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The Hardeman Impact on Early Texas History
Francis W. Wilson, M.D.
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by Francis W. Wilson, M.D.
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THE HARDEMAN IMPACT ON EARLY TEXAS HISTORY
Introduction
My interest in the Hardeman family was stimulated initially by my interest and
work in freemasonry. After a long practice of medicine in Houston, Texas, I retired
and moved back to my old home town of Luling, Texas — the life-long home
of my father and the longtime home of my grandfather. Part of the natural sequence of the move was the transfer of my masonic membership. The masonic
lodge in Luling is named Hardeman Lodge #179, A.F. & A.M. On inquiry it was
found that the lodge was named for Thomas Jones Hardeman, a Texas pioneer
and a charter member of the Grand Lodge of Texas. Study of the oldest minutes
of the lodge showed that the early membership included three Hardemans, Thomas
Monroe, John B. and William Polk, who served as master of the lodge twice,
once before the Civil War and once after at which time he was listed as General
William Polk Hardeman. This stimulated more interest and study, and I became
fascinated with the family. I found their story in Texas History to be fragmented
so that innumerable references to them were found but most were incomplete or
limited. This remarkable family contributed materially to the development and
growth of the Republic of Texas and to the State of Texas. Seemingly they participated in nearly every event of importance during their span of Texas history,
from helping to write The Texas Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the Republic of Texas and signing both, by participating in all major and
minor battles of the War of Texas Independence, save the massacre of Fannin's
Command. Two of them, William P. and Thomas Monroe Hardeman, along with
twenty others tried, unsuccessfully, to fight their way into the Alamo. The Alamo
fell early the next morning. The Hardemans served as legislators and judges, as
physicians, as lawyers, as agriculturists with large land holdings, as industrialists
and last, but by no means least, as superb soldiers and Indian fighters. They participated in significant numbers in all wars subsequent to the War of Texas
Independence.
No attempt is made in this book to give a general study of the Hardemans of
America. This has been done quite well by Dr. Nicholas Hardeman in his epic
"Wilderness Calling". My goal is quite limited, namely to report in depth the story
of the twenty-five Hardemans who gathered in Hardeman County, Tennessee in
late 1835 and moved to the Matagorda Community of the Mexican State of Texas.
The time span of my story extends from their arrival in Texas until the time of
the end of the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War. Earlier and later
events and actions of the Hardemans are mentioned lightly and only for purposes of continuity. I have compensated for this relatively brief time span by a
program of intensive research. Early in my studies I found too many conflicts
on topics such as people, dates and places; so I depended heavily on primary
research. I have haunted the Texas State Library, the Eugene C. Barker Texas
History Center and the Texas State Archives. In the archives, special thanks
go to Donaly Brice and Michael Green. A number of county courthouses and
city libraries have been searched. Special thanks is due Mrs. A. J. Tatum for detailed searches for me in Matagorda County and its Courthouse. From time
to time these primary studies paid off quite well in new and valuable information. Many thanks are given Paul and Lela Cagle Hardeman for their cooperation and valuable assistance. I particularly want to give profuse thanks
to my wife, Eva Lauraine Wilson, and to Dr. Mary Wanda Harp. Both have
supported me throughout my long study, have helped in certain aspects of the
research and have provided much constructive advice.
A very large number of censuses of both Texas and Tennessee have been read.
Correspondence with certain masonic lodges in both Texas and Tennessee have
carried out as well as with their Grand Lodges. Lodge minutes in select masonic
lodges have been studied. Cemeteries have been visited. Probate records, wills,
deeds, tax records, mortality schedules, court records, etc. have been searched.
Old newspapers and periodicals have been read.
The Hardemans of this study gathered near Bolivar, Hardeman County (named
for Thomas J. Hardeman) in late 1835 and moved to the Matagorda Community
of Texas. They were from an old American family whose forefathers had fought
in the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
They were closely related to one president of the United States. (The first wife
of Thomas Jones Hardeman was Mary Ophelia Polk, Aunt of U.S. President James
Knox Polk.) Thomas Jones Hardeman's second wife was Eliza, oldest daughter
of the Empresario Green De Witt. The Hardemans made many marriages into
prominent families, including the Eppes, Wilsons, Polks, Hardins, etc. In Texas
three Hardemans married Burlesons, three married Keeses, three married
Hamiltons, etc. There were many marriages between cousins.
There was no intent to write this book on Caldwell County but the pattern
of the moves of the Hardemans after the Texas Revolution resulted in strong emphasis on Caldwell and adjacent Guadalupe Counties. The first Hardeman to move
into this part of central Texas was Thomas Monroe Hardeman who settled on
the San Marcos River in 1838. Shortly thereafter he was followed by brother-inlaw, Dr. James Fentress, and then by William Polk, Owen Bailey and Leonidas
Polk Hardeman. These and subsequent ones settled in the San Marcos River Valley.
The San Marcos River is a short one, taking origin in large, beautiful springs
just above the city of San Marcos. It courses downward between Guadalupe and
what would become Caldwell Counties and enters Gonzales County where it empties into the Guadalupe River. Its only tributary is Plum Creek which courses
diagonally across Caldwell County from northwest to southeast. The San Marcos River Valley was largely frontier at this time. After a time Dr. Blackstone
Hardeman and his sons, Constant, John B. and Peter moved to Gonzales County
and after a few years moved on to Guadalupe County. John B. and Peter both
moved to Caldwell County. David D. Hardeman, son of D Hardeman, moved
to Caldwell County prior to the Civil War. Another William Hardeman was noted
in Caldwell County in the 1870 Census. He was much younger than William Polk.
His wife was named Sarah A., and both he and his wife were shown as having
been born in Tennessee. He probably belongs to the Hardemans being studied,
but his exact relationship has not been established.
The masonic influence was evident all this time. Masons were prominent in
all activities, both civil and military, in the Republic of Texas and in the State
of Texas. This book emphasizes this fact and names many. The Hardemans were
no exception to this observation. Thomas Jones Hardeman was a charter member
of the Grand Lodge of Texas, served many offices in the Grand Lodge and served
a term as its Grand Master. Two other Hardemans held offices in the Grand Lodge
of Texas. Many Hardemans were quite active in their local lodges. At one time
Thomas Monroe Hardeman was affiliated with three different masonic lodges
in Caldwell County at the same time. The Memorial on his death was issued and
observed by Hardeman Lodge #179, Luling, Texas and was dated 26 October 1861.
The reader may get the impression that middle initials are used too freely;
however this was found to be desirable in order to minimize confusion and to
firm up individual indentities. For example, William Polk Hardeman who may
be considered the number one star of this book, could be and was mixed up with
William Nicholas Hardeman, son of Dr. Blackstone Hardeman; or with William
Miller Hardeman, son of Constant; or with William F. Hardeman, son of Thomas
Monroe Hardeman; or with William H. Hardeman; or even with the other two
William Polk Hardemans (one of these died early and the other changed his name).
There were others also.
An additional factor in differentiating individuals with the same given name
is the frequent use of birth year dates and death year dates in parentheses after
the name. Such aids in the identity and differential determination of the various
Thomases, the Constants and even with the several D. Hardemans.
From a functional point of view, this book is divided into three sections. Section One gives a more complete story of the more pertinent Hardemans and sandwiches in paragraphs of general Texas History particularly as it applies to that
individual. No attempt has been made to repeat the oft told stories of the glories
and tragedies of the Texas Revolution. Rather, lesser told stories are emphasized.
Discussions of the better known battles are limited largely to the individual and
unusual aspects which played a determining role in the outcome of the battle or
its influence on future history. Special studies of personalities, Hardeman and
others, are made. Section One gives something of a narrative of the original
twenty-five Hardemans. The various chapters on Thomas J. Hardeman and his
children receive much more attention than do the others. The story of William
Polk Hardeman receives the most attention of all. His story is quite noteworthy.
Here is a young man who dropped out of college to accompany his family to the
great unknown which was Texas in 1835. He was heavily involved in the various
conflicts with both Mexicans and Indians and was a seasoned fighter before he
reached age twenty. He was credited with participating in over fifty battles in
his lifetime and was wounded seven times. He was known affectionally as "Old
Gotch". Extensive search had been made to identify the origin of the term "Old
Gotch" as it applied to him. Some said that is was because he canted his head
when he looked at a person. Examination of all available pictures of "Old Gotch"
was made. It was observed that a muscle imbalance or defect of certain muscles
which move the right eye was present. This muscle is outside the eyeball and is
one of the muscles which coordinate the movement of the eyeball. In his case
the right eyeball could not turn downward as much as it should. When he looked
downward, the left eye moved but the right did not; so the eyes did not track
and he had a double vision. He could compensate for this by tilting his head
downward so that the head movement would allow both eyes to give coordinated
binocular vision. Most long time visual defects of this nature are the result of
birth injuries although other causes must be considered.
Section Two is called Appendix A and is a listing in outline form of the more
pertinent individuals making up this family grouping. It is hoped that this series
of listing will be of special value to the researcher and should provide a readily
available source of information for the reader. Many additional details are given
in the form of censuses to aid in family identification and placement.
Section Three is known as Appendix B and is composed of data on many
families with which the Hardemans married. It is particularly applicable to the
Texas Hardemans and reads like a Texas Who's Who.
Few families have contributed more to the history of the Republic of Texas and
to the State of Texas than have this Hardeman family. I find their story to be well
worth perpetuating.
Francis W. Wilson, M.D.
THE HARDEMAN IMPACT ON EARLY TEXAS HISTORY
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER
1-4
1: Spanish and Mexican Texas,
Early American Hardemans
6-11
CHAPTER 2: Bailey Hardeman
12-20
CHAPTER
21-28
3: Thomas Jones Hardeman
CHAPTER 4: Thomas Monroe Hardeman
CHAPTER 5: Owen Bailey Hardeman, Leonidas Polk Hardeman,
Franklin Hardeman, D. Hardeman (1806-1864)
and D. Hardeman (born 1838)
29-40
CHAPTER
6: Dr. Blackstone Hardeman
47-49
CHAPTER
7: William Polk Hardeman
50-62
CHAPTER 8: Meeting in Prairie Lea, Texas June 1, 1862
41-45
63-68
CHAPTER 9: The Battle of Galveston and
the Louisiana Campaigns
69-76
CHAPTER 10: Exile in Mexico
77-80
CHAPTER 11: Reconstruction in Texas
CHAPTER 12: Hardemans in the Civil War
81-84
85-87
THE HARDEMAN IMPACT ON EARLY TEXAS HISTORY
CHAPTER 1
The territory of Texas presented unique problems to Spain and to Mexico (for
the fifteen years that Mexico owned Texas). The Spanish system of handling its
various colonies in the Western Hemisphere was effective but something less than
humane. Some cities were established but the chief goal of the Spaniards was
exploitation, particularly for gold, silver, gems, etc. The Spaniards were quite successful in their military exploits because of their more effective weapons, because
of their use of armor and because of the use of horses. (Many of the Indians encountered had never seen horses before.) In addition to their superior armaments,
the Spaniards had an effective policy in their subjugation of the Indians. First,
armed opposition was summarily crushed. Then chiefs and nobles showing potential to rise in revolt were identified, systematically rounded up and "neutralized."
Witness the story of Montezuma, Ruler of the Aztecs, who tried to cooperate with
the Spaniards but was destroyed for his efforts.
The Spaniards expanded their initial coastal positions with a series of explorations and expeditions over a long period of time. These military ventures were
accompanied always by Church representatives. At likely or strategic places a
"village" was initiated. Such consisted of a few soldiers for protection and one
or more priests. There were joint goals. The priests were to convert and "educate"
the Indians who were to build a church or cathedral. They were encouraged also
to participate in agricultural pursuits. Some of the villages survived but many
did not. (The Indians of some tribes were easier to domesticate than were others.)
These groups also sought valuables for Spain and for the Catholic Church.
The system described briefly above worked reasonably well in most of South
America, Central America and even in Mexico; but Texas was another story.
Hemispheric geography had placed a very formitable barrier between Spanish
America (and later, Mexico) and the good lands of the territory of Texas. Visualize
an "L" shaped band of desert extending from the Gulf of Mexico inland, roughly
parallel with the Rio Grande River to El Paso, then north along the Rio Grande
as it courses toward Santa Fe and Taos. This band is quite wide. It is arid to semiarid. Watering places and watering holes are few and far between. Other than
the Rio Grande, few rivers of consequence exist in this desert band. The land
was hostile as were the Mexican and Indian inhabitants of the 1800s. Westward
of the north-south band, the terrain was more hospitable; so in those days commerce from Mexico to Santa Fe and to the north favored this route.
This wide band of inhospitable terrain provided a "shield" of sorts for Texas,
and was a logistical nightmare for the movement of large groups. Spain, in a period
of a hundred years (1690-1791) established twenty-seven missions in Texas. The
most prominent and longest lasting colony consisted of a group of Canary Islanders
who came to San Francisco de Bexar (San Antonio). By 1821 most of the Texas
missions were approaching ruin except those at San Antonio, La Bahia (Goliad),
and Nacogdoches. This was the existing condition when Mexico took Texas over
as part of Mexico's newly won independence in 1821. One additional settlement,
Ysleta, was located on the Rio Grande River.
Texas was very vulnerable to infiltration or invasion from both Americans and
French who had easy access to the most fertile and productive parts of Texas.
This condition was commented on from time to time. Probably one of the most
unusual requests was made by an English Socialist who applied to the the Mexican Government with a request that he be given Texas to set up an experimental
Socialist State. His name was Robert Owen and his chief reason for the request
was "you will never be able to hold Texas anyway". Naturally his request was turned
down. Some of the "invasions", such as that of Dr. Long and his force were even
more demanding and tried to sieze land. During the period of turnover from Spain
to Mexico a new system of control — and colonization — was institutued. Moses
Austin received permission to establish a controlled colony. His lead was followed
by Green De Witt and others, but their problems were intensified by political
upheavals and broken contracts. This chaotic leadership led to the Texas Revolution. It should be emphasized that many prominent Mexican-Texans also favored
revolution and supported it.
During this same period a very prominent Tennessee family opted for a move
to Texas. Twenty-five were involved in the move. This was the Hardeman family
with roots in Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana and points west. The immigrant,
Thomas Hardeman, was a cooper from England or Wales. He arrived in the colony of Virginia prior to 1660. He had a son named Thomas. His grandson, John
(1) of Bristol went from Virginia to England to further his education. He became
involved in the ill-fated rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, was jailed for a time
and then was exiled back to Virginia. He was noted on 24 June 1667 as receiving
a power of Attorney. In 1699 and 1702 he was a Justice of Charles County, Virginia.
He became a lieutenant colonel of militia. Before 1685 he married Mary, daughter
of Col. Francis Eppes of Henrico County, Virginia. Hardeman became a Member
of the House of Burgesses from Prince George County in 1710. He died in 1711
after being kicked in the chest by his race horse. (See appendix Al and A2)
John (2) was one of the sons of John (1) of Bristol. He married Sarah Taylor,
daughter of Captain John Taylor (Clerk 1699, died 1707). (See Appendix Al).
Their son, John (3) married Dorothy Edwards, a native of Ireland, in 1746.
They were in Pittsylvania County, Virginia in 1767. He fought in the French and
Indian Wars. He was a neighbor of William Bean, Halifax County, Colony of
Virginia.
Thomas Hardeman (1750-1833) was the first son of John and Dorothy Edwards
Hardeman. He was born 8 January 1750 in Albermarle County, Virginia and died
3 June 1833 in Davidson County, Tennessee. He married (1) Mary Perkins — born
15 August 1754 in Henrico County, Virginia and she died 24 May 1798 in Davidson County, Tennessee. He married (2) Susannah (or Susan) Perkins Pryor Marr
(sister of his first wife). Susannah was born 20 May 1750 in Goochland County,
Virginia and died in 1815. At the age of 18, Thomas joined a party of hunters
and trappers to the western valleys. He returned after a year and married Mary
Perkins in 1770. They lived for a time on the Dan River and then on Boone Creek.
In 1778 along with Bean, Robertson and others they drove a large party of Tories
from their living area. Thomas Hardeman was in Capt. William Bean's Company
of militia which participated in the campaign against the Chickamaugas in 1779.
He served in the Battle of Kings Mountain and was a captain in the campaign
against the Cherokees.
Thomas Hardeman followed the Beans to the Watauga area of East Tennessee
in 1782. He was a long time friend of the Beans and was named as a witness to
the will of William Bean.
In 1796, Hardeman was the Delegate from Davidson County, Tennessee to the
Convention to consider ratification of the Constitution of the United States. He
was a colleague of Gen. Andrew Jackson. He helped found Hardeman County,
Tennessee, he served in the State Senate and in the Legislature of both North
Carolina and Tennessee. In 1816 he moved to Howard County, Missouri but returned to Williamson County, Tennessee in 1830. He died there in 1833 or 1834.
NOTE: Several references to Thomas Hardeman call him Col. Hardeman. I have
not been able to confirm this rank for him, but in the "Obituaries from Early
Tennessee Newspapers" by S. E. Lucas there is a Thomas Hardeman, Esq who
died in his 84th year of life and must be him. It also lists a Col. Hardeman who
died at age 37. Both died in Williamson County, Tennessee.
The children of Thomas (1750-1833) and Mary Hardin Perkins are listed in Appendix A4. Sons John and Nicholas Perkins were masons.
In the late 1835's a large group of Hardemans, said to be about twenty-five,
gathered in Hardeman County, Tennessee to make a migration to the Territory
of Texas. Throughout their family history, the Hardemans were known to be
adventurers. Like many of their contemporaries they seemed to have an irresistable
urge to see what was "on the other side of the hill". It is unlikely that economics
played much of a role in their decision; because this family was exceptionally
well educated for their time, were land owners and business men with vision,
were very enterprising and were politically active. Of the group destined for Texas,
two were physicians, two were lawyers and several others had varying amounts
of college level education. They were builders, particularly of dams and mills.
All in the group were descendents of or in-laws of Thomas Hardeman
(1750-1833). The group included Thomas Jones Hardeman, recently widowed,
and his five children; Bailey Hardeman and his family — wife and four children;
Dr. Blackstone Hardeman and his family; Dr. John Marr Hardeman and William
Miller Hardeman, sons of Constantine Hardeman (1788-1850); Franklin
Hardeman, son of Peter Hardeman (1784-1820); Julia Ann Hardeman and her
second husband, Thomas H. Bacon; etc. Others followed later. Some sources state
that D. Hardeman and his family were part of the group making the initial migra-
tion, but census studies show him to be in Tennessee in 1841, in Mississippi in
1844, in Arkansas in 1845 and finally in Texas in 1846. (Appendix A18)
The migration to Texas took place in late 1835. The group moved westward
to the Mississippi River, and down that river to Baton Rouge, Louisiana then
overland to the Caney Creek region of the Matagorda Territory of Texas. Before
the family could actually get settled, Texas was in the throes of a full blown revolution and one that she was ill prepared for. The initial skirmishes between the poorly
equipped Texans and the professional troops of the Mexican Army were uniformly
successful from the Texan point of view and many thought that their revolution
was successful. Then General Santa Anna, Dictator of Mexico, showed up in Texas
without much notice and a real war developed. Santa Anna had a large, well
equipped, well trained army (with the exception of a few mediocre units such
as the Yucatan Troops, etc.). His cavalry was superb and a number of his key
officers were experienced mercenaries. The initial optimism of the Texans was short
lived and the combined massacres of the Alamo and of Col. Fannin's Command
created chaos. Only two groups maintained order. These were the governmental
group at Washington, Texas and General Sam Houston's Army which was in a
slow strategic retreat eastward as it sought an optimal time to engage the enemy.
This situation left the bulk of the people unprotected and in a quandry. Santa
Anna had publicized his edict that Texans found armed were to be executed. With
the Comanches ever ready for any advantage, this left few alternatives. The settlers packed what they could, hid valuables and essential equipment in the woods,
in the rivers or buried them. When Gen. Sam Houston was given command of
the Texas Army he went to Gonzales, Texas to join his army and instructed the
citizens to burn their homes and to withdraw to the east. The general movement
of Texans not in the army was to the east and with little time wasted. This disorganized mass movement became known as the Runaway Scrape. It was checked
only after the Battle of San Jacinto. The effectiveness of this evacuation was illustrated by William P. Hardeman's carrying out an assignment for the army
in which he was sent on a recruiting mission and was able to find only four men.
Gen. Santa Anna's initial victories seemingly disturbed his military judgment.
He divided his large army into three groups to try and make a general sweep of
Texas. Thus although he still had a numerical superiority at San Jacinto he had
fragmented his strength. His final error was a failure to take adequate security
measures even though he knew that his opponent was quite near. It is hard to
comprehend how his forces were so completely surprised in the middle of the
afternoon. History records; however, that his forces were crushed and he was taken
prisoner. Gen. Sam Houston wisely elected to spare Santa Anna's life and use
him as a hostage. Thus the two remaining Mexican Armies in Texas retreated
to Mexico on orders from their Commander-in-Chief.
The eradication of Mexican Armies in Texas permitted the settlers to turn about
and return home. This resulted in certain adjustments by the Hardemans. The
Bailey Hardemans retained their holdings in Matagorda County and son, Sam
Wilson Hardeman lived most of his life there and was buried there. In a few years
Thomas Jones Hardeman had moved to Bastrop County, Dr. Blackstone moved
to Washington County and then Nacogdoches County. Thomas J. Hardeman's
children settled along the San Marcos River in Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties. Other movements took place as the years passed.
10
TEXAS
1850
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CHAPTER 2
Bailey Hardeman
The name Bailey Hardeman shines brightly in the early history of the Republic
of Texas. Had it not been for his untimely death September 24, 1836 at the age
of 41 he probably would have headed the Republic.
Bailey Hardeman was born 26 February 1795 in Davidson County, Tennessee,
the son of Thomas (1750-1832) and Mary Perkins (1754-1798) Hardeman. He
studied Law at the University of Nashville and was admitted to the Bar of that
State. He married Rebecca Amanda F. Wilson 19 June 1820. They had five children.
Bailey had been active in the business world and for a time he and his brotherin-law, Glen Owen, operated an overland trading enterprise to Santa Fe, New
Mexico. The enterprise was successful in spite of their losing many of their horses
to the Comanches on one of their trips. Finally on one of their trips Glen Owen
was killed by the Comanches, and the trading venture was terminated.
Along with brothers Thomas J. and Peter and brother-in-law Glen Owen, Bailey
served in the War of 1812. Bailey rose from Private to Lieutenant in Capt. Ota
Cantrell's Company, Second Regiment of Mounted Gunmen, West Tennessee
Volunteers. After initial battles against the Indians, Bailey and the other Hardemans
and Owen all went to Louisiana with Gen. Andrew Jackson and fought under
him at the Battle of New Orleans.
He moved to Texas with the Hardeman contingent in October 1835, settling
in the Caney Creek region of the Matagorda Municipality. Shortly after his arrival in Matagorda, The General Council of the Provisional Government on
Novemeber 28, 1835, elected Bailey Hardeman, Jefferson George and Hamilton
C. Cook Commissioners to organize the militia for the Matagorda Municipality.
In December 1835 a group of Texans under the command of Stephen Austin and
later under Col. Edward Burleson attacked Gen. Martin Perfecto de Cos and his
Mexican Garrison at San Antonio. The Texans were sorely handicapped by a shortage of artillery. Bailey Hardeman, his nephew William P. Hardeman, Philip
Dimmitt and about twenty other Texans went to Dimmitt's Landing near the mouth
of the Lavaca River to procure an eighteen pound cannon which had been brought
there from Matagorda Pass. The cannon was procured, and the party proceeded
to San Antonio. Gen. Cos learned of the cannon and surrendered. One early
tragedy of the attack was the death of Col. Ben Milam who had led the attack.
Masons in the attacking force took Milam's body to the courtyard of the Veramendi
home (Juan de Veramendi was the father-in-law of James Bowie, and former Lt.
Governor of the State of Coahuila and Texas.) where he was given a masonic burial.
Then came an abrupt change in the military phase of Bailey's life. On 1 February
1836, he and Samuel Rhoads Fisher were elected to represent the Matagorda
Municipality in the Constitutional Convention to be held in Washington-on-theBrazos. Hardeman was seated at the Convention on March 1, and Edward Con12
rad, Refugio; George C. Childress of Milam, a lawyer; James Gaines, Sabine; Collin
McKinney, Red River; and Bailey Hardeman of Matagorda, lawyer, were appointed to draft a Declaration of Independence. This was completed and signed
by all on March 2, 1836.
A constitution was drawn up. On the evening of March 16th the Convention
received the sad news that the Alamo had fallen. With some increased action,
the executives were selected for the new Republic of Texas. David G. Burnet was
elected President; Lorenzo de Zavala was elected Vice President; Col. Samuel Carson was elected Secretary of State; Bailey Hardeman was elected Secretary of the
Treasury; Col. Thomas J. Rusk, Secretary of War; Robert Potter, Secretary of
the Navy; and David Thomas, Attorney General. General Sam Houston had
already been chosen unanimously to be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and
had left March 6 to join his command. A scout reported that Gen. Gaona's troops
of the Mexican Army were near at hand; so the new government had to move
on short notice. Many of the delegates joined Sam Houston and were able to participate at the Battle of San Jacinto. Others returned home to care for their families
and to assist them in trying to escape the Mexican Forces.
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna arrived in Texas with a large army much
sooner than anticipated. His troops had required little training; because of the
short time since they had been involved in the revolution in Zacatecas in 1835.
The opponents were largely civilian soldiers and they were easily crushed. Santa
Anna had over two thousand of them executed. So the bulk of the Mexican Army could be called trained and experienced. He planned a fast assault on the Texas
rebels. He left Mexico City 28 November 1835, reached Saltillo on 7 January 1836,
finished training his troops and moved into Texas 16 February and reached San
Antonio 23 February 1836. Santa Anna had over six thousand troops in his immediate command, and he sent two other forces across the border concurrently.
One of these was Gen. Urrea's Army which was to move along the coast, and
the other was a Brigade under Gen. Ramirez y Sesma who was on Santa Anna's
left flank. In his haste, Santa Anna made several logistical errors which plagued
him in Northern Mexico and in adjacent Texas. In the first place he made inadequate plans for re-supply, particularly of arms, ammunition, etc. Secondly he had
counted heavily on living off the land, but Sam Houston's scorched earth policy
along with the Texan's leavings in the so-called Run-A-Way Scrape left very little
to contribute to the feeding of such a large army as the Mexicans had fielded.
Thirdly, he was a victim of the terrain as many others had been before and many
others would be subsequently. A Mexican source (as quoted in "Great River" by
Horgan) expressed it well: "The main body was stretched out for miles, with
distances between the brigades that would take days to close. It was a miserable
march. The forces on leaving the Rio Grande had to cross hard brush wastelands
until they came to the Nueces River; and then the difficulties were created by a
succession of rivers that look on the map of Texas like veins, in the great half
of a leaf, all running more or less parallel, and separated at the edge, which was
13
the coast. Away from the rivers was little water to be had for so great an army.
Supply was complicated and the soldiers had to eat half rations. The country was
too poor to feed them as they went. At times it rained or snowed; wagons were
frequently mired. On other days the sun poured down its heat, and men and
animals suffered from thirst. Soldiers fell ill. . . . Many soldiers died and were
left in the wastes . . .".
In the fourth place there was a diminutive but very effective Texas Navy which
was successful in preventing any appreciable resupply of the Mexican Forces by sea.
Lastly, the importance of the sacrifices made at the Alamo played a huge role
in Texas final victory. The one-hundred eighty plus defenders delayed the advance
of Santa Anna's forces for twelve days, time which was vital to Sam Houston's
assembling an army capable of opposing the Mexican Army. In his final assaults
spanning five hours, Santa Anna used 4000 of his best troops including the Toluca
Battalion, his best, of 800 men. The defenders were all slain but at quite a cost.
The number vary from various sources but probably the most reliable report
was that of Senor Francisco Ruiz, Alcalde of San Antonio, who was given the
assignment of disposing of all the bodies. Alcalde Ruiz state positively that the
number of Texan bodies burned under his supervison was exactly 182. He stated
also that there was insufficient room to bury all the dead Mexicans; so many of
the corpses were placed in the San Antonio River. Most sources approximate 1600
Mexicans killed outright and with 500 being so seriously wounded as to need
to remain in San Antonio when the army moved forward. The Mexican losses
were even more qualitative than quantitative. The Battalion of Toluca, the assault
shock force of 800 men, lost 670 killed. The other units approximated a loss of
twenty-five percent of their force. Santa Anna won a great victory at the Alamo
on March 6, 1836; but Col. Juan N. Almonte, Santa Anna's aide and an educated
man and gentleman, probably expressed it best: Santa Anna paid too great a price
to gain his ground.
This and other Mexican Battles had their problems compounded by a great
lack of medical personnel and equipment. Some effort was made to compensate
for this lack by using all available Texas doctors. Such a program was used at
San Antonio but was most publicized at Goliad where four doctors and at least
four medical aides were spared execution so that they could care for the wounded Mexicans.
The business of government had to go on in spite of the chaotic situation in
Texas. When the convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos terminated abruptly
and most members either went to join Sam Houston or went to care for the evacuation of their families, the affairs of government were carried out by three members
of the Texas Government. They were Burnet, Hardeman and Rusk. The Convention adjourned on March 17, the enemy was advancing rapidly, and the Texas
Army was in full retreat. Burnet, Hardeman and Rusk were the last to leave
Washington-on-the-Brazos. They moved to Groce's Crossing. These three conducted the affairs of state from their saddle bags. Most documents were pre14
served, but somehow the original Constitution was lost. Some other members
of the Cabinet joined the Three for a time at Grace's Crossing. The next night the
government spent in the home of a widow Burnett. The next day the President and
his party arrived in Harrisburg and "put up" at the home of Widow Jane Harris.
Most of the Cabinet slept on the floor. The interim Government remained in Harrisburg from March 22 until April 13. (Santa Anna burned Mrs. Harris' home
when he arrived as retribution for her allowing the Government of Texas to function in her home.)
This Government-in-transit was far from being a figure-head. Help in personnel was requested from neighboring states. Loans were applied for, proclamations
went out to Texans helping them to find places of relative safety and a draft of
able bodied men was initiated. Burnet used a proclamation on the subject of
slavery: "The importation or admission of Africans or Negroes into this Repbulic,
excepting from the United States of America, is forever prohibited and declared
to be piracy, and whereas slave trade is equally revolting to the best feelings of
our nature and to the benign principles of the Christian faith, is equally destructive to national morality and to individual humanity."
About this time a gift from the City of Cincinnati, Ohio arrived. It was two
cannons (six pounders). They were delivered to Galveston and turned over to Sam
Houston. They played a central role in the soon to be fought Battle of San Jacinto.
When Santa Anna arrived in Harrisburg he was disappointed that he had failed
to catch the Texas Government; so he had the city burned and the printing press
thrown into the river. President Burnet had left Harrisburg on April 13 to check
on his family. He returned shortly and collected his Government at New
Washington on the Bay. This was a shipping point where persons and supplies
were being moved to Galveston Island as rapidly as possible. The evacuation of
the New Washington was abrupt because it was noted that the Mexicans were
close on them. Burnet, his family, some of his cabinet and their families were
loaded hastily on a boat and it was cast off. Well before the boat was out of range
of the Mexican rifles, a detachment of Mexican Cavalry was on the beach. Fortunately the Mexican Cavalry was under the command of Col. Juan N. Almonte
who again showed compassion by refusing to allow his troops to fire on the boat
because of the women and children aboard. The boat continued to Galveston.
Bailey Hardeman and his family were among the passengers.
In the immediate post San Jacinto Battle period, Santa Anna became quite
cooperative. He ordered the Mexican Forces in the field to fall back to Bexar —
they did better, they continued until they were across the Rio Grande. As some
of the Mexican commanders described the withdrawal, it was a nightmare — deep
mud, mired artillery and caissons inadequate food and other supplies, few
medicines, etc. Many supplies and not a few pieces of artillery had to be abandoned. Naturally Santa Anna signed any and all documents presented to him.
Initially it was intended to return him to Mexico without appreciable delay. Lorenzo
de Zavala and Bailey Hardeman were appointed Commissioners for the Republic
16
BAILEY HARDEMAN
17
of Texas to accompany Santa Anna on his return to Mexico. On June 1, 1836,
the Commissioners and Santa Anna and his retinue boarded the "Invincible" at
Velasco, but the sailing was delayed by protests from General Green and his
volunteers freshly arrived from the United States. The protesters reaffirmed their
desire that Santa Anna be executed. The "Invincible" did not sail. On June 3, the
combined party disembarked and Santa Anna was considered a prisoner again.
Santa Anna did not reach home for some months; and when he did, it was by
way of Washington, D.C. to be interviewed by President Andrew Jackson.
On September 24, 1836 in Matagorda County, Bailey Hardeman died of what
was called congestive fever. Most likely this was pneumonia. Two documents found
in the basement of the County Courthouse of Matagorda County described initial settlements and named his heirs. Each are Recorded as No. 23, Succession
of Bailey Hardeman. One concerns the naming of Rebecca as one of the heirs
and the other lists all the legal heirs. Quotes from the first include:
"Republic of Texas
County of Matagorda
Having examined the records and decrees of the Court of Probate in
relation to the Succession of Bailey Hardeman, Deed and having ascertained that every formality has been observed and performed which the
law requires in the premises to constitute Rebecca Hardeman as an heir;
and her children Sam Wilson, John, Catherine and Thomas, the only
legitimate children of the late Bailey Hardeman
it is
ordered
and decreed that the said Rebecca Hardeman be invested with full
authority to act as guardian and Administrix of the succession of Bailey
Hardeman, Deed, in all things.
— Town of Matadorda —
28th day of February 1837
IP m s m o r e
Silas Dins-manJudge of Probate
Witnesses
Joseph Clements
Jno. W McCamby"
The second record appoints Rebecca Hardeman as guardian to the children.
From it I quote:
l)\r\$>"or'<2"To the Honorable Silas Dmsjnan, Chief Justice for the County of
Matagorda and ex officio Judge of Probate.
The resident Rebecca Hardeman of the County of Matagorda — that
on or about the twenty fourth day of September last her husband Bailey
Hardeman late resident of this County died at his residence leaving considerable land and effects — and died without a will or Testament and
that your petitioner has children the lawful issue of her said husband
deceased viz (?) Samuel aged fifteen years, John aged thirteen, Catherine
aged eight years and Thomas aged six years are the only children and
18
descendents of the said deceased and that your petitioner and her children
are the Legal Representatives by right of Blood and intestate succession
of the Estate of the Deceased before named. —
We pray justice.
Rebecca Hardeman
Matagorda February 28th 1837"
The final settlement of the Estate of Bailey Hardeman, deceased was filed in
the County Courthouse of Williamson County, Tennessee on July 2nd, 1841 (Will
Book 7, pages 452-455).
Initially Bailey Hardeman was interred in Matagorda County; however in 1936
as part of the Centennial Observations of Texas, his body was exhumed and reinterred in the State Cemetery in Austin on August 20,1936. Hardeman County, Texas
was named for the Hardeman brothers, Thomas J. and Bailey.
Bailey's older brother, Peter (1784-1820) died in 1820. Bailey was appointed
guardian of Peter's only son, Franklin. Franklin and his wife accompanied Bailey
and the rest of the Hardemans to Texas in the fall of 1835. Seemingly he did not
like Texas; so he moved back to Tennessee and remained there. Records place him
back in Williamson County, Tennessee prior to June 3,1838. Coincidentally with
Franklin's move back to Tennessee or very shortly thereafter, at least two of Bailey's
sons temporarily lived with Franklin for the purpose of furthering their education. Rebecca's letters identify Samuel Wilson and John Hardeman as being her
sons living with Franklin. One or two of her other children may have joined
Franklin also, but no definite evidence of such has been found.
Samuel Wilson Hardeman was born March 23, 1821, attended the University
of Nashville for about three years and then returned to Matagorda County to
take over his share of the family estate. He lived there for the rest of his life. He
married a cousin, Sally Ann Hardeman, daughter of D. Hardeman (appendix A
18) in Brazoria County February 20, 1849. Deed Records G of Matagorda County, Texas showed that Rebecca A. Hardeman transferred "equal and undivided
half of a certain tract or parcel of land with the improvements privileges and appurtenances thereunto belongings situated on Caney in said County half of the
league originally granted to Burnett and Sojourner and the same on which I am
residing — also the following slaves —". This was dated February 11, 1848 and
signed by Rebecca A. Hardeman. The property was to Sam.
Sam W. Hardeman was a mason. He served in the Confederate Army in The
Caney Rifles, Mounted Company, 22nd Brigade. He enlisted as a private in June
1861 but was made Company Commander August 21, 1861.
Sam died January 2,1883 in Matagorda County. Both he and his wife are buried
in the Hardeman Cemetery near Van Vleck, Matagorda County, Texas. His grave
marker shows a masonic emblem.
James Power in speaking of Bailey Hardeman's appearance at the Convention
at Washington-on-the-Brazos said: "Mr. Hardeman may not be termed a brilliant
man, but he was a man of good intellect, sterling character and enthusiasm. I
19
am among the few who knew him, although his reputation for loyalty to the cause
of the Colonists was known to many, and he was by no means a stranger. He
made no effort to push himself to the front during the deliberations of the Convention, neverthelesss, his talents and worth were soon recognized. He was appointed on the Committee to draft the Declaration of Independence and to frame
a Constitution for the new Government about to be organized. These honors were
not sought by him but were honors sought by many of the delegates."
"After the Constitution was presented and adopted", said Colonel Stephen W.
Blount, "Mr. Hardeman expressed a desire to at once return to the Army, but
he was prevailed upon to remain in Washington until the labors of the Convention had been concluded, and he was elected Secretary of the Treasury in Mr.
Burnet's Cabinet. When his name was presented for this position he was greatly
surprised, and when his election was announced he showed emotions of gratitude."
Bailey was elected by a unanimous vote.
