Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I, Part 42

Author: Brown, John Henry, 1820-1895
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Austin : L.E. Daniel]
Number of Pages: 922

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was soon afterwards appointed Confederate States Judge for the Western District of Texas. The functions of this office, though necessarily limited in extent and application during the time of war, he performed with the utmost fidelity, and with a view to the importance of putting the machinery of the new court in proper motion. In 1863 his admirable qualities of statesmanship and knowledge of inter- national law were again called into requisition. At the request of Gen. E. Kirby Smith, he proceeded to the city of Mexico and succeeded in arranging amicably the threatened troubles between the Mexican and the Confederate States governments. In 1864 there was great dissatisfaction in Texas in consequence of the conscript law and the em- bargo laid by the Confederate government upon trade between Texas and Mexico, and serious troubles were threatening to arise between the gov- ernment of the State and the Confederacy, but the patriotism, ability and the pacific qualities of Judge Devine arrested all evil, and, having promptly repaired to Gen. Smith's headquarters in Arkansas, he arranged the whole matter satisfactorily to all parties involved.

Thus, as a judge and peacemaker, this good man united in his person and in his official character the noblest qualities of a citizen and patriot and rend- ered his country the most valuable and the happiest of all services, the promotion of unity and concord and the direction of its energies against the common enemy. At the termination of the war he saw no hope for his country through the clouds that settled over it and he took up his abode in Mexico, but Texas was his home. To her be owed all that he was, or had been, and his heart was chained to her destiny. He returned to San Antonio within a few months, but his known ability, prominence and in- fluence as a Southerner, drew about him the shafts of revenge and he was arrested by the Federal authorities and incarcerated at Fort Jackson at the mouth of the Mississippi and there confined during a period of about four months, after which he returned to San Antonio, quietly resumed the prac- tice of his profession, placidly awaited the abate- ment of the storm and watched with anxious gaze the restoration of the social and political wreck which the war left in its pathway.

In 1873 Judge Devine was appointed by Governor Coke an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of

JUDGE T. J. DEVINE.

COL. W. B. AIKIN.

ORANGE C. CONNER.

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Texas. After a short but eminent career upon the bench, he found that the duties of the bar which he had so long cultivated and cherished were congenial to his tastes as well as far more remunerative, and in 1875 he resigned and returned to his law practice at San Antonio, which, from that time until his death, he pursned with vigor and uninterrupted devotion. Judge Devine did not ineline to politics or public life. Under protest from him, his friends in 1878 made him a prominent candidate for Governor of Texas and, aside from this, he never permitted his name to be used in connection with any politieal office. Judge Devine was regarded as one of the ablest lawyers of the Texas bar. He was a man of great intellectual vigor and superior mental en- dowments and, while he possessed much of the humorous vivacity and spontaneous repartce ehar- aeteristie of his parentage and the race from which he sprung, eandor and sineerity were the ruling traits of his eharaeter. He was patient and thorough in his investigations and an excellent legal coun-

sellor. His uniform courtesy and mild disposition and his aptness on proper occasions to adorn with good-natured jest the dull and monotonous features of legal argument, rendered him an engaging ad- vocate and gave him great power before a jury. His oratory often rose to the highest standard of eloquence. As a judge his decisions were eharae- terized by an independence of judgment and a freedom from the restraints of doubtful precedent that eommended them to practitioners as the emanations of profound learning, thorough research and eonseientious conviction.

He held the seales of justice in even balance and no feature of wrong, however speeiously attired, could disturb their equipoise. His judgments were fixed upon the firm basis of law and right. In private life Judge Devine possessed the noblest qualities. He was kind, charitable and publie- spirited, and always ready to respond to every meritorious demand as a friend, a neighbor and a citizen.

W. B. AIKIN,

PARIS.

Col. W. B. Aikin was born in Burke County, North Carolina, January 23, 1805. His father, Jolin Aikin, a native of Ireland, came to America at the age of twenty-three years, was a farmer by occupation, and died in Mississippi in 1838. Col. Aikin's mother, Mrs. Anne Aikin, was a daughter of Samuel Aken, of Pennsylvania. She died Feb- ruary 5th, 1867. Her father lived to the mature age of one hundred and six years.

