USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 44
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 44
USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 44
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 44
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 44
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 44
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When the war was ended the command disbanded on the Red river, and Mr. Moore returned to Lampasas county and gathered the remnant of his possessions to make a new start in life. The ravages of war had dealt no less kindly with him than with his neigh- bors, as he came home after four years of camp life to find his stock stolen and scattered.
In 1866 he returned to his old home county, Travis, and purchased his present farm in Delvalle of 200 acres, of which 130 acres are now in a high state of cultivation. Ile also owns property in Taylor, Texas.
Mr. Moore was married October 26, 1853, to Miss Martha Burleson, who was born in Bastrop county. Texas, June 27, 1835, a daughter of John and Rebecca (Bell) Burle- son and a niece of General Edward Burleson, the noted Indian fighter. A brief outline
of the genealogy of the Burleson family is found on another page, taken from the family history of Dr. Rufus C. Burleson of Waco.
John Burleson came to Texas in 1830, and settled in Bastrop county; was married in Tennessee; participated in the Indian and Mexican wars, in company with his brother, General Edward Burleson; followed farming. IIe had six children: Bell, Elizabeth, Martha, Edward, Mary and John. Mr. Burleson died in 1884, at the age of seventy-three years, and his wife had died April 15, 1849.
Mr. and Mrs. Moore are the parents of nine children: Mary Texas was born on Gilliland's creek, near the birthplace of her father, June 8, 1835, and is the wife of Charles Crafts, a farmer on the line of Bell and Williamson counties; Thomas A. was born at the same place, June 15, 1857, and is engaged in the livery business in Austin; he married Miss Bettie Mabry; Andrew B. was born in Lampasas county, March 8, 1859, and married Miss Naomi Smith; he is a member of the firm of Berry & Moore Bros., dealers in general merchandise at Del- valle, and also engaged in buying cotton and in farming; John Burleson was born in Lam- pasas county, July 20, 1861, and is a mem- ber of the firm of Berry & Moore Bros .; Elizabeth, the wife of A. L. Hughes, was born in Lampasas county, August 5, 1864, and resides on a farm near Creedmoor, this connty; Dnd, born November 17, 1866, in Travis county; Martha, the wife of M. T. Eppler, was born at the present homestead, February 8, 1869, and resides on a farm in Eastland county; Rebecca is the wife of George Berry, of the firm of Berry & Moore Bros .: she was born on the homestead, De- cember 16, 1870, and resides at Delvalle; Ellen, who also was born on the homestead, July 8, 1876.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Mr. Moore is an adherent to the doctrines of the Christian Church; is a man of sterling worth and is recognized as a valuable member of the community. As will be noticed above, Mr. Moore was born in Travis county three- score years ago and was a subject of the Mexican government while yet a child. Texas became a republic, and he grew into boy- hood nnder her constitution. When he was a youth of thirteen Texas was admitted into the Union, and he grew to manhood under the protection of the stars and stripes. In 1861, when Texas cast her lot with the Con- federacy, he esponsed her cause, and subse- quently, in 1865, when Texas became again a part of the United States, he again cast his suffrage with her. Thus it will be seen that he has lived under five governments, and still resides within a few miles of his birth- place! In the history of Texas it will be hard to find two families who have contributed more toward laying the fonndation and as- sisting in the development than the Moore and Burleson families, and to-day the mcm- bers of these two families figure conspicu- onsly in the various industries and profes- sions that make the State a shining star in the Union.
Ţ HOMAS BIRD (deceased), who was one of the early settlers of Travis conn- ty, Texas, and for many years a pros- perous farmer of his neighborhood, eight miles north of Austin, is deeply mourned by a host of friends, who knew and appreciated his worth of character. It is safe to say that the death of but few men have caused as mi- versal mourning in his vicinity, to the ma- terial and moral advancement of which he contributed so much during a long and use-
ful life. In his private relations he was hos- pitable and kind, beloved of all his neighbors. He lived in patriarchal simplicity and all were welcome at his house, the humblest re- ceiving the same hospitable treatment as the richest and greatest in the land. In the words of a friend, benevolence and kindness were more conspicuous in him than in any other man he ever knew. He was deeply affection- ate and tender in his family circle, no word of unkindness ever coming from his lips to those who were nearest and dearest to him. His wife, the partner of his bosom in youth and in age, in misfortune and prosperity, was cherished by him with an indescribable fer- vor and depth of tenderness and love.
