USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 32
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In 1843 he was married in Washington, Texas, to Miss Margaret Johnston, then recently from Troy, Ohio.
Ilis political connections have been those of the dominant party in the South and marked by firm- ness and consistency and a fearless advocacy. Hc has never been blind to the political wants of his section.
In developing the great resources of Texas he has performed an important part. In religion he is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and has been one of the wardens of Austin Church for fifteen years.
The most attractive scenes with whiel nature de- lights the cyc owe their charm to the effects of light and shade. It would be impossible even for an Angelo to give expression to the visions that flit across the horizon of his soul if he employed only
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some of the most stirring scenes that have trans- pired upon the continent and the intimate associate not only of suel. men of an earlier day, as Houston, but of those who have succeeded them as pilots of the ship of State. It has fallen to his fortune to, its pathos and its purpose but for the trials that . in a quiet way, perform many valuable public ser- accompany it. Sad it is to note those who fall, but deep and lasting and full of usefulness are the lessons taught by the lives of those who guide their course by the pole-star of duty and perform the tasks that Providence allots them.
pigments that were bright. Virtue and honor and courage would be but idle names if there were no temptations to evil, no allurements to draw the un- wary from the path of rectitude, and no dangers arose on the way. Human life would loseits beauty,
.
Mr. Raymond has lived beyond three score years and ten. Ile has been a moving spirit in
vices. Ile has done his duty, as he saw it, faith- fully under all circumstances, and now, in the quiet evening of his life and in the enjoyment of the financial independence that has come to him as the reward of the labors of former years, he enjoys the confidence and sincere esteem of the people of Texas.
MOSES AUSTIN BRYAN,
BRENHAM.
The life and labors of this well remembered patriot, honored citizen and faithful public servant, were such as to entitle his name to a place upon some of the brightest of the undying pages of his country's history. Ile was born at Bryan's Mines on the banks of the Hazel Run, a branch of the Tar Blue river, in St. Genevieve County, in the then territory of Missouri, on the 25th day of Sep- tember, 1817.
He was the third son of James and Emily Mar- garet ( Austin) Bryan. His father, a merchant and also a miner and smelter of lead ore at Hazel Run. died at Herculaneum, on the Mississippi river, twenty-five miles below St. Louis, in 1823.
Mrs. Bryan married in 1824 James F. Perry, a merchant at Potosi, Washington County, Mo., a town laid off by her father, Moses Austin, when the territory belonged to Spain. Young Bryan at- tended school at Potosi until eleven years of age and was then employed as a clerk in Perry & Hunter's store about a year when the firm deter- mined to move to Texas. He accompanied W. W. Hunter with the goods down the Mississippi river to New Orleans, and January 3, 1531, the schooner Maria, upon which he was a passenger, entered the mouth of the Brazos, and three days later he put foot upon Texas son at the town of Brazoria and proceeded with Mr. Hunter to San Felipe de Austin, reaching that place January 10, 1:31. In three or four weeks Perry & Hunter's store was opened and Bryan worked in it as a check dating 1831, selling goods to pioneers, hunters and Lipan
and Caranenhua Indians. In June of that year he boarded with "Uncle Jimmy" and " Aunt Betsey " Whitesides, who were among the settlers of Stephen F. Austin's first colony. Col. Ira Ran- dolph Lewis, with his wife and two daughters, Cora and Stella, arrived in San Felipe at this time and boarded at the same house. Cora Lewis was then an infant. In after years, when she reached lovely womanhood, she became Maj. Bryan's wife. Stephen F. Austin was absent from San Felipe when young Bryan arrived. When he returned, the latter, who had not seen him for more than ten years, called upon him at the house of Samuel M. Williams, who was Secretary of Austin's colony, and was cordially received.