20
CHAPTER 3
Thomas Jones Hardeman
Thomas Jones Hardeman was born in Davidson County, Tennessee 31 January
1788, son of Thomas (1750-1833) and Mary Hardin Perkins (1754-1798). Early
in life he and the family moved to middle Tennessee and lived about three miles
from Nashville. Little is known of his early life and training, but it is known that
he studied law and followed that profession. In the War of 1812 he served as
a Lieutenant in Capt. Glen Owen's Company of Mounted Gunmen in the Indian
Campaign in Tennessee. (Glen Owen married Thomas J. Hardeman's sister,
Elizabeth.) Then General Andrew Jackson took his neighbors, Thomas J., Bailey
and Peter, as well as their brother-in-law Glen Owen with him to New Orleans.
In the preliminary skirmishes before the main battle, Thomas J. Hardeman and
Glen Owen were part of a flanking attack on the British Troops. This involved
wading through swamps to attain surprise. The attacking unit was mauled but
was successful in that it threw the British off balance and disorganized them. Their
taking time to regroup gave Gen. Jackson time to complete the defense of this
position before New Orleans. In the diversionary attack; however, Thomas Jones
Hardeman and Glen Owen were captured. Initially both of their families were
notified that Thomas J. and Glen had been killed in action. Several weeks passed
before the report could be corrected. In the meantime Capt. Thomas J. Hardeman
had been intensively interrogated by the British in their attempt to extract information from him concerning the defensive dispositions of the American troops.
He steadfastly refused to give such information so that finally one of the British
Generals beat him over the head with his saber. When it came, the massive British
attack was carried out in the continental frontal maneuver method. This was ineffective against the bales of cotton defenses behind which were the sharpshooting
Tennesseans with their long rifles. The British were defeated overwhelmingly and
many were killed including their Commanding General Packinham.
In 1823, Thomas J. Hardeman helped form Hardeman County, Tennessee (It
was named for him.) and was its first County Clerk. He served in this office for
ten years. (NOTE: One of his County Commissioners was a James Fentress. James
studied medicine, became a doctor, married Thomas J.'s daughter, Mary Ophelia,
and came to Texas with the Hardeman "migration" in 1835.) The story is told in
the City of Bolivar in Hardeman County, Tennessee that Thomas J. became interested in freemasonry while he was a prisoner of the British. It is said that he
was favorably impressed with the care which brother mason prisoners of war gave
to each other. Probably also he was somewhat influenced by the fact that his
father and at least one uncle were masons. He decided that there should be a
masonic lodge in Bolivar; so he, Carter C. Collier and John L. Bills obtained a
dispensation to: "Open a Lodge of the Ancient York Masons" at Bolivar. This
became Clinton Lodge Number 54.
21
In 1835 the old Hardeman urge to move on was in full ferment. In addition
the Mexican territory of Texas offered special challenges as well as unique opportunities. A special appeal of a people seeking freedom from tyrany was strong.
Then Thomas J.'s wife, Mary Ophelia Polk, died 24 September 1835. Thomas
J., his four sons, his daughter and their families became part of the twenty-five
Hardemans who moved to Texas in late 1835..First they went to the Caney Creek
region of the Matagorda Territory of Texas. They arrived just in time to participate
in the Texas Revolution in force. After Texas had won her independence the
Hardemans began to spread over central Texas. On 26 October 1837 in Houston,
Texas Thomas J. Hardeman married Mrs. Eliza De Witt Hamilton Davis, daughter
of Empresario Green De Witt.
Thomas J. Hardeman represented Matagorda County in the Second Congress
of the Republic of Texas. He moved to Bastrop where he represented Bastrop County in the Second Legislature of the State of Texas and Travis County in the Third
Legislature of the State of Texas. .In Bastrop County, he was elected Associate
Justice on 6 February 1843 and Chief Justice of Bastrop County on 27 February
1845. Thomas J. Hardeman served at least two terms as President of The Colorado Navigation Company. He is mentioned in occasional records in Caldwell
County, Texas, in which county four of his sons and one daughter settled after the
Texas Revolution. He was especially active in masonic work and had had a leading
role in masonry in Tennessee. Immediately after the Texas Revolution he and a
few others took steps as Charter Members to establish a Masonic Grand Lodge
of Texas. (Refer to chapter on masonry.) He served in several offices of the Grand
Lodge and was Grand Master for the year 1850-1851. He so loved masonry that
when he built a new home three miles up the Colorado River from Smithville,
Texas, the first floor was his home and the second floor was a masonic lodge.
His youngest granddaughter, Mrs. Laura B. Williams, of San Marcos described
the home: "All the lumber in the old home was sawed and dressed by hand. It
was all cut off the land here, with the exception of the hard wood floors, which
were shipped by boat to Matagorda Bay and brought from there by ox wagons..."
NOTE: Both of Thomas J. Hardeman's wives were from prominent families.
His first wife, Mary Ophelia Polk, daugther of Col. Ezekiel Polk and Mary Wilson
was born 6 April 1785. She was the Aunt of James Knox Polk who became the
eleventh President of the United States of America.
Wife number two was Eliza De Witt, daughter of Empresario Green De Witt.
She first married Thomas Hamilton 22 May 1830 in Gonzales County. He died
before 1831. Then she married James C. Davis, Alcade of Gonzales, Texas. He
was killed by the Indians less than a year after their marriage.
Thomas Jones Hardeman died at his home on the Colorado River three miles
above Smithville, Texas on 15 January 1854. He was interred there; but in observation of the Texas Centennial, his body was exhumed and reburied in the State
Cemetery in Austin on 18 June 1937. It rests there with his brother Bailey
Hardeman and his son Gen. William Polk Hardeman.
22
Excerpts from the last speech of Grand Master Thomas J. Hardeman of the
Grand Lodge (Masonic) of Texas are as follows: "Bastrop, Texas January 12, 1851
— Brethren, I sincerely regret that the state of my health at present forbids me
from attempting to undertake the journey at this season of the year to meet with
you at the Annual Communication. — Nothing could have been more gratifying
to me, after the flattering compliment paid me by elevating me to my present office, than to have met you; and I fully intended to have done so, until very recently, when exposure to inclement weather has rendered me unable to leave home,
and I am further admonished by my advanced years that my work will soon have
to be brought to a close in these temples of mortality, in which I have endeavored
to labor with zeal and fervency almost to the limit of threescore years and ten,
and to leave, to those who may follow, the principles of an Order whose blessings have extended and been felt over the whole world; and if more talent and
ability abound in your councils than is possessed by your humble Brother, none
can lay his hand upon his breast and say that he has been either more zealous
or ardent..."
Thomas J. Hardeman
Freemasonry in Texas
Freemasonry entered Texas from Mexico as well as from the United States. Mexico had posed special problems to freemasonry. In the first place the old feud
between freemasonry and the Roman Catholic Church extending back to the days
of the Inquisition was still quite apparent in Spanish Mexico and Indepedent Mexico. Interestingly enough this did not prevent membership in masonry for many
highly placed Mexicans and some priests. An outstanding example of this was
the membership of Father Miguel Hidalgo y Castillo. He led the first revolution
of Mexico against Spain. For a time his revolution enjoyed encouraging results;
but eventually he was defeated, captured, betrayed and placed before the firing
squad. Mexico did gain her independence in 1821. Increasing activity of
freemasonry in Mexico stimulated the Catholic Church to pressure the Mexican
legislature to outlaw freemasonry in Mexico. This they did in 1828. Following
this the identity of individual lodges became less distinct, but many prominent
Mexicans made no attempt to conceal their membership. On three occasions, San
Felipe, Nacogdoches and St. Augustine had small groups of masons in the state
of Coahuela-Texas apply for dispensation to form a lodge. One application was
sent to the Grand Lodge of Mexico City. This application was not answered. The
second attempt was to petition the Grand Lodge of Monterrey, but its precise address was not found.
Then in a wild peach orchard near Brazoria on a day in March 1834 a group
of Master Masons, John H. Wharton, Asa Brigham, James A. E. Phelps, Alexander Russell and Anson Jones initiated a masonic lodge. They were joined shortly
by J. P. Caldwell. The six brethren applied to the Grand Lodge of Louisiana for
a Dispensation "to form and open a Lodge, to be called Holland Lodge, in honor
23
of the M. W G. Master of that body, J. H. Holland." The application was signed
also by W Q C. Hall. The officers named were W. M. Anson Jones, S. W Asa
Brigham, J.W. J.P. Caldwell. The Dispensation was granted and Holland Lodge
#36, U.D. was instituted and opened at Brazoria on 27 December 1835 in the second story of the court house. James Fannin was an early member of the Lodge.
With the onset of hostilities, Brazoria was abandoned in March. General Urrea
arrived so early that preparations were incomplete and the Lodge records, jewels
and books were taken and never heard from again. Several of the Brazoria Masonic
Brothers joined General Sam Houston's forces. In the mean time the Grand Lodge
of Louisiana had issued a Charter for Holland Lodge #36. This was brought to
Texas by Brother John M. Allen. On the eve of the Battle of San Jacinto Allen
turned the Charter over to Dr. Anson Jones. These documents rode out the Battle of San Jacinto in Dr. Jones saddle bags. As a result of disruptions and deaths
of members, including Brother James Fannin, no attempt was ever made to reopen
Holland Lodge #36 in Brazoria, instead it was reopened in Houston, Texas in October 1837. (After formation of the Grand Lodge of Texas, it became Holland
Lodge #1, A.F. & A.M.)
An interesting story is told concerning one John Gillespie, a native of Ireland.
He was an adventurer and traveler. He found himself in a prison in Mexico. He
was tried by a court, sentenced to death and marched to a cemetery. As he kneeled
blindfolded at the head of the grave which he had dug, in desperation he gave
the signal of a mason in distress. Fortunately for him the officer in charge of the
firing squad was a mason. The execution was halted, the firing squad dismissed,
Gillespie was untied, the officer told him how to escape and gave him some money.
Gillespie settled in San Augustine where he established a masonic lodge. He hand
carried the petition to New Orleans where on 13 August 1837 he presented it to
the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. He secured the Dispensation, returned to San
Augustine and Organized McFarland Lodge #41. The Charter was dated 22
September 1837, the same date as that of Milam Lodge #40 at Nacogdoches.
These three Lodges decided to form a Grand Lodge of Texas. On 20 December
1837, their representatives met in Houston and initiated the process. The Convention elected Dr. Anson Jones as the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge
of Texas, a committee was appointed to draw up a Constitution, and the first
meeting of the Grand Lodge of Texas was called to meet in Houston on 16 April
1838 at which time the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana was ended.
Charter members of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas were:
Bache, Richard
Fitchett, Daniel T.
Black, John E.
Fowler, Littleton
Burton, Isaac W
Gray, William F.
Cook, William G.
Gregg, Darius
Dart, Christopher
Hardeman, Thomas J.
Douglas, Kelsey H.
Houston, Samuel
Ewing, Alexander
Jones, Anson
24
Fisher, George
Matthews, Henry
Millard, Henry
Taylor, Charles S.
Neil, Andrew
Tucker, Edmund
Rusk, Thomas J.
Underwood, W. L.
Shea, John
Western, Thomas G.
Sterne, Adolphus
Wright, Jefferson
(Thomas Jones Hardeman served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas
for the year 1851. He held several other offices and assignments over the years. His
son, Thomas Monroe Hardeman, served a term as Marshall of the Grand Lodge
and his nephew, William Nichols Hardeman served as a representative.)
The battles and skirmishes of the Texas Revolution included many masons as
did the casualty lists.
The Lexington of Texas, Battle of Gonzales, included several masons, one of
whom was Thomas Monroe Hardeman, newly arrived from Tennessee. William
Polk Hardeman and Master Mason Phillip Dimmitt with a small group of Texans secured an eighteen pound cannon which was at Dimmitt's Point and took
it to San Antonio to help in the ejection of Mexican General Cos and his garrison. In the Battle of San Antonio, sixty-four masons have been identified. The
better known of these included Stephen F. Austin, James Bowie, Edward Burleson,
John Cameron, George W. Davis, James W. Fannin, Darius Gregg, William P.
Hardeman, Thomas S. Lubbock, Benjamin R. Milam, Juan Seguin, Noah
Smithwick, etc.
Ben Milam was killed early in the attack on San Antonio. His brother Master
Masons buried him in a masonic and military Rite in the grounds of the home
of Juan De Veramendi, former governor of Mexican Texas and father-in-law of
James Bowie.
On 20 December 1835, the citizens of Goliad ratified and ninety-one signed
the Goliad Declaration of Independence. Masons signing this document were Ira
Ingram, William C. Hill, William E. Howth, Dugald McFarlane, J. M. J. Carbajal, Thomas Hanson and John Johnson.
In the Battle of the Alamo not a single defender survived. Masons among the
slain included John C. Clark, Lt. Almaron Dickenson, Col. William B. Travis, James
Bonham, Col. James Bowie and David Crockett. Mexican citizens of San Antonio
friendly to Texans were disturbed by Santa Anna's directive to kill all defenders.
Ramon Musquiz, political chief and a known mason, and his wife were close friends
of the Almaron Dickensons. Musquiz and his wife pleaded with Santa Anna to
spare Suzanna Dickenson and her fifteen month old baby who were in the Alamo.
It is said that when Dickenson realized that the fall of the Alamo was imminent
he took his masonic apron to his wife and instructed her to drape it over her and
the child. After the Texans had been slain, General Manuel F. Castrillon, a member
of Victoria sobre Zempala #87, found her and conducted her to safety.
Col. Jam'.'s Fannin, a member of Holland Masonic Lodge #36, and his ill-fated
command were defeated near Goliad (Battle of Coleto), surrendered and were ex25
ecuted on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1835 on order of Gen. Santa Anna. Col. Jose
Nicolas de la Portilla received the execution orders. He was a mason and tried
to evade Santa Anna's odious orders but was pressed to carry them out. He did
so but spared all whom he could on technicalities. Thus medical personnel were
spared to "care for Mexican wounded", Major William P. Miller who was captured on landing and did not engage in any combat was spared as were the members of his command, and a few were spared on other technicalities. Of the three
hundred fifty-seven marched out for execution, twenty-seven escaped. Two
masons, Col. James W Fannin and Abishai Dickson were among those executed.
Eight masons, J. H. Callahan, A. C. Horton, J. C. F. Kenneymore, William H.
Magee, A. H. Osburn, Richard Rutledge, John S. Thorn and B. H. Holland
escaped. Two other masons, W. P. Miller and Fred P. Collins were sent to
Matamoros as prisoners.
During this same period of time, Texans were meeting to declare Texas Independence. This Convention assembled at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March
1, 1836. Of the fifty-nine Delegates, twenty were masons. A committee of five
was appointed to draw up the Declaration of Independence. The Committee was
made up of George Campbell Childress, James Gaines, Bailey Hardeman*, Edward Conrad and Collin McKinney. Gaines was known to be a mason, and it
is thought likely that both Childress and Hardeman were. Proof, however, is
lacking.
The Declaration was signed March 2, 1836, a Constitution was drawn up and
officers were elected. Bailey Hardeman was elected the first Secretary of the
Treasury. On 4 March, Sam Houston was elected Commander-in-Chief of all land
forces. On 6 March he left for Gonzales to take command of his forces.
On the afternoon of 21 April 1836, General Sam Houston gave the order to
attack and, the Battle of San Jacinto was fought, Santa Anna and his forces were
crushed, and the Republic of Texas actually existed. The triumphant Texas Forces
included one hundred sixty-one masons, among whom were Edward Burleson,
John Gillespie, Thomas M. Hardeman, Samuel Houston, Anson Jones, George W.
Jones, Robert J.C.J. Kleberg, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Antonio Menchaca, Thomas
J. Rusk, Juan N. Seguin, John A. Wharton, etc. Santa Anna fled the field but
was taken the next day by two masons, James S. Sylvester and Joel W. Robinson.
Santa Anna was not recognized initially because he had changed into the uniform
of a common soldier. He was identified as he and his captors neared the wounded Sam Houston. An outcry arose for his blood. Most witnesses stated that Santa Anna "filled the air with masonic distress signs". He, as well as his aide Col.
Juan N. Almonte, were masons also. Santa Anna was spared, not because he was
a mason but because it was the wise thing to do politically. Santa Anna, however,
was guarded predominently by mason including John A. Wharton, Dr. James
A. E. Phelps, Richard Bache, A.EC. Johnson, O C . Phelps, etc.
As the Republic of Texas was born and became more and more involved in
organization, masonic influence was quite evident. In the first place every presi26
dent and every vice president of the Republic of Texas was a mason. Many of
the Congresses had a majority of masons in their membership. Emphasis on public
education was instituted early. Individual masonic lodges usually sponsored the
establishment of grade level schools within the individual communities. Many
of these schools were located on the first floor of masonic lodges and at times
the concerned masonic lodge furnished or employed the teachers. Many small
town churches made their start on the first floor of a masonic lodge.
Three universities were provided for early. The first school in Texas established
to be a university was provided by the people of San Augustine County and a
charter granted 5 June 1837. In 1845, Edward W. Taylor, a member of Holland
Lodge #1, bought the property and donated it to the newly chartered Baylor
University which opened in 1846. The third school incorporated was Washington
College in Washington County. This last university never became a reality.
* Note: James David Carter, in his excellent book "Masonry in Texas" states that
he thought both Childress and Bailey Hardeman were most likely masons, but
confused records in the Texas of that period plus destroyed Tennessee records
in the Civil War may have hidden both. Both came from prominent masonic families. Hardeman's father, uncles, brother, nephew, etc. were masons.
For the local schools as well as for the universities the masonic policy has been
free choice public education, as contrasted to church directed schools. This concept is of long duration. Emperor Frederick The Great, who became a mason 14
August 1738, is credited with development of the concept of public education.
Miguel Ramos de Arispe was one of a group of five Mexican masons who requested a charter from the Mexican Government in 1825 to establish a system
of Public Education. His charter was not granted. Father Hidalgo espoused the
same cause but was executed as a revolutionary. (Two early Americans, Benjamin
Franklin — Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and George
Washington — prominent mason — openly advocated public education as early
as 1753.) State supported free public schools were advocated by three French
masons, Mirabeau, Tallyrand and Condorcet.
The brotherhood of freemasonry has continued with special emphasis for support of brother masons and their families. In addition masonry has taken on other
highly commendable projects such as burns hospitals, childrens hospitals, orthopedic hospitals, eye institutions, orphanages, etc. all operated by the various
masonic components and free to all the public with no regard as to race, religion,
age, sex, masonic affiliation, etc.
Since one chief goal of this book is the accounting of the Tennessee Hardemans
and their role in early Texas history, one local masonic lodge especially related
to the Hardemans will be discussed briefly. This is Hardeman Lodge #179 A.F.
& A.M. Hardeman Lodge #179 was named for Thomas Jones Hardeman
1788-1854, a Charter Member of the Grand Lodge of Texas and its Grand Master
27
in 1851. Dispensation to form a lodge, Hardeman Lodge at Webber's Prairie, Travis
County, Texas was given 8 August 1851. The new lodge found itself in jurisdictional differences with two neighboring lodges. The dispensation was withdrawn.
Then a lodge was organized at Plum Creek (Post Office), Texas in the unincorporated community of Atlanta, Caldwell County, Texas. It was designated as
Hardeman Lodge #179 and organized 11 September 1855 under the leadership
of Texas Grand Master George W. Hagy. W. D. Foy was installed as Master of
the Lodge. Two other masonic lodges were present in Caldwell County, Lockhart
Lodge #59 and Prairie Lea Lodge #114. Hardeman members of Lodge #179 included Thomas Monroe, John B. and William P. who served two terms as Master.
On 1 January 1862, the Lodge closed for the duration of the Civil War. The
Lodge was reopened March 1866 under the leadership of Len Barnett. The
Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad (Later the Southern Pacific R.R.)
came to Caldwell County in 1874 and Luling, Texas was born. The community
of Atlanta moved to Luling. On 5 September 1874 the Hardeman Lodge passed
a motion to move the Lodge to Luling. On 3 July 1875, the Hardeman Lodge #179
moved to Luling where it has remained.
28
CHAPTER 4
Thomas Monroe Hardeman
Thomas Monroe Hardeman, son of Thomas Jones Hardeman (1788-1854) and
Mary Ophelia Polk (1785-1835) was born 1814 in Hardeman County Tennessee.
He died 14 September 1861 near Knoxville, Tennessee, a Major in General John
B. Hood's Texas Brigade, CSA.
Thomas was a graduate of the University of Nashville, Tennessee. In late 1835
he was one of the twenty-five Hardemans moving from Hardeman County, Tennessee to Texas. They traveled to the Mississppi River, then down that river to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From that point travel was overland to the Caney Creek
Region of the Matagorda Community of Texas. Seemingly the whole party went
to Matagorda first and then slowly moved to other parts of Central and East Texas.
Dr. Blackstone and his family moved to East Texas early but after a time were
found in Central Texas again.
Perhaps it is well to review the situation in Texas at the time that the Hardemans
arrived. Colonial Texas, that is Texas under the influence of the Empresarios, was
largely loyal to Spain and then Mexico except on the question of mandatory Roman
Catholicism. Texas even supported the Mexican Revolution and was represented
in the Constituent Congress of Mexico that formed the Constitution of 1824. After
a short time the Mexican Governnment was changed rather abruptly, the Constitution was thrown out, a centralized government was established and the rights
of Texas annihilated. In an attempt to establish a Legislature for Coahuila and
Texas, Texas held her first strictly Revolutionary Meeting in Texas on 13 October
1834. This disturbed Santa Anna who had set himself up as dictator of Mexico;
so he sent his brother-in-law General Cos to reinforce Ugartechea who was in
command in San Antonio. Cos landed at Copano Bay with 400 men and marched by way of Goliad to San Antonio. He openly proclaimed that his objectives
were to overrun Texas, to establish custom houses and military garrisons whereever he desired, to disarm the people, to drive out all Americans who had come
into Texas since 1830 and to punish those who had insulted the Supreme Government of Mexico and refused obedience to its laws. Lorenzo de Zavala, himself
a Mexican National urged open opposition to the unacceptable orders. It was felt
that war was inevitable and the Communities were advised to establish militias.
During this time there had been a large influx of Indians into Texas from the
United States. The citizens in De Witt's settlement had, in 1831, been furnished
a brass six-pound cannon at Gonzales, Texas to help them fight off the Indians.
Col. Ugartechea, under orders from Gen. Cos, sent Capt. Castaneda and 200
troops to go to Gonzales, take the cannon and disarm the citizens there. The citizens
of Gonzales elected to resist Castaneda's orders, and to delay his actions for a
few days to give them time to send for help. Matthew Caldwell was sent to solicit
volunteers, the ferry boat across the Guadalupe River was concealed, and the
29
cannon buried in George W Davis' peach orchard. They had only eighteen men.
Within 48 hours Matthew Caldwell returned with help. The cannon was dug up
and remounted and the Texans prepared to fight. In the early evening of October
1, 1835, the Gonzales men crossed the Guadalupe River and were formed for attack. At about 4 a.m. the two forces were in a position of confrontation. Castaneda
asked for a conference and it was granted, the leaders meeting between opposing
lines. Castaneda stated his case and insisted that the cannon be surrendered to
him. Col. Moore and Lt. Wallace rejected his demands and then pointed to the
cannon and said "COME AND TAKE IT". The Texans charged the Mexican lines
and the Mexicans retreated toward San Antonio. The Mexicans were said to have
sustained considerable losses while the Texans had no casualties. The Battle of
Gonzales was fought October 2,1835 and has been called the Lexington of Texas.
(NOTE: Thomas Monroe Hardeman, freshly arrived from Tennessee was one of
those responding to Matthew Caldwell's call for help. He did participate in the
battle.)
General Cos reacted to these events by heavily fortifying San Antonio and
preparing for combat. He did not have long to wait. On October 27 a division
of 92 men under the command of Col. James Bowie and Col. James Fannin arrived. After a preliminary reconnaissance, they attacked the old Mission of Concepcion, and after a brisk fight which cost the enemy about 100 casualties they
took the mission. They also captured a cannon. About November 1st a siege was
established around San Antonio. The reinforced Texas Army was commanded
by Stephen F. Austin and later by Edward Burleson. The Texas forces were sorely
handicapped by the numerical superiority of the Mexican artillery. The siege slowed
and some volunteers returned home. At this point Capt. Philip Dimmitt and a
group of about 20 including Bailey Hardeman and William P. Hardeman went
to Dimmitt's Point near Lavaca and procured an 18 pound cannon which was there.
They started to San Antonio with it. Cos learned of the cannon's impending arrival and surrendered. He was extended the courtesies of War, his men were allowed
to keep their arms and he swore never to return to Texas. (NOTE: His withdrawal
stopped when he crossed the Rio Grande; and when Santa Anna arrived at the
river, he rejoined Santa Anna and returned to fight the Texans.) (NOTE: Santa
Anna stormed the Alamo by force, killed all the defenders, occupied all of San
Antonio and hastened to conquer all of Texas. The Alamo story is told in the
section on Bailey Hardeman.)
In early March 1836 the Hardeman brothers, Thomas Monroe and William
Polk, elected to join a group who had decided to reinforce the garrison of the
Alamo. As they approached San Antonio on the Gonzales road, they encountered
a large force of Mexican Cavalry. They were in a precarious situation and finally
had to abandon their horses and seek shelter in the thick brush. The Texans were
afoot, were without food and without shelter of any type. They walked for five
days, sleeping on the ground and being subjected to adverse weather without protection. When they reached friends, William was quite ill and was incapacitated
30
for several days. Monroe joined Sam Houston's force (Capt. William Heard's Company) and remained with him in the history making Battle of San Jacinto. (NOTE:
The would be reinforcing group confronted the Mexican Cavalry on March 5.
The Alamo fell on the morning of March 6, 1836.)
The end of the Texas Revolution did not mean Texas was actually rid of Mexican rule. Santa Anna signed treaties to the effect that Texas was free, but the
Mexican Government promptly repudiated them. Mexico made repeated attempts
to retake Texas. Some of these attempts were made by Mexican Military invasions, many more were Mexican sponsored attacks of Indians on all Texans from
isolated farmers working their crops to attacks on settlements. The Indians never
needed much provocation to attack single or grouped whites.
The Texas of 1836 was not very well organized. For practical purposes the
western border of Texas could be said to be a rough line extending from Austin
to San Antonio to Goliad. The huge territory from this line to the Rio Grande
was largely a no-man's-land. The land north — as well as south — of the Rio
Grande was arid to semi-arid and inhospitable at best. Its population was made
up of several tribes of hostile Indians, bandits, Mexican guerrillas and a few escaped
slaves. Mexico continued to claim all of Texas until after the Mexican War with
the United States, but established no forts or military encampments north of the
Rio Grande. The Republic of Texas made no real attempt to organize this territory either. In the first place the population of Texas was much too small to
try and settle the region. This region was so wild that communications were almost
non-existant. On a few occasions, Mexican armies invaded Texas and were to San
Antonio before the Government of Texas knew that they were in Texas.
Obviously Texas could not afford a large enough standing army to protect the
Austin-San Antonio-Goliad line; so a new method of protection was estabished.
This was provided by the Texas Rangers. They are discussed elsewhere but their
chief premise was that the widely spaced ranger units would intercept or find trails
to alert them of the presence of the enemy. If the group appeared too large,
volunteers were requested. Every settler considered himself a volunteer for ranger
duty if such duty was requested. Some of the rangers were career-men but most
enlisted for set terms of duty. In the overall ranger system they were quite effective. Naturally there were many times that groups of Indians would slip into the
territory east of the above nebulous line and kill, steal or burn. Quite often, too,
they were intercepted and severely punished. There was nothing to prevent travelers
or adventurers from entering the unsettled area of Texas but they risked increased
danger if they did so.
As early as late 1836, the Mexican Government was arming Indians and provoking them to attack the Texans. Even the Cherokees who resided largely in the
northern portion of East Texas made trips to Matamoros to obtain arms and ammunition to fight the Texans. One of the chief provocateurs of Mexico in Texas
was one Vicente Cordova who lived in the Nacogdoches area and once was prominent in the affairs of the town. He and a few other dissidents of the area became
31
affiliated with the Mexican Cause. General Valentin Canalazo of the Mexican Army
in the Northern Mexico styled Cordova as the "Commander of the Mexican
Forces in Texas". Mexico ordered Cordova to establish a program of intensive
harassment against the Texans. This was followed in the summer of 1837 by a
meeting in Matamoros by representatives of the Cherokees with the Mexican
authorities. The Cherokees and ten lesser neighboring Indian Tribes plus
discontented Mexicans in the Nacogdoches area were to make numerous attacks
on the northern Texans and tie up and immobilize them while Mexican General
Canalazo were to attack southern Texas with 5000 Mexican troops. (It is somewhat
surprising that the Cherokees allowed themselves to become involved in this venture; because of all the Indian tribes in Texas, their relationships with the white
was probably the best. In addition the Cherokees had a staunch friend in General
Sam Houston, who had lived with Cherokees in Tennessee for a short period of
his life. He supported them on many occasions.) The Indian allies were even promised specific territories for their part in the campaign. They were to have the
territory north of a line from San Antonio de Bexar, to the junction of the San
Marcos River with the Guadalupe and thence along the San Marcos to its source.
(This whole affair is known in Texas History as the Cordova incident or the Cordova Rebellion.) Cordova wrote Manuel Flores in July 1838 telling of the plans.
Flores was the Mexican Commissioned agent for the Indians. Cordova instructed
immediate attack if any complications arose.
On May 29 Vicente Cordova, along with Don Pedro Julian Miracle and a force
of seventy two-persons, Indian and Mexican moved north. The party split with
one detachment accompanying Miracle and the rest following Cordova. Miracle's
party was joined by Manuel Flores. They crossed the San Antonio, Guadalupe
and Colorado Rivers. About August 20 Miracle was killed near Cross Timbers
on the Red River. On his body was found the instructions from Mexican General
Filasola to the conspiring Indian Tribes; so the Texans learned of the plot. In the
mean time, domestic situations resulted in the Mexican Armies inability to send
any sizeable force into Texas. A series of minor battles between Texans and Indians resulted in some scattering of the Indians. After a few months Cordova's
effective force consisted of fifty-three Mexicans, six Biloxi Indians and five negroes.
They were on the upper Trinity River in March 1839 and decided to move slowly
to Mexico. Their trail was found on March 25, and the alarm sounded. General
Burleson led the attack group. A deserter from Cordova's force named W. L.
Robison, joined Burleson's group. Cordova's Force was engaged on March 28 about
six miles from Seguin in Guadalupe County. (Cordova was planning an attack
on Seguin that night.) As the battle developed, one of Burleson's men, Dr. James
Fentress (husband of Mary Ophelia Hardeman), a marksman from Tennessee,
delayed his involvement in the battle, took Robison aside and asked him to point
out Cordova. After a short time he was able to do so, Dr. Fentress squeezed
off a shot, severely wounding Cordova. This ended the fight and the renegades
started withdrawing. They were pursued until the onset of night stopped them.
32
Cordova's force had over 30 of their members killed, an unknown number wounded and nineteen captured. The Texans had none killed, but several were wounded. Cordova continued to flee, using evasive tactics, until he reached the sanctuary of Mexico.
The Flores Incident
About six weeks after Cordova and his force had been chased out of Texas,
Manuel Flores, who had worked with Cordova earlier, brought a load of arms
and ammunition for Indian distribution. His party consisted of thirteen Mexicans
and eleven Indians. On May 14, the Flores party crossed the road between Seguin
and San Antonio, but their presence was detected because some of the party committed some murders in the area. Col. Edward Burleson was notified, and he made
a call for volunteers and obtained some two hundred. While they were in
pursuit of the enemy, a small number of Texans under the command of Captain
Andrews chanced upon the invaders and engaged them in combat. As the Mexican party retreated, they would stop and counter attack from time to time. During one of these counter attacks, Flores was shot dead and his party fled, leaving
all the supplies which they had intended for the Indians. With this second involvement of the Cherokees, President Lamar and his cabinet decided to take
punitive action against the Cherokees, and they were driven out of Texas.
The Battle of Plum Creek
In 1840, meetings were held between the Texans and certain Comanche Chieftans in regards to the release of whites held in bondage by the Indians. A meeting
was scheduled in San Antonio to receive the prisoners. The Indians arrived in
San Antonio March 19, 1840 and gathered in the courthouse. About twelve chiefs
represented the Comanches; however the Indians brought only one captive,
Matilda Lockhart, and a few Mexican captives. The Indians were told that they
must release all their captives. The Indians stated that this was all which they
had. It was known that this was not true and even Miss Lockhart stated that there
were many others. An argument ensued and a general fight resulted. Even the
squaws participated. Seven Texans were killed and eight wounded. Nearly all the
Indians were killed but a few were spared to send orders to bring in the rest of
the prisoners. This incident was known as The Council House Fight. This incident was a precipitating factor for a massive Indian assault in the near future.
A huge force of Comanches probably numbering around a thousand launched
a surprise attack deep into Texas. There was no warning of the attack. The Indians passed near Gonzales without attacking it. Most Texans who witnessed that
attack force were summarily killed. Their presence was first noted in detail when
they launched a surprise attack on Victoria on August 6, 1840. They actually
took the town, an act Indians rarely did. A number of citizens were killed but
33
the remainder banded together in one part of the town and withstood the assaults.
The Comanches looted, burned and stole horses. Then they moved on to Linnville, a small port town on Lavaca Bay. Most of the inhabitants put out into the
bay in their small boats and waited for the Comanches to leave. They attacked
Linnville August 8. Again they killed all whom they could, but their greatest joys
were looting all the warehouses. With all their extra horses they left the burning
Linnville with a tremendous load of loot of all kinds. It was estimated that Buffalo Hump's Comanches had dozens of loaded mules, they had many prisoners
and were driving between 2000 and 3000 horses. Naturally their return trip was
very slow. In the meanwhile, the alarm was out in Texas and settlers from the
communities as well as the farms were called. It was determined to intercept the
marauders as they reached Plum Creek, near present day Lockhart. The various
groups were ordered to assemble there. Old Indian fighters including Tumlinson,
Ben McCulloch, Matthew (Old Paint) Caldwell and Edward Burleson led. As the
Texans were gathering, a company from the San Marcos River Valley under the
command of Captain Thomas Monroe Hardeman arrived. It's personnel included
the brothers of Thomas Monroe Hardeman, William P. and Owen Bailey, as well
as his brother-in-law Dr. James Fentress and cousin, Dr. David F. Brown.
The Indians were intercepted as planned, but they were quite disorganized and
sacrificed their numerical advantages by trying to retain their huge quantities of
loot. Early in the fight the Indians started retreating so that the effect was more
that of a running fight. This continued probably as far as the San Marcos River.
The Battle of Plum Creek was fought August 12, 1840 and was a very decisive
victory for the Texans. The Texans were outnumbered four to one but killed about
eighty-six Indians, and no Texans were killed. Two thousand horses and mules
were taken and a huge amount of the Linnville loot was recovered. The Plum
Creek Battle made a lasting impression on the Comanches. They continued to
be Comanches and killed and stole from time to time when the occasion arose
but never again did they raid towns of any size. This battle also had the effect
of broadening the frontier a bit more and an increased number of settlers came
into the areas west of the old Austin-San Antonio-Goliad Line.
Mexican Invasions
General Vasquez invaded Texas in the spring of 1842 and took San Antonio.
General Burleson organized a counter force and advanced on San Antonio but
found that Vasquez had withdrawn after much devastation. The Texas troops
stayed in San Antonio for a short time while a punitive invasion of Mexico was
discussed. The invasion did not occur.
Without warning, on September 11, 1842, General Adrian Woll and 1200 Mexican soldiers appeared at San Antonio and took it. "Old Paint" Caldwell with 250
volunteer militiamen challenged Woll. The Mexicans attacked and in a double
ambush the Texans defeated the Mexicans. The heaviest battle took place at Salado
34
Creek on September 17, and Woll began to retreat. Hays, at the head of a ranger
force, harassed Woll all the way back to Mexico. Hays attacks were very effective. At times they charged artillery emplacements and totally wiped out the artillery crews.
Shortly after the Texas Revolution and after the death of Bailey Hardeman,
Thomas Jones Hardeman and all his children moved to Bastrop County. After
a brief time, Monroe, William P., Owen Bailey, Leonidas Polk, and Mary Ophelia
Fentress settled along the San Marcos River. This is a rather short river which
takes origin in large springs near San Marcos, Texas and flows into the Guadalupe
River near Gonzales, Texas. Its valley is fertile. These Hardemans had large
holdings, most of which were in what became Caldwell County and part of them
was in Guadalupe County. In 1848, the settlers in this area decided that they should
form a county. A petition to this effect was drawn up and signed, the signatories
of which included Thomas M. Hardeman, William P. Hardeman and Leonidas
Hardeman. They asked that the county be named Plum Creek after a creek which
wandered diagonally across the proposed county before it spilled its waters into
the San Marcos River. The Texas Legislature approved the new county 6 March
1848 but named it Caldwell County after the famous Indian fighter, Matthew
Caldwell. Thomas Monroe was elected the first county commissioner from his
precinct. He was one of the original organizers of the city of Prairie Lea.
The lot of the early Texans was not an easy one. They lived in an environment
of constant danger from Indian attacks, and Mexico added to their stress by never
missing an opportunity to ambush or sabotage the Texans. Small attacks and fights
went on for years. The more significant of these has been mentioned above. One
other confrontation which involved the Hardemans should be mentioned. Shortly after Gen. Woll's invasion and defeat, President Sam Houston authorized
General Somerville to make a demonstration in force in the border region of Mexico. General Somerville left San Antonio on 8 November 1842 at the head of 750
men. At the border they easily took Laredo and Guerro, but Somerville and many
others were appalled at the conduct of many of their own men. There was looting,
rape and destruction. The General tried to restore property as best he could and
arrested the more obvious offenders. This provoked a rebellion in the ranks and
two hundred deserted. The remainder refused to obey General Somerville. Somerville and many of his old seasoned troops, including Thomas Monroe and William
P. Hardeman, discontinued the invasion and returned home. About 300 of the
original command decided to continue their invasion. They were captured by a
large force of Mexican Troops at Mier, in northern Mexico. After an attempted
escape, one of each ten prisoners was shot. Those shot had drawn black beans
from an earthen jar while those drawing white beans were spared.
