T H E F I S H M A N U S C R I P T Page
Amanda M. Fish, daughter of Joseph Martin Fish and Nancy
"Ann" Dyches Fish, was born in 1825 in Louisiana, probably Washington
Parish. She was married at age 14
December 5, 1839 to 16-year-old Henry Whitmire, according to Angelina County,
Texas marriage records. He, the son of
Jesse Whitmire and Nancy "Ann" Durden Whitmire, was born about 1823
in Washington Parish.
He had received a Third Class 320-acre land grant December 5,
1839, his wedding day, according to Jefferson County records. He appeared as a taxpayer in 1840 in Jasper
County, Texas. His land grant, located
in Jasper County, was confirmed to him January 1, 1844. Newton County was organized from Jasper
County in 1846 and Henry Whitmire found himself in the new county. He assigned the land.grant to J. N. Brown
November 8, 1849 who assigned it to Gardner Wilbanks February 22, 1856. On August 30, 1860 Gov. Sam Houston directed
that the grant be patented in Ellis County, Texas on a site located 16.5 miles
west of Waxahachie, according to Patricia Ann "Patty" Bennett McGinty.
On January 11, 1847 he appeared on a jury list along with Joseph
Martin Fish, Joshua Hickman and James Hickman.
He appeared among the veniremen in Newton County again January 1,
1850. His father-in-law had received "a
league and a labor" land grant in Williamson County in 1846, and it is
believed that Henry Whitmire made trips with him to the new area to prepare
homes for their families. It is believed
that their families were moved to Williamson County in the fall of 1848, and
the men continued to commute between east and central Texas.
Henry Whitmire died in Williamson County, Texas October 17,
1853, according to the research of Lynda Dorene Whitmire Wright. Mary Alnora "Nora" Cox Drennan
stated that he died "away from home under unknown circumstances"
before the birth of his last child in 1854.
It is possible that he died or was killed while commuting between Newton
and Williamson counties.
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire received a deed May 9, 1855 "for
love and affection and $1" from her father to 250 acres of his headright
"including the farm and houses in the possession of Amanda M. Whitmire on
the south side of North San Gabriel River," according to Williamson County
Deed Book 6, page 105. She sold the
property to William Dark January 18, 1858 for $200, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 7, page 294. She
registered her brand "AW" in Williamson County January 25, 1866.
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire was enumerated as the head of Household
93-93, adjoining that of her mother, in the 1870 census of Williamson
County. The family was listed as:
"Whitmire Amanda 44,
born in Louisiana, keeping
house, $150
personal
property
Acy 25, born in Texas, farmer, $50
personal property
Canzada 24, born in Texas, illiterate
William 20, born in Texas, $50 personal property
Isaac 18, born in Texas, illiterate, idiotic
Nancy 16, born in Texas, illiterate"
Also adjoining was the household of her son-in-law Michael Rape:
"Rape Mical 33,
born in Ireland, laborer, $50
personal property
Cruchina 22, born in Texas, keeping house"
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire received a deed from J. M. Bristol October
23, 1878 to 53 acres for $80 in the Gravis League, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 30, page 56. She sold
26.5 acres of the property October 22, 1878 to William Davidson, according to
Williamson County Deed Book 20, page 494.
She reappeared June 14, 1880 in the federal census as the head
of Household 167 in precinct 4, adjoining the household of her son-in-law,
Oliver Hazard Perry McCall:
"Whitmire Amanda 55,
born in Louisiana, father
born in France, mother
born in South Carolina
Chrischana 30, born in Texas, father
born in Mississippi,
mother born
in Louisiana,
married,
epilepsy, insane
Isaac
A. 26, born in Texas, father
born in Mississippi,
mother born
in Louisiana,
single
Fish Nancy 79, born in South Carolina,
[parents' places
of birth left blank], widow,
lame"
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire died prior to May 6, 1901, according to
a letter written on that date by Fannie Alice McCall, a granddaughter. She was buried in Chalk Ridge Cemetery,
"halfway between Florence and Georgetown," according to Drennan
research which reported that there were "11 or 12 people buried there,
close to Rattlesnake Hill." She
mentioned that there was a school located on the land of Asa C.
