USA > Texas > The history and geography of Texas as told in county names > Part 10
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He was elected a delegate to that body, was made President of the same, and was the first signer of the first Constitution of the Republic of Mexico. In 1825-26 he was a Senator in the First Congress of the Republic of Mexico. In 1827 he was made first Governor of the Federal District of Mexico. In 1829 he was chosen Minister of Finance of the Republic. In 1830, upon the accession of the tyrant, Bustamente, he left Mexico. Up to this time he and Santa Anna had been friends and co-workers in the Liberal cause. He returned to Mexico
124
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
in 1833 to witness the waning fortunes of Bustamente and the ascendancy of his friend, Santa Anna. He was then elected to the Federal Congress, and by the unanimous vote of the House of Deputies he was made eligible to the office of Governor of the State of Mexico and held both offices at the same time. In 1834, under the regime of Santa Anna, he was appointed Min- ister to France. It was now that Santa Anna threw off his republican mask and made himself dictator. Zavala, always the consistent friend of liberty, refused longer to co-operate with Santa Anna. Instead, he resigned his office and returned to America, locating in Texas in 1835, selecting his home upon a beautiful eminence overlooking San Jacinto River and Bay. He immediately advised determined resistance to the usurpa- tion of Santa Anna. Learning that Zavala had openly espoused the cause of Texas Santa Anna ordered his arrest. This was successfully resisted by the Texans. He was then elected a delegate to the Consultation at San Felipe, and when the work of that body was over he was elected a delegate to the con- vention at Washington on the Brazos. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He aided in framing the Con- stitution of the Republic of Texas and in the formation of a provisional government by that body, and was made Vice-Pres- ident. At the expiration of his term he retired to his home on the San Jacinto and died November 11, 1836. This simple rec- ord explains Santa Anna's implacable hatred toward him. Amid the rapidly changing scenes of this eminent man's event- ful life he gave forth many published addresses and letters in behalf of Republican principles and found time to publish sev- eral works. Among his published works is one entitled "Viego Historica de los Revoluciones de Mexico," published in two vol- umes. Of this Bancroft says: "Any impartial, unprejudiced critic will recognize in the author a learned publicist, histo- rian, philosopher, economist and statesman." Another of his published works is "Viego a los Estados Unidas," of which Ban- croft says: "It is a philosophic work, showing a deep study of the manners and customs of the American people, and more es- pecially of their political institutions." His object in publish- ing this work was to educate his fellow countrymen into a just
125
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
appreciation of the spirit of liberty as manifested in the insti- tutions of our country. Santa Anna sought by every means in his power to destroy the influence of so great a man in the cause of Texas, going so far as to libel him in published state- ments which he had scattered over Texas; but these had the opposite effect intended with the Texans. His remains were buried on his premises in full view of the battle ground where Texas liberty was won.
126
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
Red
River
Jonesboro
Brazos
DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT
Trinity
OF
Sabine
OF
NACOGDOCHES
Teneha
BEXAR
Kiver
River
Nacogdoches July, 1832 x
San Augustine
Teran
Viesca
chtitlan
Bevil
DEPARTMENT WashingtonColes Settlement
ver
BRAZOS
.Liberty
Oct, 2. 1835
WXAnahuac
R.
×
Feb 22 to Mar. 6, 1836
Gonzales San Felipe
OHansburg
San Antonio Grass Fight
Concepcion
Brazoria
Nov 26 1835
ctoria
Velasco June 22, 1832
Oct. 28, 1835
Goleta
Matagorda
Rio
River
opano
San Patricio
GULF OF MEXICO
Grande
TEXAS IN 1835.
River
Colorado
Neches
Rivere
Guadalupe
San Antonio
San B. x Jacinto San Jacinto April 21.4836X
June, 1835 v,Washington
Jamo
Nueces
R
5.9 incl. Columbia
Goliad
March 19, 1836
Refugio. XMarch 16, 1836
Gaines Ferry
CHAPTER VI. THE TEXAS REVOLUTION.
A brief but accurate and comprehensive detail of causes and events which led to the revolution of Texas against Mexico is contained in the School History of Texas, by Barker, Potts, and Ramsdell, to which the reader is referred.
The first conflict of the revolution took place at Gonzales, October 2, 1835. There were no casualties among the Texans. The next was at Goliad, October 9, where one Texan was se- verely wounded. On the 13th Stephen F. Austin, in command of the forces, proceeded to the vicinity of San Antonio, and on October 28th, a detachment of ninety men, under command of James Bowie and J. W. Fannin, were sent up the river, and at the old Mission Concepcion encountered a force of about four hundred Mexicans and defeated them with a loss of one man killed. The name of that man was Richard Andrews, in whose honor was named the County of
ANDREWS.
