A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 17

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954

USA > Texas > Henderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17
USA > Texas > Freestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17
USA > Texas > Leon County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17
USA > Texas > Anderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17
USA > Texas > Limestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17
USA > Texas > Navarro County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17

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senior professor in the law department of Texas State University, signing and grant- ing him his said license, From this time forward for nearly thirty years lie lias been engaged in active professional labors. Before the late Civil war, for some years, he and the Hon. Colonel R. Q. Mills, now a statesman of national reputation, and a distinguished leader for tariff reform, as well as United States Senator from Texas, were partners in the practice of the law, doing business as such under the firm name of " Mills & Beaton."

Major Beaton always gave cheerfully and liberally to the full extent of his means, and on every occasion when neces- sary bore a conspicnous and helpful part in the making and upbuilding of Corsi- cana, his adopted home. For many years, with voice of no uncertain sound, he has persistently and continuously proclaimed her merits, and to speed her onward in all her efforts to take her true and deserved rank among the leading cities of the State, he was ever ready to do whatever was in his power and required of him by his fellow citizens.

The start in the making of Corsicana as a city was her successful effort in getting a depot of the Houston & Texas Central Railway located at the town in 1871. Her citizens saw that if they failed to secure it, their town was ruined and themselves griev- ously and irreparably injured. A finance committee of citizens was raised, with Major Beaton at its head as chairman, with am- ple powers to do everything needful to insure success. He says that for about three months on this occasion he slept but little, and that it was the most trying,

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anxious and perplexing period of his entire life. Of the subscriptions of money to be raised, the major himself headed the list, paid the largest individual amount on the same and made a free donation to the rail- road company of valuable land they de- manded, of which he was the owner. He says that in connection with the afore- said labors, he was ably assisted therein by Mr. James Kerr, Sr., and Colonel Will- iam Croft, who did their part well, and who had with him their hearts in the good work for the benefit of Corsicana and its people. For his services and liberality, as above mentioned, the citizens out of pure compliment, without any desire or asking for it on his part, named the principal street in the city in his honor and after him, now known as Beaton street.

He has been a life-long Democrat, and Democratic to the core in his views of government. He believes that in our Government, all men should enjoy the most enlarged liberty consistent with its laws, all men, as good citizens, yielding strict obedience thereto, and each man holding sacred the rights, duties and obli- gations he owes to his fellow-man. With Burns, he holds that

" Rank is but the guinea's stamp, The man's a gowd for a' that; The honest man though e'er sae poor, Is king of men for a' that."

In religion, he was raised a true blue John Knox Presbyterian, the church of his parents and forefathers for many genera- tions, with whose Calvinism and authori- tative teachings he could not agree, and he now worships with his wife in the Meth- odist Church, whose tenets and belief are more in accord with his own,

He voted for secession from principle, and believed at the time in so doing he was right; and, on looking back to this period in his life's history, he says that he is well pleased with his own record in the same, and that he has still a warm lingering feel- ing of regard and respect for every true Confederate who periled his life or did other good service at home or abroad, on land or on sea, for his favored and chival- rous Southland.

Major Beaton retired from active busi- ness and professional pursuits more than ten years ago, and moved to his country residence, -" Gem Hill,"-appropriately named, as the sequel hereof will show, sitnated about one mile sonth from the city, which it entirely overlooks. View- ing the grounds and surroundings of the charming home, the culture and taste of its owner are at once apparent, as well as that engineering skill of no mean order was employed to " tickle nature into pretty shape" to please and captivate the eye of the beholder. Taking in the grounds as a whole, comprising an area of four acres of land, all used and set apart as a lawn, cov- ered and carpeted with Bermuda grass, the landscape, with its straight, curved, rounded and circular lines, bordering its graveled drives; with its two groves of timber as pleasing counterparts to each other on each side of the drives; with its crescent shape slope and bend to the creek running in the center of the lawn, and changed from its original bed to what it is now to complete the picture; with its two bridges across the stream, and with the major's nice two-story residence on the top of the hill overlooking and standing guard

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as it were over the tasteful handiwork,- presents to the eye a uniqueness of design rare and lovely.

