USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. 2 > Part 43
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Rabb crossed the Colorado river at the present loca- tion of the city of La Grange and erected one of the first block-houses in that section.
It was located on what is known as Indian Hill, about four miles east of West Point, Fayette County, and the entire neighborhood took part in its building. In 1823 the Indians raided the country and the settlers took refuge in this fort, from which they successfully, for three days, defended theroselves, suffering only the loss of some stock, killed and stolen. Following the occurrence Mr. Rabb moved with his family and belongings to Wharton County, where two sons, Thomas and Andrew, had previously located. There he pursued stock-raising until 1829, and then returned to his former place and settled on Rabb's Prairie, where he extensively engaged in stock-raising. In 1831 he erected a grist mill on the Colorado river at Rabb's Prairie, getting the greater part of the material at Now Orleans. Ile imported the mill stones, or burrs. from Scotland. They were landed at Matagorda. There were no wagons in the country in those days and how to transport the pondcrous stones from the coast to the point of destination became a question .. Me. Rabb's ingenuity was equal to the emergency, however, and be made a wooden axle, attached thereto a tongue, used the mill stones for wheels and, with several yoke of oxen brough: them to the site of the mill over some two hundred miles of rough roads in a new country. For the construction of this mill, the Mexican government granted him three leagues of land which he located on Rabb's Prairie -said to have been the riches: bottom lands along the Rio Grande.
During the construction of this mill, Mr. Rabl ..
GREEN A. RABD.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
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owing to the infirmities of advancing years and ex- posure to the rigors of frontier life, was taken sick and died (in 1882) at about sixty years of age. He was a man of great energy and strict integrity, and his name as a pioneer and the founder of a large and influential family deserves a place upon the pages of Texas history. Mr. Rabb was mar- ried to Miss Mary Smalley in Illinois. She proved to him an ever faithful wife and sympathizer in all of his ambitions. She bore him five children, viz. : Rachel, who became the wife of A. M. Newman ; Andrew, John, Thomas ( who was known as Capt. Rabb), and Ulysses. John Rabb, the father of Green A. Rabb, the subject of this sketch, was a son of Andrew Rabb. He was a successful farmer and stock-raiser, came to Southwest Texas and engaged in stock-raising. He served as an . officer, doing gallant service for the Southern Con- federacy in the Rio Grande river country, during the war between the States. He also helped Texas
gain her independence from Mexico. He was born August 16th, 1825, and was married May 25, 1848, to Miss Martha Regan, who bore him seven chil- dren.
Green A. Rabb, subject of this sketel, was born at Yorktown, Texas, August 29th, 1851, and mar- ried, November 21st, 1883, Miss Cora B. Oppelt, a daughter of Judge Benjamin Oppelt, of Kemper County, Miss., a lawyer by profession, and Judge of the Distriet Court.
Mr. Rabb was educated at Corpus Christi. He early engaged in stock-raising in which he was very successful. Ile was a kind, genial and popular citizen and of the strietest integrity. Ile had legions of friends. He left a large estate to his bereaved widow, who survives him. He died at Corpus Christi, September 8th, 1894.
He was a man of fine appearance and address, and one of the most influential men of the section of the State in which he resided.
ROBERT G. BLOSSMAN,
CORPUS CHRISTI,
Is a son of the late Richard D, Blossmon, one of Texas' early pioneers. He was born in New Or- leans, La., January 26th, 1851. In 1857 his father moved to Fort Lavaca, Texas, and entered mer- chandising. Robert G. Blossman spent his youth at Port Lavaea, and in 1867 went to Parral, Mexico, where he worked as commissary for a mining com- pany for two years. Ile then returned to Texas, and clerked for seven years at Indianola for a mer- cantile establisinnent. Ile went to Corpus Christi in 1877 and remained there in the same capacity until 1885. He then embarked in trade for himself in gents' furnishing goods. He continued in this live for three years. and was then elected District
and County Clerk of Nueces County, and served one term, giving eminent satisfaction to his constit- uents. He then entered the grocery business, and after conducting it one year alone. took as his part- ner James B. Thompson, Esq., organizing the firm of R. G. Blossman & Co., which is now one of the strongest and most prosperous mercantile firms in Corpus Christi. Mr. Blossman married. in 1879, Miss Ella Sallean, at Corpus Christi. She was born in New Orleans, Io. They have four chil- dren, viz. : Laura R., Robert G., Jr., Elenita S., and Joseph F. Mr. Blossman's high position in business and social circles is due entirely to his own personal exertions.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
MICAJAH H. BONNER,
TYLER.
