History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families, Part 51

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Texas > Harris County > Houston > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 51
USA > Texas > Galveston County > Galveston > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 51

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The old Briscoe homestead, where the early life of Andrew was passed, was not un- like that of many another of the " first set- tlers" in that section of Mississippi, a place

where industry, thrift and economy joined hands with intelligence, culture and genuine Southern hospitality. The natural produc- tiveness of the soil, aided by the wise use of slave labor, in time brought wealth to its owner, and wealth brought all needful means of enjoyment. This condition of things was not produced, however, without effort, nor did the country enjoy at all times that state of tranquility that enabled the industrious husbandman to remain at home and devote his time to the improvement of his holdings and the enjoyment of pastoral life. Mississippi was erected into a Territory in 1798, and admitted to Statehood in 1817, but it was not until 1836 that the Indians, who had long occupied its soil and were a constant source of apprehension to the whites, were removed to the trans-Mississippi country. There were conflicts of a desultory nature between the red man and his pale-face brother extending through a number of years, and these conflicts kept the whites in something of a state of arined hostility at all times and fostered a martial spirit in all of the male population. In these conflicts, and in the preparation which was steadily going on for them, the father of Andrew Briscoe was an active participant. Being a man of marked courage, strong common-sense and a patriotic regard for his duties as a citizen, he was frequently called to the leadership of his friends and neighbors, and took part in all important expeditions organized for their protection against the savages He was a Captain of volunteers in the Creek war, and in the war of 1812 commanded a company of volunteers, and was present at New Orleans, but unfortunately for the honor of his command and of himself, he did not reach the scene of conflict until the day after

370

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

General Jackson had defeated the British forces under Packenham.

The narratives of these campaigns re- lated by Captain Briscoe and his comrade- neighbors on their return home were not without their effect on the inind of young Andrew, and it is safe to say that the spon- taneous impulses of a brave and noble na- ture like his were somewhat directed by such narratives and made to become the mainspring of an honorable ambition. The elder Briscoe was for many years prominent both in the military and civil history of his State, becoming General of militia in the days when the State militia was one of the institutions of the land, and serving as a member of both branches of the State Legislature. Those were the days that are now celebrated as "the flush times" of Mississippi, a period that was characterized by the wildest speculation and a saturnalia of corruption in high places. General Bris- coe was one who always advocated the highest integrity, both in public and private life, and, by reason of his prominent stand against many schemes of a questionable nature, he excited great enmity among those engaged in these enterprises. As author of the "Briscoe bill," which set on foot an in- vestigation into the banking business in the State, he uncovered and brought to light a great deal of fraud in connection with the State banks, and in this way saved to the people of the State large sums of money. For these services he won the gratitude of all good citizens, and drew around himself a large number of public men. His home, in fact, was the rallying point for such, and it was here that his son Andrew met many of the first men of that day, and from their conversations learned much concerning the political history of the times, and from

them also inbibed the political principles by which his own career in after years was, in a great measure, regulated. It will be sufficient for the purposes of this narrative to say that the elder Briscoe continued his interest in public matters to the end of his life, and that he was an interested spec- tator when the conflict of 1835-6, between Texas and Mexico, came on. His sympa- thies were naturally with the colonists, and he made several trips about that date to San Felipe, and encouraged the Revolution- ists in their efforts to secure independence, and advised with his son touching the con- dition of things here and the proper course for him to pursue on particular measures.

Until he was sixteen years of age An- drew Briscoe spent his time on his father's plantation in Claiborne county, Mississippi, except when at school, at Clinton, in Hines county. At the age of sixteen he was sent to college in Kentucky, where he enjoyed good advantages in respect to higher mental training. He read law under General John A. Quitman, of Jackson, Mississippi, then a leading lawyer and a man of much repu- tation throughout the South. Having about this date married an estimable young lady of his native State, Miss Mary House, Mr. Briscoe located on a plantation near his father's, where he contemplated entering at once on a professional career; but before he was fairly established in the law his wife died and saddened and unsettled by the loss, he yielded to the impulse of the occa- sion, abandoned the law, quit his home and came to Texas. Here he became interested in schemes both of a financial and political nature, and at once identified himself with the colonists, whose cause he warmly espoused. He made several trips about this time between Mississippi and points in