Mr. Bird was born in Washington county, Illinois, June 15, 1822, and was a son of John and Tabitha (Taylor) Bird, who was born, reared and married in South Carolina. IIis parents removed in an early day to Ten- nessec and afterward to the frontier of Illi- nois, where both subsequently died. They were the parents of thirteen children. The subject of this sketch was reared to farming, which pursuit he followed all his life, and by industry, good management and economy, ac- cumulated a comfortable income for himself and family.
He deserves to rank with patriots, for on the first call for troops for the Mexican war, he volunteered his services, enlisting in Com- pany A, of the Second Illinois Volunteers, and with his regiment went to Mexico. Hle participated in all the engagements until the battle of Buena Vista, at which he was se- verely wounded in the right thigh and jaw. Mr. Bird afterward returned to Illinois, where he continued to reside until 1866. Ever since his army experience, he had been troubled with chronic dysentery, contracted on the field, and which so greatly impaired his
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
health that it was thought best for him to seek a change of climate. The family, there- fore removed to Travis connty, Texas, where his life was prolonged for nearly thirty years.
The first few years of this Texas life was dis- conraging in the extreme. It was just after the elose of the war and so new and wild that the whoop of the Comanche Indian had scarcely died away. Ontlaws and horse-thieves in- fested the conntry in large numbers, so mneh so that the farmers conld hardly keep teams enongli to cultivate their land. Mr. Bird and his sous took an active part in putting these highwaymen to ront and bringing them to justice, nntil the country became in a few years as greatly civilized as any in the world. The rest of his life was passed in peace and happiness in a neighborhood of as good peo- ple as is to be found on the globe. He here enjoyed a fair degree of health until his death, April 2, 1892, when he passed to his reward amidst the universal mourning of his family and friends.
September 9, 1847, Mr. Bird was married to the lady who still survives him. Her maiden name was Polly Ann Ayres, and, like her husband, she was born and reared in Washington county, Illinois, to which her parents had removed from Tennessee in an early day. To this nuion were born six chil- dren: John, deceased; William, residing on the home farm; Booker, at Watters; Rhoda, deceased; Sallie, wife of James Hol- inan, of Hutto, Texas; and Polly Ann, wife of Iliggins Holman, brothor of James, and resides near her brother.
William R. Bird, the eldest of the surviv- ing sons, was born in Washington eonnty, Illinois, March 2. 1851. The original por- chase of the father consisted of 800 acres. 'attached to Ford's command, rising through which was evenly divided between timber and successive promotions to the Coloneley of his and black prairie land. A part of this tract | regiment. After the war he read law, and in
was given to William, to which he has since added nutil he now owns 485 acres, 175 of which is under a good state of cultivation. He takes great pride in handling fine stock and raises Percheron horses for carriage use. William was married in Travis county, De- cember 6, 1886, to Mary E., daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Barnes, and they have two children: William R., Jr., and Thomas. I. B., or Booker, as he is familiarly called, was born in IInnt county, Texas, May 18, 1833. He is now a prominent merchant and farmer of the little town of Watters, near his mother's farm. He was married in this conuty, December 12, 1875, to Lanra K., a daughter of Rev. Thomas HI. and Martha (Harrel) Bacon, and they have three chi !- dron: Floyd, Ira and Ora.
2.
C YRUS R. SMITHI, for a number of years a leading member of the Camner- on bar, was born in Cherokee county, Alabama, in 1836. His parents were San- ford V. and Mariam (McGregor) Sinith, na- tives of Sonth Carolina, who were reared in Alabama, where they spent the greater part of their lives. The father was a farmer, and it was on the farm that the earlier years of the subject of this notice were passed. IIe received a classical education and would have graduated at the nniversity at Oxford, Ala- bama, had not the war interfered. He en- gaged in teaching for some years after he grew np. He entered the Confederate army in 1861, enlisting in the First Alabama Regi- ment, with which he served until 1862, when he re-enlisted in the cavalry service and was
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
1867 came to Texas, stopping at Cameron, where he secured admission to the bar. He then returned to Alabama, where he married Miss Cornelia Orr, of Talladega county, that State, and, coming again to Texas located at Cameron, where he entered on the practice of his profession. His rise at the bar was rapid, and lie soon took a leading place among the best talent in the State. IIe was for many years prominent in politics and enjoyed an extensive acquaintance among the leading politicians of the State. He represented Milam county in the Constitutional Conven- tion of 1876, and occupied conspienons and important places both before that convention and on its committees. From his praetice as a lawyer he acuminlated considerable prop- erty, mostly in real-estate which has grown to be valnable with the settlement and devel- opment of the country.