"Ace" Whitmire which she attended in 1904. The cemetery was visited in May 1985 by Ora Ethel Cox Gowen and
Arlee Claud Gowen who found all the graves but one marked with only
fieldstones. The one exception was that
of Oliver Hazard Perry McCall whose stone had been toppled over by cattle
grazing on the ranch.
Apparently the heirs discovered that they did not have a deed to
her property. On January 23, 1903 a
confirmation deed was made by J. M. Bristol to 50 acres in the "southwest
corner of the Gravis League to Amanda M. Whitmire, A. C. Whitmire and P. M.
Call," according to Williamson County Deed Book 105, page 135.
On December 6, 1905 "A. C. Whitmire, Nancy McCall, Cansada
Shed, J. Shed and Ike Whitmire" deeded jointly owned property to John Ward
Bowlin, according to Williamson County Deed Book 118, page 26.
Children born to them include:
A C.
"Ace" Whitmire born April
3, 1844 [1845]
Jack Whitmire born about 1845
C "Can"
Whitmire born in 1846
C
"Roach" Whitmire born
about 1848
William Whitmire born in 1850
I. A.
"Ike" Whitmire born in
1852
Nancy A Whitmire born November 15, 1854
Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire, son of Henry Whitmire and
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire, was born April 3, 1844 in Williamson County. He was married January 11, 1872 to Clarissa Abigail Shedd who was born
December 9, 1851, according to her tombstone.
She was born in Georgia in January 1856, according to her 1900 census
enumeration. He operated a freight
service using ox-drawn wagons.
Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire received a deed from John Thomas
Coffee and W. C. Dalrymple July 10, 1872 to 100 acres on Cowan Branch of
Berry's Creek for $121.50, according to Williamson County Deed Book 13, page
749. Leroy Boyce Lord witnessed the
transaction. He sold the property
January 8, 1875 to Sarah J. Collins for $300, according to Williamson County
Deed Book 16, page 712.
On June 12, 1880 he appeared as the head of Household 165-165,
Williamson County, Enumeration District 130, page 22, Precinct 4, in an
adjacent location with his mother's household. The family was rendered as:
"Whitmire Ace C. 35,
born in Texas, father
born in Louisiana,
mother born [unknown],
farmer, illiterate
Clarissa 29, born in Georgia, father born in Georgia, mother
born in Georgia, wife
William
H. 6, born in Texas, father born
in Texas, mother born
in Georgia, son
Idar
Bell 5, born in Texas,
father born
in Texas, mother born
in Georgia, daughter
Melona
A. 4, born in Texas, father born
in Texas, mother born
in Georgia, daughter
Alfred
H. 2, born in Texas, father born
in Texas, mother born
in Georgia, son
(no
name) 2/12, born in April in Texas,
father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia,
son"
Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire received a deed August 17, 1885
from his cousins Isaac Franklin Fish and Susan Ann Osteen High Fish, according
to Williamson County Deed Book 37, page 575.
Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa Abigail Shedd
Whitmire deeded land November 10, 1886 to R. W. McLendon, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 41, page 462. He
received a release January 23, 1897 from R. S. Hyer on 60 acres of land
purchased from him, according to Williamson County Deed Book 97, page 81.