The subject of this memoir left his native State in 1823 and went to Jefferson County, Ala., where he resided until 1831. He moved to Noxubee County, Miss., in that year, and in 1847 to Cass County, Texas, where he resided until 1860, and then moved to Red River County. In 1872 he made his home in Paris, Lamar County, Texas, and, until the time of his death, was prominently identi- fed with the commercial and social interests of that thriving little city. He was always largely engaged in agricultural pursuits and left a landed estate of about fifteen thousand aeres of land situated in La- mar and Red River counties. Prior to his death he was vice-president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Paris, a director of the First National Bank

of Jefferson, Texas, and president of the Lamar Ware House Company, of Paris. He was a con- sistent member of the M. E. Church, South, over fifty years, and took a great interest in church work.

In March, 1827, he married Miss Araminta Flan- agan, of North Carolina. Four children were born of this union. Only two of these lived to maturity, Mrs. O. C. Connor, now living in Paris, Texas, and Mrs. W. B. Ward, who died in 1882, at Jeffer- son, Texas.

In 1881 Col. Aikin founded what is now known as Aikin Institute, an educational institution that has sinee been given to the city. In 1892 he built and gave to the eity of Paris the Aikin Charity Hospital at a cost of $12,000. He was a liberal con- tributor to churches and charitable purposes, and in every way, to the full extent of his means and per- sonal influenee, sought to promote the best interests of the community and country. He died at Paris, Texas, June 2, 1893, and was buried in Evergreen cemetery. One of the finest granite monuments ever ereeted in Texas now marks his grave ; a tribute to his memory prompted by the love of Mrs. O. C. Connor.

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J. J. GROOS,

NEW BRAUNSFELS.

The late Capt. Johann Jacob Groos, a man of fine intelligence and great strength of character, was well known throughout the State of Texas as one of her most respected and influential pioncers. He was a native of Germany, born at Offenbach, March 6, 1824 ; received good schooling and learned civil engineering. He came to America with a young wife and landed at Indianola as a member of the German Emigration Company's party, who were the pioneers of their day, and who did so much to open and develop the portion of the State. of Texas in which they settled. He brought little with him to this country besides a stout heart, a strong constitution, a large stock of enterprise and grit, and a willing and ready helpmeet. He early took up surveying and had much to do with the location and surveying of lands in Comal, Bexar, Kendall and adjoining counties. He lived many years at New Braunfels where he held the office of county surveyor of Comal County. In the meantime he also engaged in farming. During the late war he served as Captain of Confederate militia, and in that capacity aided in checking Indian depredations on the frontier. From 1869 to 1872 he kept the Guadalupe Hotel at New Braunfels and was a popular host. He was then

elected Commissioner of the General Land Office of the State of Texas, in which position he served the people until his death, which occurred at Austin in 1878 in his fifty-fourth year. His wife died two years earlier, in 1876, at fifty-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Groos left seven children, all born in Texas. Otto, forty-eight years of age, the oldest living, is a banker, farmer and success- ful business man at Kyle, Texas. Herman is a farmer near Kyle. Emma is the wife of Mr. George Schnabel, and resides with her husband at Burnet. August, forty-two years of age, holds a position in the office of the State Comptroller of Public Accounts. William, forty years of age, is a farmer and stock-raiser at Munroe, Oregon. Martin E., thirty-five years of age, is chief clerk in the General Land Office of the State of Texas. Annie is the wife of Mr. Joseph Mayer, a well- known broker at San Antonio.

During his entire career, Mr. Groos was noted for his excellent abilities, strict integrity, loyalty to his friends, and constancy, and was in every way a most exemplary citizen. He transmitted these excellent characteristics to his sons, all of whom have assumed places of honor and trust and have sustained the family name.

ORANGE C. CONNOR,

PARIS.

Capt. O. C. Connor was born at. Somerville, Ten- nessee, September 6th, 1820, attended the common schools of the country until nineteen years of age, and completed his education by a course at the Somerville Baptist College. His parents were Orange and Judith Connor, the former of whom died in Morris County, Texas, in 1839, and the lat- ter at the old family home in that county in 1579. After the suppression of the Irish rebellion of 1792 by fire and sword the crown of England issued a proclamation to the effect that all persons who had beld commissions in the Irish patriot army should be hanged without trial. The grandfathers of both

Mr. and Mrs. O. C. Connor had held such com- missions, but succeeded in avoiding the vigilance of the military commanders of the British army of occupation and effected their escape to America, and here their descendants have since resided and many of them risen to positions of prominence in the various walks of life.