An incident is here deservedly related of Major Beaton's regard for the welfare of the city and the property rights of its citizens: In the year 1873, he thinks, or sometime thereabouts, the city council of the city of Corsicana, T. J. Haynes then mayor, passed an ordinance to issue city bonds to the amount of $100,000 to be given to the Methodist Church in Texas, in the shape of a pure donation: it was nothing else, and was so then considered, the consideration or inducement being that said Methodist Church would establish and locate permanently at Corsicana a denomi- national school and university, the same that is now known as the South western University, located at Georgetown, Texas, the city council basing their authority so to do by virtue of a provision of the then city charter. Under the terms of the city ordinance, aforesaid, the question was sub- mitted to the citizens at an election held after due notice, every citizen voter being allowed to vote as he would at any other election, when the result showed about seventy majority in favor of issuing the bonds. The glaring and outrageous injus- tice to property rights as well as the ille- gality of the entire proceeding aroused a large body of the tax-paying citizens to immediate action. A number of the lead- ing inen of the city, property owners and and heavy tax-payers, met at once for con- sultation, and appointed Major Beaton, Captain James Garrity and Mr. A. H. Lea a committee, giving them ample power to take any steps they deemed proper to

guard the rights of the citizens and defeat the issuance of said bonds. Here it is only necessary to state that the said committee's prompt and vigorous action defeated the issue of said bonds, and the city of Corsi- cana was thereby saved from a debt that would hang like a pall and a blight over her welfare and progress as a city for many years, and it also saved her citizens and forever relieved them from the curse of crushing, ruinous and unbearable taxes to pay the yearly interest and sinking fund due on said bonds. Major Beaton says that in all his efforts in connection with the interests of the city, he never felt more inward satisfaction than he did in the de- feat of this ordinance of the city council. As "the best laid schemes of mice an' men gang aft agley," so with the promoters and earnest advocates of this scheme, which went agley; and though defeated they sub- mitted gracefully to the inevitable and rested from their labors; and the major now believes that they all, with him, re- joice that the thing was killed outright as dead as it was.

Although retired from business, the major's active mind could not be idle. Aside from giving his attention to beauti- fying his home on Gem Hill, he has been exploring and delving into nature's handi- work, and as a result of his scientific investigations, made some remarkable discoveries, as the reader will see by re- ferring to his paper in the geological de- partment of this work.

On July 11, 1852, Major Beaton married Elizabeth J. Mckinney, daughter of the Rev. Hampton Mckinney, a pioneer Meth- odist minister, of Navarro county, who

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moved here in 1846 from Madison county, Illinois, where Mrs. Beaton was born and partly reared, being only a girl wlien her .parents came to Texas. Her father is most pleasantly remembered by many of the old citizens of the county, who attended his meeting more than forty years ago, and members of her family are still to be found among some of the county's mnost promi- nent and best people. Major Beaton and his wife have had but three children, two sons and a daughter, all of whom are grown. Their eldest son, Ralph, is a member of the firm of Damon, Beaton & Co., real-estate dealers, insurance agents and brokers, of Corsicana. Their only daughter, Mrs. Mary Kate Johnson, is the wife of Dr. S. W. Johnson, a prominent physician of Cor- sicana, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Thomas Ruffin, named in honor of the old friend previously mentioned in this sketch, is bookkeeper in the office of Damon, Beaton & Co., aforesaid.

The major is probably the oldest Mason in the county, having been made a Master Mason in 1850, in the first lodge ever lield in Corsicana, by General E. H. Tarrant, a distinguished and glorious old Texan, beloved by everybody, between whom and the major there existed the closest intimacy. Tarrant county is named after him and in his honor. Major Beaton never was an office-seeker, and was consti- tutionally averse to office-seeking. His individual independence of thought and action forbade it, the scramble for office he always detested, and pitied the scram- blers. " The glorious privilege of being independent," in honorable retirement away from the crowd, with his books, se-

renity of mind and upright conscience and peace have been for many years his beau ideal of happiness, true living, and true life.

JUDGE SAMUEL R. FROST was born in Montgomery county, Texas, March 1, 1846, and was brought by his parents to Navarro county the same year. He was reared on his father's farm in the western part of the county and received his early education in the common schools of that locality. In 1863, at the age of seventeen, he entered the Confederate army, enlisting in Company I, Nineteenth Texas Cavalry, and served as a private in Arkansas, Mis- souri and Louisiana, until the close of the war. In 1867 and 1868 he attended school at Alvarado, Texas. March 1, 1869, he began reading law under Judge C. M. Winkler, and in October, 1870, was ad- mitted to the bar at Corsicana before Judge F. P. Wood. In 1871 he was ap- pointed county attorney of Navarro county and served in that capacity till removed by the provisional governor as an impediment to reconstruction. In 1876 he was elected county judge of Navarro county and held that office two years. In 1878 he was elected to the Sixteenth Legislature, repre- senting Navarro county in that body. In 1886 he was appointed by Governor Ireland judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Judge L. D. Bradley, and after serving that term out lie was elected to the same position and held it for two years. In the meantime he was elected floater for the flo- torial district composed of the counties of Johnson, Hill, Ellis and Navarro, and served in the Twenty-first Legislature.