He appeared as the head of Household 380-387 in the 1900 census
of Williamson County, Enumeration District 130, page 22, which was recorded
as:
"Whitmire Asa 54,
born April 1846 in Texas,
father born in Texas,
mother born in Texas, married 29 years,
Clarissa
A. 44, born January 1856 in
Georgia, father born in
Georgia, mother born in Georgia, 13 children; 11
living, wife
Boss 28, born April 1872 in Texas,
father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Ona 27, born April 1873 in Texas,
father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Mandy 19, born April 1881
in Texas, father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Becky 17, born June 1883
in Texas, father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Jennie 15, born December 1884 in Texas, father born
in Texas, mother born
in Georgia
Johnnie 13, born January 1887 in
Texas, father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Jessie 11, born June 1888 in Texas,
father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Dinkie 9, born February 1891 in
Texas, father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia
Otho 6, born March 1895 in Texas,
father born in Texas,
mother born in Georgia,
son"
Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire conveyed property in the J.A.F.
Gravis Survey to R. W. McLendon, according to Williamson County Deed Book 41,
page 462. On August 18, 1905 he sold
five parcels of land in the Gravis League to I. M. Williams for $2,500, according
to Williamson County Deed Book 110, page 578.
Included were plots of 50 acres, 2.48 acres, 3.152 acres, 26 acres and
60 acres.
"A. C. Whitmire, Nancy McCall, J. Shed and Cansada Shed and
Ike Whitmire" deeded land believed to be their inheritance to their
brother-in-law John Ward Bowlin December 6, 1905, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 118, page 26.
He removed to Coryell County about 1906, locating seven miles
north of Copperas Cove and appeared as the head of a household in the 1910
census there. He suffered a stroke
about 1919 and lived bedfast as a paralytic for four years. They deeded half interest in 433 acres in
the Manning Survey to their son-in-law Albert B. Sherwood for $1,000 May 3,
1920, according to Coryell County Deed Book 83, page 485.
John Louis Whitmire bought his parents' farm from the other
heirs, and he and his family cared for them until their deaths. She died of cancer September 22, 1921,
according to Coryell County Death Book B, page 288. and he died January 21, 1923, according to Texas BVS File
703. Opal Lavenia Hartsell Whitmire
retained a receipt issued to John Louis Whitmire January 24, 1923 acknowledging
payment of $75 for his father's casket.
She was buried in Shouse Cemetery adjoining their farm. In 1939 the government bought the land for
Ft. Hood and moved the cemetery to Gatesville, Texas. He was buried in Lacey Prairie Cemetery.
Children born to Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa
Abigail Shedd Whitmire include:
W H
"Boss" Whitmire born March
13, 1874
Ida Bell Whitmire born August 21, 1875
Melona A.
Whitmire born April 8,
1877
Alfred H.
Whitmire born Nov 18,
1878
(son) born
in April 1880
Amanda Whitmire born June 20, 1881
Rebecca Vera
Whitmire born June 5, 1883
J M C Whitmire born Dec 14, 1884
John Louis
Whitmire born Feb 17, 1886
Jesse James
Whitmire born June 19, 1888
Ruth
"Dinkie" Whitmire born in Feb
21, 1891
Otho Walter
Whitmire born in March 1895
William Henry "Boss" Whitmire, son of Asa C.
"Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born March
13, 1874 in Williamson County. He was
married August 7, 1900 to Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen, niece of
Francis Marion "Buddy" Mullen. She was born March 5, 1881.
William Henry "Boss" Whitmire joined his brother
Alfred H. Whitmire September 17, 1899 in purchasing 152 acres of land on
Berry's Creek from W. J. B. Salyer for $200, according to Williamson County
Deed Book 95, page 621. They paid off
the property and received a release October 10, 1905, according to Williamson
County Deed Book 104, page 572. He
received a deed from W. T. Humble to land in Coryell County March 13, 1907,
according to Coryell County Deed Book 46, page 164.
He appeared as the head of a household in the 1910 census of
Coryell County. He sold his interest in
the family inheritance to John Louis Whitmire November 21, 1923 for $300,
according to Coryell County Deed Book 191, page 125. He died December 21, 1932 in Bailey County, Texas, according to
Texas BVS File 49493. She died December
30, 1967. In 1969 his children lived in
Lamb County, Texas, according to Opal Lavenia Hartsell Whitmire.