Stephen F. Austin was then a member of the leg- islature of Coahuila and Texas and invited his nephew to accompany him, as his private secretary, to the city of Saltillo, capital of the provinces. The offer was accepted and, after an interesting journey through a country then almost entirely un- inhabited, they arrived at Saltillo, reaching their destination about the first of April, 1832. In June the legislature adjourned until fall and Austin left for Matamoros to see Gen. Terran, commander of the military district including the Eastern States bordering on the Rio Grande. While leisurely prosecuting this journey he heard of the troubles occurring in Texas and that Gen. Mexia had been sent with four armed vessels and troops to the mouth of the Brazos to quell the outbreak. Hle therefore hastened forward with the utmost dis-
Mases Austin Bryan
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patel, joined Mexia and went with him to Texas, leaving his horses, mules and traveling equipage with Mr. Bedell, expecting to return in the antumn and attend the session of the legisla- ture. However, he found the political waters so stirred by the battles of Anahuac and Velasco be- tween the colonists and Mexican soldiers, that he concluded to remain, and wrote to his nephew that Mr. Bedell and three or four friends would take goods to the State fair at Saltillo to be held on the 10th of September, the anniversary of the deelara- tion of Mexican independence, and he could return with them to Matamoros, where Mr. Bedell would give him the horses, mules and baggage and furnish a trusty Mexican to pilot the way to San Felipe.
On approaching Goliad, the Mexican heard the people talk of the battles of Anahuac and Velasco and refused to proceed further. The aleaide of the town, however, furnished a guide for the re- mainder of the journey. On reaching his destina- tion Bryan at onee visited his mother at her home on Chocolate Bayou. In December, 1832, his step- father moved the family to Peach Point, ten miles below Brazoria, where Mrs. Perry, Maj. Bryan's sister-in-law, now resides.
After visiting his mother, Maj. Bryan returned to San Felipe, where he re-entered Perry & Hunter's store. He clerked for them until 1833 and then clerked for Perry & Somervell. In 1835 he was a clerk in the land-office of Austin's colony and when Austin, in August, 1835, returned to Texas, after his long imprisonment in Mexico, and was made chairman of the Central Committee of Safety at San Felipe, served with Gail Borden, as Austin's secretary. In September of the same year Maj. Bryan participated in the attack upon Thompson's Mexican warship the Correo. He was also among the first to respond to the call to arms that fol- lowed the battle of Gonzales (the Texas Lexing- ton ) between the colonists and Mexican troops. the latter led by Ugarteehea, who, following instrue- tions from Santa Anna, had demanded a cannon which had been given to the people of Gonzales and they had refused to surrender. When Austin was elected General of the patriot forces Bryan went with him to San Antonio in the capacity of private secretary, and after Austin left on a mis- sion to the United States, remained with the army and took part in the storming and capture of San Antonio under Johnson and Milam. He was after- ward more or less intimately associated with Austin as his private secretary until that remarkable man's death, which oceurred on the 27th of December, 1836, at Columbia, in Brazoria County, and owned the sword that Austin wore while commander of
the Texian army. Maj. Bryan, as a spectator, and as secretary of Lieutenant-Governor and Act- ing Governor Robinson, was at the meeting of the plenary convention that assembled at Washington on the Brazos, in March, 1836, and was present when the committee reported a declaration of in- dependenee, and it was voted on and adopted. As a sergeant in Capt. Mosley Baker's Company, he was with Gen. Sam Houston (often- acting as his interpreter) on the retreat from Gonzales to the San Jacinto river. While on this mareh he was ordered by Capt. Baker (who acted under instrue- tions from headquarters ) to burn the town of San Felipe. The order was the result of an erroneous report, made by seouts, that the enemy were elose at hand and about to enter the place. Bryan asked to be excused, on the ground that he felt a natural repugnanee to having any share in putting the torch to the first town built in the wilderness by his unele. He was relieved from the necessity of performing this unpleasant duty and the town of San Felipe de Austin was destroyed by other hands. At last the fateful day (April 21, 1836) arrived that was to decide the future destinies of Texas. Although Maj. Bryan was almost prostrated with fever he insisted upon taking part with his company in the charge of Burleson's regiment made at ever memor- able San Jacinto, and behaved with distinguished gallantry. Three holes were shot through his eoat before the regiment carried the breast-works by storm. After victory had been won, he did what he could to cheek the indiscriminate slaughter of Mexicans that followed, but the memory of the massacres at the Alamo and Goliad was fresh in the minds of the Texas soldiers and his noble efforts were in vain. He was present when Santa Anna was brought before Gen. Houston by Col. Hockley and Maj. Ben Fort Smith, who had taken charge of the prisoner soon after he had' been brought in by the scouts, Sylvester and Matthews. Col. Hockley said: "General Houston, here is Santa Anna." Bryan was perhaps the only mem- ber of the party who understood Santa Anna's reply.
