USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. 2 > Part 17
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WILLIAM G. HUNT,
COLUMBUS.
Capt. William G. Hunt was born in Lunengburg County, Va., September 5th, 1813, and came to Texas in 1831. In those early pioneer days Indians were often troublesome and he had numerous and exciting brushes with the savages. Capt. Hunt fought through the War of Texas Independence from its inception to its close. He was a member of the Spartan band that fired the first shots of the revolution at Gonzales, the Texian Lexington, and was one of the brave men who stepped forward at San Antonio, when the immortal Ben Milam strode to the center of the camp, waved his hat, gave a
ringing huzza and shouted : " Who will follow old Ben Milam into San Antonio? " and took part in the assault and capture of that place.
Capt. Hunt served in Company C., Thirteenth Texas Infantry, during the war between the States, and rose to the rank of Captain in the Confederate service. He is a prosperous farmer and now in his old age is enjoying that case which is the reward of a well-spent life, in his comfortable home in the town of Columbus. Such old heroes are the glory and boast of Texas.
JOHN S. CROSS,
BROWNSVILLE.
There are few persons now living whose names are more familiar and who have been more closely identified with the history and development of Southwest Texas than the subject of this memoir, and nearly half a century has passed since he linked his name with the history and destimes of the Lone Star State. Mr. Cross was born in South Carolina, August 16th, 1816.
His father, John Cross, was also a native of the .. OM Palinetto State " and was there reared. He was by occupation.a successful planter and was an
astute man of business. He married Miss Mar- garet Joiner and they reared a family of seven children. John S. Cross, the subject of this sketch, was the third born of this family. He received such education as the meager facilities of his State and county afforded in those early days, grew up on his father's plantation and finally weut to Mis- sissippi, where he took a position as overseer on a large cotton plantation.
He remained in Mississippi until the year 1848, and then came to Texas by way of New Orleans.
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landing at Galveston, which was then an unpreten- tions little seaport town. He remained at Gal- veston but a short time and, being restless and anxious to accomplish something, started north on a prospecting tour, and soon located about twenty miles north of Galveston, in Brazoria County, where he remained for about two years and then sold his interests and, in about 1850, moved to Brownsville.
The thrilling experiences of this old-time veteran, with the redman and the marauding Mexican who at once, and for years preyed upon and "ran off " his stock, besides committing numerons other depredations, would make most interesting reading. It is safe to say that Mr. Cross has seen and ex- perienced as much of the stern reality of border life, as any other living Texian. He continued his stock operations on the lower Rio Grande until about the year 1859, when the unsettled condition of affairs along the Mexican border, and finally the breaking out of the great war between the States, rendered the business so hazardous that he with- drew from it and located with his family at Matamoros, Mexico, and engaged in merchandising on a modest scale. This was in the year 1862. While the war was in progress in the United States, Matamoros was lively and business was good. Mr. Cross therefore made money rapidly, and by his straightforward business methods extended bis trade until his establishment became one of the
leading mereantile houses in the city. In 1880 Mr. Cross admitted to partnership his eldest son, Middleton II. Cross, forming the well-known firm of J. S. & M. H. Cross, doubtless the strongest in Eastern Mexico and Southwest Texas. Besides their large wholesale and retail stores in Mata- moros, the firm own and operate a bakery that gives employment to a large number of people. In 1880 the firm opened a branch wholesale store in Brownsville, Texas, where they carry a large and complete line of dry goods, notions, ete. The trade of these establishments extends far into the interior of Southwest Texas and Mexico, and is an important factor in the business history of that seetion of country. Besides these important enter- prises, the firm owns large tracts .of fine agricultural and pasture lands, all under fence, and have fine and most substantial improvements thereon.
Mr. Cross, our subject, now well advanced in years, while well preserved and in the enjoyment of good health, is gradually relinquishing the cares of business, and devotes his time chiefly to his raneh interests near Brownsfield, while the entire manage- ment of their stores and bakery is intrusted to the care of the junior member of the firm, Middleton H. Cross, Esq. They each own and live in the inost complete, attractive and spacious homes in the eity of Matamoros. Mr. Cross is a typical old- time Texian, of plain, unassuming and casy man- ners and genuine Southern hospitality.
HENRY M. FIELD,
BROWNSVILLE.
