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 96

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 96
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 96

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).

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and upon his recovery the paper was revived at Galveston under the name of The Civil- ian and Galveston City Gazette.

This paper, which was the second started in Galveston, was a little-four-page sheet, four wide columns to the page, printed, as the prospectus said, "on fair type and good paper." The subscription was five dollars per annumn, payable in advance, and the rates for advertisements were one dollar per square for the first insertion, and fifty cents for each continuance. Among the editorial items was mention of the loss of the schooner Crusader, sixty miles from Brazos, Santiago, and the arrival of the United States war schooner Grampus, fromg Mata- moros with $89,000 in specie. The ad- vertising columns contained "ads" from Mckinney & Williams, Blackwell & Allen, G. Borden, Jr., Collector of Customs; Set- tle & Williams, Van Winkle Bros , John Cummens, and Levi Jones, agent of the Galveston City Company, -one column and a half in all. The marine list noted the clearance of the sloop Wasp, commanded by a noted character known as "Mexican " Thompson. The price current quoted flour at twenty-three dollars to twenty-five dol- lars per barrel, with the following note: None in first hands, and in the event of no arrival in a few days will command any price asked.

The paper from its first issue was a stanch supporter of General Houston, and often had its hands full in replying to attacks mnade on him by the opposition. When the paper was first issued there were but forty houses in the "city," and for want of a wharf, passengers and goods arriving from New Orleans by the steamers, were brought ashore in small boats, while the total popu- lation of the county was not more than

seven hundred and fifty souls. The paper grew to be one of the most influential jour- nals in the State, but was suspended during civil war, and revived in 1865, but finally succumbed and was suspended in 1877.

In the fall of 1873 Mr. Stuart retired .from the Civilian and became connected with The News, conducting the State Press department up to within a short time of his deatlı.

Mr. Stuart was a member of the Board of Aldermen a number of times; represented Galveston county in the State Legislature in 1848; was Mayor of the city in 1849, 1850, 1851 and 1852, and Collector of Cus- tonis for eight years (1853-61), during the administrations of Presidents Pierce and and Buchanan, retiring from the office upon the secession of Texas at the outbreak of the Civil war, to which he was opposed. He also served as a member of the State Constitutional convention in 1866; belonged to the old volunteer fire department, having been a charter member and the first treas -. urer of Island City Fire Company No. 2. He was also the Democratic nominee for Governor in 1869. Mr. Stuart had been a resident of Galveston for more than fifty-six years, and had outlived the most of his con- temporaries in the newspaper business, with the possible exception of John Henry Brown of Dallas (his partner in 1854), and the vet- eran typo, "Father" Hanson, now at Waelder.

To a blameless personal life, led in a quiet and unobstrusive manner, chiefly at his peculiar post, he added a vigorous men- tality, broad and brave, and a pure, kind heart, emotional yet conservative, a finely adjusted brain and breast that gracefully and discreetly in his writings mingled sweetness and satire and tempered the trenchant blade

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with gentleness of corrective incision. The warp of his justice was woofed with leniency. With keen perception of human faults and foibles he preached philosophy to the blunderer in sententious yet smiling sentences, and with unruffled surface taught lessons to bluster or frivolity with caustic though courteous comment. His teachings and example, in steady stream from year to year, are inspiring tablets for the young, and for even the older journalists, so many of whom he loved as they loved him.

Mr. Stuart died November 16, 1894, leaving four children, -Mrs. R. T. Wheeler, of Hitchcock; Mrs. J. K. Moore, of Luling; Mrs. Farrell D. Minor and Ben C. Stuart, of Galveston. - (From the Galveston Daily News. )

APTAIN JOHN J. PEETZ was born in the Duchy of Schleswig, then under the Danish govern- ment, March 26, 1836, and accom- panied his parents to America in 1849. They first located in the city of New Or- leans, and there young Peetz was partly educated. While residing in Mobile, Ala- bamna, from 1850 to 1853, he learned the ship-carpenter's trade, and the following year went to sea to work at the same. He was taken sick while abroad, but recovering joined the British Navy and engaged in the Crimean war, and participated in the siege of an island in the Black sea. "At the end of nine months he was released and went to Peru, South America, and as a sailor from that country went to Chili, from there to Buenos Ayres, thence to Rotterdam, Hol- land, and from there to Boston, Massachu- setts, and thence to New Orleans. Here he again turned his attention to ship-carpenter-

ing, and in 1858 went to the Pensacola navy yard, where he was engaged for fourteen months in building the sloop-of-war, Pen- sacola.