37 1

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

east Texas, and finally, in 1835, purchased a a stock of goods, which he shipped to Anahuac preparatory to embarking in the mercantile business at that place. It was here and only a short time after he located that his name first became associated with an event of historical importance, and one in the chain of causes which soon led to the revolution. This event is vaguely referred to by most of the historians as the "affair at Anahuac," in connection with which how- ever no names are given. The facts are that soon after Mr. Briscoe moved his stock of goods to Anahuac the town was in- vested by a garrison of forty inen under Captain Tenorio, who, under pretext of col- lecting duties on imports, siezed the goods introduced by Mr. Briscoe and forbade his making any disposition of them until a permit had been obtained from the Mexican authorities, which permit could be obtained only on payment of a certain sum of money. Feeling that this regulation, if not unlawful, was at any rate an act of tyranny to which as an American he could not submit, he re- sisted the order, and to make a test of the inatter sold some of the goods to De Witt C. Harris, of Harrisburg, the removal of which brought on a conflict between the Briscoe party and the Mexican soldiery. In this conflict a young man of the Briscoe party, named William Smith was shot, but afterward recovered, and Mr. Briscoe and his friend Harris were siezed and placed in prison.

This affair occurred about the 10th of June. A report of it was sent to the au- thorities at San Felipe, and news of it quickly spread throughout the settlements. It excited a great deal of feeling. The friends of Messrs. Briscoe and Harris in and about Harrisburg, prominent among whom

were William B. Travis and Patrick Jack, raised a company of volunteers, mount- ing a four-pound cannon on board the sloop Ohio, sailed to Anahuac, liberated the pris- oners and disbanded the garrison. This served to still further increase the excite- ment, being the source of considerable glorification on the part of the war party, and the cause of much criticism upon the part of those who were opposed to violent measures.

But the fires of the revolution were now fully under way, and Briscoe, having been robbed of his property and with no business interests on hand, turned his attention to. the task that was then engaging the minds of many of the most active patriots of the period, namely, -the freedom of the colonies from the tyranny of Mexico. He entered on the work with an enthusiasm quickened by a lively sense of the personal injury and insult which had been inflicted on him in the affair at Anahuac. All of the ensuing summer and most of the fall was spent by him among the settlers, with whom, in com- pany with others of the patriot band, he labored to show the necessity and feasibility of an open, united and vigorous revolt against Mexican authority. These efforts, in connection with the continued acts of tyranny on the part of the Mexicans, re- sulted, as is known, in arousing a strong feeling of resistance to the established order of things and one which needed but the oc- casion to break into open rebellion. The occasion came and after the spirited and successful conflicts at Goliad and Gonzales, the battle of Conception followed. - Mr. Briscoe took part in this battle at the head of a company called the Liberty Volunteers, which he raised. He was also present and took part in the storming of San Antonio,

372

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

the first real fighting, as he was afterward accustomed to say, that the colonists did during the period of the Revolution. He remained in the vicinity of San Antonio un- til February, 1836, when, having been elect- ed by the people of Harrisburg municipality to represent them in the convention which met at Washington, he came on and at- tended the sitting of that convention, thus becoming one of the signers of the Declara- tion of Independence. From this body he hastened to the field again, and, in com- inand of a company of regulars joined the army on its retreat under Houston, and took part in the battle of San Jacinto, and thns shared in the glory of that great day.

The war over and the independence of the colonists established, Mr. Briscoe again turned his attention to the pursuits of peace, going to New Orleans, where he purchased a stock of goods, presumably for the purpose of entering the mercantile business. But, npon the election of General Houston to the presidency of the Republic in October. 1836, he tendered to Mr. Briscoe the office of Chief Justice of Harris county, which the latter accepted, and in consequence gave up his mercantile interests for the purpose of devoting himself exclusively to the duties connected with his office. This office was an important one, not only because of its terri- torial jurisdiction, Harris county then em- bracing a much larger area of country than now, but also because of the various func- tions connected with it. Judge Briscoe at once took charge of his office, his official and personal residence becoming Houston, the newly established county seat.