In 1849, Mr. Orange Connor moved to Texas with his family. He traveled overland by ox and mule teams, bringing about twenty-five slaves with him, and settled in Morris County, where he opened a farm and in time became one of the wealthiest farmers in the county. On the arrival of the family,

J. J. GROSS.

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in Texas, the subject of this memoir secured a clerkship in a store at Daingerfield and remained in that place for nearly three years. In 1852 he mar- ried Miss Mary A. Aikin, daughter of Col. W. B. Aikin, then a resident of Cass Connty, Texas. After marrying he moved to and engaged in farm- ing in Cass County, in which pursuit he continued until the beginning of the war between the States in 1861. He then enlisted in Company G., 19th Texas Infantry, and was elected First Lieutenant of the company. He served with fidelity and courage throughout the struggle, a struggle that has no counterpart in the annals of human history. Among other engagements he participated in those at Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Jenkins' Ferry, Perkins' Landing, Millican's Bend and the smaller fights in Louisiana incidental to the defeat of Banks' army and its being driven back to the lower part of that State. In 1864, he was assigned to the Quarter- master's department, in which he remained until the final surrender of the Confederate forces.

When he returned home after the war he owned but little property, nevertheless he possessed enough to establish himself, in a small way as a merchant and farmer in Red River County, where he remained until 1870. In January of that year he moved to Paris, Texas, and followed merchan- (lising there until 1877, when his stock, upon which be carried no insurance, was burned in the fire of

that year that almost destroyed the town. After sustaining this serious loss he devoted his attention for a time exclusively to the management of his various farms, but later acquired a considerable interest in the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Paris, and was elected president of that institution for two terms; but, owing to failing health, retired from that position, and is now vice-president of the bank. Capt. Connor is one of the largest land- holders in his section of the State. He is a mem- ber of the M. E. Church, South, of thirty-three years standing. He has six children: W. A., now a farmer in Red River County ; E. S., a prominent lawyer at Paris ; O. C., Jr., a cotton merchant and farmer at Paris ; Pearl, wife of John T. D.ckson, a leading merchant of Paris ; Daisy, wife of P. J. Pierce, a cotton merchant of Paris; and Erminia, wife of E. F. Bray, a representative of the Brown Shoe Company, of St. Louis, resident at Paris.

Since the war Capt. Connor has been uninter- ruptedly engaged in farming and has had as much as three thousand acres under cultivation at one time.

He is in every respect a representative man and citizen, has been an active promoter of every enter- prise inaugurated for the benefit of his section, and enjoys the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens, among whom he has spent the best years of an active and useful life.

CELESTIN JAGOU,

BROWNSVILLE.

The subject of this brief memoir is one of the well-known and successful pioneers of the lower Rio Grande Valley and probably has done as much if not more, than any living pioneer to develop its resources. He is a native of France, born at Lass- cube, in the department of Basses Pyrenees. His father, John Jagou, was a respected citizen and property owner of that department. Young Jagou received a partial education in the school of the Christian Brotherhood in his native town and at about the age of twelve years, his services being weled at home, left school.

Two years later he entered a liquor distilling y'allishment and learned the business. He was .. and ambitious to accomplish something in !, world and, upon hearing the glowing reports

current of the opportunities offered young men in the United States, embarked from his native land in 1859, for New Orleans. There he remained until 1862, and then made his way to Bagdad, Mexico, and very soon thereafter went to Matamoros, Mexico. Matamoros was at that time the best business point on the gulf coast, the depot for all the cotton shipments of the Southern States, and a city of about 100,000 people, which prosperous state of affairs continued during the Civil War only. At Matamoros, young Jagou was engaged in the cotton-pressing business. When the war was ended, all lines of business at Matamoros declined and the people disappeared like the melting of the SHOW.

In 1863, Mr. Jagou opened a store in Browns-

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ville, Texas, where he sold fancy groceries and liquors and did a profitable business. In 1865, Brownsville was raided by Federal colored troops, who entered his premises and carried off his mer- chandise by wagon-loads. His loss was later par- tially made good by the United States Government. He also sustained heavy losses by the historic tornado of 1867, which demolished nearly one-half of the city of Brownsville, including Fort Brown. With his acenstomed energy and undaunted determination, he continued in trade and, despite . all misadventures, finally succeeded in laying the foundation for a competency. In 1868, Mr. Jagou married Miss Adolphine Mailhe, a lady of New Orleans of French deseent.