Judge Micajah Hubbard Bonner was born near Greenville. Butler County, Ala., January 25th, 1828. His father, William N. Bonner, a minister of the Methodist Church, was born in Hancock County, Ga., in 1806. His paternal grandfather, Hubbard Bonner, of English descent, was a native of Maryland, and married Rachel McGee, in 1798. The mother of M. H. Bonner was Martha Ellen Wade, who was born in Hancock County, Ga., April 28th, 1808. She was the daughter of Micajah . Wade and granddaughter of James McCormick, a gallant Revolutionary soldier, who fought through- out the seven years war for the liberty of the Colonies.
From Butler County, Ala., William N. Bonner removed with his family to Hohnes County, Miss., in 1835.
His son, M. H. Bonner, completed his education in La Grange, Ky., and having carefully prepared himself by laborious study, obtained license, De- cember 5th, 1848, in Lexington, Holmes County, Miss., to practice law. He emigrated to Texas in 1849, and soon evinced that capacity which ad- vanced him to the front rank in his profession as an accomplished and conscientious lawyer. He was married at Marshall, Texas, July 15th, 1843, to Miss Elizabeth P. Taylor, whose virtues and accom- plishments be appreciated with rare devotion. After his marriage he located in Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas, where, as a partner of J. Pinkney Hender- son, and, after his election to Congress, as a meni- ber of the law firm of Bonner & Bouner, ke practiced his profession until 1873, when he removed to Tyler, Smith County, Texas. The other members of the firm of Bonner & Bonner were F. W. Bonner, Col. Thomas R. Bonner, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Fifteenth Legislature, and William Hubbard Bouner, Dow deceased, son of M. HI. Bonner.
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The subject of this sketch was, on the unanimous recommendation of the lawyers of the Tenth Judi- cial District, appointed Judge of that district in May, 1873.' It is but proper to state that he was not at that time a resident of that district, a fact that evinces the high regard in which he was held
by his professional brethren. On the 16th of Feb- ruary, 1874, he was appointed by Governor Coke to the Judgeship of the Tenth District, a position which he held until 1876, when, after a change of the State constitution, he was elected Judge of the Seventh District.
On the first day of October, 1878. he was ap- pointed by Governor Hubbard an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill the vaeancy caused by the resignation of Judge Moore, and in November, 1878, was elected by the people to the same posi- tion, by a very large majority. Ilis term of service extended from 1878 to 18 -- , when he resumed the . practice of his profession at Tyler.
Judge Bonner's career in Texas illustrates more foreibly than that of almost any other prominent man how the highest success may be obtained in the profession of law by one who exemplifies in his daily walk the life of a Christian gentleman. Dur- ing his whole professional career he was a devout member of the Methodist Church, always taking an active interest in whatever pertained to the cause of religion. No press of official or professional business ever induced him to regret the self- imposed duties connected with his Church member- ship.
Although always a consistent Democrat, he never figured before the people as a politician. This may be attributed quite as much to his retiring disposi- tion as to his fondness for the laborious study and practice of his profession. Few men ever estab- lished a more enviable reputation as a District Judge. His duties on the supreme bench, while extending the sphere of bis usefulness, were so performed as to secure the unqualified approval of the profession. "Patient and Laborious while inves- ligating a canse, his opinions contain a clear ex- position of his conclusions and compare favorably with those of the ablest judges.
Judge Bonner died at his home in Tyler on the 28th day of November, 1885. Of his family hi. wife and the following children survive: Chades T. Bonner, John T. Bonner, Mrs. Annie R. Mc- Clendon, Mrs. Elizabeth Suith and Mrs. Irvine Pope, all of whom reside in Tyler.
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INDLIN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
S. A. EASLEY,
CIRCLEVILLE,
Came to Texas in 1852. He was born about seven miles from Greenville, S. C., just over the county line, in Pickens County, August 26, 1826. His parents were John and Elizabeth ( King) Easley. His mother was of Spartanburg, S. C. His father was born in Virginia, where his grandfather, Robert, was born, and lived until removing to South Carolina, just prior to the close of the Revolutionary war. The Easley family is a family of planters and Col. S. A. : Easley was reared to that pursuit, acquainting him- self thoroughly with all of its details. He married, in 1848, Miss Elizabeth Sloan. His parents were people of property ; but, of a proud and independ- ent spirit, the idea of receiving their aid was dis- tasteful to him, and he and his young wife, who was in full accord with him, moved to Texas, expecting to locate in Kaufman County. They visited Kauf- man and, hearing that a fine tract of land on the San Gabriel river in Williamson County was for sale at a bargain, he visited the spot and purchased the property, buying it from William Ashworth, a mulatto free negro who had fought in the Texas army, and by a special act of the Texas Congress, had been made owner of the land as a reward for his services. Col. Easley paid $1.50 per acre for this league of as fine land as there is in the State, It was uninelosed and stock roamed at will over that entire section of the country.