It was at Harrisburg that he mnet, and on the 17th day of August, 1837, married, Miss Mary Jane Harris, then a young lady of eighteen, recently from school in New

York State, but a daughter of John R. Harris, the founder of Harrisburg, and one of Texas' earliest settlers. Shortly after his marriage Judge Briscoe moved up to Houston, and, having purchased the lot on the northeast corner of Main street and Prairie avenue, erected there the first two-story dwelling put up in the town. This house long remained one of the old landmarks of Houston, having in fact only in recent years been removed to give place to the present Prince building. Judge Briscoe served as Chief Justice of Harris county for four years, after which he renounced public life, and in the face of all sorts of flattering offers of personal preferment, persistently refused to allow his name to be used in contests for any sort of public office. He moved his resi- dence from Houston to Harrisburg, where he built a large brick dwelling, and surrounded himself with the means of social and intel- lectual enjoyment, and became engrossed with business pursuits and the pleasures of home.

One of the chief objects of his attention at that time was the Harrisburg & Brazos River Railroad, a charter for which he ob- tained from the Congress of the Republic in 1839, and which bears the distinction of being the first railway ever chartered west of the Mississippi river. Into this scheme Judge Briscoe seems to have entered with great zeal, personally superintending the breaking and grading of the first mile or so of it with his own slaves. The following item concerning operations on this road ap- peared in the Morning Star, published at Houston, under date of May 16, 1840: "Wanted: To hire sixty negro men, for which good wages will be given and secured, to work on the Harrisburg & Brazos Rail- road. They will be taken for not less than

373

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

six months, and kept two years if desired .- A. Briscoe." >

In 1845, while living in retirement at Harrisburg, Judge Briscoe received from Governor Anson Jones the appointment of Justice of the Peace for the precinct in which he lived, his commission being dated in the latter part of the last month of the last year of the Republic, and was one of the last commissions ever issued under au- thority of the Republic. Like all of those who had witnessed the birth of the Republic and had gone with it through its early strug- gles, he was devoted to it with that impul- sive enthusiasm and ardent attachment be- gotten of true patriotisin and love of liberty, and he watched the shaping of events affect- ing its welfare with great interest, and, not unfrequently, with feelings of apprehension. He opposed annexation, and never came to believe that the change was for the best.

In the spring of 1849 Judge Briscoe, hav- ing disposed of some of his interests in Texas, went to New Orleans for the purpose of en- gaging in the banking business; but, before he had got his affairs well under way there, he was taken sick, and on October 4th of the same year died. His remains were buried at the old family burying-ground in Claiborne county, Mississippi. Up to the date of his death he was actively engaged in business pursuits. Even after going to New Orleans his inind was full of enter- prises for Texas, one of which was a trans- continental railroad along the line since covered by the Southern Pacific system. He wrote a number of articles, which he published in the newspapers of New Orleans, setting forth the advantages of such a road.

His estate at his death consisted largely of Texas lands, the cheapness of which, at an earlier date, had enabled him to make ex-

cellent provision for his family. He left surviving a widow and four children, all of whom are still living. The eldest son, Parmenas, has always made his home with his widowed mother, in Houston, never hav- ing married. Andrew B. is a banker of Floresville, but resides at San Antonio. The two daughters both live in Houston, the elder, Jessie, being the wife of Captain M. G. Howe, vice-president and general manager of the Houston, East & West Texas Railroad; and the younger, Adele L., being the wife of Major M. Looscan, a leading member of the Harris county bar. Mrs. Briscoe is now one of Houston's oldest set- tlers, and is one of the really historic women of the State. She has lived on Texas soil for fifty-seven years, and, besides being the widow of one of Texas' inost eminent pa- triots, is a member of one of the most promi- nent families of the State. Her father, John R. Harris, a native of New York, and a descendant of John Harris, for whom - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was named, came to Texas in 1824 as a member of Moses Austin's colony, and founded the town of Harrisburg, and for him Harris county was named. Her three brothers, De Witt C., Louis L. and John B. Harris, were all prominent in the history of this section of the State in an earlier day, particularly De Witt C .; while Louis L. became also a pioneer of California, where he figured con- spicuously in the early days of that country.