Caldwell County, Texas
We the undersigned subscribers do hereby petition the Hon. the Legislature
35
of the State of Texas to create a new county out of a portion of the Counties of
Gonzales, Bastrop and Travis to be called the County of Plum Creek and town
of Lockhart and bounded as follows. Beginning at the lower corner of a survey
of one league of land granted to S. Fuqua standing on the northeast bank of the
River San Marcos and on the lower bank of the mouth of Plum Creek. Thence
running north fifty degrees east thirty eight thousand varas, thence running north
forty degrees west seventy six thousand seven hundred varas, thence south fifty
degrees west to a point where said line would strike the northeast line of Comal
County a southeast direction until(sic) said line corners with Guadalupe County
thence with the east or northeast line of Guadalupe County southeast direction
to where it corners on the aold(sic) road leading from San Antonio to Nacogdoches
thence with the said aold(sic) road to its crossing of the River San Marcos thence
down the River San Marcos with its meanders to the place of beginning. And
that the County seat of said County be located at a town layed(sic) off on a league
of land granted to B. Lockhart near the springs on said league, and near the center
of said County of Plum Creek as prayed to be created and that the seat of Justice
of said County be called Lockhart.
And your petitioners will ever pray
Names
Names
Isham J. Good
James H. Wells
John N. Elliott
P. W Lane
W. B. Coffee
H. J. DeWitt
Calvin Musgraves
W. B. Curl
James P. Galbreath
Thomas Galbreath
Theo Petty
Stephen Goodman
Asa Pullen
Jeremiah Roberts
Lewis Sims
Abel Gilliland
J. G. Mabry
James Wilson
Garrison Greenwood
John B. McMahon
P. B. McCarley
J. P. McCarley
Thomas Johnson
William Smith
William J. Jackson
William N. Trainer
L. C. Bennett
Albert G. May
Joshua Hall
Francis Berry
John Tabor
Tilman Berry
Simon Fraser
Ross Byars
Wm. Montgomery
Charles Haynes
J. W. Dossey
Thos. M. Hardeman
Wm. P. Hardeman
G. C. Tennille
Leonidas Hardeman
Chas. Procter
John S. Procter
Wm. Henry
36
William C. Pitman
John Pitman
Abraham Roberts
S. B. Gray
G. F. Fulgham
Jas. Daughtrey
John S. Roberts
John Page
Jeremiah Lichin
Thomas J. Keese
C. C. Colley
Edward Evans
Joseph Williams
D. P. Dawson
Samson Connel
James G. Wood
Wm. P. Wood
Thomas Hoskins
John B. McMahon
Michael Brown
James M. Butler
John Woos
G. R. Lincecum
Hugh Kelly
B. E. Shipp
G. C. Greenwood
A. Gillerand
Eli S. Hankins
Clemmons Hinds
Stephen Norton
John Wm. Hall
B. Duncan
James Burnett
H. Mc Laurin
John Willson
J. C. Holmes
L. Melton
Bryce Campbell
Wilson Vandyke
R. Waller
James Galbreath
James Jackson
James Halfpenny
J. R. Mitchusson
G. B. Gillerand
W. H. Kelley
Alexander Brown
W. P. Mauldin
John Franks
E. A. Person
A. Wexler
Marcus Thomas
W. Brite
M. S. Montgomery
Wilburn C. Greenwood
Franklin Montgomery
George B. Waterhouse
John Clark
Elijah Votaw
Morris B. May
Carter Riggins
Anderson Pety
Samuel Barrow
In 1847 the above petition was sent to the state legislature. Land for the new
county would be largely from Gonzales County with lesser amounts from Bastrop
and Travis Counties. The petition was introduced in the house on December 17,
1847. When it received its second reading on December 21 the name Caldwell
was substituted in place of Plum Creek, this in honor of Matthew Caldwell. The
act creating Caldwell County was signed into law on March 6, 1848.
(NOTE: Special thanks are given Cynthia Beaman, Research Assistant, Texas
State Archives for the above data).
37
On June 24, 1840, Thomas Monroe Hardeman married Susan Burleson in
Bastrop County. Susan (also Susannah of Susan Anna) was born November 11,
1824 and died March 4, 1860 in Caldwell County, Texas. Susan was the great
niece of General Edward Burleson who also served as Vice-President of the
Republic of Texas. She was the daughter of Joseph Burleson, Sr., and his second
wife, Elizabeth Ailor. The children of Thomas Monroe and Susan Burleson
Hardeman were:
1. William Fawcet Hardeman - born July 19, 1846
2. Lizzie Polk - born October 19, 1849 (Married William A. Thompson in Prairie
Lea, Texas in 1875)
3. Franklin Brown - born August 13, 1854
4. Mary Ascora (Cora) - born August 3, 1857
Monroe was very active in Masonic work. He was a member of Matagorda
Lodge #7. Then in October 1839, he was a charter member in the formation of
Austin Lodge #12, A.F. & A.M. Other charter members included Edward Burleson,
William H. Murrah, Isaac Campbell, Edwin Waller, etc. After moving to Caldwell
County, he became a member of Lockhart Lodge #59. Then on June 29, 1852,
the Grand Lodge of Texas granted a dispensation to form Prairie Lea Masonic
Lodge #114 at Prairie Lea, Texas. Among its Charter Members appeared the names
of David F. Brown, Thomas M. Hardeman, Asa Wright, J. C. Steen, James Fentress. S. J. Wright, Thomas Mooney, J. N. Eustace, F. A. Dycus, W. D. Foy, John
Hardeman, John Mc Kean, etc. Finally he became a member of Hardeman Lodge
#179 at Plum Creek (later Luling), Texas. He served two terms as an officer in
the Grand Lodge of Texas.
Susan Hardeman died March 4, 1860 in Caldwell County, Texas. With the coming of the Civil War, Major Thomas Monroe Hardeman was given a command
in Hood's Texas Brigade. While enroute to assume that command, he died
September 14, 1861 near Knoxville, Tennessee. Probate Minutes Book B, Caldwell
County, Texas have an entry for 1861, showing Thomas Monroe Hardeman to
be deceased. His children are listed below and his brother Owen Bailey Hardeman,
was named as guardian. The children were:
1. Lizzie P. Hardeman
2. Franklin Brown Hardeman
3. Mary A. Hardeman
4. William F. Hardeman (reached full age March 1868)
Three of the children (William F. having become of age) of Monroe and Susan
were shown in the 1870 Census of Caldwell County, Texas as residing in the home
of Dr. James and Mary Ophelia Hardeman Fentress. The Fentresses had lost their
only child and son, Sgt. Thomas Fentress at Albuquerque, New Mexico in the
service of the Confederacy. Mary Hardeman was a sister of Monroe.
The Minutes of the Meeting of October 26, 1861 of Hardeman Lodge #179 of
Luling (then Plum Creek) announced the death of Brother T. M. Hardeman and
drew up his Memorial.
38
William Fawcett Hardeman (son of Monroe and Susan) was born July 19,1846
in Prairie Lea, Texas. He married Anna D., born January 1854. Children were
Emma B. - born 1875 and Susan B. - born April 1879.
NOTE: There is a wide diversity of opinions of historians as to the year of death
of Major Thomas Monroe Hardeman. Some say 1861, many say 1862 and a few
say 1863. I have researched this question in depth. Two of my positive findings
are given above, namely: (1) Probate Minutes Book B in Lockhart, Caldwell County, Texas state that he died in 1861, and (2) The Minutes Book of Monroe's Masonic
Lodge announced his death in 1861 and drew up a Memorial to him. Major
Monroe Hardeman was on his way to join his command when he died in Tennessee, near Knoxville. Checking the time schedules of the moves of the major
units of Hood's Brigade, it is seen that the Major Hardeman was about two months
behind the main part of the Brigade which should place him in Tennessee in about
September 1861.1 think that there is little question that Major Monroe Hardeman
died in 1861.
39
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40
CHAPTER 5
Owen Bailey Hardeman
Owen Bailey Hardeman was born in Maury County, Tennessee on 25 December
1819, the son of Thomas Jones (1788-1854) and Mary Ophelia Polk Hardeman
(1785-1835). He was named for two uncles, Bailey Hardeman and Glen Owen,
husband of Elizabeth. Owen Bailey died in Weatherford, Texas 3 September 1890.
The Battle of San Jacinto gave Texas a valid claim to independence, removed
Santa Anna from effectiveness, removed the Mexican Armies from Texas and
removed the restrictions from the settlement of Americans in Texas; but it did
not bring peace. Many hostile Indians remained, including the Cherokees who
gradually had been chased from the United States and the swarms of Comaches
who also had felt pressure and eviction from the whites. The Cherokees had settled
largely in east Texas, but they were frequently stirred up by pressure from Mexicans. They were even armed and led to attack or harass the Texans. Left alone
they probably would have adjusted and been acceptable, but the Mexican agitators
would have none of it; so in the end the Cherokees were displaced. The Comanches on the other hand had a long, intense war starting long before Texas was
settled from the United States. The Texans assumed certain nebulous boundaries
beyond which was considered Comanche Territory but the Comanches recognized
no such boundary. In all fairness it must be admitted that Texans had little reluctance to violate the indefinite boundaries when they wished. The one exception
to this boundary concept was actually worked out by certain German Colonies
and their neighboring Comanches. This "treaty" resulted in far less confrontation
than was true in the rest of Texas.
Texas had not settled down after the Revolution before it was evident that special
protection was needed on a permanent basis to try and protect the settlers. A
page was taken from the book of experiences of New York and Tennessee and
the organization which became famous as the Texas Rangers was developed. Small
groups of rangers patrolled assigned areas to scout, to try and anticipate enemy
attacks (and often the attackers were Mexicans as well as Indians) and to engage
and drive off the enemy. They were super warriors and after a few years were
shown great respect by the lawless elements.
Owen Bailey first went to the Caney Creek area of the Matagorda Municipality with his father and brothers. He served in the Army of the Republic of Texas
from 1 January until 1 August, 1837. Then he served with the Texas Rangers from
time to time. In 1837 he was a member of Erastus (Deaf) Smith's party which
fought Mexicans near Laredo, Texas. In August 1840 he participated at the Battle
of Plum Creek beside his brothers Thomas Monroe and William Polk Hardeman.
Actually he participated in a number of Indian fights, including the Battle of
Wallace Creek and the large battle near Seguin, Texas in April 1839 in which Cordova's band of renegades was soundly defeated.
41
Owen Bailey Hardeman settled along the San Marcos River in what would
become Caldwell County. In Brenham, Texas 30 April 1849, he married Sarah
Meredith Berry, born 8 September 1823 at Bolivar, Tennessee. Sarah was the
daughter of Walker and Rachel C. (Meredith) Berry, natives of Tennessee and
Pennsylvania respectively. Mr. Berry died young while still in Tennessee. Mrs.
Berry was well educated, a graduate of the Moravian Female Seminary in Salem,
N.C. After the death of her husband, she taught school at the seminary in Tennessee for a few years and then moved to Texas. She farmed for a time in
Washington County and then moved to the San Marcos River Valley near Prairie
Lea, Texas. Sarah died in Dallas, Texas 6 September 1911.
Owen Bailey and Sarah Hardeman had the following children:
1. Walker B. Hardeman - born 19 May 1847, Prairie Lea, Texas, died in San Antonio, Texas 24 June 1937, married Mrs. Maggie L. Bright, widow of Robert
Bright and daughter of James and Jane (Smith) Edwards. Their children were
Lela N., Ruth C. and Walker B., Jr.
2. Carrie (Caroline) - born about 1850, married Walter R. Bailey and Dr. W. K.
Baylor.
3. Mary Ophelia - born about 1852, drowned at age 23.
4. Lilly - born 6 March 1853 at Glen Owen, Caldwell County, Texas, married
J. S. Steele. Lilly died 5 October 1946, Dallas, Texas.
5. Ida Norfleet - born about 1861. Married H. J. Martin.
After a few years, Owen Bailey sold his home on the San Marcos River and
moved to Weatherford, Parker County, Texas where he farmed and ranched. He
died in Weatherford, Texas 3 September 1890.
Leonidas Polk Hardeman
Leonidas Polk Hardeman (son of Thomas Jones 1788-1854 and Mary Ophelia
Polk Hardeman 1785-1835) was born at Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee
25 March 1825. He came to Texas in the fall of 1835 with his father, brothers
and sister. His mother had died at Bolivar 24 September 1835. Leonidas was living and farming in the San Marcos River portion of Caldwell County at the time
of the 1850 Census of Texas. On 8 January 1852 he married Tullins Lenora
Hamilton in Caldwell County. Tullins was born 16 October 1834 in Georgia and
died in Brown County, Texas 6 January 1904. She was the daughter of John C.
and Ann B. Hamilton, John born in North Carolina and Ann in Georgia. (See
section on related families) Tullins sister Sarah Ann married Leonidas' brother,
William P. in Caldwell County, Texas and her sister Ella G. married Leondias'
cousin D. D Hardeman in Caldwell County.
Leonidas' nickname was Onnie.
Leonidas served in the Mexican War in Ben McCullough's Guadalupe Valley
Rangers along with Owen Bailey, William P. and Dr. John Marr Hardeman. Their
organization provided the scouting, routing and advance fighting for the United
42
States army under the command of General Taylor. This organization opened
the way into Northern Mexico. Leonidas served for the entirety of the Civil War.
He became a second lieutenant 15 May 1862 in Col. William Polk Hardeman's
Regiment, Green's Brigade. He attained the rank of captain.
Children of Leonidas and Tullins were:
1. Stella P. - born about 1855 - married W. J. Evans.
2. Annie H. - born about 1859 - married D. K. Taylor
3. Leonidas P. - born about 1866.
4. Henry (Hal) Brown - born about 1868.
5. Marietta (Mary) - born about 1877.
The 1850 Census of Caldwell County, Texas shows Leondias Hardeman - age
24, born Tennessee, assets $46,000 as living in the home of Dr. David F. Brown,
where he is listed as a farmer.
In 1874, Leonidas Hardeman along with the Merriwether brothers, James and
John, built a dam and mill on the San Marcos River near Luling, Caldwell County, Texas. Two weeks after the water was started through the mill race, the mill
race washed out. Thomas Wilson of Luling was contracted to build a new one.
This he did and when he finished he stated that the old one washed out in two
weeks but "mine will last two hundred years". (NOTE: His mill race has lasted
over a hundred years and is still present in 1985.) After a few years the dam and
mill were sold to the Walkers, and they sold it to the Zedlers. It is still known
as the Zedler Mill.
The 1900 Census of Brown County, Texas lists Leonora Hardeman, age 64, born
October 1835, Georgia. (Leondias had died 26 February 1892 in Caldwell County, Texas*.) Also listed were:
Henry B. Hardeman, son
age 30
born Texas
Mary E., daughter
age 22
born Texas
1880 Census, Brown County, Texas:
, Leo
, Tully, wife
, Annie, daughter
, Leo, son
, Henry B., son
, Mary E., daughter
age
age
age
age
age
age
52
45
18
14
12
3
born
born
born
born
born
born
TN
GA
TX
TX
TX
TX
*Leondias Polk Hardeman is buried in The Prairie Lea, Texas Cemetery. The
Cemetery is made up of four sections, The Masonic Cemetery, The Woodmen
of the World Cemetery, The Public Cemetery and the San Juan Cemetery. Leonidas
is buried in the Masonic Cemetery on the same lot with his sister Mary Ophelia
Hardeman Fentress and her husband, Dr. James Fentress.
43
Franklin Hardeman
Franklin Hardeman, son of Peter (1784-1820) and Susan Stone Hardeman was
born in Williamson County, Tennessee in January 1815 and died near Franklin,
Tennessee on 3 April 1878. On the death of his father when he was only five
years of age he was placed under the guardianship of his uncle, Bailey Hardeman.
He married at about age 19 and moved to Texas with his Uncle Bailey and the
other delegation of Hardemans moving to Texas in late 1835. After a year or so
he moved back to Tennessee and remained there.
About the time of the death of Bailey or shortly thereafter, Franklin moved
back to Tennessee and took Bailey's sons with him or received them shortly after
his return. They were sent to Tennessee to further their education. The older son
was Samuel Wilson Hardeman and the younger was John Hardeman. Sam spent
about three years at the University of Nashville and then returned to Matagorda
County, Texas to take charge of his inheritance. Further records on John have been
indefinite.
Franklin's father, Peter, participated in the Battle of New Orleans as a First Lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of the Tennessee Militia. His only surviving child was
his son, Franklin.
NOTE: The 1850 Census of Williamson County, Tennessee lists one who was
probably this subject, Franklin.
Frank age 35, Catherine C. age 31, Laura F. age 12, Alice age 10, Peter age 8,
Almyra age 5, Franklin age 1, Susan Brewer age 58, Dolly Mc Rea age 53, Martha Wilson age 67, Martha A. Brewer age 22.
NOTE: A few records which I examined stated that Franklin was the son of
Dr. Blackstone Hardeman. I find no data to confirm such an allegation and the
Franklin described is actually the Franklin who was the son of Peter, who came
to Texas with Bailey and returned to Tennessee shortly after Bailey's death.
D. Hardeman (born 1806, TN)
D. Hardeman represents another branch of the family who came to Texas later
but still played an enthusiastic role in her history. D Hardeman, son of Nicholas
Perkins Hardeman (1772-1818) and Ann Neely, was born 1806 in Tennessee and
died in 1864 in Texas. He married Sarah Ann Nicholson 1808-1901, born in
Georgia.
NOTE: D. Hardeman born in 1806 has been reported by some as being one
of the original 25 Hardemans making the move from Tennessee to Texas in late
1835. Census studies of the birth dates and places of his children show him still
in Tennessee in 1841, in Mississippi in 1844, in Arkansas in 1845 and in Texas
in 1846 where he is shown on the poll list of Brazoria County.
D. Hardeman is shown in Matagorda County, Texas on the Texas Census of
1850. He was still in Matagorda County in 1860. By the time of the census of
1870, D had died.
44
The 1870 Census of Goliad County, Texas shows:
Hardeman, Sarah
age 62
farmer
Thomas
age 31
Thornton, Martha
age 28
iardeman, David
age 30
, Ella
age 23
age 4
, Humphry
female
, Marion
age 1
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
N.C.
TN
LA
MS
GA
TX
TX
The children of D. and Sarah Ann were:
1. Sally - born 26 June 1828 in Tennessee, married cousin Samuel Wilson
Hardeman, son of Bailey Hardeman 1795-1836, in Matagorda County 20
February 1849. They had a long residence in Matagorda County, Texas. Sam
died 2 January 1883, and Sally died in May 1879. Both are buried in the
Hardeman Cemetery near Van Vleck, Matagorda County, Texas. Their four
children are listed in the section on Bailey Hardeman. Appendix A-5.
2. Bethenia Tennessee Hardeman was born in Tennessee 29 September 1832 and
died in 1901. She married Dr. Napoleon B. Viser in Matagorda County 26
April 1851. Dr. Viser lived less than a year. There were no children. She never
remarried. See special sheets on Dr. Viser in section on related families.
3. Algernon Sidney - born 1832 - died in infancy.
4. Udora (Dora) - born in Tennessee in 1837. Married William F. Davis 11 October 1855 (Book A, page 66, Matagorda County Marriage Records).
5. D. Hardeman (T.W.D.?) - born in Tennessee in 1838, married Fannie (born
in Goliad County, Texas in 1846). They had a daughter, Ada S. born in Texas
about 1879.
6. David Dickerson - born in Tennessee in 1841, married Ella G. Hamilton (see
realted family "Hamilton") in Caldwell County, Texas 15 August 1865. With
the onset of the Civil War, David D. volunteered for service in Company "A",
4th Regiment, Sibleys Brigade. Company "A" was made up of volunteers from
Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties and was under the Command of Capt.
William P. Hardeman. He served for the duration of the War.
7. Evelyn - born in Mississippi in 1844.
8. Harrietta H. - born in Arkansas in 1845.
9. Nicolas - born in Texas in 1846.
10. Perkins - born in Texas 1849.
11. Mary Polk
D. Hardeman (born 1838, TN)
The 1870 Census of Goliad County, Texas:
Hardeman, Sarah (widow of D.H.)
, Thomas
45
age 62
age 32
born N.C.
born TN
Thornton, Martha
age 28
1870 Census of Goliad County, Texas:
Hardeman, David
Ella
, Humphry
, Marian
1880 Census of Goliad County, Texas:
Hardeman, D
, Fannie
, Visor N.
, Ada S.
* , S.A.
* widow of D. Hardeman 1806-1864.
46
born LA
age 30
born MS
age 4
age 1
born GA
born TX
born TX
age
age
age
age
age
born
born
born
born
born
42
34
1
3
71
TN
TX
TX
TX
N.C.
CHAPTER 6
Dr. Blackstone Hardeman, Sr.
Blackstone Hardeman, Sr., a Doctor of Medicine, son of Thomas (1750-1833)
and Mary Hardin Perkins (1754-1798) was born 24 March 1790 in Davidson County, Tennessee. In his study of medicine, part of his practical training was under
his uncle, Dr. Perkins Hardeman. Blackstone farmed as well as practiced medicine,
in fact he lists himself frequently as a farmer on the censuses in Texas. He moved
often as was the Hardeman wont.
He married twice: (1) Anna Bunch who died in 1842 in Texas and (2) Mrs.
Elizabeth Foster in Gonzales County, Texas on 29 April 1846. Along with his
brothers Thomas J. and Bailey and his family and a few relatives he moved to
Texas in late 1835, settling in the Caney Creek area of the Matagorda Community. In 1837 the Blackstone Hardemans moved to Washington County, Texas where
Blackstone was recorded as being one of that counties first voters. He signed an
instrument in Nacogdoches County, Texas on 12 April 1838. Later that year he
moved to Nacogdoches County to the town of Hardemans (later named Chireno).
After the death of his wife in 1842, he moved to Gonzales County, Texas. Four
years later he married Mrs. Elizabeth Foster* on 29 April 1846. After the death
of his brother Thomas J. in adjacent Bastrop County, he moved to Guadalupe
County near his nephew, William P. Hardeman.
Blackstone Hardeman, Sr. was a master mason with membership in Milam
Lodge #2, A.F. &A.M. In 1837 he served in the Legislature of Republic of Texas
from Washington County. Dr. Blackstone Hardeman Sr. died in Guadalupe County, probably in Seguin, 14 September 1867.
Issue of Dr. Blackstone, Sr. and Anna Bunch were:
1. William Nichols (Nick) was born 8 October 1816 in Tennessee and died 6
February 1899 in Hamilton County, Texas. He married (1) Cassandra Barrett
and (2) Mary Elizabeth Rogers (in 1855). He was a member of Chireno Masonic
Lodge #66, A.F. & A.M. He served in the state legislature in 1855. He was very
active in Austin, Texas during the Reconstruction Period and Post Reconstruction Period along with his cousin Gen. William Polk Hardeman. Civil War service - he enlisted in Austin 15 March 1862 in Co. "G", 16th Texas Infantry.
*NOTE: Several references state that Blackstone's second wife was Eliza, eldest
daughter of Empresario Green De Witt and that later she married Thomas Jones
Hardeman. I find no validity whatsoever to this statement. Eliza De Witt Hamilton
ADDENDUM: rroa th* South Taxes C a H Quarterlyi Mr* Jeck Shelton.ConzaUa, Taxes
"•'«< «**" Elizabeth Parchaan Berried (1)
Dllworth, (2)
Foster and (3)
Hardeaan.
From the flic* of th* lata Lenore BrlghtiEllxabeth *nd har husband, Jobs E. roster
aoved froa Miss to Goaxalas Ca 1836. In Gonzales, Elizabeth bad a brother, Jams
Parchman, and a *l*t*r.Paraella, Who aarrlad John Gladden King.
Coodapeed'a Manorial and Genealogical Record of Southwest l o i n John E. roster
caae to Texas ln 183«. He Berried Mrs Elizabeth Dllworth (Nee Elizabeth Parchaen),
recently of Miss. He died ln 1840. She serried Dr. Blackstone Hardeaan ln Gonzales
ln 1846.
2. Blackstone Hardeman, Jr. was born in Maury County, Tennessee on 16
February 1822 and died 18 April 1882 in Melrose, Texas where he is buried
in Lone Oak Cemetery. He married Rebecca Jane Hunter, daughter of Samuel
Hunter, born 1777 in North Carolina and died in Texas in 1846. Samuel's
wife was Rebecca Bruce. Samuel Hunter served as a Lieutenant Colonel of
Militia in the War of 1812.
Blackstone, Jr. was on the tax lists in Texas for 1839,1840 and 1849. Rebecca
Jane Hunter, wife of Blackstone, Jr., was born 18 November 1824 and died
7 March 1898. They had a daughter, Leah, who was born 19 September 1852.
Leah married John Wilson (1838-1919). Wilson served in the Texas State
Senate.
Blackstone, Jr. served in the State Legislature in 1861. He was initiated into Milam Masonic Lodge #2 on 25 August 1851. He served as a major,
Quartermaster Corps, Confederate Army, in the Civil War.
3. Constantine (Constant) Hardeman was born in Maury County, Tennessee
about 1824. He married Elizabeth Owen Hardeman, a cousin, daughter of
Eleaser Hardeman. She was born about 1820. Constant came to Texas with
his family. First he came to Matagorda County, then to Washington County
in 1838 and to Gonzales County 9 June 1844.
The 1880 Census of Erath County, Texas lists Constant and Elizabeth
Hardeman and their children:
Hardeman, Laura
age 24
daughter born TX
, Martha
age 19
daughter born TX
Hill, Anna E.
age 25
daughter born TX
, William J.
age 4
grandson born TX
, Charles A.
age 2
grandson born TX
4. John B. Hardeman was born in Maury County, Tennessee about 1836. He
moved to Texas with his father. He served in the Mexican War as a private
in The First Texas Mounted Volunteers along with several other Hardemans.
He was age 18 at the time. In 1848 he married Julia Ann Engledow in
Nacogdoches County, Texas. He bought a farm in Caldwell County in 1858
and moved there. Several business transactions took place there. His aunt,
Mrs. Elizabeth Q Hardeman Corzine, named him in her Will in Travis County,
Texas, dated 3-15-1870. John's second marriage was to Sarah A.
In the Civil War, John served as a Captain in the Confederate Army with
Walker's Texas Division under Col. H. Randall, Second Brigade, 28th T. D.
Cavalry. John B. Hardeman was a member of Prairie Lea Masonic Lodge #114,
A.F. & A.M.
5. Peter Hardeman was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee 28 May 1831.
He was living in the home of his father during the move to Texas, and he
was still living in the home of Blackstone in Matagorda County, Washington
County, Nacogdoches County, Gonzales County and Guadalupe County. Peter
married Nancy Caroline Keese (daugher of George W. Keese) in Caldwell
48
County, Texas 18 September 1850. He was initiated into the Lockhart Masonic
Lodge #59 A.F. & A.M. in 1852 and affiliated with Prairie Lea Lodge #114 in 1853.
(he was listed as residing in the home of his father in Guadalupe County in the
1850 census.) The 1860 census shows him, his wife and their four children residing
near Gilliland's Creek in Travis County, Texas. He was not listed as a slave owner.
On March, 21st, 1861, Gov. Edward Clark commissioned Peter Hardeman
to raise a company of volunteers from Anderson, Cherokee, Houston and
Nacogdoches Counties. The unit was Company "A", Second Regiment, Texas
Mounted Rifles and was activated May 23rd 1861. They were sent to Fort Bliss
on July 4, 1861 where they were placed under the command of Lt. Col. John
Robert Baylor. They participated in the Skirmish at Mesilla and they captured
San Agustin Springs. On May 29, Peter was promoted to Lt. Col. and placed
on the regimental staff. For a brief period Col. William P. Hardeman was sent
to command the 2nd Regiment of the Arizona Brigade; and in this assignment,
his executive officer was his cousin, Lt. Col. Peter Hardeman. Col. William
P. Hardeman was then returned to the command of his old regiment and Peter
took over the command of the Arizona Brigades 2nd Regiment and was promoted to Colonel.
When Sibley arrived in West Texas, Baylor was placed under his command and
functioned thus during the New Mexico Campaign. As such, Baylor's Command
participated in the Battles of Alamosa, Val Verde, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, etc
NOTE: (Greater details of the New Mexico Campaign are given in the
chapters devoted to William P. Hardeman.) Peter and his command participated also in the Louisiana Campaign.
The post war situation and the turbulence of Reconstruction had a very
depressing influence on Peter. Then his father died in 1867. In April 1869, along
with his wife, children and father-in-law, George W. Keese, he moved to Brazil.
Brazil welcomed the expatriates and they established a home in a colony of
Americans near Sao Paulo. Life there was that of the frontier again. After a time
some of the Southern Colony returned to the United States but not the Peter
Hardemans. Peter died there May 18, 1882 near Cillo, a village five miles from
Americana. Most of his descendents are said to have remained in Brazil.
1850 Census — Guadalupe County, Texas:
farmer
born TN
2-2 Hardeman, Blackstone
age 60, male
born TN
, Elizabeth
age 55, fern.
born TN
farmer
, Peter
age 19, male
1860 Census, Travis County, Texas:
born TN
farmer
Hardeman, Peter
age 29
wife
born TN
, N.C.
age 28
born TX
, L.B.
age 8
born TX
, T (or F).
age 6
born TX
, C.B.
age 4
born TX
, B.
10/12
49
CHAPTER 7
General William Polk Hardeman
William Polk Hardeman, son of Thomas Jones Hardeman (1788-1854) and Mary
Ophelia Polk Hardeman, was born in Williamson County, Tennessee on November
4th, 1816. He matriculated at the University of Nashville November 10th, 1834.
He left college in the fall of 1835 to join his family in their move to Texas. Shortly
after their arrival there, Mexican General Cos took San Antonio as part of his
disciplinary campaign against the inhabitants of Texas. As a counter attack, Col.
Burleson and a force of Texas irregulars tried to retake San Antonio but were handicapped by their severe deficiency of artillery. Capt. Phillip Dimmitt recruited
about twenty men, including Bailey and William Hardeman, and went to Dimmitt's Landing, near Lavaca, to procure an 18 pound cannon which was there.
This was procured and the force, which included the "Mobile Grays", returned
to San Antonio. General Cos learned of their approach and surrendered. He was
given generous terms, his men were permitted to keep their arms, and Cos signed
a parole stating that he would never fight in Texas again. (NOTE: Cos retreated
across the Rio Grande River into Mexico, waited there and joined his brother-inlaw, General Santa Anna, in his attack on the Texans.)
Shortly thereafter, General Santa Anna invaded Texas, moved to San Antonio
and surrounded Col. William B. Travis and his men in the Alamo. Col. Travis
sent out calls for help since his position was untenable, and he refused to retreat.
In March 1836, William P., his brother, Thomas Monroe, and about twenty others
gathered at Victoria, moved down through Gonzales and approached San Antonio at night fall. They were engaged by a large number of Mexican Cavalrymen.
As they tried to withdraw they encountered a second group of Mexican Cavalry.
(This was the night of March 5th. The Alamo fell early on the morning of March
6, 1836. The cavalry had been placed along the approaches to San Antonio to
deny reinforcement to the defenders of the Alamo and to mop up any of the
defenders of the Alamo who might try to escape.) The small group of Texans,
including the Hardemans, were hard put to defend themselves. Finally they had
to abandon their horses and take to the thick brush in order to escape the
cavalrymen. This group of Texans wandered on foot for five days, were exposed
to inclement weather all the time, had to sleep on the bare ground and had no
food. William was quite ill when they reached friends. He had to remain in bed
for a time. (Monroe continued on, joined General Sam Houston and fought in
the Battle of San Jacinto.) As William recovered, he was assigned recruiting duty
under John Bowman. Very few were left to recruit. This special assignment for
Gen. Houston caused William to miss the Battle of San Jacinto. He continued service in the Army of the Republic of Texas as a private in the Company of Capt.
William J. E. Heard's (Company "F") until it was disbanded at Victoria in June
of 1836.
FAMILY HISTORV LIBRARY
so35 NORTH WEST TEMPLE
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84150
The crushing of Santa Anna's army at San Jacinto, the capture of Santa Anna
himself and the signing of two treaties at Velasco by Santa Anna and by representatives of the Republic of Texas did not bring peace to the newly born Republic
of Texas. The Mexican Congress did not accept the treaties of Santa Anna, and
Santa Anna himself refuted them once he was freed. The result was a type of
guerrilla warfare which lasted from San Jacinto day until the annexation of Texas
by the United States. The annexation precipitated the Mexican War which act
was approved by the Hardeman relative, U.S. President James K. Polk. The intervening ten year period was a trying one for the Republic of Texas. Mexican
invasions were made into Texas, but they usually were of limited scope and frequently amounted to no more than a fast invasion and capture of San Antonio
and then a withdrawal. Major invasions by the Mexicans were largely prevented
by the internal strife within Mexico itself. The chief Texas invasion of that era
was the Somerville expedition which, after an initial success, was fragmented,
most Texans returning home but a few moving deeper into Mexico until they were
captured and one out of each ten executed in the infamous black bean drawing
episode.
A far greater risk to the settlers during this ten year period was the Indians.
The Indians were never far away, never missed a chance to kill isolated settlers
or their families and were constantly being encouraged to harass the Texans. The
Mexican Governmental agents were known to help organize the Indians and to
supply them and arm them in this endeavor.
As protection from these combined enemies, Texas had no standing army. There
were too few settlers to think in terms of a standing army, the border area between
functional Mexico and functional Texas was very long and broad, and the Republic
of Texas did not have the financial potential to furnish an army. The matter of
protection was approached by the establishing of a system of Texas Rangers. Some
members of the Rangers were on a somewhat permanent basis and many others
served terms. The Rangers were set up into three companies, each responsible
for a given area. Scouts and small detachments patrolled and protected their areas
as well as they could. They were constantly alert to Indian and Mexican attacks
or threats and sought signs of intrusion. They became superb
horse troops, were very adept with all types of weapons, were fearless and quite
dedicated. They built and earned a reputation which still persists.
As could be expected, the three older Hardeman brothers, Monroe, William
P. and Owen Bailey participated actively in the Ranger activity. William P. joined
Erastus "Deaf" Smith's frontier Company and served in it from 10 April 1837 until 1 August 1837. About a year and a half later Col. John H. Moore assembled
a force of more than sixty rangers and a small group of Lipan Apache Indians
to punish a group of Comanches who had become especially vicious. The Comanches were trailed until they were overtaken on Wallace Creek, a tributary of the
San Saba, on 22 February 1839. The Rangers attacked and inflicted heavy casualties
on the enemy. William was there.
51
WILLIAM P. HARDEMAN (1816-1898)
Promoted to BRIGADIER GENERAL by the Confederate
Government on March 17, 1865.
0141908
52
*
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GENERAL WILLIAM POLK HARDEMAN
53
GENERAL WILLIAM POLK HARDEMAN
54
William P. Hardeman remained on border duty until he and brother, Owen
B. joined Gen. Edward Burleson's Command. Their mission was to seek and destroy
the forces of Vicente Cordova, a renegade Texan and an agent of the Mexican
Government. Cordova was engaged near Seguin, Texas and was soundly defeated.
The badly wounded Cordova retreated into Mexico. William P. Hardeman was
active also in the defeats of the forces of both General Woll and of General Rafael
Vasquez after each had invaded Texas and had taken San Antonio. In April 1840
a meeting was arranged with chiefs of the Comanches and with Texas leaders
to try and obtain release of the Texan prisoners of the Comanches. The meeting
was held at San Antonio, Texas but the chiefs obviously reneged on their part
of the agreement by failing to bring in many of their captives. Disagreement ensued and an outright fight resulted with most of the chiefs being killed. This was
known as the Council House Battle. In protest Chief Buffalo Hump of the Comanches ordered a series of attacks on the Texans and organized a major attack.
Leading about one thousand braves, he moved south between Austin and San
Antonio burning and looting and killing all settlers who were so unfortunate as
to fall into the hands of his warriors. They moved rapidly taking Victoria and
surprising Linnville. They looted and sacked the warehouses and stores and then
slowly started moving back. Their movement was slow because of all the loot
and because they were driving a huge herd of horses. A Texan force intercepted
the Indians at Plum Creek and the Indian forces were crushed badly. This was
known as the Battle of Plum Creek. A contingent of the settlers from the San
Marcos River Valley participated in the battle. This contingent was commanded
by Thomas Monroe Hardeman and included his brothers, William P. and Owen
Bailey, and his brother-in-law Dr. James Fentress. This battle was so decisive that
the Comanches never again mounted a major attack against the settlers. The Battle
of Plum Creek took place 12 August 1840.
The Mexican War
The annexation of Texas by the United States inevitably resulted in war between
The United States and Mexico. In spite of treaties signed by President Santa Anna, Mexico continued to lay claim to Texas. There had been a ten year period
of unrest, conflict and harassment. Mexico had made several invasions of Texas
but the distances, the broad arid and hostile border between the two nations,
the recurrent revolutions at home and the resistance of the Texans limited the
scope of the invasions and usually resulted in Mexican army fall back after a short
time. The Mexicans had utilized the natural hostility of the Indians and had even
cooperated with them and supplied and armed them at times. Texas had made
a very few limited retaliatory invasions on northern Mexico but in reality they
were more nuisance raids than anything else.
The annexation precipitated open hostility. The Mexicans had added resentment from the sending of United States Troops under General Zachary Taylor
55
to the Rio Grande near Brownsville. After a series of minor confrontations, Mexican General Arista's troops attacked Gen. Taylor's forces on April 24, 1846 and
the war was on. The invasion of Texas plus the attack on American troops gave
the needed incentive to a somewhat reluctant U.S. Congress to declare war. Actually President Polk (cousin of several Texas Hardemans) was known to favor
a policy of expansion and openly recommended that the United States extend her
boundaries to the Pacific Ocean.