IIis wife, Mrs. Cornelia Orr Smith, is now residing at Salado, Bell county. She was born in Talladega county, Alabama, and is a danghter of William A. and Cynthia A. Orr, her father being the inventor and patentee of the Orr cotton gin, and a successful man of business. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have four children: Daisy, Cornelia Eden, Minnie Bell and Roy E.
The last named was born in Cameron, Milam connty, April 27, 1869. He was reared there and at Salado, Bell county. His preliminary edneation was obtained in the schools of Salado. He spent two years at the State University at Austin. traveled for two years and then settled on a farmi about midway between Cameron and Rock- dale, where he engaged in agrienltural pur- suite, where he is meeting with a fair she- cess, and where he enjoys the unbounded confidence and esteem of those by whom he is surrounded. Miss Dasie Laura Smith
graduated with high honors at the Lney Cobb College, located at Athens, Georgia; Cornelia Eden has graduated at the Thomas Arnold high school at Salado, with distinguished honors; and Minnie Bell is still at school.
ENRY B. SEIDERS, a snecessful business man of Taylor, was born in Travis county, in 1850, a son of Ed- ward and Louisa (White) Seiders, na- tives of Maine and Texas, respectively. The paternal grandfather of our subject came from Germany to this country, locating in Maine. Edward Seiders was born February 15, 1812. Ile removed to Louisiana when a young man, where he was employed as clerk in a store in New Orleans for some time. In 1836 he located near Columbus, Texas, but a short time afterward went to Brazos county, where he was employed as manager of the Gideon White plantation for some time. About 1846 he moved to where Austin is now located, where he and his father-in-law purchased 1,200 acres of the Speer's league of land, located on the northern border of the city. At that time Anstin contained only a few houses, the county having not yet been organized, and no one thought of the village becoming in the future the scat of government for the Republic of Texas, as well as now the State capital. Mr. Seiders devoted his time to farming and stock-raising. Farming in those days was the most dangerous work one could engage in, as the Indians were nu- merons and hostile. Mr. Seider's father would often plow with his gun fastened to his plow handles, not knowing at what time they would make a raid, and he would then be obliged to fight his way to his family. Edward Seiders was a soldier in the service
£
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
of Texas during the war of 1846, served throughout the struggle as a private, was in many hard-fought battles, and was once wounded by an Indian in the right hand. HIe served only as a home guard during the late war. From 1855 to 1860 Mr. Seiders was engaged in the mercantile business in connection with farming, but during the war devoted his attention entirely to agri- enltural pursuits and stock-raising. He opened the first farm of any size in that por- tion of Travis county. Mr. Seiders resided within two miles of Anstin from 1847 mitil his death, in June, 1892, at the age of eighty years. His wife died in 1833, at the age of twenty-six years. Both were mem- bers of the old-school Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Seiders had three sons,-Ed- ward, now in Kansas City; Henry B., our snbjeet ; Pinkney W., a resident of Anstin. In 1858 the father was united in marriage with Miss Lettie Lewis, a native of Texas. They had five children,-John W., Jefferson D., Robert, Arthur and Fred. Mrs. Seiders still survives. and resides at the old home- strad.
The maternal grandfather of our subject, Gideon White, was one of the very early set- tlers of Texas. He was noted for his per- severance, indomitable will and bravery in battle. He served in many Indian cam- paigns, was Captain of the citizen soldiers, and lost his life by the savages. Mr. White had taken his gun abont sundown and started to get his cattle, but while on Shoal creek, two and a half miles above where Austin now stands, and while nearing some live-oak trees, he was attacked by three Indians. IIe was shot through the thigh and dropped to the ground, and the Indians, thinking he was dead, started for his scalp. Mr. White raised himself to a sitting position, fired, and
killed one savage. The remaining two crowded nearer, but Mr. White sneceeded in killing another with the stock of his gnn. The father of our subject, Edward Seiders, heard the firing, and started for the seat of trouble, but as he drew near saw the third Indian running away, after having killed and scalped Mr. White. At the time of his death he was probably one of the best known men in that section of the State. He was a prominent farmer and stoek-raiser and a large slave-owner. Mr. and Mrs. White had five daughters. all now deecased, namely: Mrs. Seiders, Mrs. Judge Fisk, Mrs. Enoch Jolinson, Mrs. Martin Moore, and Mrs. Thompson.