3 AMES A. CUSHMAN, SR. - The subject of this sketch was born in Savannah, Wayne county, New York, on the 29th day of July, 1823. His father was David Cushman, and his mother bore the maiden name of Mary Ann

374

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

Palmer. Both parents were natives of New York, but came of New England ancestry, their people settling near Fairmount, Ver- mont, in early Colonial days. The father was a man of varied interests and pur- suits, -the farm, store and law contributing to his support and financial success. He died in 1832, in middle life. His widow subsequently remarried, and lived to an advanced age. She was the mother of a number of children, five of whom were by her first marriage. Three of these settled in their native State, where two of them died, and one of thein still lives. The eld- est was a daughter, Euretta, who was mar- ried to Clark Lankton, and who died in May, 1892. Prentice, a farmer, died in May, 1891, and Winthrop D., who came to Texas, died in Brazoria county, in Febru- ary, 1891. David, the youngest, lives at Seneca Falls, New York.

James A., who was the third of the family, was reared in his native place, re- ceiving such educational advantages as the local schools of that day afforded, and working on the farm until he was nineteen. He then went to Auburn, Cayuga county, where he apprenticed himself to the trade of blacksmith and machinist, and, extend- ing the sphere of his activity as he advanced in years, became a boiler and pattern maker, and an expert draftsman. In 1846, at the age of twenty-three, lie came to Texas, reaching Galveston June 20. With the exception of about two years, he has lived in Texas since that date. From 1846 to 1859 he resided in Galveston, and the re- mainder of the time he has spent in Hous- ton. On coming to this city Mr. Cusliman becaine master mechanic for the Houston & Texas Central Railway, being the second to hold that position. A year later, in con-

nection with Stanley & Johnson, he started the Plicnix Iron Works, with which he was connected for five years, when this estab- lishment succumbed to the general business paralysis brought about by the war. Then, in 1868, after a brief residence in the North, Mr. Cushman again went at his trade in this city. In 1870 he engaged in the hard- ware business, and in 1873 started his pres- ent business, -the manufacture of steam boilers and inill machinery. His business has grown from a small beginning to its present proportions, and, although it is not yet what he would like to see it, nor, ac- cording to his frank confession, what it ought to be, it nevertheless has supplied a want, and has been a factor in the develop- ment of the various iron and timber indus- tries of this city and locality. Mr. Cush- man possesses an extensive, varied and critical knowledge of the manufacture of all kinds of articles made of iron, and he has given the people of this section the full benefit of this knowledge. He is generally regarded as an authority on such subjects as he assumes to speak on. He believes im- plicitly in the future of Texas, and especially in the future of Houston, and he regards the manufacturing interest as the one inter- est which promises most for the place.

August 11, 1850, Mr. Cushman married Miss Trypliene E. Gorham, of Elbridge, On- ondaga county, New York, she being a native of that place, and a daughter of Gaius and Lucy (Craw) Gorham, who were New Yorkers by birth but whose first American ancestry were from near Fairmount, Vermont. Mrs. Cushman comes of Revolutionary stock, one of her ancestors being an associate of Israel Putnam in the famous Wolfe hunt. Mr. and Mrs. Cushman have had six children, all of whom are living. These are Mary Ellen,

المصن

375 .

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

the wife of William Winne; Alice, the wife of Dr. W. A. Tryon; James A., Jr .; Eliza- beth T., wife of C. M. Simpson; Jennie, wife of J. L. Cox; and Carrie, wife of J. J. Crichton, -all of whom reside in Houston, except Mrs. Crichton, who lives in Corsi- cana, Texas. Mr. Cushman, his wife, daughters, son and most of his sons-in-law, are members of the Baptist Church.

Few men of his age are better preserved than Mr. Cushman, and few retain in greater abundance the enthusiasin and genial warmth of youth. He is nimble alike of foot and wit, full of life and good humor.

0 R. T. J. BOYLES, for twenty years a practicing physician of the city of Houston, being a member of the well-known firm of Stuart & Boyles, is a native of south Alabama, where he was born on the 12th of January, 1850. His parents were Joel and Elizabeth Abney Boyles, who were also born in Ala- bama, being descendants of two of the early settled families of that State. The mother died when the subject of this sketch was a child, but his father is still living, residing now on the old homestead in Monroe county, where he has spent his entire life, engaged in agricultural pursuits.