Taylor requested four regiments from the governor of Texas but received only
three. One of these was a light cavalry, battle seasoned regiment of Texas Rangers
under the command of Jack Hayes, with Sam Walker, Big Foot Wallace, John Ford
and Ben McCulloch as subordinate officers. Ben McCulloch's command was largely
from the Guadalupe Valley and included William P. Hardeman, Owen Bailey
Hardeman, Leonidas P. Hardeman and Dr. John Marr Hardeman. Gen. Taylor
and his army were faced with the age old problem of moving across the wide
hostile border region between Mexico and Texas. McCulloch and his command
were given the task of scouting proposed invasion routes from Matamoros to
Monterrey in inland Mexico. McCulloch's men spent ten days in the saddle while
covering 250 miles only to return with the report that the scouted Linares route
to Monterrey was unacceptable for passage of a large army. The Texans were involved in several skirmishes while on the patrol. Then the China route to Monterrey was scouted by the McCulloch forces. They captured the town of China but
again had to report that the second route also was unacceptable. The third scouting
mission of the rangers was successful even though their leader, McCulloch had
to remain behind because of illness. These rangers moved south from Mier along
the San Juan River toward Monterrey in Mid-August 1846. In the course of their
scouting they captured Cerralvo and held it to be used as a strong point for the
advancing American army. This third route was found to be an acceptable one;
so Taylor was given the green light to advance. The ranger group of thirty-five,
again under the command of McCullouch, served as the cutting edge of the advance.
The thirty-five rangers approached Ramos which contained a garrison of two hundred Mexicans, charged them and put them to rout. This was on September 14, 1846.
The next day Gen. Taylor and his army of 6000 men reached the outskirts of Monterrey. The defending Mexican Army commanded by Gen. Pedro de Ampudia was well
entrenched about the northeastern approaches to Monterrey.
Gen. Taylor sent General William Worth and Jack Hayes Texans including
McCulloch's Rangers on a mission to circle around Monterrey, approach Monterrey
from the rear and cut her supply lines to Saltillo to the south. Early the next morning, the rangers encountered a force of mounted Mexican lancers under the command of Lt. Col. Juan Najera. Gen. Worth gave the command to dismount, but
the rangers failed to get the message and charged the Mexicans. Najera and about
a hundred of his men were killed and the rest fled toward Saltillo. Finding the
southern approaches weaker, Worth ordered an attack from the south. Taylor
had already begun his attack from the north. The rangers led the assault on Federa56
tion and the next morning led the assault on Independence Hill across the river.
The assignment of the rangers was to scale the steep escarpments and attack the
defenders. The defenders were consistently firing over the attackers because of
the downward angle of the attackers. On the other hand the Texans withheld firing their rifles until they were twenty yards from the rim. They fired, gave their battle cry and charged. The Mexicans withdrew to the Bishops Palace in confusion.
Its gate was blown open and its defenders fell into an ambush. Gen. Ampudia
sued for surrender and did so. The road to the interior of Mexico was open.
About this time the periods of enlistment of the rangers ran out. They had
repeatedly saved the day for him and had handed him victory after victory, yet
they had presented him certain problems; and Gen. Taylor must have had mixed
emotions about giving up his rangers. The rangers had very little discipline as
Gen. Taylor knew it, yet they were superb fighters and were skilled in the use
of all weapons which a light cavalry force would have. They were hard and could
live off bare necessities when the occasion arose. Their "world" was a cold, realistic
one in which quarter was rarely asked for or received. They had a special hatred
for Indians and Mexicans. The rangers had served their mission — they had shown
the way through the hostile, arid zone between Mexico and Texas and had played
a very active role in the capture of Monterrey. Probably Gen. Taylor was glad
to have had the rangers but now needed them no longer.
(William P. Hardeman enlisted in Capt. Ben McCulloch's company on May 11,
1846 as a member of Co. "A", First Regiment, Texas Mounted Volunteers commanded by Col. John C. "Jack" Hays. He was discharged at Comargo, Mexico
on August 8, 1846.)
In January 1847, General Taylor had increasing troubles, particularly as regards
scouting and shock engagements; so as per their agreements he recalled Ben
McCulloch and his rangers including William P. Hardeman. McCulloch's men insisted on serving as irregulars and would not sign for specific enlistments. Taylor's
forces had advanced to and taken Saltillo. Their next target was Encarnacion which
was held by Gen. Santa Anna's army. Taylor's scouts had experienced great difficulty in obtaining data on the Mexicans, but McCulloch's Rangers actually
penetrated the defenses at night, obtained a reasonably accurate head count of
the enemy and then returned to the American Army. This reconnaissance let Taylor
know that he was greatly outnumbered. He withdrew to La Angospetrel Pass near
Buena Vista Hacienda. Santa Anna misinterpreted the withdrawal as a frank retreat
and rushed forward to crush his enemy. The Battle of Buena Vista was fought
February 22 and 23, 1847. The Mexicans were defeated and fell back. In the extension of their retreat their supplies were inadequate and many died. Following
the Battle of Buena Vista, McCulloch's Rangers, including William P. Hardeman,
were allowed to return home. They had completed six more months of active
service. The four Hardemans returned to their plantations along the San Marcos
River.
William P. Hardeman seemed to settle down for a time on his large farm on
57
the San Marcos River. He married the widow of his uncle Bailey, Rebecca Amanda F. Wilson Hardeman, February 12, 1848 and they established a home in
Caldwell County. In the late 1850's he led an exploring and prospecting party
to West Texas and New Mexico. They learned much about the hostile and arid
expanses, knowledge which would be of much value to him in a very few years.
They had numerous confrontations with the hostile Indians and some of their
encounters were quite serious.
Expedition To West Texas
In March 1858, a group of about one hundred men gathered near Belton, Texas
for an exploration of the headwaters of the Pecos River and West Texas. Their
mission was the recovery of certain gold mines whose presence was indicated by
maps, field notes, etc. These explorers and prospectors were largely from Bell,
Brown and Caldwell Counties. They departed from Belton on the afternoon of
March 23, 1858. They arrived at San Saba on April 6, where it was decided that
they would be organized in a military manner. William P. Hardeman was elected
captain, Silas Hare was elected first lieutenant, J. B. Hardeman was elected second lieutenant, J. S. Steen was elected third lieutenant, and H. M. Bouldin and
D. D. Rosborough were elected sergeants. Others in the party included Constantine, Peter and John B. Hardeman; R. Stockard; James P. Read; G. W. Rector;
J. Danley; Warren Pewitt; Ed Morgan; Leon and T. J. Walker; John Alex Grimes;
John W. Cristian; S. H. Bell; James McSpadden; William Wade; W. G. Thompson; John Peevyhouse; Dr. A. W J. Warren; Sam Miller; Pewitt Weeks; S. P. Kirk;
Sylvester Kirk; D. Steeneken; Charles Bok; John Eppes; J. A. Stringfellow; Samuel
Ralph; A. Hammill; David Williams; Cak Keyes; Ben and S. B. Cox; M. Hodge;
D. Griffin, Robert and John Beene; Isaac T. Bean; John B. Constantine; John Keggans; Ishmael Kyle; J. L. and Warren Puett; Dave Fentress; J. A. Lampkin; etc.
They proceeded by way of Richland Creek, Pecan Spring, Antelope Creek, South
Concho, Main Concho, up Kiowa Creek to North Concho then across the plains
to the Horse Head Crossing of the Pecos, which they reached on April 27th. They
moved up the Pecos and searched diligently during the month of May. They had
divided into parties but still found no gold. Some then returned home. William
P. Hardeman and twenty others left for home on June 23, leaving J. B. Hardeman
in command. A short time later the rest returned home with the exception of Hare,
Reed, Steeneken, Miller and others who went to El Paso and arrived home July 18.
This expedition found no gold, but they did gather a wealth of information
and experience concerning the great West Texas desert. In a short time this would
prove of value to those whose role in the Civil War would take them back to
this part of Texas. The party found some previously unknown and uncharted
springs and water holes. They also "renewed their acquaintances" with the Apaches
in the region and had numerous skirmishes with them.
Captain William P. Hardeman would return early in the Civil War as com58
mander of the lead company of Sibley's Brigade in his invasion of New Mexico.
William's cousin, Captain Peter Hardeman would precede him to the region as
commander of Company A in Col. Baylor's Regiment. Silas Hare, a world wide
traveler, fell in love with the New Mexico area, where he settled in Mesilla and
opened a law office. In June of 1861, the Federal garrison at Fort Staunton near
Mesilla received orders to abandon Fort Staunton and fall back to Fort Union and
Albuquerque. They dismounted the guns, set the fort on fire and withdrew. Captain Hare hastily recruited a company, reentered the fort, extinguished the fire,
remounted the guns and declared New Mexico to be part of the Confederacy. When
he was relieved by Confederate troops, he moved to San Antonio and joined the
Confederate army. He was assigned to the Arizona Brigade.
'Special
1. The
2. The
3. The
4. The
References:
Belton Independent - July 31, 1858
Lockhart Post - February 23, 1900
Encyclopedia of the New West - William S. Speer 1881
History of Bell County — by George W. Tyler — page 191
San Marcos Valley Tracks
The San Marcos River takes origin in a series of large beautiful springs which
arise in Hays County just above the City of San Marcos. The river pursues a rather
short course before pouring its waters into the Guadalupe River near Gonzales,
Texas. As the river leaves Hays County, it forms a boundary between Caldwell
County and Guadalupe County before it enters Gonzales County to reach its termination. Its chief tributary is Plum Creek which traverses Caldwell County
diagonally from northwest to southeast before emptying into the San Marcos River.
The valley of the San Marcos River is fertile and productive. The San Marcos
River Valley is part of the greater Guadalupe River Valley.
This part of Texas became the chief home of most of the Tennessee Hardemans
who came to Texas. Their presence was positive from the period following the
Texas Revolution until the time of the Reconstruction after the Civil War. During
the latter phases of the Reconstruction, they began scattering to other parts of
Texas; however a few remained. The Hardemans targeted the San Marcos River
Valley as their new homes and settled on both sides of it. One of the first
Hardemans to settle this new area was Thomas Monroe Hardeman who arrived
about the same time as his sister and her husband, Dr. James Fentress. William
P. Hardeman was not far behind as was the youngest son of Thomas Jones
Hardeman, Leonidas Polk Hardeman. Thus in a short time the four sons and
daughter of Thomas Jones Hardeman and his first wife were all living about the
San Marcos River. They all became large land owners, most in Caldwell County
but some in both Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties. They were active in the
development of the area, three of them signed the petition requesting the forma59
tion of Caldwell County. (NOTE: Actually the original petition asked that the
county be named Plum Creek, but the Legislature decided to name it Caldwell
County in honor of the famous old Indian Fighter, "Old Paint" Caldwell.) This
area was so well liked by the Hardemans that even Thomas Jones Hardeman
owned land in Guadalupe County even though he lived out most of his life in
Bastrop County. On his death, his widow, Eliza De Witt Hardeman, deeded some
of his properties in Guadalupe County to two of his sons. Even the youngest son,
Leonidas, became a major land owner in both counties. Politically and socially,
the Hardemans were quite active in the area. Thomas Monroe was elected the
first county commissioner for his precinct. He and his wife were quite active in
establishing the city of Prairie Lea. Most were quite active in freemasonry. All
were present when needed to repel the enemy, such as the Battle of Plum Creek,
the battle with the Cordova forces near Seguin, The Mexican War and the Civil
War.
The settlement in the Guadalupe valley area was by no means limited to the
children of Thomas Jones Hardeman. Thomas Jones' brother, Dr. Blackstone
Hardeman, lived in Nacogdoches County until the death of his wife in 1842. Then
he moved to Gonzales County along with his son, Peter. After the death of Thomas
Jones in 1854, Blackstone, his new wife and his son, Peter, moved to Guadalupe
County. Peter married a Caldwell County girl and lived there for a time before
moving elsewhere. Constantine and John B. were in Gonzales and then Caldwell
Counties.
David Dickerson Hardeman, son of D. Hardeman, made his home in Luling,
Texas.
Secession
Relations between the northern and southern states continued to deteriorate,
with bias and an uncompromising attitude on both sides. The election of Abraham
Lincoln as President of the United States was the final straw. Various Southern
states initiated secession proceedings. The Federal Government refused to recognize
the legality of the acts of secession; so a state of confrontation developed early.
The continued presence of federal garrisons within the states who considered
themselves independent led to actual conflict.
Texas, a relative newcomer to the United States, had unique problems of her
own. Most of the Texas settlers had come from southern or border states, but
there were also many from northern states. Many other Texans had come as immigrants from European countries where slavery had been illegal for years. Many
of these had come from Germany. They had settled into German Colonies and
still enjoyed many of the customs of the "old country". Their economy was so
organized as to preclude the need for slaves. For a time Texas frankly had an identification problem as to which path to follow, and neither group had an overwhelming majority of support. Even the Governor of Texas, Sam Houston, openly
60
deplored secession as did several other prominent leaders. Governor Houston;
however, fully recognized the right of the majority of the people to make the crucial
decision. An additional factor was the geographical location of Texas. If she joined
the Confederacy, her way was clear; but if she elected to remain in the Union
she was all but surrounded by potential enemies.
Governor Houston stated in a message to Huntsville, Texas dated November
1860, "Has the time come? If it has, the people who have to bear the burden of
revolution must themselves effect the work". He made it clear that he would abide
by the will of the majority of the people. He issued a proclamation convening
the Legislature in special session in January 1861. The Legislature (including
William Nicholas Hardeman) directed each county to elect representatives to a
Secession Convention. A special election was held January 8, 1861 in Guadalupe
County, and two delegates were elected. These were John Ireland (later Governor
of Texas) and William P. Hardeman. Both were approved by the Convention and
both voted for secesison. In general balloting 122 counties were heard from with
an aggrevate vote of 60,826. Of these popular votes, 46,129 voted for secession
and 14,697 opposed it. In several counties the vote was close. The concentration
of Germanic settlers was reflected in the county totals. Nine counties reported
a majority vote in opposition to secession. There were Burnet, Collin, Fannin,
Fayette, Gillespie, Grayson, Lamar, Medina, Travis and Williamson.
One final provision of the Secession Convention required that all State Officers
take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy. At the prescribed time and date for
the loyalty oaths, Governor Sam Houston and Secretary of State, E. W. Cave,
failed to appear; so the Convention declared their offices vacant and Lt. Gov. Edward Clark assumed the office of governor. Many prominent Texans still stood
for the good of Texas but did not approve the secession. This included Sam
Houston, John Hancock, A. J. Hamilton, James W. Throckmorton, etc. Sam
Houston was persecuted and even vilified, but even so he cleared his son for service in the Confederate Army. James Throckmorton went even further. In the Convention he voted against secession but after the vote was declared, he joined the
Confederate Army and rose to the rank of Brigadier General.
Another group allowed their feelings to take them even further from the concept of secession. Most, but by no means all, of these were from the German
Settlements. These groups furnished two regiments of cavalry to the Union Army. These were the First Regiment Texas Cavalry (Union) which was activated
in New Orleans Nov. 6, 1862 and mustered out of service November 4, 1865.
The Regiment consisted of eight companies which was increased to twelve companies September 10, 1864 when it was consolidated with the 2nd Regiment Texas
Cavalry (Union). Col. Edmund J. Davis (later a reconstruction governor of Texas)
commanded from November 1862 until November 7, 1863 when Col. John L.
Haynes assumed command. Davis was later promoted to Brigadier General. The
Union Texas Cavalry had the mission of patrolling the Texas-Mexico border from
Mexico. Their chief functions were the harassment of that portion of Texas north
61
of the border and to place as much obstruction as they could to the commerce
between Texas and Mexico. (European traders had to ply their trade through this
route because of the Union blockade of the Texas Coast.) Davis led many missions into Texas, once penetrating 100 miles into Texas to steal cattle from the
King's Ranch. Davis' frequent opponent on the border was Col. Rip Ford.
Davis was a transplanted Floridian. Before the Civil War, he was a judge in
Brownsville, Texas. He and a group of northern sympathizers met with then Lt.
Col. Robert E. Lee, then in San Antonio, Texas with the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Davis
tried to convince Lee to remain in the U.S. Army, telling him that he was the best
and ablest man in the army. Davis told Lee that secession was suicidal. Lee is
said to have shown anguish and began to pace the floor. Finally he told Judge
Davis that Davis' arguments were correct and unanswerable, that secession was
suicidal and meant certain disaster for the Southern people, but that his higher
loyalty must be to his own people and to the state which his family had served
for so long. He would go with Virginia.
These Texas Union Cavalry units and a few smaller separate battalions and
separate companies were a heterogenous group made up of German Texas settlers, negroes, deserters and other dissidents from the Confederacy and a few
Mexicans.
One sizeable group of German settlers gathered in Kerr County and headed
for Mexico to join the Texas Union Cavalry. They were ambushed on the Nueces
River and most killed. A few of those who escaped were later killed trying to
cross the Rio Grande. A very small number reached Mexico.
62
CHAPTER 8
Special Meeting in Prairie Lea, Texas
June 1, 1862
This is a copy of the Original Minutes of a special meeting held in Prairie Lea,
Texas June 1, 1862, to consider ways and means of getting aid to Caldwell County soldiers stranded in Arizona.
"June 1st 1862 The citizens of Prairie Lea and proximity met to make arrangements to send
for our soldiers in Arizona. Rev. A. G. Right(sic) was called to the chair who
stated the object of the meeting. A committee was then appointed to solicit contributions and make all other arrangements for the trip.
The Committee:
Wm. S. Mooney
M. C. Smith
E. Malock
B. C. Allen
Leonidas Hardeman
Wm.(?) Wright
N. D. Cartwright
A. Watts
G. M. Keese
Hugh Houston
B. C. Pettus
N. S. Smith
Jefferson Elam
C. W. Chaudoin
S. Peirman
Hugh Houston
A. Watts
H. Polk
E. U. Hawkins
Wm. P. Jennings
Benjamin Fraser
Robert Donn
John Manney
W. P. Bowls
Joseph Humphries
James Petty
Mrs. Shaw
James Duke
Dr. Chaudoin
Pendleton Francis
J. Eustace
Sam Brown
J. Elam
John Duncan(?)
Thomas Stewart
John H. Lyles
Dr. Davis
Esq martin
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
63
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
10.00
10.00
5.00
5.00
20.00
5.00
20.00
5.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
45.00
10.00
5.00
5.00
John Patton
Jennifer Malone
B. Hardeman
T. C. Greenwood
F. A. Dyeus
Martin
Randolph
Mr. Lampkin
Mr. Hysaw
Mr. Allen
Mr. J. H. Lyles
Mr. G. Lowery
Mr. McAnnally
J. N. Foster
L. Hardeman
P. Francis
G. H. Vaughn
N. D. Cartwright
L. M. Cooley
Gus Duke
E. G. Pettus
Fanny Pettus
John Duncan
G. H. Vaughn
C. C. Wooldrigde
Asa Wright
T. W. Weisingen
John McCoy
E. Mallock
D. D. Wade
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
CASH
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
400 lbs bacon
300 lbs bacon
50 lbs bacon
50 lbs bacon
50 lbs bacon
50 lbs bacon
50 lbs bacon
50.00 bacon
50.00 bacon
11 lbs bacon
paid 10.00
paid 10.00
paid 10.00
paid 20.00
paid 5.00
paid 10.00
paid 1.00
paid 5.00
paid 20.00
paid 5.00
paid 10.00
paid 25.00
paid 10.00
20.00
5.00
10.00
10.00
5.00
10.00
5.00
one bell(?) for
1 wagon & 6 mules with harness to be hired of I. L. Martin
1 wagon of Wm. Mc Lean, Origen(?) 2 mules to be got of Mr. Huff
1 wagon & team J. Hamilton, Esq
1 wagon Dr. Carady(?) 1 mule
1 wagon & team of Wm. P. Jennings
Drivers — John Hamilton, Milton Grady, Sam'l Brown, John Keese.
(H. L. Luck — guide)
O. B. Hardeman — one mule and meal
B. C. Allen — one mule and meal
Thomas Mooney — all the meal wanted
Pete Hardeman — one mule "
(The original Minutes of this meeting are the property of and in the possession
64
of Esther Gambrell Deviney, Martindale, Texas.)
The need for this meeting at Prairie Lea, Caldwell County, Texas resulted from
early action in the Civil War. Confederate Brigadier General Henry H. Sibley convinced President Jefferson Davis, CSA, that with 4000 troops he could conquer
the west for the Confederacy. His plan was approved. His Command was made
up almost exclusively of Texans. One of his foremost recruiters was Captain
William Polk Hardeman of Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, a highly regarded
and rugged veteran of the Texas Revolution, the Mexican War and many Indian
Campaigns and battles. He was given the command of Company "A" in Col. John
Riley's Regiment (4th Texas Cavalry Regiment), in Sibley's Brigade. Company "A"
was made up of men from Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, Initially the company was made up of 106 officers and men. (At the end of the New Mexico Campaign the company strength was down to 71 effectives.) Capt. Hardeman and his
Company "A" were the first to report for duty. This they did on 27 August 1861. The
Brigade assembled, underwent some training and moved out for New Mexico 7
November 1861. The troops were poorly equipped. The arms consisted of whatever
guns the individual possessed. Thus there were rifles, squirrel rifles, shot guns, etc.
Because of his military expertise and because he had participated in a previous
expedition to New Mexico, Senior Captain Hardeman and his Company "A" were
given the lead in moves and operations. Movement was slow because of the
characteristics of water holes in West Texas. Most of them had a limited supply
of water; and if it was exhausted, the next user had to wait, more or less patiently, for the water to seep back in. Thus military units needing the water found
it necessary to disperse into smaller units with a greater interval between them
to allow for filling time between units.
The 4th Regiment reached Fort Bliss 17 December 1861 but encamped at Willow
Bar in Confederate Arizona. The Brigade was joined at this point by the Regiment
of Lt. Col. Robert John Baylor (Second Regiment) which accompanied the Sibley
Brigade in their operation. Col. Baylor had arrived earlier and had taken over
Fort Bliss. It is of interest that Co. "A" of Baylor's Command was commanded
by Capt. Peter Hardeman, first cousin of Capt. William P. Hardeman. Senior Capt.
W P. Hardeman was placed in Command of Companies "F" and "H" and given
the charge to take Alamosa. This they did; however the Federals had gotten word
of the attack, and had withdrawn, destroying or strewing their supplies in the
process. It was a hollow victory.
Perhaps it is time to discuss Gen. Sibley's operational plans and logistics. Gen.
Sibley had served in the Arizona-New Mexico Territory before the Civil War. He
had found the people friendly and cooperative and he felt that they would join
his campaign with men, food, and other supplies. He found none of these; but
he did find a Col. Canby (said by some to be the brother-in-law of Sibley) in
command of a well equipped Federal force at Fort Craig. Fort Craig was so located
as to hinder any military advance north along the Rio Grande. In addition it was
66
found out that a formidable force from Colorado was en route to reinforce Col.
Canby. Logistics for the Sibley force were totally inadequate. The force could not
live off the land; and in spite of initial victories, the scorched earth policies of
the Federals denied captured supplies and equipment to the invaders. Sibley had
no means of personnel reinforcement, the highly restrictive desert placed San Antonio 1000 miles away, munitions were limited to those carried in their wagon
trains. The wagon trains were primary targets for the Federals and they seized
every opportunity to attack them. One small group of wagons was lost early but
at Glorietta a large number of wagons were lost, making the Confederate position very tenuous.
In addition to this the problem of medical casualties plagued the invaders. In
most military campaigns, medical casualties outnumber the battle casulaties, but
in the New Mexico Campaign this was even more pronounced than usual. They
had a high incidence of the diarrheal diseases which seem to be part of war, but
in addition they experienced epidemics of small pox and measles, and they carried a high mortality rate. The incidence of measles was so high that at one time
Co. "E" of the Fourth Regiment had to be left behind for a time.
After Alamosa Sibley led his Brigade toward Fort Craig but decided not to
assault it. The Confederates enountered strongly fortified positions at Val Verde.
Fighting was heavy and the Confederates were especially punished by superior
artillery fire from a well prepared elevated location. Captain W. P. Hardmean
volunteered to lead a volunteer force of 500 men to climb the hills and cliffs and
silence the artillery. This they did after fierce fighting in which all the defenders
were killed. The Federals retreated to Fort Craig. The captured cannons were found
to be brass and of fine quality. For the rest of the war the Brigade kept them even
when some other artillery pieces had to be buried or otherwise discarded. These
were given the name of the Val Verde Battery. Capt. Hardeman was promoted
to Regimental Major for his part in the attack.
First Socorro and then Albuquerque were taken. Albuquerque was especially
valued because it was a supply depot and because it contained several much needed
hospitals. The Brigade left Major Hardeman, two infantry companies and a battery of artillery to defend Albuquerque while they moved on toward Santa Fe.
Col. Canby took advantage of the situation at Albuquerque and mounted an overwhelming attack on it. This was sustained for five days and nights but Hardeman's
Command held. By this time reinforcements arrived so Canby withdrew.
Hardeman was promoted to Lt. Colonel.
The Brigade continued northward to Santa Fe and Glorietta Pass. At Glorietta
Pass they were ambushed and a furious fight ensued. The Federals were thrown
back and retreated toward Fort Craig. Then the Confederates discovered that
disaster had overtaken them — the Federals had captured their entire wagon train.
This removed their potential to continue the campaign. They faced a paradoxical
situation, they had won every significant battle yet they were nearly destroyed.
Sibley faced the choice of surrendering his command or retreating back into Texas.
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On the retreat they faced constant harassment. Finally near Fort Craig, the Confederates appeared trapped — Union forces were close behind them, the formidable
desert was on their right and the swollen Rio Grande was on their left. On the
night of 15 April 1862, a sandstorm blew up; and in its screening effect, the Confederates were able to ford the Rio Grande and escape their entrapment; however
they had to abandon their sick and wounded and many supplies. The Union Forces
did not pursue beyond the escape crossing of the Rio Grande; but now the Confederates were in Apache country and many stragglers were killed and scalped.
The Brigade now faced the problem of crossing the wide Texas desert. By now
most were afoot, the water holes were far apart and at times the Indains deliberately fouled them. Most of the command were malnourished and many were frankly sick. In the midst of all these ordeals, a staff officer was dispatched to Texas
to contact the people of eleven counties and request that they send food and
transporation to meet the returning soldiers and help get them home. (Presumably
the meeting at Prairie Lea on June 1 was in response to this appeal.) Burwell Collier Allen died a few miles from Barrel Springs. He was a member of Company
"A" and may well have been the last member of Company "A" to die on this campaign. His father, B. C. Allen, was on the Prairie Lea Committee to provide
assistance for the returning soldiers. On July 3, 1862, a very few days after Allen's
death, the first wagon train from home met the column of troops near Beaver
Lake at the head of the Devils River. This wagon train of six wagons was the
Prairie Lea one and its wagoneers included Asa Wright, Eustace, Francis Barnes,
Tinny and others. The supplies fromt he six wagons were distributed freely and
the wagons used to transport footsore soldiers. A few days later several more
wagon trains of supplies were met at D'Hanis in Medina County and the ordeal
was largely over.
(Many of the sick and wounded from the entire campaign were from Hardeman's
Command. He was even more disturbed because these people were from his own
two Counties, Caldwell and Guadalupe. In addition he lost a nephew, Sgt. Thomas
H. Fentress April 8, 1862 at Albuquerque. Thomas was the son and only child
of Dr. James Fentress and his wife, Mary Ophelia Hardeman. Fentress, Texas was
named for Dr. Fentress.)
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CHAPTER 9
Galveston
On arrival in San Antonio, Sibley's Brigade was furloughed for 60 days to go
home, recuperate, reoutfit themselves and remount themselves as needed; however
they were subject to recall at a moments notice. General Sibley rendered an address to his command as follows:
"Soldiers of the Army of New Mexico: — It is with unfeigned pride and pleasure
that I find myself occupying a position which devolves upon me the duty of congratulating the Army of New Mexico upon the successes which have crowned
their arms in the many encounters with the enemy during the short but brilliant
campaign which has just terminated.
Called from your homes almost at a moment's warning, cheerfully leaving
friends, families and private affairs, in many cases solely dependent upon your
presence and personal attention, scarcely prepared for a month's campaign, in
the immediate defense of your own firesides, you have made a march, many of
you over a thousand miles, before ever reaching the field of active operations.
The boasted valor of Texans has been fully vindicated. Val Verde, Glorietta,
Albuquerque, Peralta, and last, though not least, your successful and almost unprecedented evacuation, through mountain passes and over a trackless waste of
a hundred miles through a famishing country will be duly chronicled, and form
one of the brightest pages in the history of the second American Revolution. That
I should be proud of you — that every participant in the campaign should be
proud of himself — who can doubt?
During the short period of inaction which you are now enjoying, your General
indulges the hope that you will constantly bear in mind that at any moment you
may be recalled into activity.
God and an indulgent Providence have guided us in our councils and watched
our ways: let us be thankful to Him for our successes, and to Him let us not forget
to offer a prayer for our noble dead.
H. H. Sibley, Brig. Gen. Commanding"
General Sibley was reassigned in October 1862 and Col. James Reily was placed
in command of the brigade. Col. Reily issued an order October 28, 1862 recalling the brigade to active duty. By December 1, the brigade was intact. On
November 28th, General John B. Magruder had arrived and took command of
the District of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Up until this time (and for the
duration of the war for that matter), Texas had remained refractory to serious
invasion attempts by the Union. Attempts were directed at four points, Galveston,
Sabine Pass, Brownsville and the Red River — none of them enjoyed any appreciable success. On October 4, 1862, The Union Force attacked and took the
City of Galveston with a very small garrison. Newly arrived General Magruder
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determined to retake Galveston without delay.
Sibley's Brigade had been earmarked for duty in Louisiana, but their move was
diverted to Houston to take part in the invasion of Galveston. General Magruder's
battle plan included simultaneous assaults from land and from the sea. Two steamboats, the "Neptune" and the "Bayou City" were in Buffalo Bayou. Breastworks
of bales of cotton were erected on the decks of the ships. Sibley's Brigade manned
these "cotton clads". Two other ships, the "Lucy Gwinn" and the "John F. Carr",
functioned as tenders for the attack ships.
Magruder himself led the land attack. Their attack began the night of December
31. On January 1st the Union forces had been pressed back to the northern part
of the island. The Cotton Clads arrived in the mean time and attacked the "Harriet Lane". The Confederate Ship "Neptune" was sunk in shallow water (so that
its troops could still fire). The crew of the "Bayou City" closely engaged the "Harriet Lane" and boarded her. In heavy hand to hand fighting all the senior officers
of the "Harriet Lane" were killed and the crew surrendered. The Union ship
"Westfield" tried to escape, ran aground and was blown up by her own crew to
prevent her inevitable capture by the Confederates. On the island, the Federals
surrendered to Magruder.
In recognition after the battle, the following were recognized for distinguished
service during the battle: Col. Tom Green, Colonel Steele, Lt. Col. Scurry, Col.
William P. HARDEMAN, and Col. H. M. Elmore.
NOTE: It is of interest that at the time of the Battle of Galveston the effective
strength of Sibley's Brigade was only 200 men. These were the men who served
as marines and manned the two "Cotton-Clad Ships" which destroyed or routed
the Union ships involved in the engagement.
For a short time Col. William P. Hardeman was detached from his Fourth Regiment of Sibley's Brigade and given command of the First Regiment of the Arizona
Brigade. In this assignment his Regimental Executive Officer was his cousin Lt.
Col. Peter Hardeman. When his old brigade was ready to participate in the Louisiana Campaign, William was returned to his command of the 4th Regiment,
Sibley's Brigade on October 4, 1864.
The Louisiana Campaign
Union General N. P. Banks made one last attempt to crush the Confederacy
in Texas. In early 1864, he concentrated 25,000 well equipped and supplied combat troops at Alexandria, Louisiana, supported by a flotilla of gun boats and the
most modern artillery. He planned on cutting a wide swath through the richest
part of Texas. His plan resembled that which Sherman was anticipating for
Georgia. In addition Union General Frederick Steele was to march south from
Little Rock, Arkansas with an additional 15,000 troops and join forces with Banks
on the Red River.
An ill fed and poorly supplied Confederate force under Sterling Price stopped
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Steele at Camden, Arkansas, mauling his force even though the Federals outnumbered the Confederates two to one. They were never able to unite with the
forces of Union General Banks.
General Richard Taylor, son of General Zachary Taylor of Mexican War fame
and an old friend of Texas, commanded the Confederates facing the massive Union
Army. At the most, Taylor never had over 11,000 troops. Even against these odds,
he chose to attack. After a bitter campaign, Taylor finally smashed Banks at
Mansfield, and Banks retreated back to the Mississippi. As Fehrenback stated so
aptly there was never to be a Union song called "Marching through Texas". In
the late spring the war in the Southwest degenerated into a stalemate.
The following is a brief chronology of the Louisiana campaign, particularly
as it refers to the Sibley Brigade, later known as the Green's Brigade and even
later as the Hardeman Brigade.
1. After the Battle of Galveston, the Brigade moved to Hempstead, Texas and
then to Louisiana. On April 8, 9, and 10, 1863 it was involved in skirmishes at
Brashear City and Bisland. With great numerical superiority, the Union troops
attacked on the 12th but were beaten off.
2. Battles of Bisland and Franklin — 800 members of the Sibley Brigade repulsed
and drove back a crack army of 9,000. Green engaged, fought and retreated at
leisure before Bank's Grand Army of Louisiana. The slow withdrawal was through
Jeanerette, New Iberia, Vermilionville and Grand Coteau — there were many skirmishes and counter attacks. Then the advance of the Federals was checked.
3. On May 18, 1863 the Brigade left Niblett's Bluff to attack the Retreating Union
Army. They were overtaken near New Iberia. After battle, the Federals retreated
to Berwick's Bay where they were protected by their gunboats. Thus ended the
1863 spring campaign in Louisiana. General Sibley was reassigned and General
Thomas Green was given command of the Brigade. It would now be called Green's
Brigade. The Confederate forces launched an assault on a major Union Depot
at Flat Lake. They captured huge quantities of stores and supplies, took 1800
prisoners, captured 12 siege guns, a great number of rifles, etc.
4. On June 26, 1863, the Confederate forces moved on Fort Butler. Col. William
P. Hardeman with the 4th Texas Mounted Volunteers (First Regiment) was given
orders to mount a frontal attack in line with the Lafurche while Shannon and
his Regiment were to attack the fort from the rear. The attack started at 2 a.m.
Fierce fighting resulted and at times the combatants were said to have resorted
to the throwing of brick bats by both sides. The defenses of the fort held.
5. Union General William B. Franklin landed 27,000 troops at the mouth of
the Teche on October 1, 1863 and moved to Basher, New Iberia and Opelouses
to NiDletts Bluff. This assault force was scheduled to join the other arm of attack
pincers to be provided by a landing assault in force at Sabine Pass. Franklin's army reached Vermilionville October 9th but found their advance blocked by Col.
Hampton and his troops. After an initial confrontation, the Confederates, though
greatly outnumbered, slowly retreated; but they slowed the enemy by a series
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of counter attacks. On October 13 Col. Hardeman and his Brigade arrived on
the scene and attacked. The Union forces were checked for two days, then the
retreat was slowly resumed. General Green's Division joined the fight on the 17th
and 18th. On October 21, the Brigade of Col. Arthur Bagley entered the fight
and the advance was checked. About this time the Union Forces learned of the
unbelievable victory of Dick Dowling and his fighting Irishmen at Sabine Pass,
where history was made. It should be remembered that the large scale invasion
of Texas through Sabine Pass was the second arm of the mighty pincers of destruction of Texas potential, the first being the large forces of General Franklin.
(NOTE: The battle of Sabine Pass is worthy of special note because of the
significance of the victory as well as its magnitude, relatively speaking. Lt. Richard
W. Dowling was in temporary command of a small detachment of men at Sabine
Pass. They were part of Company E, Colonel Joseph J. Cook's First Texas Heavy
Artillery Regiment. The detachment consisted of 42 Irishmen plus a surgeon and
an engineer. Their fort was built of thick, low mud walls. There were no ramparts, the cannons were mounted on top of the walls and with no special protection for the gunners. The armaments were pathetic and consisted of old cannons.
There were two 32 pound smooth bores, two 24 pound smooth bores and two
32 pound howitzers. The fort had been called Fort Griffin, the back wall being
nowhere nearly completed. The defenders were all civilian soldiers - dock workers,
rail road hands and bar keepers. Dowling, himself owned a bar in Houston. This
improbable garrison had planned unbelievably well for such an anticipated attack. Sabine Pass had a six mile narrow stretch with one angulation which would
require slowed speed of a passing ship. Dowling and his men had carefully
checked the passage and had even placed poles as markers at the strategic points
to zero in his artillery.
On September 6 and 7 the invasion fleet arrived off Sabine Pass. The armada
consisted of 5-6000 troops plus 200 sailors. There were 21 troop transports and
four gun boats. Among the troops aboard was Col. Edmund Davis and his First
Texas Cavalry Regiment (Union). Many horses were aboard. The plan was a concentrated bombardment of the fort followed by initial landings below the fort.
The main landings were to be above the fort in and above Lake Sabine. At 6:30
a.m. the gun boats moved forward and started shelling the fort. Little damage
was done because the mud walls just seemed to absorb the shells. The defenders
did not fire a single round during the entire bombardment. At nine a.m. the
"Sachem", the "Arizona" and the "Clifton" advanced on the pass. A small landing
was attempted below the fort but the attackers bogged down helplessly in the
mud bottom. In spite of their earlier approach, the Pass was not entered until
3:30 p.m. The defenders of the mud fort still had not fired a single round. The
"Sachem" entered the pass and when it reached the markers, the Confederates
started firing for the first time. After a few rounds, the "Sachem" was a wreck
and out of control. The next in line was the "Clifton". Very soon the "Clifton"
received a hit in the wheel house, went out of control and was grounded sound72
ly on a bank of shell and mud. Then she took a shot through the boiler and
the fight was over for her. Then the "Arizona" made a run for the pass and
in the confusion found herself grounded. The "Arizona" ran up a white flag,
but after a time the "Arizona" floated free of the mud bank and managed
to escape. At this point, General Franklin gave the order for a full withdrawal
of the landing fleet. The "Arizona", still flying her white flag, fled getting ahead
of the troop carriers. She, in her haste, grounded on another mud bank and was
several hours more in completing her escape. 200,000 rations and hundreds of
horses and mules were thrown over the side of the "Cresent" and the "Laurel Hill".