The subject of this brief memoir is a well-known citizen of Brownsville, Texas, a native of Southwick, Mass., and was born September 1, 1842. The Fields o: New England and New York, of which family he is a member, have descended from a long line of ancient an I honored ancestry dating in England as far back as 1316 to Lord Robertus Field of Hard- wick, and John Field, a lord of the township of Chelshram, Surrey.
Burke's History of the Commoners of England (1833) gives evidence of the antiquity and promi- nence of the family. It is said of Dr. Richard Field that his family was of an ancient origin, early emigrated to Massachusetts Colony and soon located at Hartford, Conn. Our subject descends from
this gentleman, who was born in England in 1561 and served as Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth. From that date down the march of time the name has been a prominent one upon the pages of English and American history and is to-day familiar to the student of the religious, legal, scientific and finan- cial history of our country. The family has been established in America for a period covering more than two hundred years. The American founder of the family was Zechariah Field, who settled in Massachusetts not more than a dozen years after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth and was, himself, a Puritan. Later, his brother Robert came to the country. Cyrus W. Field, of New York, the pro- jector of the great Atlantic cable, is an uncle of our
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subject, Mr. Henry M. Field. His father, Mathew D. Field, an older brother of Cyrus W. Field, was a paper manufacturer for many years at Lee, Mass. ; in 1843 removed to St. Louis, Mo., and for eleven years resided in the West, where he did heavy con- tract work upon railroads and constructed several large suspension bridges, one of which, 1,956 feet long, spans the Cumberland river at Nashville, Tenn. Hle served in the Massachusetts Senate from Ham- dem for several terms and was prominent in public affairs wherever he resided.
Stephen J. Field, Justice of the United States Supreme Court, is an uncle. The family throughout is noted in legal circles and as financiers and mem- bers of the Christian clergy.
. Henry M. Field came to Brownsville with the Federal troops in 1865, and upon being mustered out of service, took up his residence in that city.
He received his education in Massachusetts, his native State, and, in 1862, entered a volunteer regiment, which served in the Army of Virginia, Army of West Virginia and Army of the James. He then served as a commissioned officer in a regi- ment of United States colored troops, which was sent to Brownsville, after Appomattox, and was a First Lieutenant and A. A. Engincer when mustered out in 1866.
He occupied the office of Deputy Collector of Customs and for several years was County Surveyor for Cameron County, in both of which positions he made excellent records. In 1879 he entered busi- ness in Brownsville, and since that time has not hield any public office.
In 1871 he was the engineer that built the Rio Grande Railroad from Brownsville to Point Isabel.
Ile deals in lumber and hardware, and is a large buyer of hides, wool, cotton, bones, horns and
pelts of all descriptions, from the rancheros of the vicinity, shipping the articles to Eastern markets. His establishment occupies nearly a block on Eleventh street, between Jackson and Van Buren. A disastrous fire occurred in 1890, destroying nearly all of the buildings and their valuable contents. The account books were burned, in spite of every effort to save them, and Mr. Field was therefore unable to fix his exact loss, and had infinite ditfi- culty in adjusting the multitude of outstanding ac- counts. He rebuilt immediately on the same site, taking the precaution to include a fire-proof vault in his office arrangements.
Among other branches of business, Mr. Field was associated at the time of the fire, with a skillful taxidermist and enthusiastic naturalist, who had collected over eight hundred species of birds, and a large number of mammals and rodents pertaining to the Brownsville section. This valuable collection was fortunately unharmed.
About one mile from the city there is a large tract of land owned by Mr. Field. A portion of the 2,685 acres has been laid out in lots and streets, and is known as Field's Addition. Trees have been planted on each side of the streets, and when Brownsville rises from her long sleep and begins to stretch her- self, there will be some splendid building lots all ready, where handsome dwellings may be erected on green lawns surrounded by beautiful shade trees. The balance of the tract is partly under cultivation, and partly pasture lands. A system of irrigation is provided, which furnishes water for some of the land, by means of a dam across the resaca (old river bed) running through the place. Mr. Field bas taken the proper course to secure large crops with certainty, for all the soil requires to make it yield abundantly is a supply of water at the proper time.