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Resuming the practice in 1889, he has con- tinued at it since and now enjoys one of the largest law practices in Navarro county. In January, 1872, he married Miss Mary L. Winkler, a daughter of Judge C. M. Winkler, a sketch of whom appears else- where in this volume, Mrs. Frost being a native of Navarro connty.

THE CIVIL WAR.

Resolutions passed at a Corsicana nieet- ing on Jan. 14, 1860, say that "we are heart and soul with our Democratic friends of the 'Old Dominion' in their determina- tion to resist the encroachments of the enemies of the institution of slavery, and, in our estimation, Governor Wise has shown himself adequate to any emergency." These are signed by C. M. Winkler, Wm. F. Henderson, G. L. Martin, Wm. H. Neblett, Joseph Clayton, Elijah Melton and J. P. Anderson, the committee. This was the first general expression of the county. The Express teemed with articles on the sub- ject, and almost every week one appeared entitled "Keep Cool."

It will be of interest before going fur- ther to note the condition of the county at that time. Says a writer in the Navarro Express, in January, 1860: "The county contains about 5,000 inhabitants, of whom about 2,000 are negroes. The citizens pay tax on over $3,500,000 worth of property. Several small towns, scattered throughout the county, afford convenience and trading facilities to almost every settlement. Taos, Chatfield, Dresden, Spring Hill, Rush- creek, Chambers' creek, and Mount Pisgah, all boast of good stores and enterprising, good society. Corsicana is situated abont

the center of the county, on a suminit of a beautiful rolling prairie, and in the edge of a heavy body of post oak and hickory timber, which bounds it on the north, and. breaks the force of the northers; whilst the prairie, extending west and soutlı, in- tersected with timbered streams, gives the town and suburbs a beautiful appearance, affording at the same time all the benefits of the cool sonth (I might say gulf) breezes in summer."

Statistically, the statement of the coun- ty's strength was as follows:

In Navarro county, in 1860, there were 800 voters, 4,133 whites, 1,920 blacks, 679 lionses, 757 families, 6,888 milch cows, 2,384 oxen, 41,350 other cattle, 7,131 sheep, 19,349 hogs, 6,585 horses, 960 mules and jacks, and no paupers.

The negro population in 1850 was but 246, and five years later 1,135, and now, at the end of the decade, 1,920, almost the same number owned in Anderson county in 1855, when she valmed this part of her property at $1,085,760. This made Na- varro's slaves only about one-third of her property, said above to be valued at $3,500,- 000, one-third of what it is now. The vote for president in Navarro was as follows: Corsicana, 129 for Breckenridge and 78 fusion; Chatfield, 90 and 20 fnsion; Rush Creek, 79 and 2 fusion; Chambers' Store, 67 and 9 fusion; Spring Hill, 57 and 17 fu- sion; Dresden, 94 and 51 fusion; Dunn's, 36 and 3 fusion. Total, 552 and 180 fn- sion.

A military company was at once provided for. "The ladies of Corsicana have made for our town a fine flag, which now floats

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from the top of our court house," says the Express. This shows the first signs of real excitement.

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 186C, the Express issued an extra-"Lincoln is elected! He has received 156 electoral votes-four more than necessary to elect! The North has gone overwhelmingly for negro equality and Southern vassalage! South- ern men, will you submit to the degrada- tion?" Upon the announcement of the news here, the Lone Star banner was raised high on a pole, and once more given to the winds of heaven. As the breeze caught its folds and threw them out it was greeted by the ringing of bells, the firing of anvils, and the wild and enthusiastic shouts of a people determined to maintain their honor.

The next few months were full of rapidly moving events, that were calculated to wipe out a proportion of that 180 fusion vote for president in Navarro county. Then came the vote on secession, a vote that generally showed the real will of the counties when it came to a test.

Navarro's vote on secession in February, 1861, resulted as follows: Corsicana, 213 and 3 against; Chatfield, 95, all for it; Rush Creek, 80, all for it; Chambers' Store, 54, all for it; Spring Hill, 44 and 26 against; Dresden, 102 and 5 against; Dunn's, 33 and 4 against; total, 621 and 38 against-a majority of 533.