Children born to William Henry "Boss" Whitmire and
Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire include:
Lonnie R.
Whitmire born June 19, 1901
Elmer L Whitmire born October 18, 1903
Mabel Whitmire born November 16, 1905
Ernest Whitmire born in 1906
Cleo C Whitmire born April 18, 1914
Modine Whitmire born April 6, 1916
Lonnie R. Whitmire, son of William Henry "Boss"
Whitmire and Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire, was born June
19, 1901. He appeared in the 1910
census of his father's household. He
was married May 27, 1923 to Minnie Viola Turner. In 1969 he lived in Odessa, Texas. In 1984 he lived at Proctor, Texas.
Children born to Lonnie R. Whitmire and Minnie Viola Turner
Whitmire include:
Mattie Yvette
Whitmire born May 28, 1927
Cletus Ray
Whitmire born January 31,
1931
Mattie Yvette Whitmire, daughter of Lonnie R. Whitmire and
Minnie Viola Turner Whitmire, was born May 28. 1927. She died August 21, 1931.
Cletus Ray Whitmire, son of Lonnie R. Whitmire and Minnie Viola
Turner Whitmire, was born January 31, 1931, according to Coryell County Birth
Certificate 549. He was married
November 21, 1973 to Mrs. Evelyn Thompson Massingill. Children born to Cletus Ray Whitmire and Evelyn Thompson
Massingill Whitmire are unknown.
Elmer Loyl Whitmire, son of William Henry "Boss"
Whitmire and Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire, was born
October 18, 1903. He appeared as a
six-year-old in the 1910 census of his father's household. He was married December 25, 1927 to Olin
Votaw. He died July 11, 1981.
Children born to Elmer Loyl Whitmire and Olin Votaw Whitmire
include:
Loyl Don Whitmire born Sep 18, 1932
Wanda Jean
Whitmire born May 26, 1934
Myrna Loy
Whitmire born July 7, 1937
Loyl Don Whitmire, son of Elmer Loyl Whitmire and Olin Votaw
Whitmire, was born September 18, 1932.
Wanda Jean Whitmire, daughter of Elmer Loyl Whitmire and Olin
Votaw Whitmire, was born May 26, 1934.
She was married about 1954 to Lewis Wayne Shaffer. Three children were born to them.
Myrna Loy Whitmire, daughter of Elmer Loyl Whitmire and Olin
Votaw Whitmire, was born July 7, 1937.
She was married about 1957 to Bennie Robinson. Three children were born to them.
Mabel Whitmire, daughter of William Henry "Boss"
Whitmire and Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire, was born
November 16, 1905. She was married
November 21, 1926 to Charles Wiseman.
In 1984 they lived in Hereford, Texas.
Children born to them include:
Thomas C Wiseman born January 10, 1928
Thomas C Wiseman born April 18, 1929
Buddy Joe Wiseman born January 10, 1932
Charlene Wiseman born June 18, 1934
Paula Wiseman born March 31, 1937
Ola F Wiseman born February 14, 1945
Thomas Charnel Wiseman, son of Charles Wiseman and Mabel
Whitmire Wiseman, was born January 10, 1928.
He died February 10, 1928.
Thomas Charnel Wiseman, son of Charles Wiseman and Mabel
Whitmire Wiseman, was born April 18, 1929.
Ernest Whitmire, son of William Henry "Boss Whitmire and
Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire, was born in 1906. He appeared in the 1910 census of his father's
household as a four-year-old. It is
believed that he died in childhood.
Cleo Cleveland Whitmire, son of William Henry "Boss"
Whitmire and Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire, was born April
18, 1914, according to Coryell County Birth Book 2, page 86 and Delayed Birth
Book 7, page 286. He was married May
11, 1941 to Billie West. In 1984 they
lived in Sudan, Texas.