H. B. Seiders, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the city of Austin. At the age of twenty-three years he began contracting in railroad work, his first con- traet having been on the Honston & Texas Central Railroad, in 1872. He next engaged in quarrying rock in Austin for the court- honse, post-office building, Hancock building, Catholic church, Jewish synagogue, and many other prominent buildings. He also furnished the fire-wood for all of the State buildings, ete. In 1880 Mr. Seiders left Austin for Laredo, Texas, where he built seventeen miles of road for the International & Great Northern Railroad Company. He next returned to Austin, and in 1882 moved to Trinity Station, on the International & Great Northern road, where he had a con- tract for grading the Trinity & Sabine Railroad, a branch of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas road. During the same year he built two miles of road for the East Texas &. Sabine Railway Company. in 1882 began work for the Texas & Southern Railroad; July 8, 1853. opened a yard and feed store in Taylor, two years later began the livery
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
business, after another two years resumed railroad work, taking a contract for building three miles of road on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad from Taylor to Bastrop. Mr. Seiders afterward contracted with the same road for building bridges and grading connty roads. In 1892 he resumed work on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas extension to Houston.
January 1, 1884, our subject married Miss Alice Schieffer, a native of Sabine county, Texas, a daughter of Ferdinand and Sophia (Cook) Schieffer, natives of Germany who came to this State long prior to the late war. The parents had twelve children: Robert; Gns, deceased; Richard; Annie, wife of Will Thirlie; Mary, wife of P. M. Seiders; Bertha, now Mrs. Charles Thirlie; Alice, wife of our subject; Otto, ITermon, Willie, Alexander, and one deceased in infancy. The father died February 16, 1889, at the age of sixty- one years, and the mother died July 17, same year, at the age of fifty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Seiders have five children, -- Hattie, Emnia, Alice, Julia and Henry H. Our sub- ject affiliates with the A. O. U. W., Taylor Lodge, No. 95, and both he and his wife are members of the old-school Presbyterian Church.
W A. ELLISON, a physician and mer- chant of Manchaca, Travis county, was born in Caldwell county, Texas, October 19, 1855, a son of W. W. and Emily (Rather) Ellison. The paternal great-grand- father of our subject came from Ireland to America in Colonial times, locating in South Carolina, and later in Alabama. The grand- father, William Ellison, was born and raised in that State, later lived many years near
Jackson, Mississippi, and finally died in Texas, at the advanced age of ninety years. The father was born in Alabama in 1828, where he was reared to manhood, and was married in Mississippi at the age of nineteen years. He followed agricultural pursuits in that State until 1849, when the family came to Texas, locating on the Colorado river, in Bastrop county. In the following year Mr. Ellison bought land three miles south of Lockhart, Caldwell county, where he remained until after the close of the late war, was then a resident of Smith county. later of Bell county, and his death occurred in Hays connty in 1884. The mother of our subject departed this life in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Ellison were the parents of six children, viz .: Cornelia, now the Widow Shelton, of Drip- ping Springs, Texas; James R., of Bell county; W. A., the subject of this sketch; Ada, wife of Thomas MeElroy, of Buda, Texas; llewitt, of Travis county; and Rob- ert, of Bell county. After the mother's deatlı the father married her sister, then the Widow Collier. They had five children: Frank, a resident of Bell county; Lola, now Mrs. Denny, of San Marcos, Texas; Mattie, who is still umnarried; and Charlie and Leta, twins, the former of San Marcos and the lat- ter of Buda.
W. A. Ellison grew to years of maturity in Caldwell and Smith counties. He began the study of medicine under an uncle in the latter county, Dr. II. M. Rather, in 1875, and during the years of 1876-'77 attended lectures at the Missouri Medical College at. St. Louis. He then practiced medicine under a certificate in Manchaca until 1883, and in that year entered the Louisville Medical Col- lege, gradnating at that institution in Feb- ruary, 1884, receiving two gold medals. Since that time Mr. Ellison has practiced
James Seeler Jane
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medieine in this city. In 1889, in company with P. Von Rosenberg, he embarked in the mercantile and drug business, but in January, 1893, purchased his partner's interest, since which time he has continued the business alone. Mr. Ellison also owns three farms, aggregating about 600 acres, 350 acres of which are under a good state of enltivation.