Richard Andrews, familiarly known to his comrades as "Big Dick Andrews," because of his immense stature and physical strength, was one of the sons of William Andrews, a soldier of the Revolution.
With his sons he came to Texas in 1818 and established a trading post on the Brazos River, where the town of Rich- mond is now situated. He fortified the place as a precaution against hostile Indians, opened a store and for many years maintained his family there, trading with the Indians, and suc- cessfully resisting all hostile attempts to invade his premises. With this sort of an experience two of his sons, Micah and Richard, became noted Indian fighters.
At the first outbreak of the Texas Revolution they hastened to Gonzales and joined the Texas forces.
At the battle of Concepcion Richard was killed and was the
128
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
first man to lose his life in the conflicts of the revolution. His Brother, Micah, though wounded in the same battle, survived to take part in the battle of San Jacinto as First Lieutenant in Captain Jesse Billingsly's company of Burleson's regiment.
About the time this battle took place Stephen F. Austin, who was appointed commissioner to visit the United States with B. T. Archer and W. H. Wharton, to seek aid for the struggling Texans, resigned, devolving the command upon General Ed- ward Burleson. The troops then marched up in the immedi- ate vicinity of San Antonio and invested it.
THE STORMING AND CAPTURE OF BEXAR.
The Texans in the interim had been reinforced by two com- panies from New Orleans, but as the Mexican general, Cos, oc- cupied a fortified place in the city and had sixteen hundred disciplined troops, there was considerable hesitation in at- tempting to capture the city with the inadequate forces of Bur- leson. Finally Ben Milam, becoming impatient, proclaimed that San Antonio ought to be taken, and stepping to the front shouted, "Who will follow old Ben Milam?" At the call four hundred men volunteered and began their attack on the 5th of December. The result was that General Cos surrendered his forces on the morning of the 9th.
As a purely military feat this was, perhaps, the most bril- liant of all of the battles of the Revolution. Four hundred Tex- ans, under command of Milam, and later Johnson, after mak- ing their way through walls and going over the tops of houses for three days and nights, finally captured, in a fortified po- sition, more than four times their own number. They then paroled the Mexicans on the condition that they retire beyond the Rio Grande and not take up arms again to oppose the up- holding of the Constitution of 1824, for which the Texans were then fighting, a parole they violated at the first opportunity.
Other smaller engagements, such as the capture of Fort Lipantitlan, on the west bank of the Nueces, the Grass Fight, etc., took place.
129
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
This victory put the Texans in complete control over all of the territory to the Rio Grande.
The names of men participating in that engagement now on our county map are :
Dimmit Glasscock
Lubbock Ward
Milam
Swisher
Karnes
DIMMIT.
Philip Dimmit was born in Pennsylvania about the year 1797, and came to Texas in July, 1822. He was a merchant and trader, and in 1832 established a store near the site of old Fort St. Louis, on the Lavaca River. Here he married a Mex- ican lady. The place became known as Dimmit's Point. He warmly espoused the cause of Texas in 1835, and commanded the troops at Goliad after its capture. In 1841 he moved to the Nueces River, fifteen miles above Corpus Christi, and be- gan the erection of a store, but before its completion he and workmen were captured by Mexican raiders from the Rio Grande and were carried first to Matamoros, then to Monterey; from there he was started on his way to prison near Mexico City. He made his escape at Agua Nueva (Fresh Water) and was recaptured.
Preferring to die rather than suffer the horrors of a Mexican prison, he took a large dose of opium, wrote a letter to his wife, gave directions as to the disposal of his property, and calmly awaited his death, which soon afterward occurred.
GLASSCOCK.
George W. Glasscock was born April 14, 1810, in Hardin County, Kentucky. About 1831 he engaged in flatboating, a part of the time with Abraham Lincoln.
He served with his brother, Gregory, in the Black Hawk War, in which his brother was killed. In 1833 he went to Jef- ferson County Missouri, and from there removed to Bevil (Jas- per) Municipality in 1834, and in 1835, as First Lieutenant in Cheshire's company, was in the Grass fight and at the storming
9
130
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
of Bexar. When not in military service he was engaged in land surveying.
In 1840 he removed from Jasper to Bastrop County, and from there to Travis County in 1844, and located at Webber- ville, about sixteen miles southeast of Austin. In 1846 he re- moved to the region where Williamson County now is and aided in the organization of that county. The county site was named Georgetown, in compliment to him. He built the first flouring mill in that part of Texas. In 1853 he removed to Austin and resided there until his death, which occurred February 28, 1868. He took an active interest in building up Georgetown, donating liberally to churches, schools and other enterprises. With the exception of serving as a member of the Tenth and Eleventh Legislatures he never held public office.