Gen. Santa Anna said in Spanish: " Yo soie Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Presidente de Mexico, commandante in jefe del exercito de operaciones y me pongo a la disposicions del vali- antes General Houston gairo ser tatado como deber ser en general quando es prisoners de guerra."
His speech in English was: "I am Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, com- mander-in-chief of the army of operations, and I put myself at the disposition of the brave General Houston. I wish to be treated as a general should be when a prisoner of war."
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
At the close of this speech Gen. Houston rose up on his right arm ( he was then suffering from a wound received the day before, a ball having passed through the bones of his right leg three inches above the ankle joint) and replied: "Ah! alı, indeed! General Santa Anna! Happy to sce you, General. Take a seat, take a seat," moving his hand toward an old tool-chest near by.
In the subsequent interview Col. Almonte acted asinterpreter. Santa Anna made a proposition to issue an order for Gen. Filisola to leave Texas with the troops under his eommand. Gen. Rusk replied that, his chief being a prisoner, Filisola would not obey the order. Santa Anna replied that such was the attachment of the officers and soldiers of the army to him, they would do any- thing that he told them to do. Gen. Rusk then said : " Col. Almonte, tell Santa Anna to order Filisola and army to surrender as prisoners of war."
Santa Anna replied that he was but a single Mex- ».ican, but would do nothing that would be a dis- grace to him or his nation and they could do with him as they would. He said that he was willing to issue an order to Filisola to leave Texas. It was finally decided that he should do so, the order was issued and a body of mounted Texians, commanded for a time by Col. Burleson and afterwards by Gen. Thomas Rusk, followed close upon Filisola's rear and saw that the mandate was promptly obeyed. Upon this service Maj. Bryan accompanied Gen. Rusk as a member of his staff, in which capacity be rendered valuable assistance as Spanish inter- preter. The command reached Goliad June 1, 1836, and two days thereafter gave Christian bur- ial to the charred remains of the men who were massacred with Fannin at that place on the 27th of the preceding March, by order of Santa Anna. Gen. Rusk, standing at the edge of the pit, began an address, but was so overcome by emotion that he could not finish it. It was a most affecting and solemn ceremony.
At this time Maj. Bryan became the bearer of dispatches from Gen. Rusk to the Spanish General, Andrada, demanding the surrender of all prisoners held by him, a demand that was promptly acceded to. A few days later a Mexican courier arrived at Gen. Rusk's headquarters with a letter from two Texas colonels, Karnes and Teel, prisoners at Matamoros, stating that the Mexicans were assembling a large army under Gen. Urrea for the purpose of invading Texas. The letter was concealed in the cane han- dle of the courier's quirt and was translated by Maj. Bryan. A copy was sent to President Bur- net, who at once (June 23, 1836), issued a proc-
lamation calling upon the people to hold themselves in readiness to respond to a call to arms.
Santa Anna, called upon to make good his pledges, stirred up, through his friends in Mexico, a revolutionary movement that effectually prevented Urrea from carrying his plans for the invasion of Texas into execution.
In January, 1839, Maj. Bryan was appointed Secretary of the Texas legation at Washington, D. C., by President Mirabeau B. Lamar, and served as sueli for a number of months. Dr. Anson Jones was the Texian minister to the United States at the time.
In February, 1840, Maj. Bryan married Miss Adeline Lamothe, daughter of Polycarp Lamothe, a prominent planter of Rapides parish, Louisiana. In 1842, as first lieutenant of a company organized at Brazoria, he participated in the Rio Grande expedition commanded by Gen. Somervell, that resulted in bringing to an inglorious close the attempt made by the Mexican general, Adrian Woll, to invade and find a foothold in Texas. After passing through the thrilling experiences connected with this expedition, Maj. Bryan de- voted himself to looking after his plantations in Brazoria and Washington counties. In May, 1854, Mrs. Bryan died, and in November, 1856, he mar- ried Miss Cora Lewis, daughter of Col. Ira Ran- dolph Lewis, an eminent lawyer, who served with distinction during the trying times of the Texas revolution. In 1863, Maj. Bryan, fearing an inva- sion of the coast-country by the Federals, removed his family to Independence, Washington County, which place became his permanent residence.