WILLIAM G. HUGHES,
HASTINGS,
Was born in London, England, May 29, 1839; educated at Marlborough College; came to Amer- iea in 1878 and lived in Boston, Mass. (where his father still resides), until the following year when, owing to failing health, be came South in search of a more genial climate. Visiting the picturesque and salubrious mountain district of Kendall County,
le was so charmed with the country that he bought and improved what is now known as the Hughes Ranch. It is located in a romantic dell, three and a half miles from Boerne. Among other springs on the property are mineral springs that have be- come famous for their medicinal virtues and are annually attracting large numbers of health seck-
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ers. Mr. Hughes has fine herds of Jersey cattle, half-bred Shetland ponies and Angora goats, and conducts a dairy, whose output of from three to four hundred pounds of butter per month is eagerly sought and sells at the highest market prices. Mr. Hughes was united in marriage. to Miss Lucy
Stephenson at San Antonio, Texas, June 28, 1888. She is a daughter of Mr. John Stephenson, an English gentleman, who has been engaged in farm- ing in Kendall County since 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes are delightful entertainers, genial and cul- tured, and have a wide circle of friends.
PEYTON W. NOWLIN,
AUSTIN.
One of the best known and most highly esteemed of the Texas pioneers, is the lamented Peyton Wade Nowlin, whose name was a synonym of honor among the statesmen and heroes of former times, who laid broad and deep the foundations for our present prosperity, enlightenment and progressive civilization.
He was born in Logan County, Ky., October 12th, 1802; lived there nntil sixteen years of age and then moved with his parents to Missouri, where he completed his education at Franklin College. Reaching man's estate, he became a large shipper of tobacco and successfully engaged in mereban- dising and farming. October 28th, 1827, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha M. Pulliam. Mr. Nowlin came to Texas in 1847, and returned to Missouri for his family. just prior to the per- manent location of the State capitol at Austin, in 1848. Ile erected the first house built in the town after Austin was decided upon as the seat of the Government, and in this house his eldest daughter (Mrs. Lucy A. Dancy ) now resides.
Mr. Nowlin was elected in 1850 a delegate to the first railroad convention held in the State; was an earuest advocate of the construction of a rail- way to the Pacific Ocean and, possessed of unusual
breadth and strength of mind, liberal and public- spirited in his views, he was an active promoter of every enterprise that promised benefit to the State of his adoption. He was a member of the Chris- tian Church and stood high in the Masonic frater- nity, by which order he was interred with befitting honors after his death, which occurred at the old family homestead at Austin, August 31, 1884. He was a kind husband and father, generous neigh- bor and friend, a patriot and citizen above re- proach ; a man who is affectionately remembered by the few old Texians who knew and still survive him. His wife died at Austin, March 2, 1877, and is interred beside him in the city cemetery. She was a woman of literary tastes, shared her hus- band's patriotism, and kept her nimble fingers ever busy to cover the weary Confederate soldiers' feet ; even a sick Federal was the recipient of her kind- ness. Eight children were born to them, two sons and six daughters. Five daughters survive, viz. : Lucy A., who married Col. J. W. Dancy; Susan B., who married Hon. C. H. Randolph; Annie E., who married Col. E. M. Lesueur; Mollie, who married Capt. J. H. Dinkins ; and Addie, who mar- ried David N. Robinson ; Mattie and Peyton died unmarried.
COL. J. W. DANCY,
LA GRANGE, TEXAS.
Col. J. W. Daney, the lineal descendant of Francis de Dance (a Castillian nobleman, who fled with the Huguenots from persecution in France to the freedom of America), was born in Virginia, Greenville County, September 3, 1810. His father,
William Dancy, who married Percilla Turner, of Virginia, moved to Decatur, Ala., when their son, John Winfield, was quite small.
Col. Dancy received an excellent education, studied law, science, language, and everything in
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COL. J. W. DANCY.
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MRS. LUCY DANCY.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
his reach, graduating at the University of Ten- nessee at Nashville. He received his license to practice law from Judge Catron, of Tennessee, afterwards Chief Justice of the United States Su- preme Court. He married Miss Evalina Rhodes, July, 1835, who lived only one year. Left a wid- ower so early in life, he was attracted by the sorrows of Texas to embrace her dangers, landing at Velasco, December 28, 1836. The rough sea voyage "made him sick unto despair," says the Ilon. F. R. Lubbock (ex-Governor and State Treasurer of Texas), who came to this State in company with Col. Dancy. Determined to iden- tify his cvery interest with Texas, he took, within sixteen days, papers of citizenship (January 13, 1837), under District Judge R. M. Williamson, also Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas. He followed the practice of his profession with distinction and marked financial success at La Grange for many years, taking a helpful interest in younger members of the bar, and moved to the front, a recognized leader. He was elected to the Congress of the Republic of Texas in 1841 and 1812, there main- taining the reputation he had previously earned, as a man of great purity of character and purpose. Col. Daney participated in many exciting skir- mishes with Indians, and received a severe wound in the shoulder while pursuing the red-skinned marauders out on the Medina. He served under Capt. Jack Hays in 1842, in repelling Vasquez's Mexican invasion.
