Wilson subse- quently bought a farm of 300 aeres, to which he has added until he now owns 2,000 acres, all but 300 aeres of which is on the Brazos river. Mr. Wilson is also extensively en- gaged in stock and cotton raising, having this year 400 acres in the latter. Ile has served as Justice of the Peace of his precinet six years, and in 1838 was elected Representative of his county, which position ho si. Is.
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Captain Wilson was married in Kentneky, in 1868, to Miss Georgia Greenwade, who died shortly afterward, and August 21, 1879, he married Miss Edwin 1. Wade, who was born March 22, 1863, a daughter of Edwin and Mary Wade. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had seven children, namely: Joseph E. ((leceased), Mary E., Bertha, May, Oua and Ina (twins) and James II. Mr. Wilson is a member of the Baptist Church, has always been identified with the Democratie party, and is a member of the Grange. Mrs. Wil- son is a member of the Christian Church.
--- MI ADISON G. EASTER, a farmer of Ilill county, is a son of Jasper M. Easter, who was born in Mississippi, in 1812, a son of Colonel and Betsey Easter. Jasper M. removed to Texas in 1869, locating in Hill county, where he died January 29, 1874. In 1861 he eulisted in the Confederate service, and was captured at the siege of Vicksburg, after which he was paroled and returned home. Politically, he was a Democrat, and served as Justice of the Peace a number of years in Mississippi. Hle was a member of the Masonic order, and was Moderator of the Covington Baptist Church. Our subject's mother, nee Sarah King, was born in South Carolina in 1819, a daughter of James and Betsey (Garret) King, also natives of South Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Easter were married in 1844, and had ten children, viz .: P'hebe, wife of C. L. Martin, of Itasca, and a sketch of whom is given in this work; William F., a farm 'Till county; Rachel, wife of W. B. Mangle; Sarah Thompson, at home; 23
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