Col. Easley commenced farming, however, rais- ing wheat, corn and cotton and some stock. He built on his farma the second cotton gin in the county, and fenced, improved and developed one of
the finest farming properties in that part of the State.
A man of broad intelligence and information, he was elected to represent his distriet in the Legislature during Governor Coke's administration. Aside from this service he never aspired to or filled a political office. Ile has practically retired from active business life to his elegant home, where he is pleasantly spending his remaining years in the society of his beloved wife and surrounded by their six living children, all of whom are grown and com- fortably settled in life. The children are: Mamie, now Mrs. Daniel Wilcox, of Georgetown ; Samuel, whose farm adjoins the old homestead; Nannie, now Mrs. Bonnell, of Taylor; Lizzie, now Mrs. Fred. Turner, of Austin; Southie, now Mrs. J. L. Root, of Williamson County ; and Florence, now Mrs. Harry Derrett, of Wichita Falls. During the war between the States Col. Easley served in the Confederate army as Captain of a company of cav- alry in Mann's Regiment for two years in the De- partment of the Gulf.
In 1861, by order of the Governor, all men over eighteen and under forty-five in Williamson County were organized into a regiment and Col. Easley was elected Colonel of the same, hence his title of Colonel.
His soldierly bearing greatly endeared him to his comrades in arms and his sterling traits of character and useful and honorable career have won for him a wide-spread popularity among his fellow-citizens of Texas.
CHARLES KLEMME,
HASTINGS,
One of the early settlers of Kendall County, was born in Germany in 1822, learned the brick and stone mason's trade in his native land; came from Germany to San Antonio, Texas, in 1918, via Gal- veston, Indianola and Victoria, and there worked at lijs trade for a time. Mr. Klemme located on his present home in 1872, and has developed one of the
best farms in Kendall County. He was married to Miss Johanna Michel, a daughter of Thomas Michel. at New Braunfels, in, 1853. She was born in Sax- ony. Mr. and Mrs. Klemme have seven children, Adeline, now Mrs. Christian Anderson ; Texanna, now Mrs. Tobias Freitweh ; Laura, John, Edward, Amelia, and Caroline. The Klemme ranch is beau-
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
tifully located in the mountains four and a half miles from Boerne, and affords a quiet summer retreat for invalids and people fion. San Antonio and other cities, tired of the heat, dust and noise incident to town life. Mr. Klemme is a typical old-timer,
plain, unswerving and faithful to his family and friends. His sons and daughters were given good educational advantages. His sons have excellent social and business qualities, and his daughters fine domestic tastes and physical and mental graces.
SAM BELL MAXEY,
PARIS.
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Hon. S. B. Maxey, long a distinguished figure in public life in Texas, and eminent as United States . Senator from this State, is well remembered and his inemory will ever be honored by the people of Texas, in whose interest he spent the best years of his life and who, with their descendants, will long continue to enjoy the fruits of his patriotic labors. In preparing a brief memoir of his life, liberal ex- tracts are made from an article written by Col. Win. Preston Johnson and published in the New York World.
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" The Maxey family are of Huguenot descent, having settled on the James river soon after the revocation of the edict of Nontes. Ilis great grandfather, Radford Maxey, became a tobacco planter in Halifax County, Va., and his grand- father, William Maxey, removed to Kentucky in the last century. His father, Rice Maxey, was born in Barren County, Ky., in the year 1800, and was a lawyer by profession. His mother was the danghter of Samuel Bell, a native of Albermarle County, Va., but resident in Richmond.