Four children were born to them, viz. : Christine and Adolphe, who reside at home with their par- ents; Michael, who lives near San Jose, California,

and Albert, who had charge of Mr. Jagou's branch store at Laredo, Texas. Mrs. Jagou died in 1880 and in 1881 Mr. Jagou married Miss Agathe Bourdet, of France.

Mr. Jagou is an enterprising, pushing business man of tireless industry. Besides his large whole- sale and retail store in Brownsville, he has, as pre- viously stated, a branch store in Laredo. In 1879, he purchased the Esperanza ranch, on which he has the finest improvements and has demonstrated more than any other man what Texas soil and water, in the section in which he resides, will produce in the line of tropical and sub-tropical fruits. He had over 50,000 banana plants under the highest state of cultivation. He believes that with irrigation nearly all the tropical fruits can be profitably grown in the lower Rio Grande valley. . Mr. Jagou's suc- cess in life is due entirely to his personal cfforts.

ALBERT MOYE,

SAN ANTONIO.

Came to the Republic of Texas in 1845. He was born in Germany in the city of Kassel, September 19th, 1820. He was reared to farming, which as an occupation he pursued up to the time of his em - barkation for Texas as a member of the historic colony of Germans who came to the New World under the leadership of Prince Solms. Upon land- ing at Galveston, he, with others of the colony, pro- ceeded to Indianola, where they were, for want of transportation facilities, detained for about six months. Ile finally made his way to San Antonio during that year (1845), where he opened the first saddler's shop established there. San Antonio was then a town of about six hundred people. Not a tradesman, he was, nevertheless, of a mechanical turn of mind, handy with tools, and engaged in this business, because he was quick to perceive that such an establishment was needed and would pay. Ilis shop was located on what is now Commerce street. lle finally disposed of the business to ad- vantage, located in the suburbs near the city and engaged in raising vegetables. For seven years prior to 1861 he held the office of justice of the peace. That year he entered the Confederate army as Lieutenant of Company B., Third Texas Infantry, commanded by Capt. Kampman. and upon the pro- motion of Capt. Kampman to a higher rank, suc- ceeded him as Captain of the company. He re-

mained in the army two years. Returning home, he engaged first in the lumber business ; later served as superintendent and architect for Maj. Kampman, who did an extensive business as a contractor and builder for many years; filled this position for three or four years; in 1866 engaged in the fire and life insurance business, which he followed until 1893 and then retired from active business pur- suits. He married in Germany and was the father of nine children, four of whom are living: Otto, Wilhelmina, Emilie, and Edward. Otto, the oldest, was born in Germany, March 5, 1843; Wilhelmina, wife of Max Krakauer, was born in San Antonio, September 8, 1847, and has three sons and two daughters ; Emilie, wife of Julius Piper, born No- vember 14, 1852, has four sons and three daughters, and Edward the youngest was born January 16, 1855, and has one son and one daughter. All the children live in San Antonio.

Otto Moye, the eldest, received a good common school education and for eighteen years was identi- fied, as salesmen, with one of San Antonio's whole- sale hardware houses. Edward married, October 31, 1882, Miss Lillie, daughter of Louis Zork, who was the pioneer dry goods merchant of San Antonio. Mr. Edward Moye is a member of the well-known mercantile firm of Krakauer, Zork & Moye, of San Antonio.

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HON. JOHN CALDWELL,

BASTROP.

The Anglo-American settlement of Texas, the revolution that followed and the establishment of a separate republic and its merger into the sisterhood of States that compose the Union, offered unex- ampled opportunities for the exercise of the purest patriotism, the most intrepid bravery and the high- est mental endowments in the line of statecraft. Nor were the men wanting to fill the various roles required to meet the necessities of those stormy and trying days.

Few States, formed in either ancient or modern times, can boast a galaxy of greater names, in the same period of time, than those which adorn the pages of the early history of Texas.

The subject of this memoir, Hon. John Caldwell, moved among the leading spirits of his day.

He came to Texas from North Alabama in 1831, as a member of a considerable company of people who came at the same time from the same locality.