With a prodigality of love for the beauty and utility of nature, he immediately purchased a large tract of land, establishing a plantation and stock raneh thereon, near La Grange, his residence overlooking the lovely fern-decorated banks of the Colorado river. To this garden of Eden he brought his queenly wife, Lucy Mowlin, of Austin, to whom he was married, October 25, 1849. At this place he planted the first hydraulic-ram in Texas, just beneath his magnificent spring, which abun- dantly irrigated the finest berries, fruits and flowers ever grown in the State. He was one of a company to establish the first newspaper in Fayette County (1850, The Te.cas Monument), which he gratuitously edited, for the purpose of raising funds to erect a monument over the re- mains of the Mier prisoners and Dawson's inen, brought from Mexico and deposited in a vault on Monument Bluff, just across the river from La Grange.
Col. Dancy was one of the trustees who founded a Military College at Rutersville, the first estab- hisbed in Texas. The Galveston News in 1851,
speaking of Col. Daney, says : " He is the noblest work of God - a man incapable of a dishonorable act, and a detester of meanness, a high-toned gen- tleman, scholar, and critic; he has not a superior in the State in a knowledge of parliamentary rules, and makes a good presiding officer. His virtues, public and private, are of the highest order."
Austin and San Antonio papers of 1853 said of him: " Senator Dancy is madly in favor of the Pacific Railway. It must pass through Texas with a Mississippi terminus at New Orleans. He would strain every nerve to secure its passage - is body and soul an internal improvement man. With strength of statistics, power of argument and beauty of imagery, he portrayed the vast, almost incomprehensible advantage of railroads to Texas. He said " Railroads are the only key to unlock her casket of costly gems.'" His ideas of the tele- graph and railroad were then laughed at and derided, especially when he said " We will be enabled to get a dispatch from China the evening before it was sent." They, however, were planted in good soil, took root and later placed high on the list of practical utility, finally being realized by his children.
Col. Dancy, the "Father of Railroads in Texas," lived only long enough to sce two roads commenced. IIe was the director of the first one ( which reached only to Alleyton), when he died, February 13th, 1866, at La Grange, Texas. His. heart's desire is at last perfected, that road now runs from New Orleans to San Francisco.
Though possessed of every Christian virtue, and giving liberally to all denominations, he belonged to none; but praised God for a beautiful carth as his birthright, and a glorious heaven his eternal inheritance. Having lost a son and daughter quite young, he left a widow with four girls to raise to maturity, all ardent members of the Episcopal Church, viz. : Evalina, who graduated at Carnatz Institute, New Orleans, and married J. P. Ledbet- ter, now an attorney of Coleman, Texas, possess- ing the utmost confidence of his clients from all parts of the United States; Olivia, who completed her education at Columbia, Tenn., and married J. C. Brown, a very prominent and successful lawyer of La Grange, Texas; Ella, a girl of rare literary ability and superior personal attractions, who mar- ried quite young to Mr. Hall, and now lives in San Antonio ; and Lucie Winnie, who was summoned by the Death Angel when just blooming into woman- hood, and a beloved student, at Columbia, Institute, Tenn.
Mrs. Luey Nowlin Dancy was born in Saline County, Mo., September 16, 1828, and married
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in Austin, Texas, October 25, 1849, remaining all her husband's lifetime at Dancy Plantation, just opposite La Grange. Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, Episcopal Bishop of Texas, appointed her president of the first "Parochial Society" of La Grange. She was elected several times president of the " La Grange Cemetery Association" (the first one formed in the State), was one of the organizers of the Travis Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and has ever since been on the Committee of Credentials. Mrs. Dancy is possessed of fine ex- ecutive ability, is widely cultured and accom- plished and is deservedly one of the most popular of our noble matrons.