" Samuel Bell Maxey was born at Tompkins- ville, Monroe County, Ky., Mareb 30th, 1826. His father removed, in 1884, to Clinton County, where he was clerk of the cirenit and county courts. In 1857 he immigrated to Texas and settled at Paris. Samuel was educated at the best schools, studying Latin, Greek and mathematics, until he was ap- pointed a cadet in the Military Academy at West Point. Hle was graduated there in 1816, and assigned to the Seventh Infantry as a Brevet Second Lieutenant. That fall be went to Mexico. He first joined Taylor at Monterey, and when Scott organ- ized a new offensive line from Vera Cruz, Maxey went in Twiggs' column to Tampico. He shared in the siege of Vera Cruz, and was with Harvey's brigade at the battle of Cerro Gordo. He was brevetted on the battlefield a First Lientenant for gallant conduct at the battles of Contreras and
Cherubuseo, and was also engaged at Molino del Rey and in the engagement which resulted in the capture of the city of Mexico. After the city fell into his hands, Gen. Scott organized a battalion of five companies of picked men, under Col. Charles F. Smith, as a city guard. Maxey was assigned to the command of one of these companies, and he was thus provost of one of the five districts of the city. Maxey had learned French at West Point. While in Mexico he became familiar with the Spanish tongue, which subsequently proved useful to him in the practice of law in Texas. He returned to the United States from Mexico in the summer of 1848, and was stationed at Jefferson Barracks. Restless in intellect, and unwilling to become one of the cankers of a long peace, he amused himself for a while by the study of law, and finally resigned, September 17, 1849. His only brother, a prominent young lawyer, had gone to Mexico as a Captain of volunteers, and had lost his life there. Maxey returned to his father's home, studied law, and in 1850 began the practice at Al- bany, Clinton County, Ky. On Joly 19, 1853, he was married to Miss Marild :: Cassa Denton, the daughter of a farmer and grand-daughter of a Bap- tist preacher famed for bis eloquence, who attained the age of eighty years. When Gen. Maxey cele- brated his silver wedding, in 1878, in Paris, his own father, bis wife's inther, the minister who mar- ried him, and several witnesses of the ceremony were present. In 1857 he located at Paris, a promising town in Northeastern Texas. He pur- chased five acres of land in the open prairie. It is now a beautiful, tasteful home, surrounded by trees and flowers. We lament the subjugation of nature by the hand of civilization, bat it is a false seb !!- ment. The displacement of the savage by the white man, the desert blossoming as the rose, i. the order of development towards higher and bet- ter things. Maxey practiced law until 1861. He
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
had been brought up a Whig, but the movement of events brought him into the Democratic party. He voted for Breckenridge and favored the secession of the State from the Union. In 1861 he was elected to the State Senate by a large majority, but the war coming ou, he declined to follow the peaceful walks of life when needed in the field of danger ; his aged father was elected to take his place, and he joined the army. He raised the Ninth Texas
ized a considerable foree in East Tennessee, and through the agency of Col. A. M. Lea, a valuable engineer officer, prepared a military map of East Tennessee, which afterwards proved of great use. " After the battle of Shiloh, Gen. Maxey was sent back to the army at Corinth, and remained with it until Bragg led it to Chattanooga again. Here he was put in command of a corps of observ- ation on the Tennessee river, fronting Buell's army.
GEN. SAM B. MANEY.
Infantry for the army under Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. In December, 1801, it marched by land, and reached Memphis to join the army at Corinthi. In the meantime Maxey had been pro- moted to be a Brigadier-General. He joined Gen. Johnston at Decatur, and was sent by him to Chot- tanooga to collect and re-organize troops there. Gen. Johnston attached importance to this point, and wished to place an officer of some military ex- perience there, in view of the possibility of Buell sending an expedition against it. Maxey organ-
When Buell withdrew Maxey at once advised Brage by telegraph. He also assailed the Federal rear guard, and drove it out of Bridgeport, Battle Creek and Stevenson, capturing all its stores, horses. maps, headquarters, papers, etc.
" Gen. Mavey's services in the army were many and important. He was at the first siege of Port Undson, in which the enemy were repulsed. Hle afterwards joined Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in the Big Black campaign, and was at the siege of Cor- inth. On the direct application of Gen. E. Kirby
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
Smith, then in command of the Trans-Mississippi Territories, but was transferred the same year (1875) to that on military affairs. He served con- tinuously on the committees on labor and educa- Department, President Davis, in the fall of 1863, ordered Gen. Maxey to take command of the Indian Territory. Everything there was in terrible con- , tion, and on postoffices, of which latter he was fusion, and some ten or twelve thousand friendly Indians were in a state of great destitution. Maxey, with very little aid from headquarters, or- ganized everything and put eight or ten thousand troops under arms. In the spring of 1861 he kept himself fully informed of the Federal movements. He advised Gen. Smith of Steele's advance, and moved into Arkansas, where he joined Price and shared in his fight at Prairie d' Anne to check the enemy. He fought Steele at Poison Springs, April 18, 1864, and captured his entire train of 227 wagons. The loss of his transportation compelled Steele to retire. For his conduet on this occasion Maxey was made a Major-General.