Children born to them include:
Anita Kay
Whitmire born April 3, 1944
Anita Kay Whitmire, daughter of Cleo Cleveland Whitmire and
Billie West Whitmire, was born April 3, 1944.
She was married about 1964 to Durwood White. Three children were born to them.
Modine Whitmire, daughter of William Henry "Boss"
Whitmire and Sarah Josephine "Josie" Mullen Whitmire, was born April
6, 1916. She was married May 2, 1937 to
Lester Elmore. She died September 19,
1983.
Children born to them include:
Arnetha Ann
Elmore born December 13, 1938
Julia Mae Elmore born July 27, 1945
James Darrel
Elmore born December 8, 1946
Ida Belle Whitmire, daughter of Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire
and Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born August 21, 1875 in Williamson
County. She was married December 18,
1892 to John Ward Bowlin, according to Williamson County Marriage Book 8, page
10. Opal Lavenia Hartsell Whitmire
shows the date as December 28, 1892.
They were first cousins. He was
born February 28, 1868, according to the research of Opal Lavenia Hartsell Whitmire,
however his census enumeration shows 1869.
He appeared as the head of Household 381-388 in the 1900 census
of Williamson County, Enumeration District 130, page 22. The family was rendered as:
"Bowlin John W. 31,
born February 1869 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Texas, married eight years, farm renter
Ider 25, born August 1874 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Georgia, 3 children wife
Rufus
6, born January 1894 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Georgia, son
Hardy
5, born March 1895 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Georgia, son
Horace 2, born April 1898 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Georgia, son
John Ward Bowlin purchased her mother's property from the other
heirs December 6, 1905, according to Williamson County Deed Book 118, page
26. He died February 23, 1945, and she
died November 10, 1950 near Brownfield, Texas.
Children born to them include:
Rufus Bowlin born in January 1894
Hardy Bowlin born in March 1895
Horace Bowlin born in April 1898
Alta Mae Bowlin born January 16, 1902
B. D. Bowlin born September 13, 1903
Docie Bowlin born about 1907
Johnny Bowlin born September 28, 1910
Vergie Bowlin born about 1912
Rufus Bowlin, son of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle Whitmire
Bowlin was born in January 1894 in Williamson County. He appeared as a six-year-old in the 1900 census of his father's
household. He was married about 1918 to
Mattie Kitchen. No children were born
to them.
Hardy Bowlin, son of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle Whitmire
Bowlin, was born in March 1895. He
appeared as a five-year-old in the 1900 census of his father's household. He was married about 1930 to Addie Lee
Wiggley and lived at San Angelo, Texas.
Children born to them include:
Bobbie Gene
Bowlin born June 19, 1937
Acena Bowlin born about 1939
Virginia Bowlin born about 1942
Glenda Bowlin born about 1946
Bobbie Gene Bowlin, son of Hardy Bowlin and Addie Lee Wiggley
Bowlin, was born June 19, 1937. He died
August 19, 1968.
Horace Bowlin, son of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle Whitmire
Bowlin, was born in April 1898. He died
May 1, 1901 after being "bitten twice by a rattlesnake" and was
buried in Chalk Ridge Cemetery.
Alta Mae Bowlin, daughter of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle
Whitmire Bowlin, was born January 16, 1902.
She was married in 1920 to Percy Littlefield. She died October 19, 1966.
Children born to them include:
Dorothy
Littlefield born about 1922
J. B. Littlefield born about 1925
Dorothy Littlefield, daughter of Percy Littlefield and Alta Mae
Bowlin Littlefield, was born about 1922.
She was married about 1946, husband's name Bond.
J. B. Littlefield, son of Percy Littlefield and Alta Mae Bowlin
Littlefield, was born about 1925.
B. D. Bowlin, son of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle Whitmire
Bowlin, was born September 13, 1903. He
was married about 1923, wife's name Margie.
He died May 4, 1959.
