USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 67
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was on the way to Lawrence, Kansas. Conse- quently the course of their march was changed and they were sent to Lawrence to intercept the Confederate leader, but before reaching that place Quantrell had made his way there and had com- mitted many depredations in the town, firing the houses and killing many of the recruits for the northern army. The Union troops commanded by Captain Rowl started in pursuit and caught one of Quantrell's men at Olathe, Kansas, and another in Jackson county, and continued in pur- suit until all of them were driven out of the coun- try. Mr. Snyder's regiment was stationed in Missouri the greater part of the time, and on two occasions was sent after Price's army, driv- ing the Confederates back when they invaded the country. The principal engagements in which he participated were at Kansas City and New- tonia, Missouri. He remained in service until the close of the war and was discharged at Fort Riley, Kansas, in July, 1865.
On again becoming a civilian Mr. Snyder went to Fort Leavenworth and bought seventeen mules from the government, which he took to Indianola, Kansas. About the Ist of March of the following year he picked out four of the best animals and returned to Colorado for the pur- pose of seeing about his claims in the gold fields. The most of the claims, however, had been ab- sorbed in the hands of companies and every- thing had so changed that Mr. Snyder did not care to remain there and returned to Kansas. Upon reaching Julesburg, Colorado, where a station had been established in charge of govern- ment troops for the protection of travelers, Mr. Snyder made a temporary halt and went into camp. There was an order from the govern- ment that no travelers should be allowed to pass there into Kansas unless they numbered a party of twenty-five. This order was given in order to protect the travelers from venturing into the In- dian country, for the red men were displaying a most hostile attitude. Mr. Snyder, however, be- ing acquainted with the captain in charge of the station, having been in command of his company during the latter part of the war, was allowed, with four others, to go on his way, and started
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about nine o'clock in the evening. The trip was made in safety, covering a distance of about seven hundred and fifty miles.
That fall Mr. Snyder began railroading, for the Kansas Pacific line was being built across the plains from Kansas City to Denver up the . Smoky Hill river. The following spring, in 1867, he took a contract for grading a portion of the road, the first work being between Junction City and Salina, and the next year he took a contract for building about fifteen miles west of Ells- worth, in a district where the Indians were very troublesome. The men went out one morning about three miles from camp, hitched their horses to the scrapers ready for work, when the cook came up from camp and told Mr. Snyder, who was in command, that the Indians were ap- proaching from the Smoky river. They there- fore unhitched their horses and took them back to camp, reaching there in time to see the In- dians coming toward it. They were of the Chey- enne tribe. There was another camp belonging to a man named Burgess, also a railroad contractor. Mr. Snyder conceived the idea that his horses would be safer in Burgess' camp than in his own and started with two horses, the others following in charge of some of his men. A large ravine lay between the two camps, which was a little more than a quarter of a mile away. When Mr. Snyder, who was in the lead, reached the creek running through the ravine a party of Indians sprang from their concealment behind the bushes and fired their arrows at him, one of which struck him on the left ear, carrying away a part of the outer ear. Seeing that the Indians were too strong for him Mr. Snyder beat a retreat to his own camp. The men were all armed but all were not present at that time, for they were working on other parts of the road. An engage- ment followed which resulted in the death of the Indian chief and one white man. The Indians afterward dispersed, although they were trouble- some to a greater or less extent all through that summer. Mr. Snyder remained with the com- pany in the construction of the road for two years and a half and then because cholera was raging fiercely in that section of the country he would not take any more contracts and returned
to Salina, Kansas, where he remained until 1872.
In that year he came to Texas, bringing with him some horses and wagons which he traded for cattle that he drove to Baxter Springs in the southern part of Kansas, whence he shipped them to Kansas City. That deal, however, proved a financial loss. His next venture was the pur- chase of some oxen and he rigged up some freight teams and began the freighting business, hauling government freight for a time between Denison and San Angelo. He also made a num- ber of trips to Fort Griffin. He next engaged in hauling buffalo hides in Texas, that being a profi- table business on the plains at that time.