Peyton D. Nowlin, a lawyer by profession and a brother of Mrs. Dancy, entered the Confederate
army soon after the commencement of the war be- tween the States; was captured at the fall of Ar- kansas Post and was afterwards exchanged, after which he served under Gen. Joseph E. John- ston and Hood through the famous Tennessee and Georgia campaign, taking part in the battles of Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain and other im- portant engagements, bearing himself with that gallantry that characterizes the conduct only of the bravest of the brave. He also saw hard service in Virginia, and was severely wounded in the hip in front of Richmond. At the close of the war he came home and, having recovered from his wound, went to Mexico with his sister, Mrs. Randolph, and, returning, took, and died, of yellow fever at the City of Tuxpan, May 26, 1866.
CHAS. OHLRICH,
SMITHSON'S VALLEY,
Was born November 24, 1834, in the town of Greifswald, North Germany; came to Texas in 1854 with sixty other emigrants from the same locality, rented a piece of land on Spring Branch in Comal County; and married and purchased land on the Guadalupe river, in that county, where he lived six years. He started in 1863 and taught until 1865 the first school in that locality and then sold out and commenced life at his present home in Smithson's Valley.
He started and taught the first school in the valley in 1865, he building a log school-house on Jand situated near his present residence and owned by him. This modest structure now serves as a corn-crib.
Mr. Ohlrich taught a private school until the public school system was inaugurated and then continued to train the young idea, under the new system, for several years. He was made Post- master at Smithson's Valley, in April, 1866, and has held the position since that time, a period of
twenty-nine years. In 1870 he was elected Justice of the Peace and County Commissioner and still holds the former office. Held the latter office for about ten years. Ile engaged for a time in mer- chandising but sold out his stock and devoted his attention to agriculture, at which he met with gratifying success, owing to his thrift, energy and skill. Some years since he sold the greater part of his farming interests to his son, retaining a com- fortable home.
Mr. Ohlrich married in 1859 Miss Louise, daughter of Joachim Pantermuehl, a pioneer of Comal County, further mention of whom is made in this volume.
Mr. Ohlrich has two living children: Ernest, born August 26th, 1861, and Clara, born March 16th, 1871. Ernest married Miss Martha, daughter of Henry Startz, and has two children : a daughter, Ada, and a sou, Otto.
Clara is Mrs. Max Richter, of Kendall County and has two sons, Arno and Harry.
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
487
FELIX VANDERSTUCKEN,
FREDERICKSBURG,
Is one of Fredericksburg's most enterprising and substantial business men. He came to Texas in 1857 and located on a ranch in Mason County and engaged in stock-raising for about seven years. In 1864 he closed out his stoek interests and removed to Fredericksburg and purchased the Fredericks- burg Flour Mills. He operated these mills until about 1880, when he renovated the entire outfit, transforming it into a complete roller mill of seventy-five barrels capacity, the product of which is the highest grade in quality and finds a ready domestic market. Mr. Vanderstucken has been twice married and has seven children. He has taken an active part in local affairs, both business and educational; has served several years as County Commissioner of Gillespie County ; was one of the organizers and is now one of the Directors of the Gillespie County Fair Association, and has served a number of terms as Trustee of the Fred- ericksburg Public Schools. A brother of Mr. Vanderstucken, Frank Vanderstucken, was one of the original Texas pioneers, coming to the country, in company with De Castro, when a boy of only fifteen years of age. He met Castro in Antwerp, where his father, Frank Vanderstueken, Sr., then lived, and where Frank Vanderstucken, Jr., was born.
De Castro saw in the lad the elements of a
successful pioneer, the making of a man of great enterprise, energy and daring, and, therefore, in- sisted on bringing him to Texas where those manly qualities could not fail to find full scope for devel- opment. On reaching Texas, the spirit of improve- ment and progress took full possession of the young pioncer and he promptly engaged in various enter- prises, such as the building of forts, etc., under government contraets. At the opening of the war between the States he, with Henry Runge, held government freight contracts for the State of Texas. He served four years in the First Texas Cavalry, Confederate army, and distinguished himself as the " Dutch Captain," being in command of a com pany. He served with great bravery, taking part in the memorable battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, and other engagements. After the war he returned to Antwerp, his native city in Belgium, and engaged in the milling business and there attained a position of business, political and local prominence and amassed a large fortune. He married in Texas, Miss Sophia Scheonerwolf, of Fredericksburg, and they have four children, all born in Fredericksburg. One son, Frank, Jr., a musical composer of world-wide celebrity, was re- cently at the head of the Orion Club, of New York City, but is now at the head of the profession in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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