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" During this campaign he acted as Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was very successful in his management of these brave but troublesome allies. The gallant Gen. Stan Watie. a Cherokce, under his orders, managed to capture a steamboat with $100,000 worth of stores on board, which were dis- tributed among the Indians. In September, 1864, he organized a command, under Gens. Gano and Stan Watie, to ford the Arkansas river, and catch a wagon train from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson. They captured 260 wagons, 200 of which they brought in. They secured clothing for 2,000 men. They also captured 200 cavalry, with their trans- portation and mules, near Fort Smith. This cam- paign was made on grass. In the spring of 1865 he was put in the command of a cavalry division. but the war was drawing to a close, and it was dis- banded by orders, May 29, 1865.
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" Gen. Maxey returned to his home and devoted himself to the practice of law, which soon proved laborious and Incrative. He was appointed Judge, but declined. In 1871 he was elected to the United States Senate, and took his seat March 5, 1875. At first Gen. Maxey was placed on the Committee on
chairman, until he retired from the Senate. He had more than ordinary success in practical legisla- tion. He never made a report from any committee which was not sustained. The postoffice committee is a very important one to a frontier State. Gen. Maxey aided greatly in increasing the postal facil- ities of Texas. Gen. Maxey's success at the bar and in political life was due in part to his oratori- cal powers. His idea of the management of a case was to attend to the important points and let the rest go. His memory was quite remarkable and he was never at a loss for a date. In the conduct of the most protracted trial he could recall the entire evidence without notes, and he cited his authori- ties, case, volume, and page, with unerring accur- acy. His remarkable memory was inherited from his mother, who could quote page after page of her favorite poets, such as Byron and Campbell.
" Gen. Maxey was a member of the Baptist Church, to which his family has belonged for four or five generations. Ile was a gallant, genial gen- tleman, and a hard-working, useful Senator. Very few Senators enjoyed so generally the affection and esteem of their colleagues."
In January, 1881, Gen. Maxey was re-elected to the United States Senate by the Legislature of Texas for a second term of six years, from March, 1881, to March, 1887, on the first ballot, by the following vote : --
In the Senate: Maxey, 22; Throckmorton. 8: Davis, 1. In the House: Maxey, 51; Throck- morton, 34; Davis, 6; Reagan, 1.
Upon the expiration of his term he was suc- cecded by Hon. John HI. Reagan, and thereafter devoted himself to his law practice at Paris, Tesas. Gen. Maxey died at Eureka Springs, Ark., August 16, 1895, and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Paris, Texas, August 18, 1895.
RUFUS C. BURLESON,
WACO.
Rufus C. Burleson, D. D., LL.D., president period than any similar position has been beldl hy anyone in the United States, except Dr. Eliphalet of the Baylor D'uiversity, Waco, Texas, is one of the most successful eduestors in the South. He Nott and Dr. Francis Wayland. He bas instructed has held his offlee for forty-five years, a longer over 6,000 young men and women, many of whom
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
are among the most prominent citizens of Texas and the South. Their influence is powerfully felt in every profession, every occupation, and every political, educational and religious movement in Texas. Some one bas said that man is greatest whose influence enters as a constructive power into the life and character of other men. Measured by this standard, few men are entitled to a higher rank than Dr. Burleson. He was born near Decatur, Ala., August 7, 1823. He entered Nash- ville University in 1810, and was licensed to preach by the First Baptist Church the same year. He was married to Miss Georgia Jenkins, at Independ- ence, Texas, January 2, 1853.
At seventeen years of age Dr. Burleson decided : to devote his life to preaching the gospel and edu- cating the Baptists, especially the Baptist ministry, . to a higher plane of zeal and intelligence, and that he might be fully prepared for his life work he spent seven years in arduous study, first in Nash- ville University, then as a teacher in Mississippi, and then in the Literary and Theological Institute, at Covington, Ky. He graduated in 1847. Hc then wrote down in his note-book the outline of the work which he has now most successfully and zeal- ously pursued for forty-nine years. Thus fully equipped, he entered Texas in 1818, and three years and a half after his arrival, became president and organized the first college classes in Baylor University, which now, after the many years of his management, has the finest buildings and the most beautiful campus in the South. It employs twenty- six able, efficient, professional teachers, and matric- ulated, in 1892, eight hundred and sixty-nine students. It is the pioneer co-educational university in the South, the second in America, and the third in the world, and one hundred and ninety of the greatest institutions in America and Europe bave followed its example in adopting co-education, 30 much ridiculed thirty years ago. Dr. Burleson has been equally successful as a preacher. He has preached in every town, except new railroad stations, in the Empire State of Texas. . He
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