Children born to them include:
Terrel L. Bowlin born about 1924
Nelda Bowlin born about 1926
Linda Jo Bowlin born about 1929
Dixie Ruth Bowlin born about 1932
Docie Bowlin, daughter of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle
Whitmire Bowlin, was born about 1907.
She died unmarried in 1979.
Johnny Bowlin, son of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle Whitmire
Bowlin, was born September 28, 1910. He
was married about 1932 to Lenora Lee.
Lenora Lee Bowlin died with the birth of their first child. He was
remarried in 1940 to Odessa Godwin. She
was later a patient in a mental hospital in Big Spring, Texas. In 1969 he lived at Brownfield.
Children born to Johnny Bowlin and his first wife include:
Patsy Bowlin born about 1934
Vergie Bowlin, daughter of John Ward Bowlin and Ida Belle
Whitmire Bowlin, was born about 1912.
She was married about 1930 to Lonnie Goings.
Children born to them include:
Sheila Goings born about 1932
Melona A. Whitmire, daughter of Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and
Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born April 8, 1877 in Williamson
County. She was married about 1895 to
Albert B. Sherwood who was born August 18, 1878. They lived in Copperas Cove. "Ona Sherwood et al" filed suit
against her brother John Louis Whitmire in connection with their parents'
estate. according to Coryell County Deed book 102, page 449. He died January 5, 1944, and she died June
7, 1952.
Children born to them include:
Herman W.
Sherwood born about 1898
Herman W. Sherwood, son of Albert B. Sherwood and Malona A.
Whitmire Sherwood, was born about 1898.
He was married January 8, 1927 to Ocie Wright who was born October 6,
1906. He died January 1, 1982.
Children born to them include:
La Neva Sherwood born April 28, 1932
La Neva Sherwood, daughter of Herman W. Sherwood and Ocie Wright
Sherwood, was born April 28, 1932. She
was married about 1947 to Elmer Franks.
Children born to them include:
Onita Franks born May 7, 1949
Brenda Kay Franks born July 12, 1953
Wayne Franks born December 13, 1955
Alfred H. Whitmire, son of Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and
Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born November 18, 1878 in Williamson
County, in contrast to his 1900 census enumeration which is believed to be an
error. He joined his brother William
Henry "Boss" Whitmire in the purchase of a farm on Berry's Creek in
1897.
He was married about 1900 to Della I. Vickers, daughter of Sarah
J. Vickers.
He appeared in the 1900 census of Williamson County, Enumeration
District 130, page 22, Precinct 5, as the head of a household located adjacent
to his parents. The family was rendered
as:
"Whitmire Alfred H. 22,
born March 1878 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Texas
Della
I. 21, born in May 1879 in Texas,
one child, wife
Della
C. 1/12, born in May 1900 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Texas, daughter
Vickers Sara J. 40,
born in January 1860 in Texas,
father born in Texas, mother
born in Georgia, 2 children, both living, nurse, mother-in-law"
Later they lived in Killeen, Texas. He was enumerated as the head of a household in the 1910 census
of Coryell County, Enumeration District 38, page 7:
"Whitmire Alfred 31,
born in Texas in 1879
Della 29, born in Texas in 1881
Cordie
9, born in Texas in 1900, daughter
Lillian 4,
born in Texas in 1906, daughter"
Alfred H. Whitmire received a warranty deed to land in the Hallmark
Survey May 4, 1917 from Louis Dewald, according to the Coryell County Deed Book
75, page 613. He gave a transfer of
land in the Edmiston Survey to Paul Kindler January 13, 1919, according to
Coryell County Deed Book 84, page 577.
An "infant of A. H. Whitmire died June 15, 1918" in
Coryell County, according to Texas BVS death records. They sold 160 acres December 3, 1919 to Louis Dewald for $1,800,
according to Coryell County Deed Book 55, page 559. They deeded a lot in Whitsitt Addition in Copperas Cove, to Mrs.