KARNES.
Henry Wax Karnes was born in Tennessee, September 8, 1812. Early in life his parents moved to Northwestern Ar- kansas and tried the business of trapping, and he there fitted himself for his subsequent career. He came to Texas about 1828 and secured employment as manager of the large planta- tion of Jarod E. Groce, on the Brazos River, near the present town of Hempstead. At the first outbreak of the revolution he joined the army. He fought at the battle of Concepcion and was conspicuous for gallantry at the storming of Bexar, De- cember 5, 1835.
Being one of the best scouts in the service, he was elected captain of a cavalry company. This company did much gallant service in many battles. He acted as scout for General Hous- ton on his retreat and kept him informed as to the whereabouts and strength of the enemy, engaging in several skirmishes.
In 1837 he was appointed to take some Mexican prisoners to Matamoros and exchange them for Texas prisoners who had been captured by the Mexicans, but they made Karnes a pris- oner. He soon escaped. He joined the ranger service in 1838 and in a combat was severely wounded by an Indian chief. He had red hair, a very strange sight to an Indian. On one occa-
131
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
TRYING TO WASH THE WAR-PAINT OUT OF KARNES' HAIR.
sion, while a prisoner of the Indians, they soaked and scoured his hair, over his protestations that this was its natural color, but they persisted in trying to wash out the color, until con- vinced by actual demonstration that it was useless. He died in 1840 of the severe wound he had received at the hands of the Indian chief the previous year.
132
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
LUBBOCK.
Thomas S. Lubbock was born in Charleston, S. C., in 1817. He went to New Orleans at the instance of his elder brother, F. R. Lubbock, then a merchant at New Orleans and later Gov- ernor of Texas, and accepted a position with one Holmes, a cotton factor, in 1835. Shortly after his arrival the struggle in Texas became imminent, and meetings were being held in New Orleans to raise money for the war in Texas. Adolphus Sterne of Nacogdoches attended some of these meetings and informed the people that Texas not only needed money, but men. A company was immediately organ- ized and young Lubbock was the first to enlist. It was agreed that the company would not formally organize in New Orleans, but proceed to Texas and then organize. Accordingly they started for Texas and, arriving late in September, they organ- ized themselves into a military company which they called the New Orleans Grays.
They proceeded on a steamer up the Brazos to Brazoria, and from there marched overland to San Antonio and did gallant service at the storming of Bexar. As the result of this battle was the driving of the Mexicans entirely out of Texas, the com- pany remained at San Antonio for some time. In January, 1836, Lubbock's health beginning to fail, he left the army and returned to the Brazos, where he obtained employment on a steamer, and did not learn that Texas was invaded again until his arrival at Galveston, where he heard the news of the battle of San Jacinto.
Later he obtained employment from Mckinney & Williams, at Velasco. In 1841 he went as lieutenant in command of a company in the Santa Fe expedition, was made a prisoner and carried to the Santiago Convent in Mexico, and, making his escape by leaping from a balcony, made his way back to Texas. In 1842 he was again in the army, in the Somervell expedition.
133
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
At the breaking out of the war between the States (1861), in company with B. F. Terry, he went to Richmond, Va., to get authority to raise a regiment for the war. While in Virginia they participated in the battle of Manassas and were honorably mentioned by General Beauregard for their services in that battle. Obtaining permission to raise a regiment of cavalry, they returned to Texas and organized the famous "Terry Ran- gers," with Terry as Colonel and Lubbock as Lieutenant Col- onel. On their way to Virginia a special request was made for their service by General Albert Sidney Johnston, and they went to Kentucky. Terry having been killed in a battle at. Woodsonville, Ky., December 14, 1861, Lubbock was promoted to command of the regiment, but being too feeble in health, he retired to Nashville, Tenn., where he died in January, 1862.
MILAM.