He then spent some time successively in New Orleans, Galveston and Mobile, and working at his trade, until the war opened, in 1861, when he espoused the cause of the South and joined a company of independent scouts, under Captain Davidson. This company was disbanded the same year, owing to the fact that horses had been promised them by the Confederate govern- ment and were not supplied. Mr. Peetz then joined Company B, of Governor Wise's Legion of Light Artillery, which was sent to the Blue Ridge mountains, where they had one unimportant engagement. Soon after this all ship carpenters were detailed to return to Mobile to build ships for the Confederate Navy, and Mr. Peetz assisted in the con- struction of the gunboat Gaines, after which he returned to New Orleans (1861). At this place he was engaged in constructing the ram Manassas, which was completed in the winter of 1862. While engaged in his labors on this vessel Mr. Peetz organized a company of artillery, of which he was of- fered the Captaincy, but refused the honor. He was then commissioned First Lieutenant by Governor Thomas O. Moore, of Louisi- ana, March 24, 1862, and later assisted in the construction of the gunboat Mississippi. When the Federal troops made their ap- pearance at Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip, which they commenced bombard- ing, a call was made for volunteers, Captain Peetz offered his services on board the Louisiana and enough men were given him to man one gun. During the engagement that followed the Manassas was sunk and only two boats were saved, -- the McCray

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and the Louisiana, and two transports. Captain Peetz was captured soon after leav- ing the Louisiana, but was at once paroled.

After remaining a week in New Orleans he returned to the Confederate lines at Camp Moore, Louisiana, where he received permission to proceed to Richmond, at which place he was detailed as a mechanic to work on the construction of ships, and continued thus employed until the war closed. He remained in Mobile for about twelve months, from which time until 1868 he worked at his trade in New Orleans, then spent a year in Europe. Upon his return to this country he went to St. Mary's parish, Louisiana, and there erected several sugar houses. In 1870 he came to Galveston and engaged in the coasting trade from this city to Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Tampico, Mexico. In this business he acquired suf- ficient property to enable him to retire, and he has since passed an uneventful life.

He was married in 1874, to Miss Alvena Langholz, a native of the Duchy of Schles- wig, born in 1853 and the daughter of Major A. H. Langholz, who attained his rank in the Federal army during the civil war, being a member of the Twelfth United States Cavalry, He first raised a company in Chi- cago, Illinois, of which he was made Cap- tain, and, having assisted in organizing the regiment, he was elected Major. He came to Texas during the war and his family fol- lowed him in 1866, locating at Houston. He, however, died in Galveston, and his widow still survives him with her son Charles J., of San Antonio, and her daughter Alvena. To Mr. and Mrs. Peetz six children have been born: Matilda; Ida, wife of Henry Ross; Lydia; Estelle, and two that died young. The family are members of the Lutheran Church and the Captain is a mem-

ber of the A. F. & A. M., Hiram Lodge, No. .

7, of New Orleans, and the Chosen Friends, Germania Lodge, of which he is P. C. His parents were John and Annie Peetz (the original spelling of the name being Peez), and they reared ten children, five of whom survive :. Louisa, widow of James Coppel; John J .; Elizabeth, wife of Captain Thomas Henson, of Lake Charles, Louisana; Sophia, who first married Emil Winderholder and after his death Captain Green Hall, the former of whom was in the army and the latter in the Confederate Navy; and Mar- garet, who is unmarried.

ATRICK PRENDERGAST, de- ceased, was born in county Mayo, Ireland, and came in 1840 to the United States and settled in Flor- ida. There, on February 21, 1843, he mar- ried Julia Agnes McDonald, a daughter of Jeremiah and Ellen Haggerty McDonald, a native of the city of Cork, Ireland. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Prendergast settled in Apalachicola, Florida, where they engaged in the hotel business, building the second hotel in that place, the Alabama House, which they successfully conducted up to 1860. They then came to Texas to en- gage in the stock business, settling on Padre island. On the opening of hostilities be- tween the North and South in 1861 their cattle were seized by the Federal troops, their buildings on Padre island occupied as barracks and hospital, and their residence at Brazos Santiago burned by the Confed- erates, thus despoiling thein of the results of their many previous years' work.