The animals all drowned because they were haltered, but many of the packages of
rations were recovered by the victorious Confederates and were put to good use.
It is of interest that the old guns of the mud fort fired only 137 rounds during
the entire battle. Over 300 prisoners were taken and it is said that the dead floated
ashore for many days. Even after they were prisoners, care was taken to keep them
from knowing the total number of the defenders until their situation was secure.
Perhaps Horace Greely summed it up best when he commented in disgust that
General William Buel Franklin, the Federal Commander at Sabine Pass, was the
first American general in history to lose a fleet to land batteries alone.
The Confederates won a complete victory at Bourbeau, after which they fell
back to Carrion Crow Bayou to regroup and rest. The enemy tried a testing attack on the 11th but were met by Col. Hardeman's Brigade and thrown back.
On November 29, an exhange of prisoners was arranged.
6. General John B. Magruder received information suggesting that Union General
Bank was planning another attack on the Texas Coast, probably at Galveston.
He requested and obtained the entire Division commanded by General Green.
This included the Brigade commanded by Colonel W. P. Hardeman. The Confederates started arriving in Houston on Christmas day. In February 1864, they
were moved by train to Hempstead where they were remounted and from there
they started their move to Alexandria, Louisiana. On arrival at San Augustine,
the second and third regiments of the brigade received orders to force march to
Natchitoches and intercept an advancing Union Army. They were joined en route
by Colonel Xavier B. DeBray and his regiment. Combat started on March 30.
At first the Union Troops were halted, but on receipt of heavy reinforcements
they were able to resume a slow advance. The remainder of the Confederate forces
in the area joined into the combat near Mansfield. The first major conflict took
place near Pleasant Hill where the Confederates were outnumbered three to one.
Col. Hardeman's old Sibley's Brigade played a very active role in the battle as
did that of Col. DeBray's Command. Very heavy fighting took place near Mansfield
and Confederate General Mouton was killed. By this time the Union strength was
over 9000 infantrymen plus much artillery. Major General Green's Division, including Col. Hardeman's Brigade, succeeded in outflanking their opponents who
broke and fled. 2800 prisoners were taken as well as 16 pieces of artillery. In addition, Col. Hardeman's troops captured 248 supply wagons.
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7. Next morning the Union forces began a withdrawal, and for the first ten
miles of the withdrawal, the Confederates took many prisoners and captured much
baggage. When the withdrawing Union troops reached Pleasant Hill, they were
reinforced by two corps of Union troops so they again went on the initiative.
Now the Federal troops outnumbered the Confederates ten to one, and this vast
numerical superiority began to take its toll. The Confederates withdrew slowly
until a counter attack by Col. Hardeman and his brigade reinforced by Terrell's
Regiment stopped the advance. Then General Green's Division made a flanking
attack on the right and the Federals withdrew.
8. At Blair's Landing Major General Thomas Green was decapitated when he
took a direct hit from a gun boat shell. He was a much beloved leader. His commanding General issued a special memorial:
"Headquarters District Western Louisiana
Mansfield, La., April 13, 1864
General Orders,
No.
Soldiers — a Chief has fallen. A warrior of warriors has gone to his home.
On the 12th, inst. fell Thomas Green. After braving death a thousand times, the
destroyer found him, where he was ever wont to be, in the front line of battle.
His spirit has flown to the happy home of heroes, where the kindred spirit of
Alfred Mouton awaited it. Throughout broad Texas, throughout desolated Louisiana, mourning will sadden every heart. Great is the loss of family and friends;
much greater is the loss to this army and to me. For many weary months these
two have served with me. Against the storm of battle; by the lonely campfire;
at the solitary outpost, my heart has learned to love them. Their families shall
be as mine; their friends, my friends. To have been their beloved friend and trusted
commander is the highest earthly honor I can ever attain.
Soldiers! the fall of these heroes shall not be in vain. Inspired by such examples,
this army shall achieve great things. Moistened by the blood of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill and Blair Landing, the tree of national independence will grow apace,
and soon overshadow the land so that all may repose in peace under its grateful
shade. The memory of our glorious dead is a rich legacy to our future generations, and their names will be remembered as the chosen heroes and martyrs of
the chivalric Southern race.
The colors of the cavalry corps of this army will be draped for thirty days,
in memory of the heroic commander.
H. Taylor
Major General, Commanding
9. Col. William Polk Hardeman was placed permanently in command of his
brigade on April 20, 1864. It was now to be called Hardeman's Brigade.
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Sporadic fighting continued. The Federals evacuated Alexandria and moved
south. General Taylor's orders to his Army, dated May 23,1864 expresses the situation at that time.
Headquarters District Western Louisiana
In the Field, May 23, 1864
General Orders,
No. 44.
Soldiers of the Army of Western Louisiana:
On the 12th of March the enemy with an army of thirty thousand men, accompanied by a fleet of iron clads, mounting one hundred and fifty guns, moved
forward for the conquest of Texas and Louisiana. After seventy days continued
fighting, you stand a band of conquering heroes on the banks of the Mississippi.
Fifty pieces of cannon, seven thousand stand of small arms, three gun boats and
eight transports captured or destroyed, sixty stands of colors, over ten thousand
of the enemy killed, wounded or captured, these are the trophies which adorn
your victorious banners. Along three hundred miles of river you have fought his
fleet, over two hundred miles of road you have driven his army. You have matched
your bare breasts against his iron clads and have proved victorious in the contest. You have driven his routed columns beyond the Mississippi, although fed
by reinforcements of fresh troops, while many of your gallant comrades were
withdrawn to other fields. The boasted fleet which lately sailed triumphant over
our waters, has fled in dismay, after destroying guns and stripping off armor in
its eagerness to escape you. Like recreant knights the iron clads have fled the field,
leaving shield and sword behind.
The devotion and constancy you have displayed in this pursuit have never been
surpassed in the annals of war, and you have removed from the Confederate soldier
the reproach, that he could win battles but could not improve victories.
Along a hundred miles of his path the flying foe, with more than savage barbarity, burned every house and village within his reach. You extinguished the burning ruins in his base blood, and were nerved afresh to vengeance by the cries of
women and children, left without shelter or food.
Long will the accursed race remember the great river of Texas and Louisiana,
the characteristic hue of his turbid water has a darker tinge from the liberal admixture of Yankee blood.
The cruel alligator and the ravenous gar fish wax fat on rich food, and our
native vulture holds high revelry over many a festering corpse.
If the stern valor of our well trained infantry was illustrated on the bloody fields
of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, this long pursuit has covered the cavalry of this
army with undying renown.
Like generous hounds with the game in full view, you have known neither
hunger nor fatigue, and the hoarse cannon and the ringing rifle have replaced
in this stern chase the sonorous horn and joyous halloo. Whether charging on
foot, shoulder to shoulder with our noble infantry, or hurling your squadrons
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on the masses of the foe, or hanging on his flying columns with more than the
tenacity of the Cossack, you have been admirable in all. Conquer your own vices
and you can conquer the world.
Our artillery has been the admiration of the army. Boldly advancing, without
cover, against the heavy metal of the hostile fleet, unlimbering often within range
of musketry, or remaining last on the field to pour grape and canister into the
advancing columns, our batteries have been distinguished in exact proportion as
opportunity was afforded.
Soldiers! these are great and noble deeds, and they will live in chronicle and
in song as long as the Southern race exists to honor the earth. But much remains
yet to do. The fairest city of the South languishes in the invader's grasp. Her exiled sons mourn her fate in every land. The cheeks of her fair daughters yet mantle
with the blush raised by the cruel tyrants insult. Not a Confederate soldier returns
to his colors from this sad Venice of the South, but recounts with throbbing heart
and tearful eyes, how, amidst danger and insult, these noble women — angels
upon earth — cheered his confinement and relieve his wants. To view the approving smiles of these fair dames, will be a soldiers proudest boast, the brightest
leaf in his chaplet of laurels.
Soldiers! this army marches toward New Orleans, and though it does not reach
its goal, the heart of her patriot women shall bound high with joy, responsive
to the echoes of your guns.
R. Taylor
Major General
The invading army retreated back to the Mississippi and Bank's great invasion
of Texas was over. Texas was never again a victim of any appreciable degree of
invasion by the federals. Even at the end of the war, the North held no more than
a strip of Texas along the coast north of Mexico.
For the records, General E. Kirby Smith, Commander of the Confederate Forces
west of the Mississippi elevated William Polk Hardeman to the rank of Brigadier
General on March 17, 1865.
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Grant at the Appomattox Court
House April 26, 1865. The Confederacy was no more, but Texas was not quite
ready to accept it. The last pitched battled of the war took place in May 1865.
It took place along the Rio Grande above Brownsville. It was largely a series of
cavalry engagements, but the fighting was particularly intense because of the strong
feeling of the Texans. Many of the Federal troops were people whom the
Southerners considered to be traitors. There were also many negro troops. The
battle was an overwhelming victory for the Confederates but did not change the
outcome of the war.
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CHAPTER 10
Exile in Mexico
The war ended abruptly for most of the Confederate units west of the Mississippi. True they had their usual shortages of armaments and supplies and personnel, but such had become their way of life. As for the military situation, Texas had
never seen a major invasion and only her periphery had witnessed combat. The
Campaign in New Mexico and Arizona had been a military failure but had resulted
from logistical inadequacies, not from combat failures. Even so there was never
a counter invasion in that area from the Union. There were actions at Galveston,
along the Red River and at Sabine Pass, but the only region with relatively fixed
Federal establishments was along the Texas-Mexico border, largely in the coastal
region. Other than for interference with commerce from Texas through Mexico
occasioned by the general blockade of the Texas coast by the Union fleet, these
border situated Union troops were far from Texas proper and their presence was
largely unknown.
Most major Confederate commanders tried to work out surrender understandings with their Union counterparts once Lee had surrendered to Grant and the
Confederacy was obviously ended, but the Union commanders were at a loss as
to their authority in such matters. In general the terms suggested by the Confederate
generals allowed the Confederates to retain more rights and privileges than the
Union desired to grant.
Other than for the delayed battle on the lower Rio Grande well after the war
was actually over, the Confederate military units were eroding and falling apart
without being given permission by their commanders. Most soldiers felt that the
war was over and that it was time to go home, repair their homes and barns and
get the crops in. This was by no means as traumatic as such returns of the Confederates in the old south who too often returned to the curses of the scorched
earth policies of Sherman and his ilk. There was never anything comparable to
this scorched earth policy in Texas. As the Confederate soldiers moved toward
home, they took their arms and all available property of the Confederacy which
they could come into possession of.
A special problem was recognized for senior Confederate military commanders
and Confederate officials. Many rumors abounded as to their disposition when
the federals actually took over. These were intensified by the despicable treatment accorded Jefferson Davis, late president of the Confederacy. A number of
the Confederate leaders left the country and went to various foreign countries.
The largest of these groups was headed by the renowned Confederate Cavalry
General, Jo Shelby of Missouri. His Brigade was known as the Iron Cavalry
Brigade. He rejected the concept of surrender and in July 1865 started the remnants of his Brigade toward Mexico. As he moved on, many of his troops deserted
him in his project but others, particularly leaders, joined him. In Texas his group
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was joined by terminally ill Governor Murrah, Governor Henry W. Allen of Louisiana, Governor Thomas C. Reynolds of Missouri, former Governor Edward Clark
of Texas, Trusten Polk of Missouri, Charles S. Morehead of Kentucky, Thomas
O. Moore of Louisiana; Generals Magruder, H. P. Bee, William P. Hardeman,
H. L. King, all from Texas, Sterling Price, Kirby Smith, John B. Clark of Missouri,
Thomas C. Hindman of Arkansas, William Preston of Kentucky; and Texas coast
defenders Oscar Watkins, Leon Smith and P. N. Luckett. Governor Murrah's illness prevented his keeping up with Shelby's group. Murrah was able to go no
further than Monterrey, where he died of tuberculosis.
When Shelby's group reached the Rio Grande, a special ceremony was held.
As heads were bared and as the bugle sounded, their tattered battle Confederate
flag was wrapped around a boulder and slowly sunk in the Rio Grande. After
the sinking of the flag, the remnants of the Brigade and those added in Texas
crossed the river on a makeshift bridge near Eagle Pass. Of the thousands who
had started the treck to Mexico only a few hundred crossed the river with him.
The expatriates did not find a land of milk and honey in Mexico. The country
was even more poverty stricken than the defeated South, and it was in the midst
of a new war of its own. A year before Shelby's arrival, Frances Napoleon III
had placed Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his consort Princess Carlotta of
Belgium on the nebulous throne of Mexico. Maximilian inherited a civil war in
which he was opposed by the great masses of Mexicans under the leadership of
Benito Juarez. Maximilian had favored the Confederacy; so after the Civil War
was over he welcomed the Southern Expatriates. This action further alienated the
masses of the Mexican people who had no love for Texans and had the same regard
for all citizens of the United States citing the Mexican's humiliating American
assault on Chapultepec during the Mexican War twenty years earlier. A final factor was the substantial aid given Juarez by the Union. This even included arms.
Shelby's small force, probably less than five hundred on crossing the Rio Grande
found themselves in Juarist country. At first the Juarist commander, A. S. Biesca,
offered Shelby the opportunity to join into the struggle in the Juarist army. Shelby
declined but did make a business deal with the Juarists selling them cannons and
ammunition as well as a few small arms. The money was distributed to all members
of his command. Shelby had hoped to be able to return his command to the United
States after a short time, but it became obvious early that no such contingency
existed. He recognized that he must avoid all conflict possible in Mexico. The
group headed south toward Mexico City and had to pass through the thick border
wilderness which so many others had learned to dread. They had the same problems with the widely spaced, frequently polluted water holes and the inevitable
bandits. In the midst of this great wilderness, Shelby had a new testing. His force
was faced by the very "liberales" to whom they sold heavy arms. The Mexicans
made false charges and wanted major retributions. The Confederates would have
none of it. As disgusted as they were they were spoiling for a fight and made
their intentions evident. The Mexicans recognized their own dangerous predica78
ment and withdrew without further ado. The expedition continued south. When
they reached the Salinas River some twenty miles north of Monterrey about July
28, they were ambushed by a group of Lipan Indians and half-blood Guerillabandits. The Confederates were in a vulnerable location but their response was
sudden and devastating and the fight became something of a massacre. The Mexicans broke first and then the Indians. No quarter was shown. On the American
side twenty-seven were killed and thirty-seven wounded. Another attempt to
massacre the party was made a few days later at Lampasos. Loosely, these attack
groups were affiliated with Juarez. By now Shelby's force was reduced to about
four hundred. Their affiliations were under question also by the Maximilian force
since Shelby had sold cannons to the Juarists. Shelby decided that the time had
come to clarify their status in Mexico; so he polled his men on the subject. Most
of them voted to shed their pseudo-neutralism and firmly declare for Maximilian
and the French. The travel to the south was somewhat traumatic in the relationships between some of the French commanders and Shelby's force. Finally in midAugust of 1865, Shelby's bedraggled party reached Mexico City. After a few days
Shelby was granted an interview with Maximilian and Carlotta. He was shown
proper courtesy but was told that his welcome was as a group of individuals,
not as a military unit. Shelby had no alternative but to break up his command.
Most of his men tried to enter agricultural pursuits, but finally a few were allowed to enter the French Army and a few even went north and served with the
Juaristas.
Several Confederate colonies were established in Mexico, the largest being named
Carlotta. Maximilian hoped that a town could be established which would favor
business men, professionals, etc. and so build a beautiful, practical city. Actually
no such was ever constructed. The colonists were provided land at a cheap rate.
Each family was allowed 640 acres at one dollar per acre, and each single man
was allowed 320 acres at the same rate. The colony did not prosper. Inflation
and land speculation dampened the economy and made it very difficult for a young
couple to get started. Other smaller Confederate towns fared no better. One colonist started a saw mill. Another tried to establish a cotton plantation. There were
few of the niceties which these men had valued so highly back home. Another
town of significance for the colonists was Cordova, where Shelby brought his wife
and children. Another town was Orizba and another, Omealco.
After a short time Maximilian opened other areas to the Confederates. Judge
Oran M. Roberts and General William P. Hardeman were stationed at Guadalajara. General Hardeman and General A. W. Terrel were made Chefs de bataillon
in the Mexican Imperial Army. General Kirby-Smith tired of Mexico in short time
and made a peace with General Grant and returned home. The living conditions
in the colonies in Mexico were most difficult. Living standards were low. The
Southerners were disliked by the majority of Mexicans as well as by the numerous
Indians, many of whom had their lands taken from them to sell to the colonists.
Open fighting occurred from time to time. Then on May 31, 1866, Napoleon III
79
notified that the French troops were being withdrawn from Mexico. This was the
beginning of the end for Maximilian. Juarez's power and support grew rapidly.
As could be expected, Carlotta's mission to Europe was heard with deaf ears. She
became hopelessly insane and remained so until her death in 1927. Maximilian's
forces faded, they were destroyed and Maximilian captured. On June 19, 1867,
Maximilian and his chief aides were led up the hill of Cerro de las Campanas,
outside Queretaro, and executed.
General William P. Hardeman's disillusionment with the Mexico "solution" was
evident early. He returned to Texas quietly in 1866. The 1870 Census of Texas
shows him to be in his home in Guadalupe County with his children.
80
CHAPTER 11
Reconstruction
The Confederacy was defeated and destroyed. The people of the South had
been conquered and thus expected to bear some of the burdens placed on a defeated
people and nation; but never did they anticipate the harsh, deliberately destructive programs imposed on them. It was obvious that they would have to sacrifice
the general principles of their voting right for at least a time in order that the
conquerers would have continued control, control of their desires and making.
The North sent a large group of grasping and corrupt individuals who came to
be known as carpet baggers and scalawags. This group was supported by the army of occupation and later by the specially selected governmental officials in the
South. They exploited the negroes whom they claimed to be supporting, they
voted the masses of illiterate negroes in groups to control local voting, but their
greatest evil was the large scale stealing of the lands of innumberable Southerners
by decreeing exorbitant taxes on the properties of these Southerners which resulted
in sheriff sales of the lands which these same dishonest agents then bought at
greatly reduced prices.
This very large scale stealing of land resulted in a large transmigration of families
in the old South to Texas and other incompletely developed regions. Texas
presented a unique problem to the military occupation commanders and to the
special political administrators. Texas had not known real defeat. There never
was a successful invasion of Texas by the Union of any appreciable scope and
most attempts were repulsed. General Phil Sheridan was the first military dictator of the Southwest. He stated that most Texans were incorrigible Rebels. Federal
Genereal David S. Stanley told a Congressional Committee on Reconstruction
that "Texas is worse than any other (Southern) state because she has never been
whipped".
The Reconstruction governors of Texas were Andrew Jackson Hamilton (a good
Texan but one who openly opposed secession), Dr. James Webb Throckmorton
(who voted against secession as a member of the Secession Convention; but when
the general voted favored secession, he joined the Confederate Army and advanced
to the grade of brigadier general.) (General Sheridan over-ruled the election of
Throckmorton, removed him from office and replaced him with Elisha Marshall
Pease whom Throckmorton had just defeated.) The last Reconstruction governor
was Edmund Jackson Davis. In spite of Hamilton's having served in the Union
Army, all these governors, with the possible exception of Davis, were considered
to be good Texans and individuals who had the welfare of Texas at heart. With
them at the helm, the Reconstruction in Texas was probably somewhat less harsh
than it was in some other states. Davis, however, was somewhat suspect. He was
a Floridian lawyer who became a judge in South Texas. He was always a Union
sympathizer, was part of a group who tried to get Robert E. Lee to remain in
81
the Union army, who early in the war became part of the First Texas Cavalry
(Union) and commanded it for quite a while. Confederate Texans called this cavalry
organization the "First Texas Traitor Regiment". They served as part of the invasion group in the abortive invasion at Sabine Pass, they saw service in Louisiana
where they did not fare well and they had much service on border duty along
the Rio Grande. They made one invasion into Texas for 100 miles to take cattle
from the King Ranch. Davis did not distinguish himself too well as governor, and
in the first truly free election held for the office of governor, he was defeated.
He tried to cancel the election and even requested Federal troops to force his retention in office, but by this time the President of the United States, Grant, saw no
advantage in retaining him in office so refused him help.
Governors, after annexation by the United States:
1. J. Pinckney Henderson - 1846 to 1847.
2. George T. Wood - 1847 to 1849.
3. Peter Hansborough Bell - 1849 to 1853.
4. J. W. Henderson - 1853.
5. Elisha M. Pease - 1853 to 1857.
6. Hardin R. Runnels - 1857 to 1859.
7. Sam Houston - 1859- 1861.
8. Edward Clark (He was lieutenant governor and succeeded to the governorship when Sam Houston refused to take oath of allegience to the Confederacy.)
- 1861.
9. Francis R. Lubbock - 1861 to 1863.
10. Pendleton Murrah -1863 to 1865. (Fletcher S. Stockdale performed some of
the duties of governor after Murrah left for Mexico when the Confederacy fell.)
Reconstruction Governors:
1. Andrew J. Hamilton (Appointed by President Andrew Johnson) 1865 to 1866.
Andrew J. Hamilton, a native of Austin, Texas, loved Texas but did not agree
with secession. He left Texas in 1862 and was commissioned as a Brigadier
General in the Union Army, but he served no field duty as such. He returned
to Texas with the Federal Troops, and on July 25th, 1865 assumed the duties
of governor. His governorship was benevolent and he tried to make conscientious appointments and to try and heal the emotional wounds of the
Texans. He even ordered an election to be held on January 8th, 1865 to form
a new constitution for Texas. Unfortunately only those who had taken the
new oath of loyalty were permitted to vote; so the vote was very small;
however the convention met and on April 2, 1866 completed action of a new
constitution which would meet the requirements of the Union for Texas to be
restored to the Union. In the general election, the constitution was passed
48,519 to 7,719. Dr. James W Throckmorton received 48,631 votes for governor against Elisha M. Pease's 12,051 votes.
2. James W. Throckmorton 1866 to 1867 - was duly inaugurated. The Legislature
82
passed such laws as were deemed necessary to place Texas in harmony with
the Union and the new constitution. The Governor set up a program designed to create harmony and cooperation with the Union. Thorckmorton,
it should be remembered, opposed secession in the secession convention and
voted against it; however when the general vote of Texas was for secession,
Throckmorton joined the Confederate Army and rose to the grade of Brigadier
General.
In February, 1867, the United States Congress declared: "the present pretended State Governments of these States to be null and void as they are under
control of unrepentant leaders of the Rebellion." It further stated that the
necessary peace and good order should be enforced by the military, in the
so-called states, until loyal and State (Republican) governments should be legally formed. Naturally Texas was included in this edict. The Texas state government was again declared provisional and the state broken up into voting
districts as desired by the military. Again Governor Throckmorton tried to
cooperate, even going out of his way to be sure that the negroes had their
full voting privileges; however on July 30th, 1867, General Sheridan removed Governor Throckmorton from office, charging him with being an "impediment to the reconstruction of Texas under the law". In his place, General
Sheridan appointed E. M. Pease as Governor.
3. Elisha M. Pease 1867 to 1869. Pease resigned September 30, 1869 and Texas
was without a governor until Edmund J. Davis took office on January 8, 1870.
Elisha Pease was considered an honest and upright man by his contemporaries. He was known to be a Union man but was non-combatant and remained quietly at his home in Austin throughout the war. After his term in
office as governor he took a more active role in trying to obtain justice and
equity before the law. After much dissention, a new constitution was drawn
up. Under its highly restrictive voting eligibility limitations, it was adopted
and Edmund J. Davis was elected governor.
4. Edmund J. Davis 1870 to 1874. On March 30, 1870, the U. S. Congress approved the new constitution for Texas, the governor was officially installed
and the Texas Senators and Representatives seated in the U.S. Congress.
Edmund J. Davis was a Floridian who moved to Texas about 1848. He was
a lawyer and settled on the Rio Grande where he served successively as a
district attorney and district judge. He was a candidate to the secession convention but was defeated. With the start of the civil war he was made a colonel in the Union Army and placed in command of the first Texas Cavalry
Regiment (Union). About nineteen hundred and twenty individuals said to
be from Texas made up two cavalry reigments for the Union. The second was
commanded by John L. Haynes and was much smaller than the first. After
a time they were consolidated. They were organized at or near Matamoros,
Mexico. They were transported by water to New Orleans and participated
in some of the battles in western Louisiana. They were also on troop transports
83
destined to invade Texas at Sabine Pass, but like the bulk of the invading force,
they never got ashore. They had some service on the Texas border with
Mexico.
As a politician and a state leader, Davis left a black mark in Texas history.
He was dictatorial and unscrupulous. He used martial law freely in order
to gain his desires or even whims. He leaned over backwards to get special
privileges for the freed negroes and used his troops to block many any honest
election. Probably he was true to his trust by the Federal Government and
he was never accused of enriching himself by means of his office, even though
many of his subordinates did just that.
The first really free representative general election in Texas took place
December 2,1873. When the vote was tallied, Richard Coke had 85,549 votes
to Davis' 42,633, a difference of 42,916. Davis immediately tried every method
he knew to overturn the election. First he tried to invalidate the election, then
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas was asked for an opinion.
He ruled in favor of Coke. Then Davis twice appealed to President Grant
to send Federal troops to insure his retention in office. President Grant refused his request. Then on January 12, 1874, the members of the Texas
Legislature called a special meeting. John Ireland was elected president of the
State Senate. Governor Davis was notified that the legislature was in session
even though he did not desire it. Davis made it known that he was not relinquishing his office and called for troops to enforce his will. First he called
for a unit of white troops, but they joined the protesters. Then he obtained
a unit of negro troops and placed them in the basement and first floor of
the capitol building to keep protesters out. In the mean time a confrontation
was building in Austin. In the predawn hours of January 13, the protesters
bypassed the Negro troops of Davis by gaining entrance to the second floor
of the capitol by means of ladders. Thus they gained their quarters and were
properly organized. Likewise the office of the governor was vacated and
duly elected Governor Coke was seated in it. Early in the morning after the
take over General William P. Hardeman and Col. "Rip" Ford were charged
with leading the protection of the legislature. Tension continued to mount.
It was recognized that bloodshed should be prevented if possible, because
it could lead to Federal intervention. On the seventeenth a crowd gathered
and carried potential of danger but Hardeman and the security people outwitted the would be trouble makers, and the confrontation was aborted. After
this final repulse. Davis quietly left Austin that night.
Order was a bit slow returning because of the carry over of Davis' appointees. Three men were appointed so called Sergeants at Arms whose mission was maintenance of order. They were General William P. Hardeman,
Col. John S. "Rip" Ford and Capt. William N. Hardeman (son of Dr.
Blackstone Hardeman). Their jobs were performed well.
5. Richard Coke took office on January 15, 1874.
84
CHAPTER 12
Hardemans in the Civil War
As had been true in all the wars of Texas, the Hardeman family was very well
represented in the Civil War. All served the Confederacy. Those serving included:
1. Brigadier General William Polk Hardeman — Sibley's Brigade (later known
as Green's Brigade and still later as Hardeman's Brigade).
2. Colonel Peter Hardeman — First Cavalry Regiment; Arizona Brigade.
3. Major Thomas Monroe Hardeman — Hood's Texas Brigade.
4. Capt. Samuel Wilson Hardeman — Caney Rifles, Mounted Company, 22nd
Brigade.
5. Capt. William Nicholas Hardeman — Company "G", 16th Texas Infantry.
6. Major Blackstone Hardeman, Jr. — Quartermaster Corps, CSA.
7. Capt. John B. Hardeman — Walker's Texas Division, Second Brigade, 28th
T.D. Cavalry.
8. Capt. Leonidas Polk Hardeman — Sibley's Brigade.
9. Sgt. Thomas Fentress (son of Mary Ophelia Hardeman Fentress), Co. "A", 4th
Regiment, Sibley's Brigade.
10. Pvt. David D. Hardeman- CO. "A", 4th Cavalry Regt., Sibley's Brigade.
The Civil War and the Reconstruction witnessed the breaking up of the large
Hardeman Colony which had grown up along the San Marcos River. This "colony" started shortly after the Texas Revolution and grew rapidly. It was initiated
by the sons and daughter of Thomas J. Hardeman. These were Owen Bailey,
Thomas Monroe, William Polk and Leonidas Polk Hardeman and by Mary
Ophelia Hardeman and her husband, Dr. James Fentress. Dr. Blackstone
Hardeman moved to the area, specifically Gonzales County after the death of
his first wife. With him were his sons, Peter, John B. and Constant. Dr. Blackstone
Hardeman moved to Guadalupe County and lived out his life there. Sons Peter
and John B. moved to Caldwell County (still on the San Marcos River). John B.
remained there, but Peter and his Caldwell County wife moved on after a time.
David D. Hardeman moved to Caldwell County and his father, D. Hardeman is
said to have lived there for a time. Several of the sons and daughters of these
remained in Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties even longer.
The period of the Reconstruction took its toll on the "colony". Monroe's wife,
Susan, died in 1860, William P.'s second wife died in 1869, Monroe died during
the war as did Thomas Fentress. Dr. Blackstone died in 1867. Peter moved his
family to Brazil. Many others moved on to other parts of Texas. By 1888, Owen
Bailey was the only one of the originals to the San Marcos River Valley group
(Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties) still residing there.
General William Polk Hardeman returned to his home in Guadalupe County
after his return from Mexico. His wife died suddenly in 1869. The 1870 Census
of Guadalupe County, Texas indicates that he was still living in his home with
85
his younger children. Seemingly this arrangement did not work out too well. He
sold his property and his sister-in-law, Marietta Hamilton Folts, wife of Thomas
W. Folts of Austin and sister of Sarah Ann Hardeman, wife of William P., took
in the Hardeman children and reared them. The arrangement must have been
good because after a few years, William P.'s youngest son, William P. Jr., changed
his name to W. H. Folts. The children of the General were shown living in the
home of the Folts in the 1880 Census of Travis County.
William P. Hardeman held several positions of trust in the Austin area but seemingly he never aspired to high elective office. A review of his masonic affiliations
show that he first belonged to the Hardeman Lodge #179 in Plum Creek and later
Luling, Texas. He demitted from Hardeman Lodge #179 on March 6, 1875. His
movements were not clear for a time but on August 15, 1877 he was affiliated
with Tucker Lodge #297 in Galveston, Texas. He demitted from the Tucker Lodge
April 6, 1881. He became affiliated with Austin Lodge #12 on June 4, 1887 and
remained a member of that Lodge until his death in 1898.
General William P. Hardeman married for a third time. His bride was Mrs.
Mary Elizabeth Collins Campbell. They were married in Travis County, Texas
February 5, 1874. There were no issue.
General William Polk Hardeman, known affectionately as "Old Gotch" died
of Brights Disease on April 8, 1898. His friends were legion. His funeral was
monumental. The Governor and the heads of each State Department attended.
The religious part of the ceremony was at the Episcopal Church in Austin. The
Governor's Guard marched as a military escort, followed by the Knight Templars
in full uniform. At the conclusion of the Knight Templar's ceremony, Judge A.
W. Terrell delivered an epic address, as follows:
"Our dead comrade was indeed a true and gallant knight. From yonder capitol
floats at half mast the flag of the old Republic in token of the loss to the state.
History will take care of the soldier; I will speak of the man. He was gentle and
modest in his social life. His battles were for his country, for his Texas, and for
a cause that he believed to be right. Each step of promotion, from private soldier
to General came to him for deeds done in the service of his country. Survivors
of Hardeman's old brigade will tell you that their old Commander, by his tender
care, soothed the pangs of many a dying soldier.
On the eve of the battle of Pleasant Hill a Federal skirmisher received his death
wound in the lungs. Gen. Hardeman and I had been sent to find out about Federal
reinforcements. But the man wanted water and Gen. Hardeman held his own canteen to the dying man's lips.
We are now burying a Texan who heard the thunder of Santa Anna's guns.
Hardeman, then a boy, with a few others, attempted, the night before the massacre
of the Alamo to enter its walls. They were foiled by the Mexican pickets and after
leaving their exhausted horses walked five days with little food. General Hardeman
was engaged in over fifty battles with Mexicans, Indians and Federal soldiers.
Here around slumber the dead companions and friends of Gen. Hardeman and
86
what a lovely spot for the last rest of soldiers."
General Hardeman was laid to rest with other heroes of Texas in the State
Cemetery in Austin. A few years later he was joined by his father and by his
uncle Bailey in that hallowed shrine.
87
SECTION II
Appendix A — Hardeman Briefs
1. Appendix Al:
2. Appendix A2:
Early Hardeman Family Chart
Hardemans, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee
3. Appendix A3: John Hardeman (1716- )
89
90-91
92
4. Appendix A4:
Thomas Hardeman (1750-1833) and family
93-96
5. Appendix A5:
Bailey Hardeman (1795-1836)
97-98
6. Appendix A6:
Thomas Jones Hardeman (1788-1854)
7. Appendix A7:
Thomas Monroe Hardeman (1814-1861)
101-102
8. Appendix A8:
William Polk Hardeman (1816-1898)
103-105
9. Appendix A9:
Owen Bailey Hardeman (1819-1890)
106
99-100
10. Appendix A10: Leonidas Polk Hardeman (1825-1892)
107-108
11. Appendix A l l : Dr. Blackstone Hardeman (1790-1867)
109-111
12. Appendix A12: Franklin Hardeman (1815-1878)
112
13. Appendix A13: Dr. John Marr Hardeman (1804-1891)
113
14. Appendix A14: D. Hardeman
114-115
15. Appendix A15: Glen Owen Hardeman
16. Appendix A16: Miscellaneous Hardeman Data
88
116
117-121
Hardeman
Thomas Hardeman — immigrant cooper from England to the colony of
Virginia prior to 1660.
Thomas Hardeman
John Hardeman(I) of Bristol went to England to further his education. He became
involved in the ill-fated rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth and was exiled back
to Virginia. He received a Power of Attorney June 24, 1667. In 1699 and 1702
he was a Justice of Charles City County, Va. He became a Lieutenant Colonel
of Militia. Before 1685 he married Mary, daughter of Col. Francis Eppes of Henrico.
He was a member of the House of Burgesses from Prince George County in 1710.
He died in 1711 after being kicked in the chest by his race horse.
Issue:
I
.
1. John(II) Hardeman
1—married Sarah Taylor
2. Francis Hardyman—j—married Henrietta Marie Taylor
•1. Francis
2. John
3. Henrietta Maria
4. Littlebury
5. James - married Ann Eppes
6. Martha
John (III) married Dorothy
1
Edwards
•1. Thomas - married Mary Hardin
3. James
Perkins
4. Littlebury
2. John - married Nancy Ann Collier
5. Wilson
moved to Georgia
3. Deborah
4. Susannah - married an Owens
5. Elizabeth - married at StoneTo Tennessee
• 6. June - married a Rafferty
• 7. Judith
•8. Esther
•9. Lydia
APPENDIX Al
89
Hardyman (Charles City County, VA)
John Hardeman who married Mary Eppes and who died in 1811 had the following children:
1. John (II) - married Sarah Taylor, daughter of Capt. John Taylor (clerk in 1699,
died in 1707). Their children included John (3) who married Dorothy Edwards. They established the principal line of this study, the so-called Tennessee line.
2. *Francis - Justice in Charles City County, Virginia in 1737. He married (1)
Henrietta Maria Taylor (daughter of Capt. John Taylor - Vide Supra) His
will was probated 11 August 1741. (2) Jane - widow of John Cross.
3. James - Justice of Charles City County in 1714.
4. Littlebury - made will in Prince George County, Virginia in 1714. Married
Jude.
5. Wilson (or William)
* The line of Francis Hardeman is of interest but is not the one of primary
interest in this book. It is noted that brothers John (1) and Francis (2) married
sisters. John's line became the Tennessee and Texas Hardeman line. Some who
have recorded Francis (2) line spell the name Hardyman, a few continue to record
them as Hardeman and rarely it is seen as Hardiman.
Francis (2) had issue:
1. Francis
2. John - February 1741 - married Miss Stith and had three children, Ann who
married Peter Eppes, Stith who married Rachel Tyler (sister of Judge Tyler
of Charles County, Virginia. Judge Tyler was father of Ex-President Tyler)
and John who never married.
3. Henrietta Maria - married (1) James Clark and (2) Maj. Edmund Eppes.
4. Littlebury - who married Susanna (Lightfoot ?)
5. James - married Ann Eppes
6. Martha
A paper dated 1771 - "Sales of the estate of Capt. Littlebury Hardeman conducted under the authority of Susanna Hardeman, executrix of the will of her
husband" lists children:
1. Littlebury Hardyman - married Elizabeth Eppes, daughter of Peter Eppes and
Ann Hardyman. (daughter of John)
2. Susan - married Daniel Jones of Nottoway.
3. Fanny - married John Binford of Northampton, North Carolina.
4. Lucy - married Col. John Bradley of Laurel Hill, Charles City County,
Virginia.
APPENDIX A2
90
Littlebury Hardyman and Ann Eppes had issue:
1. Erasmus - died in infancy.
2. Susan - married John Southall of Charles City County, Virginia - had issue
Norborne, Albert and William.
3. Louisa - married George Hairston of Henry County, Virginia.
William Hardeman, Jr. of Charles City County (Chesterfield County) - (Probably
son of William and grandson of John) married Ann Dent Black ca 1755-1831 in
May 1774. Issue:
1. Lucy K. Hardyman - married 10 November 1800, James Greenhow and had
issue: John Gilchrist Greenhow - born 4 October 1801 - Angelina - born 8
March 1803 and Lucy Greenhow - born 9 Decemeber 1804.
Special References:
1. Virginia Families Genealogies
2. William and Mary Quarterlies.
APPENDIX A2
91
John Hardeman (1716)
John Hardeman (III) was born about 1716. He married Dorothy Edwards in
1746 or 47. He was in Pittsylvania County, Virginia in 1767. He fought in the
French and Indian Wars. Issue:
1. Thomas - born 6 January 1750 - married (1) Mary Hardin Perkins, and (2)
Susannah Perkins Pryor Marr.