At the beginning of the war between the States he enlisted in the Confederate army as a private soldier in the Third Regiment of Texas State troops, and was elected Major of his regiment. Upon the organization of the reserve corps he was elected Major of the First Regiment, and served as sach in Texas until the close of hostilities, making an excellent reeord as a soldier and officer. He, with a few others, was the founder of the Texas Veterans' Association, organized in May, 1873. He was elected and served as its secretary until April, 1886, when he resigned the position and nominated as his successor his friend, Col. Stephen HI. Darden, who was duly elected. Maj. Bryan was one of the Association's chief promoters and leading spirits. He devoted for several years a large share of his time to correspondence with its members, gathering a mass of valuable historical data and papers now in the hands of his son, Hon. Beauregard Bryan, of Brenham. This matter will he of great service to the future historian.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
Maj. Bryan served for a time as a member of the Commissioner's Court of Brazoria County, was active in the building of the Columbia Tap Rail- road and was at all times an energetic worker in the cause of higher education. He served for twenty years as trustee of Baylor University, then located at Independence, and donated largely to its sup- port, being a warm friend of its founder, Judge Baylor. He has done much for the upbuilding of his section and the State at large, every worthy enterprise receiving his encouragement and sup- port. He was a member of the celebrated tax- payers convention which met in Austin in 1871, representing Washington County. He was one of the committee of five who were appointed to notify Governor E. J. Davis of the acts of the conven- tion.
In religion he was an Episcopalian and in politics always a Democrat, attending as a delegate all the State and county Democratic conventions up to the year 1880. Maj. Bryan died at the home of his son (Hon. Beauregard Bryan) in Brenham, March 16, 1895, after a brief illness. He left five chil- dren : James, Beauregard, L. R., S. J., and Austin Bryan, who were present at his bedside during his last moments. His wife had died June 9th, 1889.
As the wires conveyed the intelligence of his death to all parts of the State, the public heart was stirred as it could have been stirred by few events, for all realized that a father in Israel had passed away, that a man whose life connected the present with all that is brightest and best and most glori- ous in the past history of the commonwealth had journeyed " across the narrow isthmus that divides the sea of life from the ocean of eternity that lies beyond."
The Twenty-fourth legislature was then in session and, on the 19th of March, out of respect to the distinguished dead, passed by unanimous votes the following resolutions : --
Senate Resolution, offered by Senator Dickson : -
" Whereas, One of our most distinguished and honored citizens and patriotic gentlemen has been called from our midst in the death of the late Moses Austin Bryan and,
" Whereas, In his death we recognize the fact that the State of Texas has sustained a loss of one whose true and honored name has become of great pride and held in highest esteem by all citizens of Texas, therefore be it.
" Resolved, That the Senate of the Twenty-fourth legislature of Texas do hold in sacred memory his good name and patriotism, and do extend to his beloved children and relatives their heartfelt sym- pathies and condolence in this their hour of deepest sorrow and distress."
House Resolution, offered by Giddings and Rogers : --
" Whereas, We have learned with deep regret of the death of Moses Austin Bryan, of Brenham, on Saturday, March 16th last, and
" Whereas, In him we lose another of those grand old heroes, who by their valor, patriotism and devotion to the principles of liberty, achieved the independence of Texas and left it as a princely heritage to posterity, therefore be it
" Resolved, First. That while we realize that there is no escape from the relentless hand of Time and recognize that he had passed the allotted age of man, and had rounded out a long life of devotion to our loved State, yet it is with feelings of pro- found sorrow that we see him taken from our midst. Second. That we extend to his sorrowing relatives and friends our sincere sympathy for the great personal loss they have sustained."
The remains were interred in the cemetery at Independence, Washington County, Texas, and were followed to their last resting-place by the largest funeral cortege known in the history of that place. The people, without distinction, united in paying tribute to the memory of the fearless soldier, stainless citizen, and blameless patriot, who had lived among them through so many years, and been such a faithful neighbor and friend, and who, as he passed among them, had scattered all about his path of life seeds of kindness, that, sprung into life from the soil in which they fell, and filled with the incense of heaven's own flowers the tranquil evening hours of his departing day.
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IRA RANDOLPH LEWIS.