Ludie Roedler November 23, 1920, according to Coryell County Deed Book 94, page
121. They deeded land in the Friend
Survey December 8, 1920, according to Coryell County Deed Book 94, page 142. On February 21, 1921 he sold 103 acres to
Mrs. O. C. Swinney for $1,500, according to Coryell County Deed Book 96, page
76.
In 1923 Alfred H. Whitmire "of Bell County" gave a
quit claim deed to his brother, John Louis Whitmire to his interest in 49.5
acres which was in the estate of their parents, according to Coryell County
Deed Book 102, page 335. In 1959, at
age 82, he lived in California. He
died May 4, 1970 at Oxnard, California.
Children born to Alfred H. Whitmire and Della I. Vickers
Whitmire include:
Della Cordelia
Whitmire born June 23, 1900
Lillian Whitmire born June 27, 1905
(son) born
in 1918
Della Cordelia Whitmire, daughter of Alfred H. Whitmire and
Della I. Vickers Whitmire, was born June 23, 1900. She died May 8, 1965.
Lillian Whitmire, daughter of Alfred H. Whitmire and Della I.
Vickers Whitmire, was born June 17, 1905.
She appeared in her father's household in the 1910 census.
A son was stillborn to Alfred H. Whitmire and Della I. Vickers
Whitmire in 1918. He died June 15, 1918
in Coryell County, according to BVS File 24038.
A son was born to Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa
Abigail Shedd Whitmire in April 1880.
It is believed that he died in infancy.
Amanda Whitmire, daughter of Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and
Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born June 20, 1881 in Williamson
County. Her 1900 census enumeration
incorrectly shows her date of birth as "April 1881." She was married about 1900 to Sid Browning. In 1969 she lived in a nursing home in
Clute, Texas. She died there December
1, 1971.
Children born to them include:
Lola Browning born about 1902
Bertie Browning born about 1904
Orville Floyd
Browning born about 1907
Harley Dee
Browning born August 31, 1911
Lola Browning, daughter of Sid Browning and Amanda Whitmire
Browning, was born about 1902. She was
married about 1920 to W. J. Warren. She
was remarried, husband's name Struel.
Children born to them include:
Clifton Warren born about 1922
Lennis Warren born about 1925
Bertie Browning, daughter of Sid Browning and Amanda Whitmire
Browning, was born about 1904. She was
married about 1922, husband's name Nettles.
She was remarried about 1928 to Abe Peters who died in 1962.
Children born to them include:
A. J. Nettles born about 1924
Delmon Peters born about 1930
L. A. Peters born about 1932
La Juan Peters born about 1934
La Neil Peters born about 1936
Christine Peters born about 1939
Orville Floyd Browning, son of Sid Browning and Amanda Whitmire
Browning, was born about 1907. He was
married about 1930, wife's name Gertrude.
She died in 1982.
Children born to them include:
Henry Floyd
Browning born about 1932
Luther Elvis
Browning born about 1934
Thomas Ray
Browning born about 1936
Weldon James
Browning born about 1938
Gilda Fay
Browning born
about 1941
Harley Dee Browning, son of Sid Browning and Amanda Whitmire
Browning, was born August 31, 1911. He
was married about 1932, wife's name Ruth.
At one time they lived at Hereford, later at Clute.
Children born to them include:
Lennie Jean
Browning born about 1934
Lola Mae Browning born about 1936
Peggie LaNell
Browning born about 1938
Norman D.
Browning born about 1941
Annie Marie
Browning born about 1944
Rebecca Vera Whitmire, daughter of Asa C. "Ace"
Whitmire and Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born June 5, 1883. In 1909 she, a single girl, came to visit
her Cox relatives in Throckmorton County, Texas. She appeared in her father's household in the 1910 census of
Coryell County. She was married there
December 16, 1912 to Morgan J. Allen, according to Bell County Marriage Book T,
page 298. He was born February 17,
1886. They continued to live in Coryell
County. He died January 8, 1955, and
she died November 29, 1959.