2. John - married Nancy Collier and moved to Georgia. Remained.
3. Deborah - married Strong and lived in Georgia.
4. Susannah - married Owens and lived in Georgia.
5. Elizabeth - married Stone. Moved to Tennessee in 1785.
6. Jane - married Richard Raffety, moved to Georgia. Richard's will was dated
5 April 1797.
7. Judith - married Sneed Strong and lived in Virginia.
8. Esther - married Everett, to Tennessee in 1785.
9. Lydia - married (1) Crunk, (2) Wortham. To Tennessee.
PAGES 49-50. RICHARD RAFFETY of Oglethorp County - weak and low - I
lend to my beloved wife JANE RAFFETY all my real and personal estate during
her life and at her death all my personal estate that is negroes, stock, etc. should
be equally divided between my six children - Dorothy, Lyddia, Dorcas, Nancy,
Judah and Hardeman Raffety. When wife Jane dies all my lands should be equally divided between the whole of my children - Polly, Betsy Ann, Dorothy, Lyddia, Dorcas, Nancy, Judith and Hardeman Raffety. Exors: Glen Owen, John
Hardeman and Jane Raffety. Dated 8 September 1796. Signed RICHARD(X) Raffety. Wittness: Wm. Strong, John Burns. Rec. 5 April 1797.
APPENDIX A3
92
Thomas Hardeman
Thomas Hardeman (son of John, born 1717, and Dorothy Edwards) was born
6 January 1750 in Albermarle County, Virginia. He died 14 June 1833 in Davidson County, Tennessee. He married (1) Mary Hardin Perkins - born 15 August
1754, Henry Cove, Henrico County, Virginia. She died 24 May 1798 in Davidson
County, Tennessee.
(2) Susannah (or Susan) Perkins Pryor Marr (sister of Mary Hardin Perkins)
born 20 May 1750 in Goochland County, Virginia and died 1815.
Issue (all with Mary Perkins):
1. Isabella 1770-1852, married John Holt, Williamson County, Tennessee.
2. Nicholas Perkins Hardeman - born 10 October 1772, died 27 May 1818. He
married Ann Nealy (Neely), Williamson County, Tennessee. Issue:
(1) Mary
(2) Thomas
(3) William
(4) Anna Lewis
(5) Caroline
(6) D
(7) Jane
3. Nancy - born 23 March 1774, died in Louisiana in 1883. Married Judge Seth
Lewis, born in Connecticut in 1764. To Grand Gulf, Mississippi then to Florida
in 1775. He was a lawyer. In 1802 he was Judge of Federal Court for the Territory of Mississippi, afterwards he was Judge of District Court of Louisiana.
He died in Opalousas, LA.
(1) Rachel
(2) Jackson
(3) Mary
(4) Sarah
(5) Amelia
(6) Elizabeth
(7) John
(8) Thomas Hardeman
(9) Seth
(10) Ann Lavinia
(11) Louise
(12) William B.
APPENDIX A4
93
4. John - born 13 February 1776, died September 1829 in New Orleans returning from Mexico. He married (1) Lucretia Nash and (2) 1823 Nancy Knox of
Howard County, Missouri. Issue:
(1) Thomas L. - died in infancy.
(2) John Lock - died in 1856.
(3) Laurita N. - died in 1857.
(4) Leona
(5) George, and twin
(6) GlenO.
(7) Knox
5. Constantine (Constant) - born 3 January 1778, died in Rutherford County,
Tennessee 27 August 1850. On 15 August 1799 he married Sarah Marr in
Henry County, VA. He had been born in North Carolina. Children with wife
#1, Sarah Marr:
(1) Thomas
(2) lohn Marr Hardeman - see special sheet. He married Mary Hardeman in
Tennessee in 1828.
(3) George Washington
(4) Lent
(5) Susannah
(6) Perkins
(7) Agatha Ann
(8) Constant Hardin
(9) William Miller - to Texas. He married E. A. Mc Dade, Washington County, Texas, 8 February 1842.
(10) Harry V.
(11) Mary Bailey
(12) Sarah Elizabeth
(13) Matilda Jane
(14) Cornelia Ann
(15) Levinia
Wife #2, Mrs. Mary Grimmer Little, Jefferson, Rutherford County, Tennessee.
6. Eleazer - born 1 December 1779, North Carolina, died 1843, married Elizabeth
Foster 20 August 1800 in Davidson County, Tennessee. Issue:
(1) Nicholas Perkins
(2) Nancy
(3) Elizabeth O.
(4) Susannah
(5) Thomas
(6) Mary
(7) rjafte-Foster
APPENDIX A4
94
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
(8) Martha
(9) Seth Lewis
(10) Dorothy
Susannah - born 27 May 1783 - died in infancy.
Julia Ann (Susannah in Bible) - born 27 May 1782, Tennessee. Died 4 March
1860 in Texas (Travis County). She married (1) John Davis about 1800. They
had at least one child, George Washington Davis, born 20 March 1806, Tennessee. George W married Emeline P. Wells and had children, James S.,
Blackstone Hardeman, Sarah H., Richard M., William Johnston, Glen Owen,
Mary and Martha A. They resided in Bastrop and Travis Counties, Texas.
Marriage #2 - Thomas H. Bacon in Washington County, Tennessee. They
resided in Bastrop County, Williamson County and Travis County. They had
at least one child, Mary Emeline. Thomas Bacon received a grant of 640 acres
of land in San Augustine County 5 December 1839.
The white voters Listed on 1867 Registry of Travis County, Texas includes:
Thomas H. Bacon - resident of state 30 years, born TN. The "1868 Book of
Records" of the New Hop Missionary Baptist Church of Williamson County,
Texas lists Thomas H. Bacon as an Elder.
Peter - born 28 may 1784, Tennessee, died Williamson County, Tennessee 21
May 1820. Married Susannah "Susan" Stone, Williamson County, Tennessee.
Issue:
A. Franklin - see special sheet.
Dorothy - born 15 May 1786, Davidson County, Tennessee, died Mo. 1854.
Married George Burnett.
Thomas Jones - born 3 January 1788, Davidson County, Tennessee. Died 1854
- see special sheet.
(1) Thomas Monroe
(2) William Polk
(3) Owen Bailey
(4) Mary Ophelia (married Dr. James Fentress)
(5) Leonidas Polk
(6) Sarah
(7) Thomas J., Jr.
(8) Laura
BLACKSTONE - born 24 March 1790 - see special sheet.
(1) Blackstone, Jr.
(2) Constantine (Constant)
(3) John B.
(4) William Nichols
(5) Martha
(6) Mary
APPENDIX A4
95
(7) Peter - see special sheet
13. Elizabeth - born 26 November 1791, Davidson County, Tennessee. Died 1870.
Married (1) Glen Owen 22 February 1809 and (2) Dr. Ruse Corzine 29 March
1827 - Williamson County, Tennessee. (Marriage data from book: Williamson County, Tennessee Marriages)
14. Bailey - born 26 February 1795, died Matagorda County, Texas 24 September
1836. Married Rebecca Amanda F. Wilson - see special section.
15. Pitt - born 13 June 1791, died in infancy.
16. Franklin - born 5 December 1798, died in infancy.
NOTE: The will of Mrs. Elizabeth O. Corzine, dated 3-15-1870, Texas Probate
Records, Travis County (1838-1872) states: "To my freed woman, Mary, I give
(land); to my freed men Charles (two thirds) and William (one third), I give land.
To the Church of Christ (land). To my two nephews, William N. Hardeman and
John B. Hardeman—Filed 3-4-81.
APPENDIX A4
Bailey Hardeman
Bailey Hardeman was born in Davidson County, Tennessee 26 February 1795
and died 24 September 1836 in Matagorda County, Texas. Settlement of the estate
was carried out in Matagorda County, Texas and in the County Court of Williamson County, Tennessee. First the succession of Bailey Hardeman, Deceased in the
Probate Court of the Republic of Texas, Matagorda, Texas named Rebecca
Hardeman as an heir along with their dependent children, and the Decree of the
same court named Rebecca as guardian of the children and administrator. This
action was dated 28 February 1837. The final settlement of the estate of Bailey
Hardeman, Deed in the County Court of Williamson County, Tennessee was dated
2 July 1841 (Will Book 7, pages 452-455). Bailey's body was exhumed and reburied
in the State Cemetery in Austin, Texas 18 June 1937 as part of the Texas Centennial Observation Program.
Bailey married Rebecca Amanda F. Wilson, daughter of Samuel Wilson, 19 June
1820. She died 15 October 1853 in Texas. There has been much discussion and
not a little dissention as to the number and name of the children of Bailey and
Rebecca. Many state that they had one son only, Sam. There was; however, no
doubt that there was also a son, John as he was named in a letter to Franklin
as well as in other documents. The legal documents from Matagorda County,
Texas (found in the basement) of 1837, listed above lists the children of Bailey
and Rebecca and state that these are ALL the legitimate children. The children
are as follows:
1. Samuel Wilson Hardeman - born 23 March 1821 in Tennessee. He married
a cousin, Sally Ann Hardeman (daughter of D. Hardeman born 1806, she
was born in Tennessee), in Brazoria County, Texas 20 February 1849 (Brazoria
County Marriage, Book 1, page 145, #167). Sam died 2 January 1883 and
Sally died May 1879. Both are buried in the Hardeman Cemetery near Van
Vleck, Matagorda County, Texas. Their children were:
(1) Ellen - married Frank Gregory and had four children.
(2) Annie - married Edgar Hawkins and had four children. After the death
of her first husband she married a Mr. Sanborn and had two more
children.
(3) John - the 1890 Census shows John M. living in the home of his
brother, Bailey. John never married.
(4) Bailey - born in Texas in 1860. He married Elizabeth Handy, born in
Texas in 1866. Their children were:
(1) Sam H. - born in Texas December 1891. Never married.
(2) Robert Murdock - born 31 August 1893, died 16 November 1956.
Never married.
(3) Maritima - born 19 August 1895, married George Neuman of Hondo,
Texas 30 May 1952. She died in September 1963.
APPENDIX A2
97
(4) Gregory - born 1898, died 27 October 1958. Never married.
(5) Minerva - born 18 February 1902, married Clyde Stalcup.
(6) Paul - born 3 May 1906, married Lela Cagle of Luling, Texas. Children
were Patricia Ann and Lela Kay.
2. John - born about 1823 in Tennessee. John along with brother, Sam moved
back to Tennessee prior to 3 June 1838 where they lived in the home of their
cousin Franklin Hardeman. They were sent back to Tennessee to further their
education.
NOTE: I have made extensive searches to try and identify this John at a later
time. I have proved nothing; however, a John Hardeman applied in Matagorda
County for a land grant in 1842. This could be our John or could the John
B. Hardeman who was the son of Dr. Blackstone Hardeman, or could be J.
J. Hardeman, son of Thomas J., etc. The 1860 Census in Tennessee shows
a John E. Hardeman, age 23, wife Lettie J., age 23, etc. The 1900 Census of
Eastland County, Texas lists John E. Hardeman, age 63 born Tennessee, May
1837 and his wife, Lettie J., age 62, born Tennessee, October 1837.
3. Emeline - born 18 January 1827, died 3 September 1835, Bolivar, Tennessee.
4. Catherine - age 8 years in 1837. This name was given by Rebecca herself in
her legal documents. Her name has not been in subsequent studies.
5. Thomas - age 6 years in 1837 as given by his mother. No additional identification has been verified.
On 8 January 1820, Bailey Hardeman was made guardian of his nephew,
Franklin Hardeman, after the death of Peter Hardeman.
Bailey Hardeman, like his brother Thomas J., was a lawyer, he was admitted to
the Bar of Tennessee in 1807. He was active in business in Tennessee and for a time
operated a trading route to Santa Fe, New Mexico. This ceased when his partner
and brother-in-law, Glen Owen, was killed by the Comanches on one of their trips.
In the War of 1812, Bailey was a First Lieutenant in Capt. Ota Cantrell's Company, Second Regiment of Mounted Gunmen, West Tennessee Volunteers. He
fought in the Indian Campaigns and in the Battle of New Orleans.
He and his family moved to the Matagorda Territory of Texas in late 1835. He
was commissioned to organize the Matagorda Militia. He participated with a group
which went to Dimmitt's Point, Lavaca to procure an 18 pound cannon to take
to San Antonio to aid in ouster of General Cos.
He was a delegate to the Convention of 1836. There he was one of five designated
to compose the Texas Declaration of Independence, and he was a signatory of
that document. Then he particpated in the writing of the Constitution of the
Republic of Texas. On 17 March 1836 he was elected the first Secretary of the
Treasury of the Republic of Texas.
Hardeman County, Texas was named for the Hardeman brothers, Bailey and
Thomas J.
APPENDIX A5
98
Thomas Jones Hardeman
Thomas Jones Hardeman, son of Thomas (1750-1833) and Mary Hardin Perkins
(1754-1798) was born 31 January 1788 in Davidson County, Tennessee. He died
15 January 1854 at his home three miles above Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas
on the Colorado River. He was buried there, but on 18 June 1937 during the Texas
Centennial Observation his body was exhumed and moved to the State Cemetery
in Austin, Texas.
He married twice: (1) Mary Ophelia Polk - born 6 April 1785, Mecklenburg
County, North Carolina, daughter of Col. Ezekiel Polk and Mary Wilson. (Mary
was an aunt of James Knox Polk, who became the eleventh President of the United
States.) She died at Bolivar, Tennessee 24 September 1835. Issue:
1. Thomas Monroe Hardeman was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee on
30 October 1815 and died 14 September 1861, a Major in Hood's Texas
Brigade, CSA. He died near Knoxville, Tennessee. He married Susan Anna
Burleson, niece of Gen. Edward Burleson. See special sheet.
2. William Polk Hardeman - see special sheet and special section.
3. Owen Bailey Hardeman was born 25 December 1819 in Maury County, Tennessee. He died in Texas on 31 September 1890. He married Sarah Meredith
Berry born 8 September 1823, Bolivar, Tennessee. She died in Dallas, Texas
on 6 September, 1911. See special sheet.
4. Mary Ophelia Hardeman was born 8 June 1822, Tennessee. She died at Prairie
Lea, Caldwell County, Texas 13 July 1888. She married Dr. James Fentress.
(9 May 1802 - Tennessee - 7 July 1872, Caldwell County, Texas.) See Fentress
Sheet.
5. Leonidas Polk Hardeman - married Tullins Leonora Hamilton, Caldwell County, Texas. See special sheet.
(2) Mrs. Eliza De Witt Hamilton Davis, daughter of Green De Witt the Empresario (1782-1834 and Sarah Seely (1789-). Thomas and Eliza married 26 October 1837 in Houston, Texas. Issue:
1. Sarah E. - born about 1842, married Capt. William Jones.
2. Thomas J. Jr.
3. Laura - born 19 June 1849, died 22 September 1927. She married Aaron
Burleson 6 July 1865.
Thomas Jones Hardeman was a lawyer, as was his brother Bailey. He was the
first County Clerk of Hardeman County, Tennessee. He represented Matagorda
County, Texas in the Second Congress of the Republic of Texas. After moving
to Bastrop County, Texas, he was elected Associate Justice on 6 February 1843
and Chief Justice of Bastrop County on 27 February 1845.
After statehood, he represented Bastrop County in the Second Legislature and
Travis County in the Third Legislature.
APPENDIX A6
99
Militarily he served as an officer in the War of 1812 seeing action in the Indian
Campaigns in East Tennessee and serving as a Captain in the Battle of New
Orleans.
He was very active in Masonic affairs. On October 1824, he, Carter C. Collier
and John H. Bills were granted a dispensation to "open a Lodge of the Ancient
York Masons at the Hardeman Court House". Thus Clinton Lodge #54, F. & A.M.,
Bolivar, Tennessee came into being. In Texas he was a Charter Member of the
Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas, served several offices in that organization and
then served as its Grand Master in 1850-51. Hardeman Lodge #179, Plum Creek
(later Luling), Texas was named for him.
Hardeman County, Texas was named for Thomas Jones and his brother, Bailey
Hardeman.
APPENDIX A6
100
Major Thomas Monroe Hardeman
Thomas Monroe Hardeman, son of Thomas Jones Hardeman (1788-1854) and
Mary Ophelia Polk (1785-1835), was born in 1814 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. He died, a Major in Gen. John B. Hood's Texas Brigade, CSA, near Knoxville, Tennessee 14 September 1861.
Thomas was a graduate of the University of Nashville, Tennessee. In late 1835,
he moved to Texas with a group of Hardemans, said to number twenty-five. He
became involved in the Texas Revolution almost as soon as he arrived in Texas.
Monroe's residence in Texas included Matagorda County, Bastrop County, and
Caldwell County. Most of his time was spent in Caldwell County where he was
quite active in the formation of the County which was finalized 6 March 1848.
Monroe was the first County Commissioner for the new county for his precinct.
Thomas Monroe Hardeman was quite active in freemasonry. His first membership in Texas was in Matagorda County (Matagorda Lodge #7). Then he was affiliated with Lockhart Lodge #59, then with Prairie Lodge #114, then Hardeman
Lodge #179 at Plum Creek (later Luling, Texas). Monroe served in two lesser offices for the Grand Lodge of Texas, as did his cousin William N. Hardeman (not
to be confused with William P. Hardeman who was also very active in masonry).
Thomas Monroe Hardeman married Susan (Susannah or Susan Anna) Burleson
in Bastrop County 24 June 1840. She was the great niece of General Edward
Burleson who also served as Vice President of the Republic of Texas. Susan was
the daughter of Jospeh Burleson, Sr. and his second wife, Elizabeth Ailor. The
children of Thomas Monroe and Susan Burleson Hardeman were:
1. William Fawcet Hardeman - born 19 July 1846 in Prairie Lea, Texas. He married Anna D., born January 1854.
2. Lizzie Polk Hardeman - born 19 October 1849, married William A. Thompson in Prairie Lea, Texas in 1875.
3. Franklin Brown Hardeman - born 13 August 1854.
4. Mary Ascora (Cora) Hardeman - born 3 August 1857.
Combat credit for Major Thomas Monroe Hardeman:
1. The Battle of Gonzales - October 2, 1835.
2. Battle of San Antonio - October 1835.
3. Battle near San Antonio on March 5, 1836 when a group of Texans tried to
fight their way in to reinforce the garrison of the Alamo. The Alamo fell March
6, 1836.
4. The Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April 1836. Monroe served in the Company
of Capt. William Head.
5. The Cordova Rebellion.
APPENDIX A7
101
6. The Battle of Plum Creek - 12 August 1840. Monroe commanded a Company of Texans drawn from the San Marcos River area.
7. The Vasquez Invasion - March 1842.
8. The General Woll Invasion - September 1842.
9. The General Somerville Invasion of Mexico - Fall 1842.
10. The Civil War - a Major in General John B. Hood's Texas Brigade.
APPENDIX A7
102
Gen. William Polk Hardeman
William Polk Hardeman was born in Williamson County, Tennessee 4 November
1816, the son of Thomas Jones Hardeman (1788-1854) and Mary Ophelia Polk
(1785-1830). He spent a year as a student at the University of Nashville but discontinued his formal education to be one of the 25 Hardemans migrating to the Territory of Texas in late 1835. He participated in several skirmishes with the Mexican
Army including the Battle of San Antonio against Gen. Cos. With the independence of the Republic of Texas, William P. Hardeman served in the hit and run operations against both the Mexicans and the Indians. He was a member of Edward
Burleson's Force in the Cordova Clash. He and his brothers, Monroe and Owen
were members of the "Caldwell County" contingent at the Battle of Plum Creek.
In the Mexican War, William P., Owen Bailey, Leonidas and Dr. John Marr
Hardeman were part of Ben McCullough's Guadalupe Valley Rangers, also called
the "cutting edge" of the American Army's advance into Mexico.
With the approach of the Civil War, William P. Hardeman and John Ireland
(later Governor of Texas) were elected to represent Guadalupe County at the Secession Convention. Both men voted for secession. Capt. W. P. Hardeman recruited
a company from Guadalupe and Caldwell Counties. It was designated Co. "A",
4th Texas Cavalry Regiment, Sibley's Brigade. He was active in the Campaign
of New Mexico, the Battle of Galveston and the Campaigns of East Texas and
Louisiana. He ended the war as a Brigadier General, commanding the Brigade
which had been commanded by both Gen. Sibley and Gen. Green. Following the
collapse of the Confederacy, Hardeman went to Mexico with Gen. Shelby and
others, but he did not stay very long.
Years later, Gen. Hardeman lived in Austin where he was active in state affairs.
A much more detailed description of Gen. Hardeman is given elsewhere in this
book. Gen. Hardeman died in Austin 8 April 1898 and is buried in the State
Cemetery in Austin.
William P. Hardeman married three times: (1) Rebecca Amanda F. Wilson
Hardeman - born about 1806, died 15 October 1853 in Texas (Caldwell County).
They married in Matagorda County 13 February 1848. Rebecca was the widow
of Bailey Hardeman, uncle of William. Issue:
1. Clara Rebecca - born Texas about 1843(?). She married the Hon. Thomas
L. Nugent. Thomas Lewis Nugent was a grandson of Nancy Hardeman who
had married Judge Seth Lewis and moved to Louisiana. Thomas L. Nugent
ran for Governor of Texas on the Populist Party Ticket in the 1890's.
2. Emma Susan - born about 1853 - married Joseph Crawford Roberts.
(2) Sarah Ann Hamilton, daughter of John and Ann Good Hamilton. She was
born about 1832 and died 8 November 1869 in Guadalupe County. They married
at Prairie Lea, Caldwell County, Texas, 29 December 1857.
APPENDIX A8
103
Issue:
1. Thomas J. - born about 1858. Married Fannie Lyman. Six sons.
2. John (Jack) Hamilton - born about 1860. Married Kate Smith. Three Children.
3. Will Ella - born about 1863, Caldwell County, Texas. Married W. F. Searight.
Three sons.
4. Tully - born about 1866. Married, C. V. Connelles. No children.
5. Cora - married John Campbell. Living in Luling, Texas in 1878.
6. William P. Jr. - born about 1863 (changed name to W H. Folts after his adopted
parents.) He married Willie Casee.
(3) Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Collins Campbell (born about 1842, MS) They married in Travis County, Texas 5 February 1874. She died 13 March 1911. No record
of issue found.
1850 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
William Hardiman
Rebecca Hardeman
Clara
Susan
age
age
age
age
34
44
7
2
1860 Census, Guadalupe County, Texas:
W. P. Hardeman
Sarah A. Hardeman
Clara R. Hardeman
Emma Hardeman
Tom J.
John H.
age
age
age
age
age
age
43
28
17
12
1
1/12
1870 Census, Guadalupe County, Texas:
Hardiman, W. P.
Hardiman, Thomas
Hardiman, John
Hardiman, Tallie
Hardiman, Willie
age
age
age
age
age
54
12
11
4
7
1880 Census, Travis County, Texas:
Hardeman, William P.
Hardeman, Mary
Collins, C. B. - mother-in-law
Collins, William - brother-in-law
age
age
age
age
63
38
60
30
APPENDIX A8
104
born
born
born
born
TN
TN
TX
TX
born
born
born
born
TN
MS
NY
KY
Masonic affiliations of Gen. Hardeman —
He was initiated into and received his degrees in 1856 in the Hardeman Lodge
#179, Plum Creek (later Luling), Texas He served in several offices and served
as Master in 1860 and 1868. He demitted from that lodge 6 March 1875.
He was affiliated into Tucker Lodge #297, Galveston, Texas. He demitted from
Tucker Lodge 6 April 1881.
He was affiliated into Austin Lodge #12, Austin, Texas.
Died 8 April 1898.
1860 Census, Travis County, Texas:
Collins, Thomas C.
Collins, C. - wife
age 45
age 30
APPENDIX A8
105
born SC
born NY
Owen Bailey Hardeman
Owen Bailey Hardeman was born in Maury County, Tennessee on 25 December
1819, the son of Thomas Jones (1788-1854) and Mary Ophelia Polk Hardeman
(1785-1835). He died in Weatherford, Texas 3 September 1890. On 30 April 1849
he married Sarah Meredith Berry in Caldwell County. Sarah was born 3 September
1823 at Bolivar, Tennessee, the daughter of Walker and Rachel C. (Meredith) Berry.
Their children were:
1. Walker B. Hardeman - born 19 May 1847, Prairie Lea, Texas, died in San
Antonio, Texas 24 June 1937. He married Mrs. Maggie L. Bright, widow of
Robert Bright and daughter of James and Jane (Smith) Edwards. Their children
were Lela N., Ruth C. and Walker B., Jr.
2. Rachel Caroline (Carrie) - born about 1850. She married Walter R. Bailey
and Dr. W. K. Baylor.
3. Lillie was born 6 March 1853 at Glen Owen, Caldwell County, Texas. She
married J. S. Steele. She died in Dallas, Texas 5 October 1943.
4. Mary Ophelia - born about 1852, drowned at age 23.
5. Ida Norfleet - born about 1861. Married H. J. Martin.
Owen Bailey served in the Army of the Republic of Texas from January until
August 1837. He received bounty land in Matagorda and Blanco Counties. He
fought at the Battle of Plum Creek 12 August 1840 beside his brothers Monroe
and William P., and the huge Comanche force was crushed and a large number
killed. He served terms with the Texas Rangers and rode with Erastus (Deaf) Smith
in his defeat of a Mexican Force near Laredo.
In the Mexican War, four Hardemans served together in the Guadalupe Valley
Rangers of Ben McCullough, the group known as the cutting edge of General
Taylors U.S. Army. The Hardemans were Owen Bailey, William P., Leonidas and
Dr. John Marr.
1870 U.S. Census of Caldwell County,
Owen Hardeman
Sarah
Carrie Rachel
Mary
Lillie M.
Walker
Ida
Texas:
age 51
age 46
age 20
age 18
age 16
age 13
age 9
APPENDIX A9
106
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
TN
TN
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
Leonidas Polk Hardeman
Leonidas Polk Hardeman (son of Thomas Jones 1788-1854 and Mary Ophelia
Polk 1785-1835) was born at Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee 25 March 1825.
He came to Texas in the fall of 1835 with his father, brothers and sister. His mother
had died in Bolivar, Tennessee 24 September 1835.
Leonidas married Tullins Lenora Hamilton (born 16 Ocotober 1834, died 6
January 1904, Brown County, Texas), daughter of John C. Hamilton (see section
on Related Families). (Tullins' sister, Sarah Ann married William Polk Hardeman
in Lockhart, Caldwell County, Texas 8 January 1852.)
Leonidas' nickname was Onnie.
He served in the Mexican War and for the entirity of the Civil War. He became
a second lieutenant 15 May 1862 in Col. William P. Hardeman's Regiment, Green's
Brigade. He attained the rank of Captain.
He died at Fentress, Caldwell County, Texas 26 February 1892 and was buried
in the Prairie Lea Cemetery (Masonic portion).
Children:
1. Stella P. - born about 1855 - married W. J. Evans.
2. Annie H. - born about 1859 - married D. K. Taylor.
3. Leonidas P. - born about 1866.
4. Henry (Hal) Brown - born about 1868
5. Marietta (Mary) - born about 1877
The 1850 Census of Caldwell County, Texas shows Leonidas Hardiman, age
24, born Tennessee, assets $46,000 as living in the home of Dr. David F. Brown,
where he is listed as a farmer.
In 1874, Leonidas Hardeman along with the Merriweather brothers, James and
John, built a dam on the San Marcos River near Luling, Caldwell County, Texas.
After a few years the dam and mill were sold to the Walkers, and they sold it
to the Zedlers. It is still known as the Zedler Mill.
The 1900 Census of Brown County, Texas lists Lenora Hardeman, age 64, born
October 1835, Georgia. (Leonidas had died 26 February 1892 in Caldwell County, Texas.) Also listed were:
Henry B. Hardeman - son
age 30 born TX
Mary E., daughter
age 22 born TX
1880 Census, Brown County, Texas:
Hardeman, Leo
Hardeman, Tully - wife
age 52
age 45
APPENDIX A10
107
born TN
born GA
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
Annie - daughter
Leo - son
Henry B. - son
Mary E. - daughter
age
age
age
age
APPENDIX A10
108
18
14
12
3
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
Dr. Blackstone Hardeman
Dr. Blackstone Hardeman, Sr. a Doctor of Medicine, was born 24 March 1790
in Davidson County, Tennessee, son of Thomas (1750-1833) and Mary Perkins
Hardeman. His mother died when he was eight years old. He studied medicine
with part of his practical training being under his uncle, Dr. Hardin Perkins.
Blackstone farmed as well as practicing medicine. He moved often as was the
Hardeman wont.
He married twice: (1) Anna Bunch, who died in 1842 and (2) Mrs. Elizabeth
Foster in Gonzales County, Texas on 29 April 1846. Along with his brothers,
Thomas J. and Bailey, he moved to Texas in late 1835. They settled first in the
Caney Creek area of the Matagorda Community. In 1837 the Blackstone
Hardeman families moved to Washington County, Texas where Blackstone was
recorded as being one of the first voters of the county. He signed an instrument
document in Nacogdoches County Texas on 12 April 1838. Later that year he
moved to Nacogdoches County to the town of Hardemans (later named Chireno).
After the death of his first wife in 1842, he moved to Gonzales County, Texas,
along with his sons Peter, Constant and John B. Four years later he married Mrs.
Elizabeth Foster on 29 April 1846.
(NOTE: Several references state that Blackstone's second wife was Eliza, eldest
daughter of Green De Witt, the Empresario, and that she later married Thomas
Jones Hardeman. I find no validity whatsoever to this opinion. Eliza and Thomas
J. were married in 1837. Elizabeth and Blackstone were married 1846. Eliza and
Thomas J. had their last child in 1849. In all legal documents and censuses which
I have examined, I have never found Eliza called Elizabeth. Lastly, Eliza De Witt
never married a Foster, and the marriage records of Blackstone and Elizabeth show
her to be MRS. Elizabeth Foster.)
Blackstone Hardeman, Sr. was a Master Mason with membership in Milam
Lodge #2, A.F. & A.M. In 1837 he served in the Legislature of the Republic of
Texas from Washington County. Dr. Blackstone Hardeman, Sr. died in Guadalupe
County, probably in the City of Seguin, 14 September 1867. His will was probated 30 September 1867 in Guadalupe County, Record Book E, page 564, Minute
Book C, page 343.
Issue of Dr. Blackstone Hardeman, Sr. and Anna Bunch were:
1. William Nicholas (Nick) was born 8 October 1816 in Tennessee and died 6
February 1899 in Hamilton County, Texas. He married (1) Cassandra Barrett
and (2) Mary Elizabeth Rogers (in 1855 in Austin, Texas). He was a member
of Chireno Masonic Lodge #66, A.F. & A.M. He served in the State Legislature
in 1855. He was very active in Austin in the Post Reconstruction Period along
with his cousin, General William Polk Hardeman. William Nicholas served
in the Civil War with the 16th Texas Infantry.
APPENDIX A l l
109
Dr.Blackstone Hardeman,Sr(son of THomas and Mary
Hardin Perkins)
Born 3-24- 1790,Davidson Co.,TN.
Died 9-14-1867 , Guadalupe,County,TX.
Married (i)Anna Bunch 1808,dau John BUnch and
Mary ASher.She died 1842.ISSUE:
1. Mary A. 1812-1857.m John Marr Hardeman(cousin)
son of Constantine
2.Benjamin Franklin 1816-1858.m.Eleanor Sanders.
Did not go to Texas.
3.William Nicholas(Nick) 1817-1899.m (I) Cassandra
Barrett,(2)Mary Elizabeth Rogers.
4.Blackstone,Jr 1822-1882.m Rebecca Jane Bruce
Hunter.
5.Constantine (Tine) 1824.m.Elizabeth Owen
HaRDEMAN(cousin,dau Eleazar).
6. Martha
.m Thomas Perry
7.John BEllenfont 1829-1874.m Julia Ann
Engledow and (2) Sarah Randall.
8 Peter 1831-1882.m.Caroline Keese.
fo-tfe-r
Married (2) Mary Elizabeth Parchman Amberson Dilworth
2. Blackstone Hardeman, Jr. was born 16 February 1822 in Maury County, Tennessee and died 18 April 1882 in Melrose, Texas where he is buried in the
Lone Oak Cemetery. He married Rebecca Jane Hunter (daughter of Samuel
Hunter, born 1777 in North Carolina and died in Texas in 1846. Samuel's
wife was Rebecca Bruce.)
Rebecca was born 18 November 1824 and died 7 March 1898. They had
a daughter, Leah, who married John Wilson (1838-1919).
Blackstone Hardeman, Jr. served as a member of the Legislature in 1861.
He served in the Civil War as a Major, Quartermaster Corps, CSA.
3. Constantine (Constant) Hardeman was born in Maury County, Tennessee
about 1824. He married Elizabeth Owen Hardeman, a cousin, born about
1820, a daughter of Eleaser Hardeman. He came to the Matagorda region
of Texas with the other Hardemans. He moved to Washington County, Texas
in 1838 and to Gonzales County, Texas 9 June 1844.
The 1880 Census of Erath County, Texas lists Constant and Elizabeth Hardeman
and their children:
Laura - daughter
age 24 born TX
Martha - daughter
age 19 born TX
Hill, Anna E. - daughter
age 25 born TX
William J. - grandson
age 4 born TX
Charles A. - grandson
age 2 born TX
4. John B. Hardeman was born in Maury County, Tennessee about 1826. He
came to Texas with his family. He married (1) Julia Ann Engledow in
Nacogdoches County, Texas 11 September 1848 and (2) Sarah. He served as
a Captain, CSA with Walker's Texas Division under Col. H. Randall, Second
Brigade, 28 T.D Cavalry.
He moved to South Texas in 1867. Resided for a time in Caldwell County.
5. Mary
6. Martha - married Thomas Perry 15 September 1841. Perry was born in
Nacogdoches, Texas 25 December 1810, died 24 February 1867.
7. Peter was born in Tennessee. He was a Free mason. In the Civil War he rose
from Captain to Colonel. First he served under Lt. Col. Baylor as commander
of Co. A in the New Mexico Campaign under Gen. Sibley. Then as lieutenant colonel he served as regimental executive. After a time he was given
the command of the regiment and promoted to Colonel. Following the Civil
War, Col. Peter Hardeman moved his family to Brazil and remained there.
Peter Hardeman married Nancy Caroline Keese in Caldwell County, Texas
18 September 1850 (Vol. "A", Marriage Records of Caldwell County, Texas
1848-1852).
The 1860 Census, Travis County, Texas:
Hardeman, Peter - farmer age 29
born TN
APPENDIX 11
no
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
Hardeman,
N.C. - wife
L.B.
T (or F)
C.B.
B.
age
age
age
age
age
28
8
6
4
10/12
APPENDIX All
in
born
born
born
born
born
TN
TX
TX
TX
TX
Franklin Hardeman
Franklin Hardeman, son of Peter (1784-1820) and Susan Stone Hardeman was
born in Williamson County, Tennessee in 1815 and died near Franklin, Tennessee
3 April 1878. He married at age 19. In 1835, with his uncle Bailey and the other
Hardemans, he came to Texas. After a year or two he returned to Tennessee and
lived there the rest of his life, dying 3 April 1878. He was survived by his wife
and six children.
On Peter Hardeman's death 21 May 1820, his son, Franklin became the ward
of his uncle Bailey (8 January 1827).
Franklin's father, Peter, participated in the Battle of New Orleans as a First Lieutenant, in the 44th Regiment of the Tennessee Militia. His only surviving child was
his son, Franklin.
Bailey and Rebecca Hardeman had two sons, Sam Wilson and John. They were
sent to Tennessee and placed in the care of Franklin shortly prior to 3 June 1838
to facilitate their formal education.
NOTE: The 1850 Census of Williamson County, Tennessee lists one who probably is the above Franklin. Frank age 35, Catherine C. age 31, Laura F. age 12,
Alice age 10, Peter age 8, Almyra age 5, Franklin age 1, Susan Brewer age 58,
Dolly Mc Rea age 53, Martha Wilson age 67, Martha A. Brewer age 22.
NOTE: A few records which I examined stated that Franklin was the son of
Dr. Blackstone Hardeman. I find no data to confirm such an allegation, and the
Franklin described indicates that the Franklin referred to was the son of Peter who
came to Texas with Bailey Hardeman and who returned to Tennessee after a short
stay in Texas.
APPENDIX A12
112
Dr. John Marr Hardeman
John Marr Hardeman, Doctor of Medicine, son of Constantine (1778-1850) and
Sarah Marr Hardeman (1783-1823) was born in Tennessee 4 February 1804. He married Mary Hardeman, a cousin, in 1828. She was born in Tennessee 12 February
1812 and died in Texas 19 September 1857. John Marr died in Texas 15 October 1891.
Dr. John Marr Hardeman moved to Texas in late 1835 with the rest of the
Hardeman delegation from Hardeman County, Tennessee. John Marr had studied
medicine in Tennessee before he made the move.
John Marr first went to the Matagorda Municipality. He served in the Texas Army
from July 4 until October 4, 1836. In 1837, he moved to Washington County, Texas
with his uncle, Dr. Blackstone Hardeman. He participated in the Mexican War, serving with the Guadalupe Valley Rangers under Ben Mc Cullough. His cousins Leonidas
Polk, William P. and Owen Bailey served in the same organization with him.
He received a Headright Certificate (No. 127) for land in Milam, Burleson and
Washington Counties. He also received Bounty Certificate No. 9883 for 320 acres
for service in the Texas Army in companies commanded by Capt. William Scurlock
and Capt. Thomas S. McFarland.
At the time of his death 15 October 1891, Dr. John Marr Hardeman was a member
of the Texas Veterans Association. In 1936 the State of Texas erected a joint monument at the graves of Dr. and Mrs. John Marr Hardeman in the Hardeman Cemetery
one and one-half miles north of Italy, Texas.