This county was named for Benjamin R. Milam, who was born in Kentucky in 1791. He was an active participant in the War of 1812, and after its close he became a trader among the Indians of Texas. He came to Texas in 1816, while the revo- lution against Spain was at its height, and at once enlisted in the ranks. In 1820 he visited New Orleans, where, in conjunc- tion with Trespelacios he organized an expedition for the cap- ture of Tampico. When Iturbide proclaimed himself Emperor of Mexico Milam joined the party opposed to him. He was cap- tured and thrown into prison, where he remained a year, and was then released by an uprising of the people in favor of the Republican cause. Several years later he obtained, as empre- sario, a concession for the settlement of a colony on Red River, where he became acquainted with Richard Ellis. The conces- sion was for land outside of the limits of Texas, and on Jan- uary 12, 1826, he obtained another concession upon which to introduce two hundred families, the land being within the fol- lowing boundaries: beginning at the crossing of the San An- tonio road, of the Guadalupe River (New Braunfels) ; thence with said road to the Colorado River; thence up said river to the right bank the distance of fifteen leagues (forty miles) ;
134
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
thence in a straight line parallel with the San Antonio road to the Guadalupe River, and thence down the river to the be- ginning. He sold out his rights to J. C. Beales, who in time sold to the Bering Brothers, in London, and nothing further was done with it.
In 1832 he was at Nacogdoches and participated in the fight against Piedras. In 1835 he procured from the Congress of Coahuila and Texas the exclusive right to navigate the Color- ado River. When Santa Anna usurped dictatorial powers in the government of Mexico he publicly denounced his cause and was thrown into prison. He escaped and made his way back to Texas. When near Goliad, hearing the tramp of the forces marching to Goliad, he hid himself in the woods near-by and cried out as they were passing :
"Who are you?"
The answer was: "American volunteers bound for Goliad ; who are you ?"
He replied : "I am Ben Milam, escaped from prison at Mon- terey."
He joined the company and participated in the capture of Goliad and went with the company until San Antonio was reached.
San Antonio was fortified and defended by four times the number of troops belonging to Texas, and for that reason there was some hesitation in making the attack. Milam stepped out in front and waving his hat, said he was going in to San An- tonio, and cried out :
"Who will follow Ben Milam ?"
With a shout they rushed to his standard and the storming and capture of Bexar were the result. With little more than one-fourth the number of troops at San Antonio they stormed and captured the fortress in San Antonio, taking as prisoners 1600 Mexicans.
In the hour of victory, when reconnoitering for a final as- sault, he was struck by a rifle ball from the enemy and instantly killed, December 8, 1835.
135
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
SWISHER.
John G. Swisher was born in Tennessee in 1795. He re- moved to Texas with his family in 1833 and located in Rob- ertson's Colony, where he had many experiences in repelling Indian raids.
At the beginning of hostilities, in October, 1835, he organ- ized a company, was elected Captain and was one of those who followed Ben Milam at the storming of Bexar. He was hon- orably mentioned in the official report of the battle. He was elected one of the delegates from the Municipality of Wash- ington to the Constitutional Convention of March, 1836. He took an active part in all its deliberations. He did not par- ticipate in the battle of San Jacinto, but his oldest son, John M. Swisher, was in the campaign. He moved to Austin and resided there until his death in 1869.
WARD.
This county was named for Thomas William Ward, a na- tive of Ireland. He came to the United States and located in New Orleans early in life, and was engaged in business there in 1835, when the Revolution of Texas began.
He enlisted in a volunteer company, afterwards famous as the "New Orleans Grays," which had its baptism of blood at the storming of Bexar in December, 1835. He lost a leg in this bat- tle and afterwards became known as "Peg Leg" Ward. He was honorably mentioned for gallantry in that engagement. He was a man of superior intel- ligence. In April, 1841, while firing a cannon at the anniversary celebration of the battle of San Jacinto, he lost his arm by the explosure of the gun.
In the fall of that year he was elected Commissioner of the
136
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
General Land Office of Texas, and held that office until 1848. He was appointed Collector of Customs at Corpus Christi in 1853, and was appointed United States Consul at Panama by President Buchanan in 1857, and served as such until the com- mencement of the Civil War in 1861.
After the close of that war he resumed his residence at Aus- tin and died there in 1872.
THE ALAMO.
While the storming of Bexar was in progress the Governor and Council were in session in San Felipe. The conflict of au- thority between the Governor and Council resulted in a confu- sion of military movements. The command of Johnson and Grant was at San Patricio; Fannin was in command at Goliad, and Travis under orders from the Governor took command of the Alamo. He had gathered about him one hundred and fifty men when he wrote the Governor that an invading army of several thousand Mexicans had already reached the Rio Grande, and that San Antonio would be their objective point. He urgently called for reinforcements, but the only reinforce- ment he received was a company of thirty-two men, on the 23rd of February, making his effective force about one hundred and eighty-five. On the 24th he issued a proclamation addressed, "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World," in which, among other things, he said, "I am besieged by a thous- and or more Mexicans, under Santa Anna. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison is to be put to the sword if the fort is taken. I have answered the command with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat." On March 6th Santa Anna held a council of war and decided to storm the fort. On Sunday, the 6th, the bugle sounded "no quarter," and the assault was on; the Mexicans soon scaled and broke through the walls, and in a short time every defender of the Alamo lay dead.