Thomas J. Boyles was reared on a farm, and his boyhood and youth were occupied with labors and sports suitable to his age, the free, open-air life giving him a vigorous development, and insuring him a physique well calculated to withstand the strains of the active and laborious career he has since led. His early educational advantages were limited, being restricted to the poorly taught country schools, but as he advanced in years he attended the select schools in the

surrounding towns, and the training he re- ceived in these, supplemented by the read- ing habit, brought his intellectual equipment up to the average of those of his station in life. He began reading medicine in youth, and graduated at the Medical College of Alabama, at Mobile, in 1871, a month or so after attaining his majority. He entered on the practice of his profession at once in his native State, locating at Claiborne, Ala- bama, where, however, he remained some- what less than two years, coming in 1873 to Texas, and settling in Fort Bend county. His object in taking up his residence in this county was to make a study of the low-land fevers, and he remained here a year, giving his attention actively to the duties of his profession and to the study of the diseases peculiar to that locality, and in fact to this section of the State. In the fall of 1873 he moved to Houston, and, forming a partner- ship with Dr. D. F. Stuart, entered upon what has proved for him a prosperous pro- fessional and business career. He and Dr. Stuart bought the Houston Infirmary early in 1874, of which Dr. Boyles became house surgeon, and in this capacity, as well as in other ways, assisted in making of it one of . the chief institutions of the kind in south Texas. This institution, rebuilt in 1882, and newly equipped, has been running con- tinuously since almost to its full capacity of 125 patients. In it are received and treated all kinds of cases except those of a con- tagious nature, and all sorts of surgical work is done. The institution does a large amount of work for the railroads centering at this point.

In 1879, and again in 1889, Dr. Boyles, with a view of perfecting himself in his pro- fession, went to England and spent several months on each trip in the hospitals of Lon-

376

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

don, where he made a careful study of sur- gery and special classes of diseases, for the study of which the institutions he visited of- fered particular advantages. He was award- ed a diploma in 1879, by the Royal College of Surgeons of London, for diseases of the eye.

Dr. Boyles, conjointly with Dr. Stuart, is chief surgeon of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad, and the Houston, East and West Texas Railroad, and is division surgeon of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, the International & Great Northern, the · Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe and the Hous- ton & Northwestern Railways. He is a member of the Texas State Medical Associa- tion, and of the National Railway Surgeons' Association. Besides these matters pertain- ing to his profession, Dr. Boyles is indenti- fied witli a number of local business enter- prises, among them the Planters & Mechan- ics' National Bank, of which he is president, and the Acme Lumber & Manufacturing Company, of which he is vice-president. In fraternity matters he is an enthusiastic mem- ber of the Elks.

In 1883 Dr. Boyles married Miss N. Carrie Miller, of Murfreesborough, Tennessee, daughter of Isaac Miller, and by this union liad three children : Stuart, Waldo, and Lucile C.

R. M. PERL, the subject of this sketch, was born in Vienna, Austria, September 1, 1835. His parents, Leon and Leonie Perl, who were also natives of Austria, were members of respectable and well-to-do families belonging to the agricultural classes. After receiving good home training the sub- ject of this notice was sent to one of the

leading colleges of his native city, where he took a seven years' course in literature, the sciences and physical training, after which he began preparation for entry to the medi- cal profession. For five years he attended lectures in the Imperial Medical College of Vienna, but before graduating quit school, and, entering the Austrian army, served as assistant surgeon in that army during the war between Austria and Italy, in 1859-60. After the termination of this war he was stationed at the Orzy Hospital, at Pesth, Hungary, and at the Royal Hungarian Medical College, of that city, graduated, January 20, 1862. In 1863 he went to Mexico, and resided for something like two years in Matamoras and the city of Mexico, and then, in 1866, came to Texas, locating at Houston, May 10th, that year. He at once entered on the practice of his profession in this place, and has here since resided. In the twenty-eight years of his residence in this city Dr. Perl. has become firmly attached to the peo- ple of this community, whose liberality in extending him patronage he is glad to acknowledge, and whose manner of life, feelings and sentiments he has found to be much in consonance with his own. :

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895 Number of Pages: 1532

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895
Number of Pages: 1532