Constantine (Constant) Hardeman
Constantine (Constant) Hardeman, son of Thomas (1750-1833) and Mary Hardin Perkins (1754-1798) was born in Tennessee 3 January 1778 and died in Tennessee 4 August 1850. On 15 August 1799, he married (1) Sarah Marr (born 4
November 1783, died 30 July 1823) Issue:
1. Thomas
2. John Marr - to Texas
3. George Washington Lent
4. Susannah Perkins
5. Agatha Anna
6. Constant Hardin
7. William Miller - to Texas. He married Miss E. A. Mc Dade 8 February 1842
in Washington County, Texas.
8. Mary Bailey
9. Sarah Elizabeth
10. Matilda Jane
11. Cornelia Ann
Married (2) Mary Little 12 December 1824. Only child was Levinia, born 16
March 1830, died 11 February 1848.
APPENDIX A13
113
D. Hardeman
D. Hardeman, son of Nicholas Perkins Hardeman (1772-1818) and Ann Neely,
was born in 1806 in Tennessee and died in 1864 in Texas. He married Sarah Ann
Nicholson 1808-1901, born in Georgia. Issue:
1. Sally - born 26 June 1828 in Tennessee, married cousin Samuel Wilson
Hardeman, son of Bailey Hardeman (1795-1836), in Matagorda County, Texas
20 February 1849. They had four children (listed under section on Bailey
Hardeman. Sam was born 23 March 1921 in Tennessee. They had a long
residence in Matagorda, Texas. Sam died 2 January 1883, and Sally died in
May 1879. Both are buried in The Hardeman Cemetery near Van Vleck,
Matagorda County, Texas.
2. Bethenia Tennessee Hardeman was born in Tennessee 29 September 1832. She
died in 1901. She married Dr. Napoleon B. Viser in Matagorda County 26
April 1851. No issue. See special sheet on Dr. Viser.
3. Algernon Sidney - born 1832. Died in infancy.
4. Udora (Dora) - born in Tennessee in 1837, married Wm. F. Davis 1855.
5. D. Hardeman (T.W.D?) - born in Tennessee in 1838, married Fannie (born
in Goliad County, Texas in 1846.) They had a daughter Ada S., born in Texas
about 1879.
6. David Dickerson - born in Tennessee in 1841, married Ella G. Hamilton in
Caldwell County, Texas 15 August 1865.
7. Evelyn - born in Mississippi in 1844.
8. Harrietta H. - born in Arkansas in 1845.
9. Nicholas - born in Texas 1846.
10. Perkins - born in Texas 1849.
11. Mary Polk
(Note: D. Hardeman born 1806 has been reported by some as being one of the
original twenty-five Hardemans making the move from Tennessee to Texas in
late 1835. Census studies of the birth dates and places of his children, show him
in Tennessee in 1841, in Mississippi in 1844, in Arkansas in 1845 and in Texas
by 1846.)
D. Hardeman (born TN 1838)
D. Hardeman (born 1838, TN) son of D. Hardeman (born 1806) - the 1846 Poll
Census shows him residing in Brazoria County, Texas.
1880 Census, Goliad County, Texas shows:
Hardemen, D.
age 42
Fannie - wife
age 34 born TX
Visor N. - son
age 1 born TX
APPENDIX A14
114
Hardeman, Ada S. - daughter
* S.A. - mother
* widow of D. Hardeman 1806-1864.
age 3 born TX
age 71 born NC
1870 Census of Goliad County, Texas
Hardeman, Sarah - widow of D.H.
Thomas
Thornton, Martha
age 62 born NC
age 32 born TN
age 28 born LA
1870 Census of Goliad County, Texas:
Hardeman, David
Ella
Humphry
Marian
age
age
age
age
30
30
4
1
born
born
born
born
MS
GA
TX
TX
D. D. (David Dickerson) Hardeman
D. D. Hardeman, son D. Hardeman (1806-1846) was born 1841 in Texas (1880
Census of Luling, Caldwell County, Texas shows his age to be 39.) He married
Ella G. Hamilton (age 36, birth date 15 August 1865, 1880 Census) who was born
in Georgia. Issue:
1. D. Humphry - born June 1866, Texas. 1890 Census of Bell County, Texas shows
his age to be 13. He married Mary, born May 1862.
2. Thomas - age 9 in 1880 - born Texas.
3. Campbell - age 7 in 1890 - born Texas.
4. Evelyn E. (or Collin) - age 3 in 1890 - born Texas.
In the Civil War, D. D. Hardeman served in Company A, 4th Texas Cavalry,
Sibley's Brigade. His initial Company Commander was Capt. William P.
Hardeman. D. D. and Ella G. married in Caldwell Co., 15 August 65.
APPENDIX A14
115
Glen Owen Hardeman
Glen Owen Hardeman married Lovella P. Keese, 22 December 1890, Caldwell
County, Texas:
Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Hardeman, Glen Owen
Lovella
Keese, Estella
Blanks
George W.
Emma
age
age
age
age
age
age
22
19
17
14
11
9
born
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
Census, Ellis County, Texas:
Hardeman, Glen O.
Lovella P. - wife
Walter
Minnie
Avis
age
age
age
age
age
31
29
8
7
1
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
Census, Limestone County, Texas:
Hardeman, Glen O.
Lovella - wife
Emma - daughter
Annie M. - daughter
Cora - daughter
William A. - son
Bessie L. - daughter
Oct. 1847, iige 52
age 49
Feb. 1881, age 19
March 1883, age 17
March 1885, age 15
Sept. 1887, age 12
Dec. 1892, age 7
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
D. H. Hardeman
1900 Soundex Census, BELL COUNTY, Texas:
Hardeman, D.H. - born June 1866, age 33, born TX
Hardeman, Mary - born May 1862, wife, age 38, born TX
Richard Wayne and Harriett E. Mitchell Davis — Issue 9 children, number four
was Richard T. Davis, born Anderson County, Texas 1848. Richard served as an
officer in both the Mexican and Civil wars.
He served in the Texas Legislature.
He served in the Indians Wars.
On 27 January 1880 he married Elizabeth Burke (daughter of Capt. James A.
Burke). Their daughter, Mary B., married D. H. Hardeman.
APPENDIX A15
116
Miscellaneous Hardeman Data
Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas, page 391: Harry Annie
Hardeman - born Goliad County Texas, daughter of T.W.D. Hardeman (born 13
March 1838, died 12 August 1897 and Fanny Barnard, born 26 January 1845,
died 10 January 1939, daughter of Dr. Joseph Henry Barnard, Surgeon, Col. James
Fannin's Staff. Dr. Barnard was born in Deerfield, Mass. 21 April 1804 and died
21 October 1860. Dr. Barnard was married to Nancy Graeham Danforth Hendy
1812-1868.) (T.W.D. was the son of H. H.)
1880 Census, Denton County, Texas:
Hardeman, Tom
Nan
Georgia - daughter
Lida - daughter
John - son
Donnie - daughter
Pink - daughter
Joe - son
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
40
40
18
16
14
10
8
4
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TN
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1880 Census, Uvalde County, Texas:
Hardeman, William
Lou - wife
Emma - daughter
Susie - daughter
age
age
age
age
34
25
4
1
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
1900 Census, Georgetown, Texas:
Hardeman, Bill
born Feb. 1882, age 18
1900 Census, Tarrant County, Texas:
Hardeman, Black L.
born Aug. 1861, age 38
1900 Census, Nacogdoches County, Texas:
Hardeman, Blackson
born Feb. 1854, age 46
born March 1870, age 30
Mary - wife
born TX
born TX
1900 Census, Bell County, Texas:
Hardeman, C H .
Frankie - wife
born TX
born AK
born May 1873, age 27
born July 1876
APPENDIX A16
117
1900 Census, Forth Worth, Texas:
Hardeman, Conda B.
born Dec. 1874, age 25
born TX
1900 Census, Hill County, Texas:
Hardeman, Crude B.
Arthr R. - son
Homer G. - son
Blont W. - son
born Sept. 1850, age 49
age 22
age 25
age 7
born
born
born
born
SC
TX
TX
TX
1900 Census, Austin, Texas:
Hardeman, D.R.
Ida F. - wife
D.T. - son
Tema(?) - daughter
Agnes - daughter
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
TX
AL
TX
TX
TX
1861, age 38
June 1870, age 29
July 1891, age 9
Feb. 1894, age 6
Oct. 1899, age 8/12
1900 Census, Navarro County, Texas:
Hardeman, Eliza - born August 1854, age 46, born TN, mother-in-law to
William M. Jordan.
1880 Census, Galveston County, Texas:
Thomas Hardeman, age 30, born Texas, both parents were born in Texas.
1880 Ce nsus, Kaufman County, Texas:
Hardeman, Burch
Fannie W. - wife
Conda - son
Victor V. - son
Hunter A. - son
age
age
age
age
age
35
24
6
5
2
1880 Census, Williamson County, Texas:
Hardeman, J.H.
Florence W. - wife
James
Jerome
age
age
age
age
38 born TX
38 born MO
13 born TX
10 born TX
APPENDIX A16
118
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1880 Census, Collins County, Texas:
Hardeman, Jerome
Blanche A. - wife
Mary A. - daughter
Willie Ella - daughter
Malinda - daughter
age
age
age
age
age
27
24
5
3
1
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1880 Census, Guadalupe County, Texas:
Hardeman, R.
Cote W.
William P. - son
Lucy - daughter
Mattie D. - daughter
George O. - son
Tullie - daughter
Lula - daughter
John - son
Manouruey - daughter
Harris B. - son
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
58
40
17
19
15
13
11
9
6
3
1
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
NC
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1880 Census, Grayson County, Texas:
Hardeman, S.H.
M.G. - wife
Maggie
Rebecca
Lola
Hal A. - brother
age
age
age
age
age
age
31
34
10
8
4
20
born
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1900 Census, Grimes County, Texas:
Hardeman, Ella
Allen - son
Gold - son
Pearl - daughter
Grubbs, Eugene - son-in-law of Ella
born May 1851 age 49
age 30
born Feb. 1880, age 20
born April 1886, age 14
1900 Census, Nacogdoches County, Texas:
Hardeman, Elmo
born Sept. 1882, age 17
APPENDIX A16
119
born
born
born
born
LA
TX
TX
TX
born TX
1900 Census, Nacogdoches County, Texas:
Hardeman, Hal A.
born Nov. 1859, age 40
Fannie R. - wife
born April 1871, age 29
Leta - daughter
born July 1899, age 1/12
born TX
born TX
born TX
1900 Census, Boske County, Texas:
Hardeman, Hal B. - son of Leonidas born April 1870, age 30
born TX
1900 Census, Eastland County, Texas:
Hardeman, John E.
Lettie J. - wife
born May 1837, age 63
born Oct. 1837, age 62
born TN
born TN
1900 Census, Rusk County, Texas:
Hardeman, John S.
Abbie - wife
Nettie E. - daughter
Pilser - son
born
born
born
born
June 1855, age 44
born TX
March 1863, age 37 born TX
Dec. 1881, age 19
born TX
Nov. 1883, age 16
born TX
1900 Census, Wichita County, Texas:
Hardeman, John T.
born 1842, age 58
(Father-in-law was Jerome Yates)
1900 Census, Leon County, Texas:
Hardeman, John W.
Callie - wife
Franklin P. - son
Mary E. - daughter
Hamilton, William O. - stepson
Ellen I. - stepdaughter
Hardeman, Tolith - daughter
Jeannie - daughter
Rosa A. - daughter
Mattie L. - daughter
1900 Census, Hays County, Texas:
Hardeman, Katie
(Celeta C. Day - grandmother)
1900 Census, Wise County, Texas:
Hardeman, Sam B.
Mary J.
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
Sept. 1849, age 50
March 1857, age 43
July 1884, age 19
Aug. 1881, age 17
Oct. 1882, age 17
June 1886, age 13
June 1885, age 14
April 1893, age 7
Feb. 1896, age 4
March 1899, age 1
born TN
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
GA
AL
TX
TX
AL
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
born Nov. 1887, age 12
born TX
born Oct. 1861, age 38
born Jan. 1868, age 32
born TN
born TN
APPENDIX A16
120
1900 Census, Hays County, Texas:
Hardeman, W.H.
Sarah - mother
born Oct. 1836, age 61
born TX
born TN
Note: during the 1900 Census of Caldwell County, Texas, the following were listed
in the home of their grandmother, Elizabeth J. Gomilleon:
born Caldwell County, TX
1. Stella Hardeman
age 7
born Caldwell County, TX
2. Tine(?) Hardeman age 9
born Caldwell County, TX
3. Mystic Hardeman age 11
4. John Hardeman
age 1/12 born Caldwell County, TX
born Caldwell County, TX
5. Eva Hardeman
age 6
1870 Census Caldwell County, Texas:
Hardeman, William
age 35
Sarah A.
age 30
Mary L.
age 10
D.R. - daughter
age 8
John K.
age 6
James H.
age 4
born TN
born TN
born TX
born TX
bornTX
born TX
1890 Census of Bastrop County, Texas shows:
Hardeman, Thomas J.
age 41, born Dec. 1858
Jimmie - wife
age 34, born Nov. 1865
Linch L. - son
age 14
John H. - son
age 14
Thomas J., Jr. son age 8
A.B. - son
age 5
Harry S. - son
age 3
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
APPENDIX A16
121
TN
TN
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
SECTION III
Appendix B — Related Families
1. Appendix Bl:
Eppes
123
2. Appendix B2: Perkins
124
3. Appendix B3: Wilson
125
4. Appendix B4: Polk
126-129
5. Appendix B5: Bacon
130-131
6. Appendix B6: Corzine
132
7. Appendix B7: Fentress
133-134
8. Appendix B8: D e W i t t
135-136
9. Appendix B9: Burleson
137-139
10. Appendix BIO: Keese
140-141
11. Appendix Bll: Viser
142-147
12. Appendix B12: Folts
148-149
13. Appendix B13: Hamilton
150-152
APPENDIX B
122
Eppes
Lt. Col. Francis Eppes was born in England and immigrated early to Virginia
where he was shown on th Census of 1624-25. He was a Member of the Virginia
Convention of 1625; appointed Justice 7 August 1626; served in the House of
Burgesses in 1627, 1628. He served in the Indian campaigns of 1627 as a Lieutenant Colonel of Militia. He was appointed Justice (Commissioner) for Charles
City and Henrico Counties 1631-1632. He was married twice. The name of the
first wife is not known. She probably died in England. Three sons came to America
with him: (1) John Eppes, (2) Francis (II) Eppes - Lt. Col. also, and (3) Thomas
Eppes.
Lt. Col. Francis Eppes (II) of Henrico County, Virginia was born in England
about 1628, came to Virginia 1635, was a Lieutenant Colonel of Militia and was
a Justice of Henrico County, VA. He died of wounds received fighting Indians.
He married twice. The name of wife number one is not known. Their only child
was Col. Francis Eppes (III) born 1659. Wife #2 was Elizabeth (Littlebury) Worsham, widow of William Worsham (with whom she had John Worsham, Charles
Worsham, Mary Worsham - who married Maj. John Bullings, and Elizabeth Worsham - who married Richard Kennon). The children of Elizabeth of Lt. Col. Francis
Eppes (II) were:
1. Capt. William Eppes, born 1661.
2. Lt. Col. Littlebury Eppes of Charles City County, VA; Justice in 1699, House
of Burgesses 1710, 1714; County Clerk, 1714
3. Mary - married before 1685, Lt. Col. John Hardeman of Charles City CO.
4. Anna Eppes
Col. Francis Eppes (III) was born 1659. He died in January 1718 or 19. His
will was proved 1720. He married Anna Isham (daughter of Capt. Henry and
Katherine Banks Isham of Henrico County). He held many political offices. Issue:
1. Col. Francis Eppes (IV) died 1734
2. Capt. Isham Eppes - died unmarried
3. William Eppes
4. Anne Eppes - married William Kennon
5. Elizabeth Eppes
6. Mary Eppes
7. Sarah Eppes
Special References:
1. Lewis of Warner Hall, The History of a Family - by Sorley.
2. Virginia Land Records - from Virginia Magazine of History and Biography.
Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents - prepared by W. G. Stanard.
APPENDIX Bl
123
Perkins of Virginia
Nicholas Perkins - married Mary Burton in 1624 - England to America.
Nicholas Perkins - born 1647, married Sarah Childress.
Constantine Perkins - born 1682, married Ann Pollard.
Nicholas Perkins - born 1718, married 1738 Bethenia Hardin, daughter of
Thomas and Mary Giles Hardin. Issue of Nicholas and Bethenia:
1. Col Peter Perkins, born 26 March 1739, married Agnes Wilson, daughter of
Peter and Ailcy Wilson.
2. Charles Perkins, born 26 March 1742, married 22 June 1760, Mary Tate of
North Carolina.
3. Bethina Perkins, born 7 July 1743, married 22 June 1762, Absolum Bostick,
son of John and Elizabeth Chessley.
4. Nicholas Perkins, born 7 July 1745; married Leah (Sarah) Pryor, daughter
of John and Margaret Gaines.
5. Constantine Perkins, born 20 November 1750; married Agatha Marr, daughter
of Gideon and Sarah Miller.
6. Susannah Perkins, born 20 May 1750, married (1) Green Pryor, son of John
and Margaret Gaines; (2) John Miller Marr, son of Alexander; (3) Thomas
Hardiman, son of John and Dorothy Edwards.
7. Ann Perkins, born 9 August 1752, married (1) Joseph Scales and (2) Beck.
8. Mary Hardin Perkins, born 15 August 1754, married 1770, Thomas
Hardeman, son of John and Dorothy Edwards.
9. Thomas Hardin Perkins, born 3 May 1757, died 1838, married 17 December
1778, Mary Magdelin O'Neal, daughter of William and Elizabeth Staver or
Stiver.
10. Elizabeth Perkins, born 13 May 1759, married (1) Capt. William Letcher, son
of Giles and Hannah Hughes, and married (2) Col. George Hairston, son of
Robert and Ruth Stovall.
Special References:
1. The Virginia Gazette
2. History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia - by Clements
APPENDIX B2
124
Wilson
Peter Wilson and Ailcy, his wife, were early settlers of Pittsylvania County,
Virginia. Their son John was born in 1740. John acquired much wealth. He served
as Lieutenant of Militia for Pittsylvania during the Revolutionary War from 1778
until the end of the war. He represented his county in the House of Delegates
in 1778-79-82 and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of Virginia
in 1778 when the Constitution of the United States was adopted.
Peter and Ailcy's daughter, Agnes married Col. Peter Perkins.
In 1767 John married Mary Lumpkin, daughter of George Lumpkin.
The children of John and Mary were:
1. Peter Wilson, married Ruth Hairston, daughter of Peter Hairston and Elsie
Perkins.
2. John
3. William
4. Nathaniel, married Winnefred Tunstall, daughter of William Tunstall, Jr. of
"Belle Grove" and settled on Don River (Belle Grade).
5. Clement
6. George, married Elizabeth Broadnax and settled at "Laurel Cliff".
7. Robert, married Catherine Pannill, daughter of Samuel Pannill of "Green Hill",
Campbell County and lived at "Dan's Hill".
8. Mary, married Col. John Clark.
9. Patsy, married Alexander Cunningham.
10. Nannie, married Robert Broadnax.
11. Isabella, married James Anderson Glenn
John Wilson died in 1820 and was buried at "Dan's Hill" (From Clements "History
of Pittsylvania, Virginia)
Col. Ezekiel Polk's first wife was Mary Wilson, whom he married in Mecklenburg, N.C. about 1769. Mary Wilson was the daughter of Samuel Wilson. Samuel
was a well educated and affluent man, a relative of Sir Robert Wilson. Samuel's
first wife was Mary Winslow, daughter of Moses and Jean (Osbourne), His third
wife was Margaret Jack.
A deed on file at Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C. shows that John Wilson
gave land in Burke Co., N.C to "my sister Mary's son, John Polk".
APPENDIX B3
125
Polk
The immigrant of this family was Capt. Robert Polk (Pollock) who came to
America between 1672 and 1680. He came from County Donegal, Ireland to
Maryland. He married Magdalen Tasker Porter, daughter of Col. Tasker of Broomfield Castle near Londonderry, Ireland.
One son of Robert and Magdalen Polk was William Polk, probably born in
County Donegal, Ireland about 1664. He died in 1739 (Will proved 24 February
1739/40). He married (1) Nancy Knox Owens, widow, sister of the second wife
of his brother, John, and (2) Gray.
One son of William and Nancy Knox Owens was William Polk who was born
in Maryland about 1700 and died in North Carolina about 1753. He married
Margaret Taylor. He lived for a time near Carlisle, Pennsylvania and then moved
to Mecklinburg County, North Carolina.
Col. Ezekiel Polk, son of William and Nancy Polk, was born in Cumberland
County, Pennsylvania near present Carlisle. He was born December 7, 1747 and
died near Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee August 31, 1824. His first marriage was to Mary Wilson (Mary Wilson was the daughter of Samuel Wilson)
in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina about 1769. Mary died before 1790.
Col. Ezekiel Polk left North Carolina because of a feud with the Presbyterians
over doctrinal matters. He lived in both North and South Carolina. He is thought
to have made a second marriage - to Bessie Davis (or Polly Campbell). Then he
married Sophia (Neely) Lennard, daughter of James Neely, in Maury County,
Tennessee in 1812/13.
Col. Polk had a distinguished military career. He was a lieutenant colonel of
the Twelveth Regiment of the South Carolina Militia. After several campaigns,
he was given command of a regiment and promoted to Colonel.
Shortly before 1790, he migrated to what would become Tennessee. Also in
1790 he was appointed Justice of the Peace of Tennessee County. He was living
in Williamson County, Tennessee in 1806. In 1820, along with his sons, Samuel
and William, and his sons-in-law, Col. Thomas Jones Hardeman and Col. Thomas
McNeal and their families, Col. Polk established and founded the first white settlement in what would become Hardeman County, Tennessee. When the County
was named, it was named in honor of Thomas Jones Hardeman.
Ezekiel died near Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee August 31, 1824 and
was buried in Riverside Cemetery.
Children of Ezekiel and Mary Wilson were:
1. Thomas (twin) born December 5, 1770, probably in Tyron County, N.C.
2. Matilda Golden (twin) born December 5, 1770, married (1) John Campbell
and (2) Philip Jenkins.
APPENDIX B4
126
3. Samuel, born July 5, 1772, probably Tryon County, N.C. He was the father
of a President of The United States (vide infra).
4. John, born 1774, York County, S.C.
5. William Wilson, born September 10, 1776, probably in York County, S.C.
6. Clarissa, born December 25, 1782, probably in Mecklinburg County, N.C.
She married Col. Thomas McNeal in 1803 in Williamson County, Tennessee.
She died near Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee December 8, 1846.
The children of Clarissa Polk and Thomas McNeal were:
(1) Ezekiel Polk McNeal, born in Maury County, Tennessee September 6,
1804, died at Bolivar, Tennessee December 10, 1886, married Anne
Williams and had one child, Priscilla (1836-1854).
(2) Mary Eliza, born in Maury County, Tennessee September 16, 1853. She
married Mark R. Roberts in Hardeman County, Tennessee. They
migrated to Texas about 1835 and settled in Fannin County, Texas. They
had fourteen children.
(3) Prudence Tate, born in Maury County, Tennessee January 29, 1809.
She married Major John Houston Bills (son of Isaac and Lillias Houston
Bills and nephew of General Sam Houston of Texas) in Hardeman County, Tennessee on September 9, 1823. They had eight children. She died
August 14, 1840, probably in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
(4) Albert Thomas, born January 28, 1811 in Maury County, Tennessee.
He died in Coffeeville, Mississippi September 3,1844. He married Mary
Jane Dunlap in 1839. They had two children.
(5) Jane Frances was born May 11, 1813 and died at Prairie Lea, Texas June
25, 1852. (She and her husband are buried in the Masonic Cemetery
at Gonzales, TX) She married * Dr. David Franklin Brown at Bolivar,
Tennessee on October 14, 1829.
* NOTE: Dr. David Franklin Brown, son of Joseph and Sarah Thomas
Brown, was born 17 March 1801 in Davidson County, Tennessee and
died near Prairie Lea, Caldwell County, Texas 7 November 1869. Dr.
Brown, his wife and their infant daughter, Prudence, were buried on
their property near Prairie Lea, Texas. In 1968 all three stones were moved
to the Masonic Cemetery in Gonzales, Texas and placed on the plot of
their daughter, Cordelia Brown Harwood.
The Hardemans, Burlesons, Polks, Browns and McNeals had close
interrelationships while they lived in Tennessee, many moved to Texas
about the same time where they continued to intermarry and to be
neighbors.
Dr. D. F. Brown studied medicine at Transsylvania University at Lexington, KY. He practiced medicine in Bolivar, Tennessee until his move
to Texas about 1838. The Browns settled first in Bastrop County on land
APPENDIX B4
127
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
purchased from Thomas J. Hardeman. Brown prospered, particularly
from land transactions; so that on the occasion of the settling of his estate,
he was noted to have holdings in San Saba, Brown, Llano, Burnett, Hays
and Caldwell Counties.
Dr. Brown was a participant in the Battle of Plum Creek on 12 August
1840. In 1841 David F. Brown sold his property in Bastrop County and
moved to new property along the San Marcos River in Caldwell County. Their new home was built about one mile north of Prairie Lea, Texas
and was named "Belle View". The 1850 Census is of special interest in
that it shows the D. F. Browns to be neighbors of the William P.
Hardemans. Living in the Brown home were David F. Brown, Physician, age 49; Jane, age 37; Mary A., age 18; Cordelia, age 16; Clara,
age 14; James F, age 12 — all born in Tennessee; and Albert P., age 9
and Lycurgus, age 7, both born in Texas. In the home, also, were Warner
Polk, age 18, born Arkansas and Leonidas Hardeman, age 24, born
Tennessee.
(6) Samuel L., born in Maury County, Tennessee December 1, 1815. Died
unmarried.
(7) Evelina Louisa, born in Maury County, Tennessee July 26, 1816, married (1) Erasmus McDowell and (2) Dr. George Boddie Peters. Died October 20, 1855.
(8) William Wallace, born in Maury County, Tennessee Sept. 28, 1821; died
in Caldwell County, Texas April 7, 1870. Married Elizabeth Walker Berry
in Bolivar, Tennessee November 26, 1844. Moved to Texas shortly after
marriage, settled in Caldwell County. They had two sons.
Mary Ophelia, born 6 April 1785, Mecklinburg County, N.C. She died at
Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tennessee 24 September 1835. She married
Thomas Jones Hardeman. (See special sections).
Louisa, born probably in Mecklinburg County, N.C. about 1787. She died
20 December 1869 in Bolivar, Tennessee. She married (1) Capt. Charles Rufus
Neely about 1807 in Maury County, Tennessee and (2) Dr. Clinton C. Collier in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Charles Perry, born in Maury County, Tennessee 27 October 1895.
Eugenia, born in Maury County, Tennessee, died at Wilburton, Oklahoma
16 October 1895. Married Alexander Neilson in Hardeman County, Tennessee.
Benigna, born in Maury County, Tennessee 30 July 1816, died in Memphis,
Tennessee 27 January 1886. She married William Henry Wood in Hardeman
County, Tennessee 18 July 1834.
Edwin Fitzhugh, born in Maury County, Tennessee 6 May 1818 at Bolivar,
Tennessee, died at Bolivar on 30 July 1846 he married Octavia Rowena Jones
at Bolivar, Tennessee.
APPENDIX B4
128
The father of James Knox Polk, eleventh President of the United States of
America, was Samuel Polk, son of Col. Ezekiel and Jane Knox Polk. Samuel and
Jane's children were:
1. James Knox Polk who married Sarah Childers. He became President of the
United States.
2. Jane Maria Polk, married James Walker.
3. Lydia Eliza, married (1) Silas William Caldwell and (2) Edward Richmond.
4. Franklin Ezekiel Polk
5. Marshall Tate Polk
6. John Lee Polk
7. Naomi Tate Polk, married Adlai O. Harris
8. Ophelia Clarissa Polk, married John B. Hays
9. William Hawkins Polk
10. Samuel Wilson Polk
Special Bibliography:
1. The Polks of North Carolina and Tennessee - Mrs. Frank M. Angellotti
2. Brown, William and Margaret, Descendents of - Helen Hoskins Rugeley
3. Polk Family and Kinsmen - William Harrison Polk
APPENDIX B4
129
Miscellaneous Bacon Data
The book "1840 Citizens of Texas - Land Grants" lists Thomas Bacon of San
Augustine as having arrived in Texas March 1, 1838.
1850 Census Index of Texas shows:
Bacon, Darius - CAME
, Elizabeth - San Augustine County
, Elizabeth - Brazoria County
, F. - Gray County
, J. - Galveston County
, John B. - Travis County
, Johnathan - Bastrop County
, Julia A. - Bastrop County
, Leopole - Brazoria County
, Thomas - Brazoria County
, Thomas - Williamson County
The 1860 Census of Travis County, Texas:
Bacon, G.W - physician
, E.L. - wife
, Alice - daughter
Bacon,
,
,
,
,
J.D. (or LB.) - physician
LA. - wife
E.
A.
F.
age 39
age 26
age 1
born TN
born GA
born TX
age
age
age
age
age
born
born
born
born
born
51
41
10
4
5/12
TN
KY
TX
TX
TX
"Austin Colony Pioneers" lists:
Bastrop County - Dr. J.B. Bacon born 29 October 1808, died 14 August 1872.
- Julia A. Bacon born 16 May 1819, died 6 December 1877.
1860 Census of Travis County, Texas:
Bacon, S.H.
, M.E.
, M.A.
, I.G. (or J.G.)
, M.A.
, L.
.c
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
34
32
12
8
6
3
10/12
APPENDIX B5
130
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
TN
TN
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1870 Census of Travis County, Texas:
Bacon, John B.
, Julia A.
, Winfree
, Abbey
, Fanny
age
age
age
age
age
62
52
21
18
11
born
born
born
born
born
TN
KY
TX
TX
TX
"Texas Veterans in the Mexican War" - Charles D. Spurlin:
Thomas Bacon - David C. Cody's Company, Texas Mounted Rangers - enlisted
in Austin, Texas 1 October 1845, mustered out 31 December 1845.
City of Austin Cemetery - Mrs. Anna Bacon 14 April 1872.
D/612 deed of gift August 5, 1851, Julia Ann Bacon to daughter Adelaide Vann
(Lazarus T. Vann) Wit: Isaac M. Brown, and John B. Bacon.
APPENDIX B5
131
Miscellaneous Corzine Data
Corzine, Herschell - granted land certificate, San Augustine, Texas 1 February 1838
for Battle of San Jacinto and Battle of Bexar.
1840 Census Index, Tennessee:
Corzine, Elizabeth - Williamson County
Corzine, Jessee M. - Mars.
Williamson County, Tennessee - Marriage Records:
Ruse Corzine and Elizabeth (Hardeman) Owen - 29 March 1827.
Texas Poll Lists for 1846:
Corzine, H. - Henderson
, Lewis - Harrison
1850 Census Index, Texas:
Corzine, Sarah - San Augustine
, Samuel - Navarro
Will of Mrs. Elizabeth O Corzine, 3/15/1870. To my freed woman Mary I give
land; to my freed men Charles (two-thirds) & William (one-third) I give (land
in both cases). To the Church of Christ (land). To my two nephews William N.
Hardeman and John B. Hardeman. Filed 3/4/1871, folio 448, Theas Probate
Records - Travis County (1838-1872)
APPENDIX B6
132
Dr. James Fentress
Republic of Texas 1846 Tax List for Bastrop County - James Fentress
1850 Census of Caldwell County, Texas:
(m. 8 June 1841, Bastrop, TX)
Fentress, Dr. James - physician
age 50 born TN
, Mary Ophelia (Hardeman, daughter of Thomas Jones Hardeman
, 1788-1854 and Mary Polk)
born TN
, * Thomas - son
age 9 born TX
1870 Census of Caldwell County, Texas
ress, James - physician
age
, Mary W. - housewife
age
, ** Hardiman, Lizzie
age
, ** Hardiman, Monroe age
, ** Hardiman, Cora
age
Texas 1850
Fentress,
Fentress,
Fentress,
- page 31:
67 born TN
47 born TN
20 born TX
15 born TX
12 born TX
Census Index - page 31:
James - Caldwell County
John - Burleson County
Lemuel - Caldwell County
* Sgt. Thomas Hardeman Fentress was born in Texas about 1841, son of James
and Mary Ophelia Hardeman Fentress, died in Albuquerque, New Mexico 8 April
1862 in service with CSA Army (Company A, 4th Regt., Sibley's Brigade).
** These three Hardeman children, children of Thomas Monore and Susan
Burleson Hardeman, were under the guardianship of Owen B. Hardeman. Major
Monroe Hardeman, CSA had died 14 September 1861, and his wife Susan A.
Burleson Hardeman had died 4 March 1860, age 35 in Caldwell County, Texas
(Mortality Schedule - Texas 1860).
Historical Marker of graves in the Prairie Lea Cemetery, Prairie Lea, Texas shows:
Dr. James Fentress, born May 9, 1802, Tennessee, died July 7,1872. Mary Ophelia
Fentress, born June 8, 1822, Tennessee, died July 13, 1888.
The Hays County Historical and Genealogical Quarterly shows:
Marriages - William Alexander Thompson to Lizzie Polk Hardeman (daughter
of Major Monroe Hardeman of Prairie Lea, Texas) March 4, 1875, at the
residence of Dr. James Fentress of Prairie Lea, Texas.
Deaths - Lizzie Polk Thompson died March 18, 1934 at San Marcos, Texas.
APPENDIX B7
133
The Memorial erected by the State of Texas in 1936:
"Dr. James Fentress participated in the Battle of Plum Creek August 12, 1840.
He was born in Tennessee May 9, 1802, died July 7, 1872."
Dr. Fentress participated also in the campaign against Vicente Cordova who had
been sent to Texas to stir up the Cherokee and other Indians to harass and destroy
Texans. Fortunately his mission was learned early and counter measures taken
to check his mission. The most effective counter action was led by Col. Edward
Burleson. His force included Dr. James Fentress and two of his brothers-in-law
from Caldwell County, Owen B. Hardeman and William P. Hardeman.
Major contact between the forces finally took place on March 28, 1839. A hotly contested Battle took place but was finally terminated when Dr. Fentress had
a guide point out Cordova to him. Dr. Fentress was a marksman. He fired, painfully wounding Cordova. Cordova and his force withdrew and fled all the way
to Mexico.
Dr. James Fentress was a Mason, a member of Prairie Lea Masonic Lodge #114,
Prairie Lea, Texas.
APPENDIX B7
134
De Witt
Green De Witt, Empresario, was born in Lincoln County, KY on 12 February
1787. While he was still an infant his family moved to Spanish held Missouri.
Green received a reasonably good education. When he was 18, he returned to
Kentucky to complete his education. He remained in Kentucky for two years and
then returned to Missouri. Soon after he married Sarah Seely (born) 1789 in northwest Virginia of an American Revolutionary family which moved from Brooks
County, Virginia to St. Louis County, Missouri.
During the War of 1812, De Witt served in the Missouri State Militia with ranks
of Private to Lieutenant to Captain.
Green De Witt was in Monclava, Mexico in 1834 trying to develop an understanding between his colony and Mexico. He died 18 May 1834 in Monclava, probably of cholera. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Monclava.
The 1828 Census of De Witts Colony includes
De Witt, Green
, Sarah
, Eliza
, Naomi
, Evaline
, Christopher Columbus
, Clinton
De Witt, James
(Reference-Luke):
age 40 born MO
age 38 born MO
age 17 born MO
age 13 born MO
age 11 born MO
age 8 born MO
age 5 born MO
age 45 born MO
Issue of Green and Sarah De Witt:
1. Eliza - married three times: (1) married on 22 May 1830, Gonzales, TX to
Thomas Hamilton (born VT 1798). He died before 1831. (2) James E. Davis,
Alcalde of Gonzales (born 1800 SC), on 21 December 1834. He was killed
by Indians less than a year later. (3) Thomas Jones Hardeman - children are
listed under section on Thomas Jones Hardeman.
2. Naomi - married William A. Matthews. Their only child, William C. Matthews, died unmarried as a young man.
3. Evaline - married Charles Mason. No children.
4. Christopher Columbus - born 1824. He married Parmelia Narcissa Barrow.
Children included ? Grandchildren included Edna Narcissa Barrow, Minerva
De Witt Johnson, Mrs. Perry Whittington and Nina Eastland.
5. Clinton E. - born 1828, married "S.A.E.". Children
(1) Narcissa - married Lucien Chenault
(2) Josephine - married S.J. Denman (some say Henry Denman).
6. William Augustus
APPENDIX B8
135
7. Minerva - married Isham Green Jones - children:
(1) Minnie - married William Mooney
(2) Buckner
Special References:
1. South Texas Genealogical and Historical Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1
2. De Witt Colony of Texas - Dr. Edward A. Lukes
3. Marriage Records of Gonzales County, Texas
APPENDIX B8
136
Burleson
Immigrant: Aaron Burleson, who was born in Wales, settled in North Carolina
and died in 1753. Issue:
1. Thomas of North Carolina
2. Aaron, Jr. (1749-1784) - died in Clinch River, Tennessee - had a son Joseph
and a grandson, Aaron, who went to Texas along with his brother, Joseph,
in 1830.
3. Jesse - born 1759.
4. Edward - killed by Tories in the American Revolution.
5. Daniel - killed in the American Revolution.
6. James - killed in the American Revolution.
7. John
Will of Aaron Burleson of Washington County, Tennessee, 16 November 1781
(Will Book 1, page 2), lists:
1. John Burleson
2. Jonathan
3. Jospeh
4. Elizabeth
5. Thomas
6. Sarah
7. Aaron
8. Rachel
9. Nancy
10. Abigail
11. Mary
12. Rhoda
13. James
One of these daughters was scapled by Indians in either Tennessee or Alabama
but survived. She became the grandmother of Gen. John H. Morgan, CSA. (From
Early Settlers of Alabama - by Saunders)
James became a captain in the Creek War (TN) and took his son, Edward along.