In May the county court appropriated $2,500 to purchase arms. A call was published: "Citizens to Arms!" Colonel Winkler and Colonel Jones began the collection of volunteers. Colonel Wink- ler's authority was to cover Navarro, Limestone, Freestone, Ellis, and Hill,

and May 6 was set for the rendez- vous at Dresden. The officers chosen were: Captain, C. M. Winkler, First Lieutenant, H. D. Garden; Second Lieuten- ant, J. A. Lawson; Third Lieutenant, R. J. Marshall. Only two or three of the company were men of families; almost all were young men of Navarro. It was a rifle company. Home guards were formed too; Captain W. W. McPhail, at Corsicana; Captain B. T. Scogin, at Chat- field; Captain F. M. Martin, at Rush Creek; Captain N. H. Hobbs, at Cham- bers' Store; Captain Sam Wright, at Spring Hill, and Captain W. W. Frost, at Dresden.

The Corsicana Invincibles, however, made the first movement east to the battle fields. These were M. B. Turrentine, R. J. Marshall, W. T. Purnell, J. A. Lawson, V. A. Cunningham, H. D. Garden, W. D. Haynes, C. W. Ward, J. H. Hayes, D. M. Walker, J. A. Shelton, L. W. Trimble, J. T. Longino, T. A. Eferd, W. F. Wood- ward, Dave Dunn, Win. Murray and R. G. Sands.

On July 18, the Observer said: "On Wednesday last, the 16th inst., Hon. R. Q. Mills and Dr. H. H. Molloy left this place for Arkansas and Missouri and the head- quarters of General Ben McCulloch, to pro- cure definite and reliable information of the state of affairs." The same issue says: "Colonel H. Jones, who was recently ap- pointed brigadier-general of this (19th ) brig- ade, an honor and a position unexpected and unsought by him, has requested us to say that the various military companies in this and adjoining counties are requested to

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send to him, at the earliest practicable period, duplicate muster-rolls of their com- panies."

On August 1: "We learn from an eye witness that Captain Winkler's company, numbering ninety odd men, left Spring Hill for the rendezvous at Brenhain on the 22d ult."

Letters from the Invincibles, who were now in the Virginia field, now began to be published.

" In 1861," writes Mrs. Winkler re- cently, "Judge Winkler, along with the leading minds of the South, saw the folly of longer averting the 'irrepresible con- flict' between the North and South (being an original secessionist), proceeded to or- ganize a company of 150 men at Corsicana with the avowed intention of joining the army in Virginia. This company was composed of some of the best inaterial of the county, strong, brave, young, able bodied men ready to do and dare every- thing in the defense of principles they con- sidered right. C. M. Winkler was made the captain, - Loughridge first lieu- tenant, and N. J. Mills second lieutenant. They repaired to Harrisburg, near Hous- ton, to a camp of instruction, and with other companies were sent off to Rich- mond, Virginia, to join the Virginia army. Captain Winkler's company, after their arrival at Richmond, became a part of the Fourth Texas regiment, was organized and placed under the command of Colonel John B. Hood, afterward renowned for turning the tide of battle at Gaines' Mill, for their gallantry at the second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, Wilderness and all the campaigns of General Lee's army,

surrendering at Appamattox only twelve muskets, gaining along with other compa- nies a dearly bought reputation second to no regiment in the Confederate army. It formed, together with First, Fifth and Third Arkansas regiments, Hood's Texas brigade, the only brigade of Texans in the Virginia army. General Lee said of them : 'I rely upon the Texans in all tight places and fear I have called upon them too often. They have fought grandly and nobly and we must have more of them. With a few more regiments as Hood now has, as an example of daring and bravery, I could feel more confident of the campaign.'"

There were enough Navarro mnen in Colonel Parsons' regiment, scattered in different companies, to make a full com- pany at the time they were recruiting in Waxahachie.

September 26, Colonel Mills began re- crniting a regiment at Millican, under orders from the Confederacy, and later on became colonel of Nelson's regiment on the death of that officer.

In October, '61, a company was made up for Galveston, the officers being Cap- tain Win. Melton, First Lieutenant Clint. Fouty, Second Lieutenant Harvey White, Third Lieutenant Rev. F. M. Petty, and First Sergeant W. V. Meador.