The subject of this sketch, Ira Randolph Lewis, was one of the patriots, who, as an associate of Austin, Houston, Travis and their compeers, severed Texas from Mexico by the revolution of 1835-1836. He was a prominent and distinguished lawyer and political actor in those times. He was a delegate from and represented the Municipality of Matagorda in the convention of 1833, the first ever called by the people of Texas, and of which Stephen F. Austin was. president and Frank W. Johnson secretary.
This convention set forth the grievances of the colonists in Texas of Anglo-American origin, in a paper of unparalleled strength, prepared by David G. Burnet, and addressed to the Mexican govern- ment. S. F. Austin, W. II. Wharton and J. B. Miller were commissioned by the convention to pre- sent this paper to the government of Mexico at the city of Mexico. Wharton and Miller refused to go and encounter the dangers incident to such a mis- sion, but Austin undertook the necessary task. His imprisonment and sufferings in a Mexican dungeon are matters familiar to every student of Texas history.
Again, in the consultation of 1835, Matagorda sent Mr. Lewis to represent it, together with R. R. Royal. What was done by these conventions is a part of the history of Texas and the reader is referred to volume one of Brown's History of Texas, which gives in full the proceedings of both conventions.
He was again honored by being chosen a mem- ber of the General Executive Council, consisting of two members from each county, or municipality as they were then called. The object of this eoun- eil was to assist the executive, Governor Smith, in conducting the affairs of the Provisional Govern- inent.
While performing his duties in the Executive Council in February, 1886, Governor Henry Smith commissioned T. J. Chambers, with rank as Gen- eral, to go to the United States and eulist yolun- teer soldiers and raise funds to aid Texas in her struggle with Mexico. Chambers appointed Lewis on his staff with rank of Colonel and, with Cham- bers' indorsement and Governor Smith's written permission, he left the ecuneil in the latter part of February, 1836, and proceeded at once to the United States.
Col. Lewis, in his capacity as Commissioner for Texas, actively canvassed in rapid succession the
towns and cities most accessible to him in those days of the ox-eart, stage coach and river steamer. But for this absence he would have participated in .
the battle of San Jacinto.
On his return to Texas he made an official report to the President of the Republic, who was Gen. Sam Houston. The report is as follows: -
" To the President of the Republic of Texas :
" In obedience to official duty and for the fur- ther purpose of announcing to the proper author- ities, for what otherwise might appear a wanton absence from the country of my adoption during her greatest difficulties, while in the United States for the last ten months, I beg leave to communicate the following information and report, which your Excellency will be pleased to receive and transmit to the officer of the proper department where it belongs.
"On the 9th day of January, of the present year, the then existing government of this Re- public passed a law authorizing T. J. Chambers, Esq., to raise, arm, equip and command a division as an auxiliary army for the defense of the cause of Texas; the particulars of which will more fully appear by reference to said law, a copy of which is herewith transmitted and made a part of the report. being marked No. 1; the original is on file in the archives of this government.
" After Gen. Chambers was commissioned and instructed to go to the United States to procure men and means to constitute his division, and put it in motion and serve in Texas, he offered me an office on his staff as paymaster of said division, which I accepted and was immediately com- missioned by the proper executive of this govern- ment, a copy of which commission is here attached and marked No. 2; a proper record of the original is to be found in the war office.
" At the time I received my appointment, which was in February last, and from all the information then obtained, the enemy was expected to appear in the months of May or June last, and as the corps was to be raised in the United States, I received an order from Gen. Chambers to repair forthwith with him to the United States to aid and assist in procuring the men and means necessary to place the division in Texas for service as speedily as possi- ble ; and in obedience to which order, I set out from San Felipe for the United States for the object
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IRA LEWIS.
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mentioned in the order, a copy of which is here attached, marked No. 3.
" On the day of leaving San Felipe the news, or rumor, from the interior, gave information that the enemy was in motion about Saltillo, and might be expected in April and sooner than had been antici- pated, which prompted a more speedy action on our part, with a view of throwing aid into the country in time to be of use in the first contest, but nothing is more common than disappointment, for when we reached Natchez the news had reached there in authentic shape that Santa Anna had besieged the Alamo at San Antonio about the first of March and in a few days the melancholy news arrived that the garrison had fallen, and all its gallant defenders had been put to the sword.
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