The family moved to Brownsville, where they engaged in the hotel business and where Mr. Prendergast died February 22,

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. 1862, after which, in 1863, Mrs. Prender- gast went to Bagdad, Mexico, where she erected a building, the second hotel build- ing erected in Bagdad, and engaged in the hotel business until 1866. She then re- turned to Florida and resided there and in New Orleans, where she also kept hotel until 1880, at which date she settled in Galveston.

While living in Bagdad, in 1867, Mrs. Prendergast was married to William Fitz- gerald, who died in New Orleans in 1875. To Patrick and Julia Agnes Prendergast the following children were born: John T., now deceased; James, Richard; Mary E., widow of John Schillen; George; Julia, wife of Ed Pond; and William H. To Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald two children were born: Jennie and Lillie. Mrs. Fitzgerald is now (1895) in the sixty-eighth year of her age, having been born in 1827. She was, as stated, born in Ireland, whence she came with her widowed mother to the United States in 1841 and settled in Florida. Mrs. Fitz- gerald's two sons, John and Richard, were in the army during the late war, the former in the Confederate service, the latter in the Federal. John enlisted regularly at the opening of the war; Richard was for a time engaged in running the blockade, when hav- ing been captured and taken North he en- tered the Federal army as a member of Taylor's battery, with which he served. James Prendergast was born in Apalachicola, Florida, February 19, 1846, where he was reared until his parents came to Texas, his youth and early manhood being spent in the southwestern part of this State. After the death of his father in 1862 he apprenticed himself to the trade of machinist, served his time, became an engineer on a steamboat running on the Rio Grande river. He was

engaged in steamboating, and in the liquor and ice business in southwest Texas until 1873, when he came to Galveston as engi- neer on the steamer Matamoras. From 1873 to 1886 he worked as an engineer in Galveston, being part of the time with Allen, Pool & Company, meat packers, and part of the time (about nine years) with Irvine & Beissner, lighterers. In 1886 he embarked in the liquor business in Galves- ton, which he has since followed. He is a member of Tucker Lodge, No. 167, A. F. & A. M., Oleander Lodge, No. 139, Knights of Pythias, and Galveston Lodge, No. 2, Chosen Friends.

J EROME R. VAN LIEW, deceased, was born in 1817, in Brunswick, New Jersey, went to sea at the age of ten and followed the vocation of mariner more or less for seven or eight years, until 1836, when he came to Texas. He was in the frontier service of the Republic, and was at Linnville when it was sacked and burned by the Indians. He traveled over Texas for two or three years, and settled in New Orleans in 1840.

Abont 1841 or 1842 he went to La . Fourche, Louisiana, where he was employed as overseer and manager for a large sugar plantation, and resided at that place and at Thibodeaux, at which latter place he fol- lowed mercantile pursuits until 1857. He then returned to Texas and settled at Gal- veston, engaging in the grocery business. On the opening of the war he moved to Harrisburg, in Harris county, and resided there until 1870, when he again took up his residence in Galveston, where he lived till his death, November 7, 1886. During his latter years Mr. Van Liew was in the em-

Pw-

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ploy of King, Kennedy & Company. He was in the courier service during the late war, carrying dispatches between Houston and Shreveport, in which service he acquitted himself with credit.

Mr. Van Liew married on February 15, 1845, Miss Eliza Mills, a native of Louisi- ana, and a daughter of John and Eunice Mills. The issue of this union was fourteen children, ten of whom are now living: Susan B., widow of Thomas Hawkins; John M .; Thomas D .; Gilbert M .; Lilly E., wife of Henry O. Wachen; Ida, wife of J. S. Parker; William L .; Lida, wife of Mark Anderson; Mary J. and Morris H.

Mr. Van Liew was a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Harmony Lodge, No. 6, at Galveston. He was for two years Port Warden at Galveston.

Mr. Van Liew was of Dutch and Huguenot origin, his ancestors on his father's side emigrating from Amsterdam, Holland, and settling in this country before the Amer- ican Revolution.

Thomas King Hawkins, who married Susan B. Van Liew, mentioned above, was a native of Jackson county, Mississippi, and was a son of Thomas and Eveline Krebs Hawkins, who were from Baltimore, Mary- land. Thomas K. Hawkins came to Texas when a young man and settled about 1860 in Galveston.