The Nineteenth Militia Brigade was or- ganized with two battalions from Navarro: No. 1 having Captains Thos. J. Haynes, Elijah Bishop, L. D. McConnico, F. M. Martin, Jos. Clayton; No. 2 having Cap- tains Henry Jones, B. F. Carroll, M. L. French, R. H. Matthews, Clinton Fouty and M. Fouty. Two battalions were from Ellis county. Two more from Freestone:

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No. 1 having Captains W. M. Peck, J. L. Caldwell, W. R. Standifer, J. C. Means, J. L. Wortham; and No. 2 having Captains J. M. Bass, W. H. McSwane, J. P. Doss, and F. R. Compton. Limestone had in No. 1 Captains W. J. Rasseo, G. B. Dun- can and H. Jones, and in No. 2 Captains H. H. Stephenson and J. L. Billington.

Captain B. D. McKie and Captain Mol- loy raised companies which went into Bass' regiment for a few months, and then withdrew and formed a battalion under Major B. D. McKie for the Arkansas and Louisiana fields. A good many men went into the companies of Captain Maddox of Freestone and Captain Stokes of Ellis. William Croft became an aid on the staff of General Jones with the rank of colonel.

The war finally closed and Navarro's citizens who were left of the conflict re- turned.

The comparative quiet of reconstruction in Navarro county was due very largely to the wisdom and conciliatory attitude of her leaders. A good example of this is given by the biographer of Judge Wink- ler: " He pursued the even tenor of his way at his home in Corsicana, aiding his people during the fearful scenes of recon- struction to rise superior to the heat and passion of the honr, and at no time dis- played more bravery than when assisting in steering the bark of State out of the troubled waters of fractional frenzy. Be- tween contending political parties he stood as a bulwark of safety, and became a tower of strength to his friends and neighbors who were ever ready to listen to his words of counsel. Perhaps this was more sig- nally illustrated when men of Republican

principles, boosted into office by brute force, got into trouble with Democratic citizens, and called upon Judge Winkler to claim his protection as a good citizen. Then he rose to the magnitude of sublim- ity of conduct, and poured oil upon the vexed controversy. When the first elec- tion was held as ordered at the county seat, gnarded by negro State police and each man required to stand in line and vote according to- fixed rule, then he walked up and down that line all day en- couraging the men to ' keep cool, boys, keep cool,' as they muttered their discon- tent, and cheering them and pointing to the day, that was not far distant, when they would recover their political rights, saying he had fought four years, and now must admonish to keep cool, which was harder to accompliah than to fight; but glorious results would follow. Often old men now recall that day with pride."

NAVARRO COUNTY AFTER THE WAR.

The following table shows the assessment of property belonging to the citizens of Navarro in 1865-'66, as taken from the Texas Almanac for 1867: Lands in county, 314,648 acres, at $517,780; out- side, 135,360 acres, at $255,960; town lots, $30,930; horses, 10,276, at $321,980; cattle, 42,079, at $190,830; sheep, 18-, 591, at $55,182; miscellaneous property, $97,650; total, $1,530,312. This, given in 1867, shows well for the war's close, and is given for comparison with the larger figure of to-day.

The following gives a picture of the pub- lic interest in repairing the losses of war. It is taken from the Observer of 1867:

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"The romantic beauty and apparent richness of the soil alone can account for the rapid settlement of ' old Navarro ' and Navarro proper. The section of country that in 1846 contained only sufficient pop- ulation for one county, in less than three years possessed enough for three or more counties.

" Navarro lies immediately west of the Trinity river, and is one of the most cen- tral counties in the State. Her accessibility to navigation and railroads appears to be indeed fortunate for an interior county. Steamboats have ascended the Trinity as high as her northern boundry. Some six or eight flatboats loaded with cotton inade the trip last winter and spring, as had been done frequently before, without acci- dent, down the river to Galveston. The Central will run through her limits in less than two years on its way to Dallas. The charter of the Memphis, El Paso & Pacific Railroad Company compels the road to cross the Trinity and Brazos on the line of 32°, which runs through the center of the county as established by actual survey of the company. Cotton can be transported down the Trinity on flatboats and landed in Galveston from this county at from $8 to $10 per bale; and on steamboats at from $3 to $5 per bale. Boats of light draft, and a size or two smaller than those now employed, could run four months in the year on an average from this county down to the mouth of the river. Several planters last season made their own flats and carried their own cotton, thus reduc- ing the cost of transportation to compara tively nothing."

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Author: Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 954

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954