November 28, 1877, in this neighborhood, the Doctor was mited in marriage with Mary MeCnistion, who was born and raised in Travis connty, a daughter of J. J. Mc- Chistion. To this nnion have been born four children: Mattie (deceased in infancy). Sudie, Lena and Willie. Mr. Ellison votes with the Democratic party, and is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
R EV. JAMES PEELER .- The stock from which the subject of this sketch descended came originally from the British isles, his paternal grandfather, Anthony Peeler, being a native of England who emigrated to America in an early day and settled in Georgia. He died in Jasper county, of that State, at the age of eighty- two.
1812, was a patriotrie, industrious, useful citizen and devont Christian, being a life- long member of the Methodist Church, in which he was for years a Class-leader. His widow, the mother of the subject of this sketch, survived him till 1854, dying at the home of her son-in-law, F. N. Carlisle, in Leon county, Florida, in the fifty- second year of her age. Of their ten children nine be- came grown, all of whom married and filled useful places in society, three - Anderson, William and James - being ministers of the Methodist Church.
The last named, the subject of the notice, was reared in Georgia and Alabama, his boy- hood and youth being passed on a farm and as clerk in a country store to the age of nineteen. Believing himself called to the ministry of the church he took the first de- cisive step in August, 1836, toward qualify- ing himself for the discharge of the respons- ible duties connected with the calling, and in April, 1839, he was licensed to preach by authority of a quarterly conference presided over by Rev. S. B. Sawyer, and held in Ran- dolph connty, Alabama. He did local anxil- iary work from that date till 1841, when he joined the Alabama Conference at Salem and entered actively into the labors of his church. From 1841 to 1849 he was with the Alabama Conference; he was then transferred to the Florida Conference, where he labored for more than ten years at Key West, Bruns- wick, Madison, Tallahassee and other points, interspersing his ministerial labors with teaching and investigations of theological and secular subjects. While at Key West he turned his attention to the study of naviga- tion, and in a short time became master of that science. After moving to Tallahassee he invented the " Peeler Plow," an implement
James Peeler was born in Greene county, Georgia, February 13, 1817. His parents were Jacob and Sarah Martin Peeler, both natives of the same county. The father was a planter and miller by occupation and passed his life in the pursuit of these interests, principally planting. He moved to Alabama about 1839 and resided for a number of years in Randolph county, that State. Ilis death occurred in 1846, in the fiftieth year of his age, at the residence of his son, Dr. Anderson Peeler, then living at Grooverville, Florida. He had served as a volunteer in the war of I . f husbandry which at the time gave promise
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
of great improvement in farming operations, but which, on account of the unsettled condi- tion of things brought on by the breaking out of the late war, never fulfilled these promises. Its inventor did enough with it, however, to demonstrate its merits, and, hav- ing patented it, disposed of some territory to good advantage. The principal deal which he made of this kind was the exchange of the unsold territory in Texas for a tract of 9,000 acres of land in Milam county, on account of which trade he finally became a citizen of this State. This tract lay adjacent to a quarter of a leagne which he had previously bought, and thus gave him a valuable body of land or one that was destined to become valuable, the trade being made early in ths '60s, be- fore Texas soil had attracted the attention of the ontside world, as it has done in recent years. Rev. Mr. Peeler came to Texas in 1866 and settled in Milam county, where, on account of the impaired condition of his health, he followed outdoor pursnits for a few years, taking np surveying as his chief em- ployment. In 1868 he connected himself with the Northwest Texas Conference and again entered npon ministerial work. Ile was so engaged until 1882, when, on account of his age and failing health, he was placed on the superanmiated list, and has not since had any regular charge in the church, al- though he still preaches occasionally and takes a general interest in church work.
On Jannary 18, 1836, Rev. Peeler married, in Muscogee county. Georgia, the lady whom le wedded being Mary Lawless, a daughter of Jones Lawless and a native of Putnam connty, that State. This union has been blessed with the birth of eleven children, seven of whom became grown and five of whom are living. Those who reached ma- turity were Mrs. M. A. Bates, the widow of
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