On the opening of the late war he en- tered the Confederate army as a member of an artillery company at Galveston, but there being no prospect of this section of the country becoming the seat of active hostili- ties for which he was eager, he left Texas aboard the Royal Yacht, Captain Thomas Chubb, on its last trip as a blockade rummer, and went to Mobile, Alabama. There lie fell in with some of Morgan's men from

Kentucky, and enlisted in that celebrated command, with which he served during the greater part of the war, participating in the several raids which it made into Kentucky and Tennessee and in the great raid into Indiana and Ohio. He was captured with the rest of his command in Ohio, and con- fined at Camp Douglas, Chicago, from which place he made his escape, but was subsequently re-captured and was held a prisoner until a short time before the close of hostilities.

After the war Mr. Hawkins returned to Galveston, where, on October 25, 1865, he married Miss Van Liew. He engaged in business in this city in the fall of the same year as a member of the firm of Richards & Hawkins, cotton brokers, and continued in active business pursuits np to 1877, at which time, on account of failure of health, he re- tired. He died July 27, 1887. He had been a member of the Board of Aldermen of the city and of the Cotton Exchange. Mr. Hawkins left a widow and three sons: Thomas King, Morris Ranger and Charles Richards Hawkins.

ICHAEL CAHILL, deceased, was born in county Tipperary, Ire- land, in 1811, and was a son of Edmund Cahill, who emigrated with his family to the United States during the second decade of the present century and settled in New York. There the boy- hood and youth of Michael was passed, and in that city he learned the trade of cabinet- maker, serving a seven years' apprentice- ship. He married Elizabeth Gaughan in New York city about 1834, soon after which time he came to Texas as a member of Powers' Colony, landing at Copano. He

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settled on the southwestern frontier, in what is now Refugio county, where he was en- gaged, in a small way, in the stock business and in the frontier service until 1842, at which date he moved to Galveston. Here he took up his trade and for some years found profitable employment in contracting and building, the newly settled condition of the island offering excellent opportunities to industrious and skillful mechanics. Later he was in the employ of the city as captain of the night watch, before the days of the regularly organized police force, and still later was appointed Sexton of the city cemne- teries, which last position he held for a great number of years, in fact until a short time before his death. He died October 20, 1885, at the age of seventy-four. His wife survived about seven years, dying October 22, 1892, also in the seventy-fourth year of her age. To Mr. Cahill and wife ten chil- dren were born: John; Edmund; James; Matthew; Michael, who died August 20, 1879; Richard, who died June 12, 1877; Margaret, Ann, Susan and Nora. Edinund Cahill was killed at the battle of Gettysburg during the late war, being a member of the First Louisiana Volunteer Infantry, Confederate States' service. Matthew Cahill served in the engineer corps, Trans-Mississippi De- partment, Confederate States' service, dur- ing the late war, and died at Galveston, February 27, 1879, aged thirty-two years. Margaret Cahill was married to J. C. Mc- Donald and died without issue at Galves- ton, January 21, 1875, aged twenty-nine. The rest of this pioneer family except James died in youth or early manhood and woman- hood.

James Cahill was born in Refugio county, Texas, March 17, 1841. He was taken by his parents to Galveston the following year

and has there spent all his life. He enlisted in the Confederate army during the late war as a member of the Twenty-sixth Texas Cavalry (De Bray's regiment), with which he served on the gulf coast and in Louisiana from the date of his enlistment until the close of hostilities, taking part in all the operations in which his command partici- pated, including the battle of Galveston and the several engagements incident to Banks' Red river campaign. In recent years Mr. Cahill has been in the employ of the city government on special service, being an honest, diligent and capable officer, and a favorite with the people and those under whom he ranks.

Michael Cahill is remembered as a kind- hearted and accommodating man and a faithful and efficient officer. The citizens of Galveston have especial reason to re- member him for his faithful services during the various yellow-fever epidemics which visited this island in an earlier day.