(Edward later became Gen. Burleson of Texas.) As a result of a feud, James and
Edward fled to Missouri.
Joseph and James Burleson, son of #7, came to Bastrop County, Texas in
1828-1830, respectively. Edward arrived in Texas in 1831. Joseph and son, Aaron
were said to be great Indian fighters.
APPENDIX B9
137
6 July 1865 - Aaron Burleson married Laura Hardeman (Daughter of Thos. J.)
23 February 1867 - Nancy Burleson married David Hardeman.
24 June 1840 - Susan Burleson married Thomas Monroe Hardeman.
James Burleson married (1) Elizabeth Shipman and (2) Nancy Christian. Issue:
1. Aaron
2. Sarah - married Thrasher
3. Joseph
4. Nancy - married Rogers
5. Rachel - married William Rogers
6. Mary - married Yancey Taylor
7. Abigail
8. Edward - General and Vice President of the Republic of Texas
9. Jack - killed by Indians
10. Jonathan
11. James
12. Elizabeth
Aaron Burleson (1) came to Texas in 1830 to join his father, Joseph Burleson,
who had moved to Texas in 1828 and settled about twelve miles below Bastrop.
His nephew, Gen. Ed Burleson, was one of the party and settled just above Joseph
Burleson on Alum Creek. Joseph was first cousin of Gen. Russell of the War of
1812.
Aaron Burleson (2) was attending Baylor University at Independence when the
Civil War started. He joined his two brothers, Cummins and John in the CSA.
After the war he married Miss Laura Hardeman, daughter of Thomas Jones
Hardeman, of Bastrop County. While serving as sheriff of Bastrop County at age
32, he was shot and killed from ambush, leaving his widow and four children:
(1) Aaron, (2) Daisy, (3) Elizabeth (Mrs. YD. Taylor) and (4) Laura (Mrs. C.
Williams of San Marcos, Texas).
Joseph Burleson, Sr. was born 1 February 1770 and died 2 August 1849. He
married twice. Wife number one was Nancy Gage, born 19 June 1772. They married 29 February 1790. Issue:
1. James Burleson, born 8 February 1793
2. John Burleson, born 19 October 1795
3. Polly Burleson, born 2 January 1798
4. Jonathan Burleson, born 28 June 1801
5. Rachel Burleson, born 14 April 1803
6. Aaron Burleson, born 24 September 1805
7. Joseph Burleson, born 4 March 1808
8. Sally Burleson, born 25 August 1810
APPENDIX B9
138
Wife number two was Elizabeth Ailor who was born 17 April 1788. They married 15 February 1815. Issue:
1. Abigail Burleson, born 2 December 1817
2. Nancy Glover Burleson, born 28 January 1821
3. Susannah (Susan Anna) Burleson, born 11 November 1824 - married Thomas
Monroe Hardeman. (See sections on Monroe)
4. Marion Washington Burleson, born 15 December 1827
5. Peggy Malinda Smith Burleson, born 25 October 1830
(The above data on the family of Joseph Burleson, Sr., said to have been brought
to Texas in 1827 by Joseph. The Bible is in a glass case in the Alamo Museum,
San Antonio, Texas.)
Margaret Olivia Polk, daughter of John Polk (John, Capt. John, William,
William, Robert) and Cynthia Springs Polk was born in Tipton County, Tennessee
15 October 1826, died in San Augustine, Texas 9 October 1895, married Col. James
Marcus Burleson in San Augustine, Texas on September 1846. James was a son
of Joseph who came to Texas in 1829.
APPENDIX B9
139
Keese
1870 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Keese, Elijah - male
, Sarah - wife
, Brooke
, Thomas
, Maude
, Elizabeth
Cabiness, Martha
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
57
36
11
5
4
2
43
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
SC
AL
AL
AL
AL
TN
SC
1870 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Keese, John A.
, Elizabeth
, Franklin
, Amanda
age
age
age
age
62
52
25
16
born
born
born
born
SC
TX
AL
AL
W C. Hardeman married Sarah A. Keese, Caldwell Co., 16 December 1857.
Glen Owen Hardeman married Louella Keese, Caldwell Co., TX, 22 Dec. 1869.
Peter Hardeman married Caroline Keese, Caldwell Co., 18 September 1850.
1870 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Hardiman, Glen
, Louella
Keese, Estella
, Blanks
, George W.
, Emma
age
age
age
age
age
age
22
19
17
14
11
9
born
born
born
born
born
born
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1850 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Keese, George V.
age 49 born GA
, Adeline
age 27 born VT
, Lafayette
age 24 born TN
, William A.
age 21 born TN
, Nancy Caroline age 19 born TN
(Married Peter Hardeman 18 September 1850 in Caldwell
County. Peter was residing in Guadalupe County, TX.)
, Mary A.
age 16 born TN
, Sarah A.
age 11 born TN
, John
age 8 born TN
APPENDIX B10
140
1850 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Keese, James
Finch, Mary J.
McKenzie, Thomas
McKenzie, Martha E.
age
age
age
age
45
24
22
18
born
born
born
born
GA
TN
TN
TN
Thomas S. Keese married Sarah Jane Reid on 15 April 1852 in Caldwell County, Texas - by A. Wright, O.M.G. (Marriage Records of Caldwell County, Vol.
A, page 78-79)
1850 Census, Caldwell County, Texas:
Thomas J. Keese - farmer
Oliver - soldier
James
Eliza T (or F)
Thomas H.
Isaac Weldon
Thomas Keese • farmer
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
APPENDIX BIO
141
47
25
18
13
10
53
69
born SC
born TN
born TN
born AL
born SC
Viser (Vizer, Vizier)
The Viser immigrant was Andrew (Andre) Viser who came from France as part
of the French Forces to fight the English in their attempts to put down the American
Revolution. The French Forces assembled at Brest, France in April 1780 under
the command of Count Rochambeau. Viser was in a Company commanded by
Due de Lauzen. He landed at Newport, Rhode Island on 17 May 1780. After the
war he chose to remain in America and settled in Virginia. By 1810 he had moved
his family to the area of Davidson or Montgomery Counties, Tennessee. He
moved to Laurence County, Alabama by 1830. In 1832 he petitioned Congress
for a special pension for his service in the Revolutionary War. He died in the fall
of 1833 and an administrator for his estate was named 20 November 1833.
NOTE: The Viser family in America was a small one but a great difference
of opinion exists among those researching the family, particularly as regards names
and dates. I shall present as objective a report as I can and hope that my data
does not offend too many Viser Family scholars.)
The family progression data is from the "History of Texas and Texans" by Frank
W. Johnson. The book was edited and brought up to date by Dr. Eugene C. Barker,
Professor of American History, the University of Texas. One of Andrew Viser's
sons was named William. He lived in Tennessee and Mississippi and in 1837? he
brought his family to Texas, settling in Montgomery County. William had married a Miss Ford (probably Rachel Ford) Their children were:
1. Mrs. McGary whose first husband was a Word.
2. Mrs. Finney - spent her life in Madison County.
3. Dr. Napoleon B. Viser
4. Washington - died in Grimes County, Texas.
5. William W. Viser
Some sources state that William (Sr) had a brother Peter (who went to The
Red River and Hopkins Counties of Texas.
As the family moved toward Texas, it is noted that John L. Viser served as Captain of the Light Infantry Company attached to the 50th Regiment in the War
of 1812.
Napoleon B. Viser was born in Mississippi about 1824. Seemingly he moved
to Texas with his family in 1837?. He is mentioned by Paul C. Boethel in his
"History of Lavaca County" as being in the company of Sam Houston. "We passed
through Huntsville which was then a small village. Sam Houston was there.
I remember him distinctly; he had a man with him named Napoleon Viser. They
talked with father for a long time and showed us Santa Anna's silver cup." This
was a bit prior to 1845.
I don't know when Napoleon had time to study Medicine, but he did sometime
prior to 1848. In 1848, as related in Dr. Pat Nixon's "History of the Texas Medical
APPENDIX Bll
142
Association" a group of Galveston Doctors petitioned the Legislature to grant a
charter to the Medical and Surgical Society of Galveston. Among the signatories
of this petition were W.R. Smith, Ashbel Smith, N.B. Viser, Anson Jones, etc.
Perhaps he was in the latter phase of training then; however the very nature of
the petition was the insistence that doctors have proper training before practicing
medicine.
The 1850 Census of Matagorda County, Texas shows Viser living in the home
of Thomas Jamison, gives his age as 26 years. He served in the Vasquez Campaign 1 October 1842-1 January 1843, and in the Somerville Campaign in 1850.
He volunteered for Mexican War service 9 June 1846 and served as a private in
Capt. James Gillespie's Company in Col. J.C. Hayes First Regiment, Texas Mounted
Volunteers.
He married Bethenia Hardeman, daughter of D. Hardeman (1806-1864) and
Sarah Ann Nicholson (1808-1901). Bethenia was born in Tennessee in 1832. She
and Dr. Viser married in Matagorda County, Texas 26 April 1851. Dr. Viser died
in May 1852. She never remarried but lived most of the remainder of her life
with her sister, Sally, and Sally's husband Samuel Wilson Hardeman. These Visers
had no children.
The estate of Dr. Viser was administered by Samuel W. Hardeman. Review
of the inventory of the estate of Dr. Napoleon B. Viser shows that he was well
fixed financially - farm, slaves, equipment, horses, furniture, a medical library
and medicines, medical chests, instruments and instruments for the extraction
of teeth. (Some have taken the last item as meaning that he was a dentist; however,
in those days most doctors had to perform an occasional tooth extraction.) I think
that Dr. Pat Nixon's article on the petition to the Legislature leaves little doubt
that Dr. Viser was an M.D.
Dr. Viser died in Matagorda County and it is thought that he was buried in
the Hardeman Cemetery near Van Vleck, Matagorda Co.
CENSUS STUDIES
Census
1820
1830
1840
1850
Indices for Mississippi:
- no Visers
- no Visers
- no Visers
- Viser, James H.
, Lewis D.
, Mary B.
APPENDIX B l l
143
Census indices Alabama:
1830 - no Visers
1840 - no Visers
1840 Census, Republic of Texas (none in 1830):
Viser, A.J.
, F.H.
, Peter
, A.L.
, William
1840 Citizens of Texas:
Land Grants
Viser, Andrew F. - Montgomery County
, Andrew J. - Red River County
, Henry R. - Red River County
, Peter - Red River County
, Washington J. - Montgomery County
, William - Montgomery County
, William J. - Montgomery County
Tax Rolls
Viser, F. H.
, A.J.
, Peter
Vizer, A.L.
, William
1880 Lavaca County, Texas:
Viser, Jane - school teacher
, Josie - music teacher
, Carrington - composer
age 50 born VA
age 20 born VA
age 17
Visers were not found in 1860 and 1870 Census of Goliad County, Texas (D.
Hardeman, Jr. was present in Guadalupe County in 1860 and Goliad County in
1880.)
1900 Soundex - Goliad County, Texas:
Hardeman, Mrs. F. B. - born Jan. 1845, age 55, born TX
(widow of D. Hardeman, Jr.)
, Ada S. - daughter, born Dec. 1877, age 22, born TX
, Victor (Visor ?) - son, born March 1874, age 28, born TX
, Bernard - son, born Feb. 1882, age 18, born TX
APPENDIX Bll
144
, Annie H. - daughter, b o r n March 1884, age 15, born TX
, Sarah A. - mother-in-law, born Dec. 1808, age 91
(Widow of D. Hardeman, Sr. [1806-1864] born NC)
Viser, B. L. (Bethenia) - sister-in-law, age 69, born T N
1860 Census, Matagorda County, Texas
144-134: Hardeman, S. A. - planter
, S. A.
* Viser, B. T.
Hardeman, Ellen L.
, Fanny D.
, John M .
, Bailey
* Bethenia Hardeman Viser.
The following data are from 1900
Viser, Arthur
, Ida - wife
, May - daughter
, Maude - daughter
, John - son
Rhodes, Riley - brother
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
39
32
30
10
7
5
4
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
TN
TN
TN
TX
TX
TX
TX
Soundex tapes for the State of Texas:
age 38, born Jan. 1862, TX
Madison Co.
age 36, born Aug. 1863, LA
age 16, born March 1884, LA
age 13, born July 1886, LA
age 9, born March 1891, LA
age 21, born May 1879
Viser, B. L.
age 69, born Sept. 1830, TN
Goliad Co.
Viser,
,
,
,
Carrington
Charles D.
Sallie - wife
Prudie - daughter
age
age
age
age
37, born 1862, AK
35, born 1865, TX
29, born Jan. 1877, MS
6, born July 1893, TX
Galveston Co.
Delta Co.
Viser,
,
,
,
,
,
Hugh W.
Mary M. - wife
Agnes L. R. - daughter
Armenia
Floyd H.
Eugenia
age
age
age
age
age
age
32, born Feb. 1868, TX
29, born Oct. 1870, TN
12, born 1887, TX
9, born Jan. 1891, TX
7, born Jan. 1893, TX
2, born May 1895, TX
Coleman Co.
Viser,
,
,
,
Luke
Mollie - wife
Martin
Mary
age
age
age
age
48,
24,
13,
11,
Lavaca Co.
born
born
born
born
Feb. 1852, AK
Sept. 1871, TX
Jan. 1887, TX
Oct. 1888, TX
APPENDIX B l l
145
Viser, Finner
Henry
Lottie
Jonnie
Tinner - mother
Henderson, Fairly - mother-in-law
Warren, Norman - brother
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
10, born Aug. 1889, TX
7, born Sept. 1892, TX
4, born Nov. 1895, TX
2, born Dec. 1897, TX
95, born 1804, GA
49, born Nov. 1850, AK
15, born Oct. 1885, TX
Viser, Percy
Lizzie - wife
Effie - daughter
Ida - daughter
Gale - son
Mary Lee - daughter
Willie - son
born 1867, TX
age 29, born May 1871, TX
age 11, born July 1888, TX
age 9, born April 1891, TX
age 5, born 1894, TX
age 3, born Feb. 1897, TX
age 2, born Feb. 1899, TX
Madison Co.
Viser, Samuel H.
Nannie (?) - wife
Richie W. - son
Stella K. - daughter
Bettie M. - daughter
Pearl - daughter
Arthur - son
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
Fisher Co.
Viser, Thomas
Julia - wife
William
Edwin
Vivion
Katie
Cal (?) H.
age 46, born 1853, TX
born March 1860, TN
age 16, born Sept. 1883, TX
age 15, born Feb. 1885, TX
age 13, born March 1887, TX
age 11, born April 1889, TX
born TX
Madis
Viser, Washington
Laura - wife
Earnest
Alma
Homer
Lillie
age
age
age
age
age
age
Delta Co.
46, born Jan. 1856, TX
31, born May 1869, TX
14, born Sept. 1885, TX
12, born July 1887, TX
11, born Oct. 1888, TX
8, born March 1892, TX
2, born Sept. 1897, TX
35, born Feb. 1864, TX
27, born Jan. 1873, TX
4, born Aug. 1895, TX
3, born Oct. 1896, TX
1, born Sept. 1898, TX
13, born Dec. 1886, TX
APPENDIX B l l
146
Co.
Viser,
,
Wycough,
,
William W.
Elizabeth - wife
Pearl - sister-in-law
Nicholas brother-in-law
age
age
age
age
69, born
64, born
24, born
21, born
TN
April 1834, NC
1876, TX
1878, TX
APPENDIX B l l
147
Madison Co.
Folts
Marriage Records of North and South Carolina - Henry Folts and Elizabeth Smith,
17, August 1790, Rowan County, North Carolina.
"Rowan County Marriages 1753-1868" - Jacob Rominger and Mary Wesner, 28
January 1823, Bondsman John Folts.
North Carolina Censuses:
1810: Jacob Foltz
1820: Folts, John
, Peter
1830: Folts, Barbara
, Jacob
, John
1840: Folts, Anna K.
, Edward
, Elizabeth
, George
, John
, Nancy C.
, Sophia
1840: Foltz, Elizabeth
, Susan
, William P.
1850 Census of Colorado County, Texas — A. J. Folts
1860 Census, Haywood County, Tennessee:
Folts, A. J., age 35, married to Martha H, age 24. Children, Joseph 2, John 1.
Folts, H. G., age 40, married to Mary J., age 26. Children: Helen A. 11,
John M. 6, William H. 5, Joseph 3.
1860 Census, Colorado County, Columbus,
, A. J. - male, blacksmith
, Mary F. - wife
, Mary E. - daughter
, Sarah S. - daughter
, H. S. - son
, John E. - son
, T. W - male, merchant
, Fannie M. - wife
Texas:
age 40
age 31
age 14
age 6
age 3
age 6/12
age 33
age 26
APPENDIX B12
148
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
NC
TN
TN
TX
TX
TX
NC
TN
1870 Census, Colorado County, Texas:
Folts, John C. - auctioneer
, Saphonia
, Mary E.
, Joseph
, Sallie
age
age
age
age
age
49
49
18
13
10
born
born
born
born
born
NC
AL
TX
TX
TX
1870 Census, Colorado County, Texas:
Folts, Alex L.
, Mary L.
, Sallie (?)
, Alex L.
, John E.
, Lizzie
, Tom C.
, Emma L.
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
age
50
41
16
14
10
6
3
7/12
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
born
NC
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
TX
1880 Census, Travis County, Texas:
Folts, TW.
, M.H.
Hardeman, W.E. - neice
, T.L. - neice
, William - nephew
age
age
age
age
age
53
37
17
14
10
born
born
born
born
born
NC
GA
TX
TX
TX
The children enumerated, W.E., T.L. and William, respectively Willella, Tullins
and William, were the children of Gen. William P. Hardeman and his second wife,
Sarah A. Hamilton. Sarah died in November 1869. The 1870 census of Guadalupe
County, Texas shows William P. Hardeman, age 54, born in Tennessee, as being
in his home in Guadalupe County, Texas with children Thomas, John, Tullins,
and Willie.
Mary Etta (Marietta) Hamilton, sister of Sarah A. Hamilton Hardeman (vide
supra) married Thomas W. Folts of Austin, Texas June 10, 1868. After Sarah's
death, the Folts took and adopted the younger children of William and Sarah.
William P. Hardeman, Jr. changed his name to W. H. Folts.
The Journal of the South Texas Genealogical Society, page 8, - "Jesse Austin
Holman married Evelyn Folts, native of Tennessee who came to Texas at age 6."
Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas — Mary Evaline Folts, born
22 March 1847, died 17 May 1927.
APPENDIX B12
149
Hamilton
John C. Hamilton was born in North Carolina in 1796. He moved to Georgia
and then to Texas in 1848, locating first in East Texas and then in Caldwell County, Texas. He died in Caldwell County, Texas in 1873. He was a lawyer and was
educated in Georgia. He served two terms in the Georgia Legislature. He
represented Guadalupe County, Texas in the Texas Legislature.
He served as a lieutenant under Gen. Jackson in the War of 1812 and participated
in the Battle of New Orleans. He fought two duels. In the Mexican War he served
under Gen. Taylor. (John's father, James Hamilton, a native of Virginia served
in the American Revolution.)
John C. Hamilton married Annie B. Good (born in Georgia, daughter of Isom
and Prisilla Kendrick Good who were both born in Georgia.) John C. and Annie
B. were married in 1827. Issue were:
1. Sarah Ann age 18, in 1850 Census, married William P. Hardeman in Prairie
Lea, Caldwell County, Texas 29 December 1857. She died 8 November 1869
in Guadalupe County, Texas.
2. Tullins Lenora - born 16 October 1834 in Georgia and died 6 January 1904
in Brown County, Texas. She married Leonidas Polk Hardeman, brother of
William P. Hardeman, 8 January 1852 in Lockhart, Caldwell County, Texas.
3. Martha - died at age 14 years.
4. Dr. Campbell P. Hamilton - age 12 in 1850.
5. Byron T. deceased.
6. John A. - was a druggist. He was age 8 in 1850.
7. Mary Etta (Marietta) - she was age 7 in 1850. She married Thomas W. Folts
of Austin, Texas 10 June 1868. The Folts adopted the young children of Gen.
William P. Hardeman after his wife, Sarah died in 1869.
8. Ella G. was born 15 August 1844 in Georgia. She married D. D. (David Dickerson) Hardeman, cousin of William P. and Leonidas P. Hardeman in Caldwell
County 15 August 1865.
9. Lizzie M. (Elizabeth) - married Dr. T. W. Webb. She was age 3 in 1850.
10. Gussie - born 1849. She married J. K. Walker of Caldwell County, Texas.
Dr. Campbell P. Hamilton was born in Georgia, as were all his siblings. He
came to Texas with his parents in 1848. He was educated at Baylor University.
He worked in West Texas and Arizona for a time. With the outbreak of the Civil
War, he enlisted in 1861 in a company raised by Hunter. In that same year he
was promoted to Captain. He served in Col. John R. Baylor's Regiment. He was
captured in 1862 and imprisoned at Fort Yuma, Arizona. He was released in 1863
and rejoined his company in Louisiana. After the war he spent three years in Mexico and South America. He witnessed the execution of Emperor Maximilian. He
APPENDIX B13
150
studied medicine in Mexico City but finished at the Medical College of Louisiana
in 1868. He practiced in Fayette County, in Fort Bend County, and in Galveston,
Kosse, Martinsville and Durango.
In 1876 he married Nettie Vinctru of Louisiana, daughter of Dr. J. T. Vinctru
of New Orleans. They had no children but reared and educated thirteen other
children.
1850 Census of Caldwell County, Texas:
#133-coach maker
Hamilton, John C. - male
age 45 born NC
, Ann B. - female
age 40 born GA
, * Sarah Ann - female age 18 born GA
, ** T. L. - female
age 16 born GA
, Campbell - male
age 12 born GA
, Byron - male
age 10 born GA
, John - male
age 8 born GA
, Mary A. - female
age 7 born GA
, ***EllaG. -female
age 6 born GA
, Elizabeth - female
age 3 born GA
, Augusta - age 1
age 1 born GA
, Martha - female
age 14 born GA
* Married William Polk Hardeman 29 December 1857, Caldwell Co., Texas
** Tullins Lenora married Leonidas Polk Hardeman 8 January 1852, Caldwell Co.,
Texas
*** Ella G. married D. D. Hardeman 15 August 1865, Caldwell Co., Texas
Campbell
1870 Census, Colorado County, Texas:
Campbell, John D.
age 28 born TN
, Annie E. age 25 born TN
, Maud
age 3 born TX
NOTE: Much of the data on Dr. Campbell P. Hamilton and family is found
in "A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell
Counties Texas.
James Hamilton, Jr. was born 8 May 1786 in South Carolina, the son of James
and Elizabeth (Lynch) Hamilton. He was drowned on his way from New Orleans
to Galveston on 15 November 1857. He had married Elizabeth Heyward in 1813.
He served as a Major in the War of 1812.
APPENDIX B13
151
James, Jr. was mayor of Charleston, served in the South Carolina House of
Representatives in the U.S. Congress (1822-1829). Was Governor of South Carolina
1830-1832. He moved to Texas and participated in the Texas Revolution. He assisted
President Mirabeau B. Lamar by aiding in the successful treaties with the
Netherlands, England, France and Mexico.
(Sources: War of 1812 Veterans in Texas - Mary Smith Fay.
Biographical Directory of U.S. Congress - 1774-1971.)
Caldwell County Cemetery Records include:
Hamilton, Ann B. - Nov. 18, 1810 - March 25, 1886.
Hamilton, L.C., Sr. - 28 Dec. 1856 - 19 Aug. 1930.
Hamilton, Lenora - 8 Nov. 1870 - 8 June 1962.
Dr. William Green Thornton, born 21 Oct. 1823, married Miss Mary Edmunds
in 1854. Issue:
1. Annie - married Alex Hamilton
2. Nellie
3. Lillian - married Lee Josephs of Cuero, Texas.
4. Laura
5. Mary
6. William - died of Yellow fever in 1867.
James Knox Walker - born 1847, TN - married Gussie Hamilton.
They lived in Guadalupe, Caldwell (Luling), and Gonzales Counties. Issue:
1. Gertrude
2. Cecile
3. James Knox
4. Ella
5. Byron
6. Nicholas
APPENDIX B13
152
Bibliography
Books:
1. Great River - Paul Horgan
2. The Conquest of Mexico and The Conquest of Peru - Prescott
3. Genealogies of Virginia Families - William and Mary College Quarterly
4. Wilderness Calling - Dr. Nicholas Perkins Hardeman
5. Hardin and Harding of Virginia and Kentucky - Dorothy Ford Wulfeck
6. Hardeman Family History - Ward Nash Hardeman
7. Tennessee Cousins - Worth S. Ray
8. Some Georgia County Records - Lucas
9. Kings Mountain Men - Katherine E. White
10. History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia - Clements
11. William Bean: Pioneer of Tennessee - Jamie Ault Grady
12. War of 1812 Veterans in Texas - Mary Smith Fay
13. Record of Commissions of Officers, Tennessee Militia 1814
14. History of Texas - Dr. Eugene Barker
15. A History of Texas - Wortham
16. Lone Star - T. R. Fehrenback
17. A History of Texas - Brown
18. Informal History of Texas - Frank X. Tolbert
19. A History of Texas and Texans - Frank Johnson
20. Marriage Records of North and South Carolina
21. Rowan County, North Carolina Marriages 1753-1868
22. The Polks of North Carolina and Tennessee - Angellotti
23. James Mc Can and Sarah S. Viser: History and Genealogy of Their
Descendents - Karen Mc Cann Hett
24. The Handbook of Texas - Texas Historical Association - Webb and Carroll
25. Biographical Directory 1773-1849: Nacogdoches - Gateway to Texas
26. Austin Colony Pioneers - Worth S. Ray
27. De Witt Colony - Lukes
28. Travelers in Texas - 1761 to 1860 - Sibley
29. The Evolution of a State - Smithwick
30. The Alamo. Battle of Gonzales - Frederick C. Chabot
31. Recollections of Early Texas - John H. Jenkins
32. Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence - L. W. Kemp
33. The Men Who Made Texas Free - Sam Houston Dixon
34. Founders and Patriots of the Republic of Texas - DRT
35. Citizens of the Republic of Texas
36. A Time to Stand - Walter Lord
37. Heroes of San Jacinto - Dixon and Kemp
38. With Santa Anna in Texas - Jose Enrique de la Pena
39. The Mexican Side of the Texas Revolution - Casteneda
153
40. The Eagle: The Autobiography of Santa Anna - General Antonio Lopez de
Santa Anna
41. German Pioneers in Texas - Biggers
42. A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas - G. E. Ranslaben
43. After San Jacinto - Joseph M. Nance
44. Judges of the Republic of Texas - Ericksen
45. Basic Texas Books - John N. Jenkins III
46. Sam Houston: American Giant - Wisehart
47. Indian Depredations in Texas - Wilbarger
48. Journal of the Secession Convention of Texas 1861
49. Turmoil: The Saga of Texas 1849-1875 - Ernest Wallace
50. Texas in The War - H. B. Simpson
51. The Confederate Army of New Mexico - Martin Hardwick Hall
52. Sibleys New Mexico Campaign - Martin Hardwick Hall
53. The Applings & Mooneys Through the Years 1685-1976 - Esther Gambrell
Diviney
54. A Campaign From Santa Fe to the Mississippi: History of the Old Sibley
Brigade - Theophilus Noel
55. Dick Dowling at Sabine Pass - Frank X. Tolbert
56. Rip Ford's Texas - John S. Ford
57. The Lost Cause: The Confederate Exodus to Mexico - Andrew F. Rolle
58. A History of the Texas Medical Association - Dr. Pat I. Nixon
59. Do You Remember: Early Luling, Texas - Ann C. Huff Bridges
60. Memorial and Genealogical Record of Southwest Texas - Goodspeed
61. A History of Lavaca County, Texas - Paul C. Boethel
62. Historical Sketches: Seguin Enterprise - William P. Hardeman - Willie Mae
Weinert
Masonic References:
1. Masonry in Texas - Masons in Texas 1846 - James David Carter
2. Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Texas - Vol. I, II, III - A.S. Ruthven
3. The Texas Freemason - Fall
4. Education and Masonry in Texas 1846-1861 - J. D. Carter
5. Texas Grand Lodge Magazine XVII, 42 - Frank W. Johnson
6. Personal Communications, Grand Lodge of Texas
7. Personal Communications, Grand Lodge of Tennessee
8. Young Men of the Texas Revolution, Texana, Vol. III. No. 4, Winter 1965
General:
1. Abstract of Virginia Land Patents - Virginia Land Records - Virginia Magazine
of History and Biography
2. Marriage Records, Division of Archives, Virginia State Library
3. Obituaries from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851 - S. E. Lucas
154
4. Records from County Clerk, Hardeman County, Tennessee
5. The Bolivar Bulletin (Newspaper), Bolivar, Tennessee, 23 April 1943 Hardeman Story
6. North Carolina Censuses - 1810, 1820, 1830
7. 1860 Census, Haywood County, Tennessee
8. Many Texas Censuses
9. Personal Communications - Paul and Lela Hardeman, Caldwell County, Texas
10. Correspondence - Family record of Hardeman - W. B. Hardeman, Devine,
Texas
11. South Texas Genealogical and Historical Journal Vol. 1, No. 2
12. Marriage Records, Caldwell County, Texas 1848-1855
13. Marriage Records, Guadalupe County, Texas
14. Marriage Records, Gonzales County, Texas 1828-1858
15. Marriage Records, Matagorda County, Texas
16. Mortality Records, Bastrop County, Texas
17. Mortality Schedule, Caldwell County, Texas 1860 (Death of Susan Hardeman)
18. Mortality Schedule, Guadalupe County, Texas 1870 (Death of Sarah Ann
Hardeman)
19. Marriage Records, Brazoria County, Texas
20. Probate Minutes Books B. and E., Caldwell County, Texas
21. Will Book C. and E., Caldwell County, Texas
22. Record Book "E", page 564, Guadalupe County, Texas (Will Dr. Blackstone
Hardeman)
23. Minute Book "C", Guadalupe County, Texas, page 343
24. Texas Veterans in The Mexican War - Charles D. Spurlin
25. Texas Probate Records - Travis County (1838-1872)
26. Travis County Marriages
155
SURNAME INDEX
Allen - 24, 63, 68, 78
Almonte - 14, 16, 26
Ampudia — 56
Austin - 12, 25, 30
Bache - 24, 26
Bacon - 9, 130
Banks - 70, 71, 72
Barnes — 68
Barrett - 28, 109
Baylor - 42, 66, 150
Bean (Beene) - 7, 8
Berry - 36, 42, 99, 106
Bills - 21, 100
Black - 24
Bonham — 25
Bowie - 25, 30
Brigham — 23, 24
Brown - 34, 38, 64, 107, 127
Bunch - 109
Burleson - 2, 12, 25, 26, 30, 32, 33, 34, 38, 55, 101, 127, 134, 137
Burnet - 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 24
Burton — 24
Caldwell - 23, 24, 29, 30, 34, 35, 37
Cameron — 25
Campbell - 38, 86, 104, 151
Canby - 66, 67
Canalazo — 32
Carson — 13
Casteneda - 29, 30
Castrillon — 25
Chaudoin — 63
Childress - 13, 26, 27
Coke - 84
Collier - 21, 100, 128
Collins - 26, 104, 105
Cook - 12, 24
Conrad — 26
Cordova - 31, 32, 33, 41, 55, 103, 134
Corzine - 48, 96, 132
156
Cos - 12, 25, 29, 30, 50
Crockett - 25
Dart - 24
Davis - 22, 25, 30, 61, 62, 66, 72, 77, 81, 83, 84, 116, 135
De Bray - 73
De Witt - 2, 7, 22, 29, 36, 99, 105
Dickson — 25
Dickenson — 25
Dimmitt - 12, 25, 30, 50
Douglas — 24
Dowling — 72
Dycus - 38
Elam — 63
Elliott - 36
Eppes — 123
Eustace - 38, 68
Fannin - 1, 9, 24, 25, 26, 29
Fentress - 2, 21, 32, 34, 35, 38, 43, 55, 59, 68, 85, 133
Fisher — 12
Flores — 32, 33
Ford - 56, 84
Foy - 38
Francis — 64
Fraser — 36, 63
Folts (Foltz) - 86, 148, 149, 150
Foster - 47, 94, 109
Gaines — 13, 26
Gaona — 12
Gillespie - 24, 26
Green - 2, 18, 71, 72, 74
Greenwood — 36
Gregg - 24, 25
Hamilton - 2, 22, 42, 61, 64, 81, 103, 107, 135, 149, 150, 152
Hardeman (Hardiman, Hardyman)
Ada - 115, 144
Annie - 43, 108, 145
Bailey - 8, 10, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 30, 35, 50,
96, 97
157
Bethenia (Tennessee) — 45, 104, 145
Blackstone, Sr. - 2, 3, 8, 10, 29, 44, 47, 49, 60, 85, 95, 109
Blackstone, Jr. - 47, 48, 85, 110
Catherine — 18
Constantine (Constant) - 2, 3, 9, 48, 58, 60, 94, 110, 113
Clara Rebecca — 103
Conda - 118
Crude - 118
D. - 2, 3, 9, 19, 94, 114
David Dickerson - 2, 45, 60, 85, 104
D. H. - 116
Dorothy - 7
Eleaser - 48, 94
Elizabeth - 21, 48, 96, 110, 138
Emma Susan — 103
Evelyn — 45
Francis — 90
Franklin - 9, 19, 44, 98, 112
Franklin Brown — 38
Glen Owen - 12, 21, 116
Gregory — 98
Henry B. - 43
Humphry — 115
Ida Norfleet - 42, 106, 107
Isabella - 93
James — 40
John - 1, 7, 8, 18, 19, 38, 44, 58, 90, 92, 94, 97
J. B. - 2, 28, 48, 60, 85, 110
John Marr - 8, 42, 94, 113
John Hamilton — 104
Julia Ann - 9, 95
Knox - 2, 94
Laura - 48, 99, 110, 138
Leonidas (Polk) - 2, 35, 36, 42, 85, 107, 150
158
Lillie - 42, 101, 106
Littlebury - 90, 91
Lydia - 92
Marietta - 107, 149, 150
Maritima - 97
Minerva - 116
Mary - 7, 8, 12, 21, 38, 43, 116, 124
Mary Ophelia - 2, 21, 22, 29, 32, 35
Mary Ascora (Cora) — 38
Martha - 48, 110
Nancy - 110
Nicholas - 1, 45, 104
Owen Bailey - 2, 34, 35, 41, 42, 55, 106
Paul - 2, 97
Peter - 2, 9, 12, 19, 21, 44, 48, 49, 58, 60, 66, 70, 85, 98, 110
Rachel Caroline — 106
Rebecca A. F. - 12, 18, 19, 58
Sallie - 45
Samuel - 18, 19, 44, 85, 97, 112, 143
Sarah A. - 3, 45, 114
Seth - 93
Susannah - 7, 8, 38, 92, 124
Thomas - 7, 12, 18, 21, 45, 117
Thomas J. - 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 12, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 35,
47, 93, 95, 99
Thomas Monroe - 1, 2, 3, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 38,
41, 50, 55, 59, 85, 101
T.W.D. - 104
Tully - 42, 104, 107
Visor - 46, 144
Udora - 45, 114
Will Ella - 104
William F. - 3, 38, 39, 101
159
William M. - 3, 94, 113
William N. - 3, 25, 47, 60, 84, 85, 109, 132
William P. - 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 22, 25, 27, 30, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 45,
50, 55, 58, 60, 70, 78, 84, 85, 103, 149, 150
Walker B. - 42, 100
Wilson - 4, 12, 19, 90, 125
Hardin - 2, 8, 21
Hare - 58
Harris — 16
Hawkins — 63
Haynes - 36, 83
Hayes - 56
Houston - 9, 13, 14, 16, 24, 26, 31, 32, 35, 50, 60, 142
Hunter - 48, 110, 150
Ireland - 60, 103
Jackson - 8, 12, 18, 21, 36, 150
Jennings — 63, 64
Jones - 23, 24, 26, 136
Keese - 2, 37, 48, 49, 63, 64, 140
Kleberg - 26
Lane — 36
Lamar — 26, 33
Lee - 62, 76, 81
Lubbock — 25
Magruder - 69, 70, 73
Malloch - 63
Marr - 7
Maximilian - 78
Menchaca — 26
Milam - 12, 25
Miller - 26
Mooney - 38, 63, 136
Moore - 30, 51
Mouton - 73, 74
Musquiz — 25
Murrah - 38, 78, 82
McCullough - 34, 56
160
McCarley - 36
McDade - 113
McKinney - 13, 26
McKean - 38
McNeal - 127
Neeley - 129
Neil - 25
Owen - 7, 12, 21, 92, 98
Patton - 64
Pease - 81, 83
Perkins - 7, 8, 12, 21, 124
Polk - 1, 2, 22, 29, 51, 56, 63, 78, 126, 127, 128, 139
Potter - 13
Portillo - 26
Procter — 36
Raffety - 92
Robison — 26, 32
Roberts - 36, 37, 79, 103, 127
Rasborough — 58
Rusk - 13, 14, 25, 26
Ruiz - 14
Sanborn — 97
Santa Anna - 13, 14, 16, 18, 25, 26, 29, 31, 41, 50, 51, 55
Seguin — 25, 26
Scurry - 70
Shelby - 77, 78, 79
Sibley - 66, 67, 69
Smith - 36, 41, 51, 76, 143
Smithwick - 25, 102
Somerville - 35, 51, 143
Steele - 70
Steen - 38
Sylvester — 26
Taylor - 7, 27, 42, 55, 56, 57, 71, 74, 150
Terrell - 79, 86
Throckmorton — 61, 81
Travis — 25, 50
161
Tumlinson — 34
Ugartechea — 29
Urrea - 12, 24
Vasquez - 34, 102, 143
Viser - 45, 114, 142
Veramendi — 12, 25
Wade - 64
Walker - 129, 150, 152
Wallace -
30
Waller - 37, 38
Williams - 22
Wilson - 2, 4, 12, 18, 19, 22, 36, 43, 48, 124
Woll - 34, 35, 102
Wright - 38, 63, 64, 68
162