He brought with him a young wife, whose maiden name was Lucinda Haynie, and settled on the Navidad, where he developed a farm and resided until 1834 when he removed to Bastrop County, ever after his home. He was born at Frankfort, Ky., December 10, 1802, was the oldest of six children and was sixteen years of age at the time of the death of his father, Mr. Adam Caldwell, which. occurred at Nashville, Tenn., July 12, 1819. The support of the family and the education of the younger children thereupon devolved upon him, and he met the responsibilities of the situation with that firmness and devotion to duty that were among his distinguishing characteristics in maturer years.

The family after Mr. Adam Caldwell's death located and lived at Nashville, Tenn., for a number of years.

Adamı Caldwell was a professional man and his son doubtless inherited from him a love for books and study, for he applied himself with great diligence to the study of law while supporting the family and was admitted to the bar at Nashville, when twenty- one years of age. Subsequently the family moved from Tennessee to North Alabama and located at Tuscumbia. There Jolin Caldwell lived and prac- ticed his profession with marked success until 1831, the year that he came to Texas. He brought five slaves with him, one of whom, Melinda Pryor, is now living in Austin, Texas, at an advanced age.

He at one time owned a large number of slaves. These lie treated with uniform kindness, never selling one of them to any other master or inflicting upon them undue discipline. Upon coming to Texas he relinquished the practice of law and de- voted himself thereafter to agricultural pursuits.

His home in Bastrop County was located on the Colorado river, about twelve miles from the present town of Bastrop (then known as Mina) where he engaged extensively in farming, developed a hand- some estate and reared his family.

The Caldwell mansion was known throughout Central and Western Texas as the " White House " and the home of one of Texas' most intelligent, courtly and chivalric gentlemen. Spacious in size and with hospitable doors always open, it was a popular stopping-place for men prominent in military and civil affairs. Here Houston, Hen- derson, Rusk, Williamson, Wharton, Archer, Bur- net and their compeers delighted to tarry over night when traveling through the country, and discuss issues pending before the people and con- sult the cool and reliable judgment of their esteemed host and friend.

The present Caldwell family of four sons and two daughters were all born here and as they ad- vanced in years the " White House " was made the scene of many delightful social events.

Col. Caldwell enjoyed the unbounded and uni- form confidence of the people of his locality and, as he became known, of the entire Republic and State as well. He was an active and prominent participant in the events that led up to the Texas revolution, was one of the first to respond to the call to arms that followed the affair at Gonzales, and was one of the most ardent of those who advocated the issuance of a declaration of inde- pendence. From the beginning he deprecated the policy of fighting for the restoration of the Mexican constitution of 1824, which Santa Anna had trampled in blood and dust and bayoneted to death on the plains of Zacatecas. He clearly per- ceived that the Anglo-Americans of Texas had nothing to expect from the Mexican government or people under any circumstances and that, even if with the co-operation of the Liberal party in Mexico Santa Anna could be overthrown, the Federal constitution of 1824 restored and Texas allowed a separate State government, the battle

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for independence would untimately have to be fought. As matters stood, he knew that the Liberal party had been, or would be, crushed in Mexico, that Texas could look for no aid from that quarter, that volunteers from the United States would be slow to join the Texian standard, if the fight was to be made merely for the rights of Texas as & Mexican State, and that the part of wisdom was to make a fight against Mexico like their heroic forefathers made against Great Britain - for absolute independence ; for liberty or for death. Some great men were opposed to the step, but the party to which he, Governor Smith, Wharton, Archer and others belonged prevailed, the declara- tion was issued, the battle of San Jacinto fought, and the independence of Texas secured.

While with the army on its retreat he was detailed by Gen. Houston to ride through the country and give warning to the settlers of the approach of the three Mexican columns that were sweeping eastward under Santa Anna. Having placed his family in safety at Mina ( Bastrop), where they remained nntil 1838, the Indians committing so many depredations after the war as to render it perilous to live outside the limits of the town, he set about the performance of the duty assigned him and, having accomplished it, hurried forward to join the army under Gen. Houston and reached it the day after the battle of San Jacinto. It was always a source of regret to him that he was pre- vented by circumstanees, over which he had no con- trol, from taking part in that great and glorious engagement.

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Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I, Part 42

Author: Brown, John Henry, 1820-1895 Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Austin : L.E. Daniel] Number of Pages: 922

Author: Brown, John Henry, 1820-1895
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Austin : L.E. Daniel]
Number of Pages: 922