In 1877 he opened a trading camp in what is now Scurry county, hauling lumber on wagons from Dallas to build his store and also hauling a good portion of his goods from the same place. He used what was known as trail wagons, there being seven yoke of oxen to a team and the wagons having a capacity of fifty thousand pounds. Mr. Snyder erected a house in Scurry county and began dealing in general merchandise and supplies for buffalo hunters. This proved a profitable business and other parties moved into the same locality, building around him until a town was established, which became known as Snyder, the county seat of Scurry county, being so called in honor of W. H. Snyder, who was its first settler. He continued in business there until 1881, when he removed to Colorado, then a young town which was being established on the Texas & Pacific Railroad, which was being builded through that part of the state. In 1882 he laid out the town of Snyder and sold lots there for quite a while. He continued in merchandising in Colorado until 1899 and met success in that undertaking. Mr. Snyder bought the first lot in Colorado, which he held for two years and then sold it at a large profit. After disposing of his mercantile interests in 1899 he bought a ranch in Scurry county, consisting of six sections of land and regarded as one of the best ranches in the county. It is devoted to stock raising and farming and is situated eighten miles north of Colorado and ten miles south of Snyder.
Mr. Snyder was married in February, 1883, to Miss Nellie Fairclough, a native of New York.
MR. AND MRS. BENJAMIN F. ANDREWS
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He has been active and influential in public af- fairs in this part of the state. He has served a's alderman of Colorado for a number of years and for a period of seventeen years during his resi- dence there was a director in the Colorado Na- tional Bank. In addition to his ranch in Scurry county he owns some valuable business and resi- dence property in the city of Colorado and is a public-spirited citizen, whose efforts in behalf of general progress and improvement have been far reaching and beneficial. For the past twenty years he has been a member of the Odd Fellows society.
Mr. Snyder visited the western country when it was largely a wild and uninhabited district and has continued active in its affairs from the time of early frontier experiences to the present, wit- nessing its almost marvelous growth and de- velopment and doing his full share in the work of public improvement. By watchful management and careful dealing he has been successful in his business and stands today as one of the substan- tial as well as highly esteemed citizens of this part of the state. In character he is modest and un- pretentious and as honest as the day is long. He has a mind of keen insight with a just concep- tion of both the strong and weak points of any problem he undertakes to investigate, and more- over has marked ability in carrying out the plans that he has formulated. His recollections and reminiscences of early days in the west would fill a volume and would give many a chapter of exciting and thrilling interest, for his life record has largely been made in the mining districts of the state of Colorado, in connection with railroad construction in Kansas and with the development of mercantile and stock-raising interests in Texas. No tale of fiction could present more wonderful events than have come within his personal knowledge.
BENJAMIN F. ANDREWS, deceased, at one time a well known and representative citi- zen of Tarrant county, having resided near Birdville, died on the 2nd of July, 1894. He was born in Lincolnshire, England, on the 21st of March, 1826, and was a son of John and Hannah Andrews, who were also natives of
England. When their son was three years of age they crossed the briny deep to the new world, landing at New York City, where they resided for a short time. They afterward went to Illinois, in which state Benjamin F. An- drews spent the greater part of his childhood and youth, acquiring his education in the pub- lic schools there. He was first married in Illi- nois to Miss Mary Ray, a native of that state, and of the children born of their union six are yet living: William P., who makes his home in Georgia; Benjamin A., living in southern Texas; Robert, whose home is in Parker coun- ty, this state; Thomas J., who makes his home at Grapevine, Texas; Lorenzo J., who is living in southern Texas; Mary E., the wife of James. M. Shults of southern Texas. On the 11th of July, 1869, Mr. Andrews was again married, his second wife being Miss Caroline Burgoon, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio, Novem- ber 12, 1836, and was a daughter of Charles and Mary (Giger) Burgoon, both of whom were natives of Baltimore, Maryland. Of the children of this marriage only one is living, Charles H., who is residing upon the old home farm near Birdville.