The heroism displayed by Travis and his men has been cele- brated in song and story, until the name "Alamo" has become the synonym for bravery wherever the English language is
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
137
INSCRIPTION ON THE SHAFT. NORTH FRONT.
INSCRIPTION | INSCRIPTION
ON THE WEST FRONT.
ON THE SOUTH FRONT.
BE THEY
INSCRIPTION ON THE EAST FRONT.
TO THE GOD
OF THE FEARLESS AND FREE IS DEDICATED THIS ALTAR
MADE FROM THE RUINS OF THE ALAMO
MARCH 6TH 1836 A. D.
MARCH 6TH 1836 A. D.
MARCH 6TH 1836 A. D.
CROCKET
TRAVIS
BOWIE
Crockett
Bonham.
Travis.
Bowie.
DESTROYED BY FIRE WHEN THE OLD CAPITOL WAS BURNED, NOVEMBER, 1881.
spoken. The names of the heroes are chiseled in the granite monument which now stands in the Capitol grounds at Austin, Texas.
Those whose names are on our county map are:
Bailey Cottle
Floyd King
Bowie Crockett Kent Lynn
Cochran Dickens
Kimble Travis
We have no data as to the antecedents of Bailey, Dickens, Floyd, Lynn and King.
George W. Cottle, Andrew Kent, and George Kimble were heads of families, and left their wives and children to go to
Thermopyla HAD HER MESSENGER OF DEFEAT, BUT THE
ITA IN
ALAMO
HAD NONE.
MARCH 6TH IS36 A. D.
BLOOD OF HEROES HATH STAINED ME LET THE . STONES OF THE ALAMO SPEAK THAT THEIR IMMOLATION BE NOT FORGOTTEN.
ENROLLED WITH LEONIDAS IN THE HOST OF THE MIGHTY DEAD.
138
THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TEXAS
the relief of Travis on March 1. They had settled in DeWitt's Colony, near Gonzales.
BOWIE.
This county was named for James Bowie. There are two accounts as to the birthplace of this remarkable man. One account says he was born in Georgia; another ascribes his birthplace to Elliott Springs, Tenn., and yet another ascribes his birth- place to Edgefield, S. C., the date of his birth 1785. That South Car- olina was his native State seems most probable.
Early in his life the family re- moved to Catahoula Parish, La., and it was there he was reared and educated, both he and his brother, Rezin P. Bowie, the inventor of the famous Bowie knife. As young men they were lured by the temp- tations of the slave trade, then go- ing on, and in this way they be- came acquainted with the pirate LaFitte. James Bowie also be- came connected with Long's expedition in 1819. In 1828 he was naturalized as a Mexican citizen and later married the daughter of Vice Governor Veremendi at San Antonio.
His celebrated Indian fight on the road a la Bandera, from San Antonio to San Saba, took place in 1831. He was in Nac- ogdoches in 1832 and took part in the fight with Piedras, after- wards being commissioned to convey the prisoners to San Felipe, whence they were taken to Tampico. In 1835 he joined the army and was second in command at the battle of Con- cepcion. After the storming and capture of Bexar he joined the army near Goliad. He there met Houston, who sent him back to San Antonio. There he found Travis in command, but remained there and was killed March 6, 1836, with the others of the garrison.
139
AS TOLD IN COUNTY NAMES
COCHRAN.
This county was named for Robert Cochran, who, in the early part of 1835, started from Boston with a small stock of goods and located in Brazoria, and early in February, 1836, joined the army in San Antonio. He was a single man. The only data that could be obtained was from evidence used in litigation over the land granted to his heirs, for which the au- thor is indebted to R. C. Crane, an attorney at Sweetwater, Texas.
CROCKETT.
This county was named for David Crockett, who was born August 17, 1786, in Tennessee, then a part of North Carolina, near the present line between that State and North Carolina. His father was an Irishman ; his mother was a native of Mary- land. He was a most pronounced type of the strong individuality characteristic of the mountain population of East Tennessee in his day. He could neither read nor write until eighteen years old. At the age of seven his father removed to Jefferson County, Tennessee, and later in life moved and settled in Frank- lin County Tennessee. He went into the Creek War and re- mained until its close. Return- ing to his home he lived in great domestic felicity until the death of his wife in 1821. He mar- ried a second time and was equally devoted to his second wife. In 1821 he was elected to the Legislature. There he met for the first time Colonel (afterward President) Polk, who, it seems, having a desire to cultivate Crockett's acquaintance, addressed him thus :
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