J OHN HAMMOND WESTERLAGE, deceased. - This old and respected citizen of Galveston was born in Hanover, Germany, and was brought by his. parents to the United States in early childhood; was reared in Cincinnati, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri, receiving his edu- cation chiefly in the latter city. From St. Louis he drifted to New Orleans, where he resided for a year or more, and there learned the trade of cigar-maker. He came to Gal- veston soon after the founding of the town, and ever after mnade this place his home. For a while after settling in Galveston he clerked in the hardware store of J. P. Davie, and later followed other pursuits. He be- came a member of the first volunteer fire

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company, No. 1, organized in the city, and later assisted in organizing the second com- pany started here. He was the second foreman of the latter company and foreman of No. 1. He was three times Chief of the Galveston Fire Department, and was con- nected with the department in one capacity or another for a period of forty years. He also filled the office of Constable of Galves- ton city in 1854-6; bailiwick of Galveston county for the same period, was Sheriff of the county for four years (1856 to 1860); was City Marshal, Chief of Police, City Re- corder and Inspector of the City Market- being alinost continuously in public office from 1854 to 1884, until age and failing health necessitated his retirement. He was a man who was in high esteem with all classes of people, honest and faithful in the discharge of every duty.

In 1854 Mr. Westerlage married Miss Caroline Brown, daughter of William and Johanna Brown, who came to Galveston island in 1837, being among the first set- tlers on the island. Mrs. Westerlage was born in Galveston January 19, 1841, and is credited with being the second white female child born on this island. To Mr. and Mrs. Westerlage eleven children were born, nine of whom reached maturity, as follows: Charles H., born September 29, 1856; John, now deceased; Henry, born September 22, 1861; Caroline, now Mrs. F. J. Robson, of Galveston; Clara, wife of George Marchi- and, of Galveston; William V .; George K .; Emma L .; Cora, wife of W. P. Tarpey, of LaMarque, Galveston county; and Matilda, the one who died in childhood being Fred- erick.

Charles H. Westerlage married Miss Jen- nie Parr, of Galveston, on March 24, 1887, Mrs. Westerlage being a daughter of Solo-

mon Parr, one of the first settlers of Galves- ton county. By this marriage there have been three children, who are now living: Edna E., Estella P. and Charles H. Henry Westerlage married Miss Nellie Werner, of Galveston, in 1882, she being a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and a daughter of William and Mary Werner, who came to Galveston about the close of the late war. The offspring of this union has been six children: Irene, Lillian, Eleanor, John H., William V. and Caroline. Mr. and Mrs. Robson have had five children: Carrie, de- ceased; Agnes, Clifford, Edith and Eveline. Mr. and Mrs. Marchand have one child, George W. Mr. and Mrs. Tarpey have one son, Harold.

John H. Westerlage died March 27, 1890. His widow still survives and resides near Hitchcock in Galveston county. Mr. Westerlage was a member of both the Ma- sonic and Odd Fellows' fraternities. Dur- ing the late war he was a member of the Home Guards, Confederate States' service.

William V. Westerlage was born and reared in the city of Galveston, where he learned the trade of cigar-maker. He has followed his trade and engaged in clerical pursuits in this city and at Hitchcock in this county since attaining his majority. In November, 1892, lie was elected County Commissioner from the Hitchcock district (Fourth precinct), and re-elected in Novem- ber, 1894, filling that position at this writing.

ENRY WILLIAM BENTINCK, deceased, was born aboard an En- glish man-of-war, on August 15, 1810. His father was George F. Bentinck, an English naval officer, who

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during the greater part of his life was in the service of his country, being one of Napo- leon Bonaparte's escorts to the island of St. Helena.

Henry William Bentinck was educated in the English Naval Academy, and at a proper age was enrolled in the naval service, where he worked his way up from midship- man to commander of a vessel. He ran be- tween Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the West Indies, carrying the mails. In 1838 he quit the sea on account of failing health and came to America. The year following he brought his family, and, leaving them in New Orleans, inade a trip to Texas to look at the country. Being satisfied with it he returned and brought his family, and settled in Galveston early in 1840. Here he en- gaged in the mercantile business, opening a store on Market street, near the corner of Twentieth. He followed mercantile pur- suits for some time; was later superintend- ent of one of the first cotton compresses erected in the city, and still later engaged in the manufacture of brick, being one of the first brickmakers on the island. During the late war he was again in the mercantile business.

In 1844 Mr. Bentinck purchased three lots on the corner of avenue I and Four- teenth street, and following that date made a number of other purchases of real estate, one of which was the property owned by him at avenue H and Fourteenth street, where he lived for many years .. He built the first residence in that part of the city.

Mr. Bentinck died in Galveston, Novem- ber 15, 1870, leaving a widow, who is still living, and several children. He was mar- ried December 26, 1835, at St. Johns, Bermuda. His wife bore the maiden name of Harriett Roe, and was a native of Queen's

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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