Mr. Andrews of this review came to Tarrant county, Texas, in 1847 and located first near the site of Fort Worth, where he lived for a short time. He afterward settled on a farmi near Birdville, where his remaining days were passed, his attention being given to general ag- ricultural pursuits, his well directed labors bringing to him a fair measure of prosperity. In his death Tarrant county lost one of its best known and most highly esteemed pioneer citi- zens. He did much to lay broad and strong the foundation upon which the present pros- perity and progress of the county has been built. In his political views he was an earnest Democrat and for a time served as justice of the peace, discharging his duties with fair- ness and impartiality. His many excellent traits of character gained for him the esteem! of all who knew him and his life was in har- mony with the precepts of Masonry, his con- nection with the fraternity being as a member of the lodge at Smithfield. His widow, still
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surviving him, now resides near Birdville. She came to Tarrant county early in the '50s and is among the honored pioneer women of this section of the state. She belongs to the Bap- tist church at Birdville and her kindly spirit, genial disposition and ready sympathy have gained her many friends.
Charles H. Andrews, the only son of this worthy couple, now resides upon the old fam- ily homestead near Birdville and is one of Tar- rant county's native citizens, his birth having here occurred on the 3rd of April, 1874. He was reared in this county and from his youth to the present time has been engaged in gen- eral agricultural pursuits. Whatever he un- dertakes he carries forward to successful com- pletion and the well improved appearance of his farm indicates his general supervision, his practical methods and his unfaltering enter- prise.
On the Ist of May, 1895, Mr. Andrews was married to Miss Lucy E. Merrell, who was born in Dallas county, Texas, and is a daugh- ter of Eli Merrell, now of southern Texas. They have become the parents of four children : Charles F., Eli Merrell, Earl J. and Harry Carl.
In his political affiliation Charles H. An- drews is a Democrat, while fraternally he is connected with the Masonic lodge at Smith- field, also with the Woodmen of the World at Fort Worth. He has a wide and favorable acquaintance in the community where he has always made his home, and while carefully con- ducting his private business interests he at the same time co-operates in many measures for the general good.
HON. JEREMIAH V. COCKRELL, one of the distinguished citizens of Western Texas, is a representative of the class of men who have be- come leaders in public and business life in this state by reason of their great energy and strong character, which could not be deterred by dif- ficulties or obstacles, but who with confident heart and unfaltering purpose have formed a definite plan of action and have persevered there- in. The prominent men of this as well as of
other states largely belong to that class known as self-made, having begun life with little or nothing and proving their worthiness by their success. Their lives therefore have largely been eventful, embracing much more than the ordinary affairs of interest, and such a history contains many a lesson of incentive and emulation. The prominence of Mr. Cockrell in public life and the part which he has taken in the development and upbuilding of Texas makes it imperative that his history be given in this volume.
His father, Joseph Cockrell, was an early set- tler from Kentucky into Missouri. He took with him many head of fine stock which were among the first brought into the state. In 1828 he lo- cated in Lafayette county and subsequently re- moved to Johnson county, where he entered a large tract of land and eventually became owner of still more extensive landed possessions. He was interested, active and helpful in public af- fairs and at one time served a term as sheriff of Johnson county. He was married in Kentucky to Miss Nancy Ellis, a native of that state, and a number of their children were born prior to the removal of the family to Missouri. Some of the Ellis family also came to Texas. A brother of Mrs. Cockrell, Christopher Ellis, settled near Marshall, where he lived to an advanced age and a number of his children are yet residents of this state. Another brother, Benjamin Ellis, died shortly after his arrival in Texas. Joseph Cock- rell continued his residence in Missouri up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1837. In his family were two sons and five daughters, of whom one daughter died as she was emerging into womanhood. At the present time there are four living members of the family, of whom one son, Hon. Francis Marion Cockrell, of Warrens- burg, Johnson county, Missouri, has represented his state in the United States senate for a period of thirty years, or until the fall election of 1904, when Missouri joined the ranks of Republican states. His public service is found recorded on the records of the national legislation and he is one of the distinguished sons of Missouri, whose history reflects credit and honor upon the state which has honored him.
Jeremiah V. Cockrell was born in Johnson
dr.bocknell
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county, Missouri, May 7, 1832, and spent the first ten or twelve years of his life upon his father's farm, after which he left home to attend school. It was his desire at the time of the Mexican war to enlist in the active service of his country but he was too young for this and finally he drove an ox-team to Mexico, hauling supplies for the army. In this way he manifested his strong patriotism and military spirit. In the winter of 1847 he returned to Missouri and in the spring of 1848 he went to California, crossing the plains with an ox-team. On the journey he accidentally wounded himself and had to remain for a time at Smith's Fork of the Bear river, forty miles from Salt Lake City. He stayed with an old mountaineer known as Peg Leg Smith, but as soon as possible he resumed his interrupted journey, arriving in California in the latter part of November. He remained in the mines at Hangtown and Murderer's Bar on the middle fork of the American river and was also at Barnes' Bar, on the north fork. He likewise spent some months at Nevada and Grass Valley, two towns not far separated in the mountain dis- tricts. Later he went from Grass Valley to Bear river and to the American Valley, where he entered the employ of some stockmen, being then engaged in buying and selling stock. He was thus occupied as long as he remained in Cali- fornia, receiving a wage of ten dollars per day.
In the latter part of January, 1852, Mr. Cock- rell returned from the Pacific coast by way of the Isthmus of Panama, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and St. Louis and from the last named city he went up the Missouri river to his home, where he arrived in the latter part of February. Much of the journey from New York to Phil- adelphia had to be made by stage as the railroad was not then completed. He remained upon the farm in Missouri until after the outbreak of the Civil war, in 1861, when he enlisted in Company A, McCowan's Regiment, one of the old state guards, as third lieutenant. His term was for six months and at its expiration he entered the Con- federate service in a regiment already organized and afterward known as the Sixteenth Missouri Regiment. He became captain of Company A and remained in the army until after the battle
of Farmington, near Corinth, Mississippi. The reorganization of the armies was then in prog- ress. Captain Cockrell, Colonel Hughes, Colonel Patton and two or three others were detailed in Mississippi to return to the Trans-Mississippi de- partment with orders to report to General Hind- man to raise another army. There in connection with Colonel S. D. Jackman, Colonel Jo- seph Shelby and Colonel Hunter (the last two afterward brigadier generals), and Cap- tain" Lewis and Captain Cummings and some others, he succeeded in enrolling seven or eight hundred men. Captain Cockrell was put in command of this force with the rank of colonel, and with the newly organized regiment went as far north as Missouri river. While there he had a desperate fight with the federal troops, the engagement becoming known in history as the battle of Lone Jack. He captured a section of the artillery and all of the transportation the fed- erals' had and returned to the south. During the expedition he had recruited about seven thousand men, with whom he returned, fighting and skir- mishing all the way until they reached head- quarters in Arkansas. Colonel Cockrell after- ward selected eight or ten officers out of this com- mand and went on another recruiting expedition into Missouri, on which occasion he returned with about one thousand men. In the spring of 1863 he made a third recruiting expedition and was wounded in the skirmish that occurred in Missouri. In the fall, however, he accompanied General Price on his last raid into that state, at which time Colonel Cockrell's family accom- panied General Price's army on the move south- ward and came to Texas. From that time for- ward Colonel Cockrell was no more in active ser- vice until the close of the war.
Settling in Sherman, Texas, he remained there until the fall of 1883, and was one of the active, influential and enterprising citizens. He served as presiding justice there, also engaged in the practice of law and followed farming to some ex- tent. Like others he had suffered greatly from the hardships after the war and he utilized every possible means to make a living for his family during the trying times that immediately followed the close of hostilities. In January, 1883, he
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came to Western Texas to seek a location, mak- ing his way to Wichita Falls, which at that time was the terminus of the Denver road. From that point he proceeded to Vernon, which contained but a few homes little more than huts. He next went about thirty miles above Pease river, meet- ing with only an occasional dugout. It was a wild country, few settlements having been made, but it was rich in natural resources and offered a splendid opportunity to the ranchman and agri- culturist. Colonel Cockrell found much game, including great herds of antelope and deer and immense flocks of wild turkeys. He was accom- panied by two companions and they largely sub- sisted on the game which they killed. Turning southward across the country, they made their way straight to Abilene without seeing a farm or a road the most of the way, with just an occa- sional dugout and stock pen, to show that the white man had penetrated to some extent into this region. After resting for a brief period at Abilene he continued his journey southward to Concho in the Tom Green country, thence down the Concho river, to the mouth of the Colorado, and afterward returning to Abilene by way of Baird. Thus he made an exploring expedition, looking for a favorable site for a home, and finally settled on Clear Fork in Jones county as he believed it offered the best advantages. He has never had occasion to change his opinion nor regret his determination to locate in the locality which he chose.
He remained there until appointed judge of the thirty-ninth judicial district, which was a new district organized in 1885. He was appointed in July to the bench of this district, comprised of the counties of Jones, Throckmorton, Baylor, Hardeman, Haskell and Scurry. From the two extremes of this district he had to travel about one hundred and sixty miles by land twice a year. In addition to these counties there were twelve other counties attached for judicial purposes. He held the first court in all these counties ex- cept Throckmorton and Baylor. The next legis- lature added Crosby, Fisher, Knox and Floyd counties, which had just been organized and be- came a part of the thirty-ninth district. Mr. Cockrell continued on the bench until 1893, when
he was elected to the United States Congress from the thirteenth district and served for four years. He then refused to again become a candi- date and since that time he has not been an active factor in politics although he is well fitted to grace high positions and could undoubtedly secure such if he so desired. He is at the present writing, 1906, giving his attention to farming and stock-raising, having large landed interests in Jones county, and in fact is one of the most prom- inent representatives of this most important in- dustry in Texas.
Mr. Cockrell was married on the 5th of April, 1852, in Johnson county, to Miss Maranda Jane Douglass, a native of Tennessee, but reared in Missouri. The judge and his wife were school- mates in youth and the friendship of childhood days ripened into love as they approached man- hood and womanhood. Their family comprises two sons and two daughters, who are yet living, and they have also lost four children.
Judge Cockrell has led an active life and has served the people of his state well and faithfully. His military, judicial and congressional records are alike honorable and creditable, being char- acterized by unfaltering allegiance to duty and to the principles in which he believes. He is held in warm esteem by his many friends who desire for him all the happiness and comforts of life during his advancing years.
R. A. RAGLAND. The Ragland family as far back as the ancestry can be traced originated in Virginia. Four of the seven brothers, sons of the great-grandfather of our subject, removed from the Old Dominion to other parts of the country. They became residents of North Car- olina, while the other three brothers remained in Virginia. Of the four who went to North Car- olina, three of them, J. M. Ragland, the grand- father of our subject, A. M., and Adam Ragland, left that state and took up their abode in Georgia, but Ned Ragland remained in North Carolina.
W. P. Ragland, father of our subject, was born in North Carolina and in his boyhood days ac- companied his parents on their removal to Georgia, where he made his home for a number of years. About 1858 in company with other
R. a. Ragland
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members of the family he removed to Arkansas, where he afterward made his home. When the Civil war broke out W. P. Ragland and others of the family entered the Confederate service. He became captain of a company which he raised in the vicinity of Monticello and which was at- tached to a cavalry regiment. Being a physician by profession, he was afterward transferred to the hospital department and served under Gen- eral Hineman east of the Mississippi river, doing active duty for the ill and wounded soldiers. Following the close of the war he returned to Georgia. His wife died about that time. She bore the maiden name of Amanda West and was a native of "the Empire state of the south." They were married at Harrisonville, Troupe county, Georgia, about 1854. Dr. Ragland remained a resident of that state until 1875, when he re- turned to Arkansas, where he continued to reside up to the time of his death in 1888, being actively engaged in the practice of his profession until called to his final home. Three of his children yet survive : R. A., of this review ; Lula, the wife of B. R. Packard, of Dallas, Texas; and Bessie, the wife of John W. White of Monticello, Ar- kansas.
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