Children born to them include:
Mary Opal Allen born August 8, 1914
Morgan Lloyd
Allen born July 4, 1918
Floyd D. Allen born March 21, 1920
Mary Opal Allen, daughter of Morgan J. Allen and Rebecca Vera
Whitmire Allen , was born August 8, 1914.
She was married December 19, 1936 to S. T. Taffender who was born June
12, 1915.
Children born to them include:
Sam Allen
Taffender born May 24, 1941
Sam Allen Taffender, son of S. T. Taffender and Mary Opal Allen
Taffender, was born May 24, 1941. He
was married September 8, 1962 to Janice Vahrenkamp. In 1969 they lived in Lovington, New Mexico.
Children born to Sam Allen Taffender and Janice Vahrenkamp
Taffender include:
Glen Gregory
Taffender born Nov 16, 1965
Monica Denee
Taffender born March 19, 1969
Thomas Carl
Taffender born Dec 1, 1970
Morgan Lloyd Allen, son of Morgan J. Allen and Rebecca Vera
Whitmire Allen , was born July 4, 1918.
He was married November 28, 1938 to Katheryn Kirk.
Children born to them include:
Donald Kirk Allen born April 21, 1941
Charles Richard
Allen born Sep 15, 1943
Linda Kay Allen born July 18, 1950
Floyd D. Allen, son of Morgan J. Allen and Rebecca Vera Whitmire
Allen, was born March 21, 1920. He was
married December 1, 1956 to Mrs. Virginia Hatter Berry who was born May 23,
1920.
Children born to them include:
Floy Karen Allen born December 8, 1957
Jenny Minerva Catherine Whitmire, daughter of Asa C.
"Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born in
December 14, 1883 in Williamson County.
Her 1900 census enumeration erroneously reported her date of birth as
December 1887. She was married about
1906 to John Blankenship who was born January 28, 1885. He died September 6, 1960, and she died June
14, 1962.
Children born to them include:
Jewel Faye
Blankenship born March 27, 1909
E. C. Blankenship born Sep 29, 1911
Floy Blankenship born Jan 13, 1917
Jewel Faye Blankenship, daughter of John Blankenship and Jenny
Minerva Catherine Whitmire Blankenship, was born March 27,1909. She was married about 1937 to Herbert
Kielman who was born April 7, 1909.
Children born to them include:
Henry Gail
Kielman born June 9, 1941
Barbara Kielman born December 9, 1945
Margie Kielman born February 13, 1948
E. C. Blankenship, son of John Blankenship and Jenny Minerva
Catherine Whitmire Blankenship, was born September 29, 1911. He died December 14, 1914.
Floy Blankenship, daughter of John Blankenship and Jenny Minerva
Catherine Whitmire Blankenship, was born January 13, 1917. She was married about 1935 to Woodrow Byrd
who was born December 28, 1913. He died
in January 1972.
Children born to them include:
Ronnie Roe Byrd born August 15, 1939
Lanae Byrd born July 9, 1942
John Louis "Little John" Whitmire, son of Asa C.
"Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born February
17, 1886 in Williamson County.
According to Coryell County Marriage Book 7, page 455 he was married
June 14, 1908 to Clara Jewel Morris who was born October 13, 1893. He purchased the farm of his parents in
Coryell County about 1924. He gave a
warranty deed in the Edmiston Survey November 12, 1924 to Joseph G. Allison,
according to Coryell County Deed Book 102, page 581. He received a deed for the interest of "W. H. Whitmire"
in the farm of their parents September 10, 1924, according to Coryell County
Deed Book 99, page 315. He received a
trustee's deed from "A.H. Whitmire, bankrupt" for $135 for his
interest in the 136.5 acre farm of their parents, according to Coryell County
Deed Book 101, page 122.
Later they removed to Bailey County. She died March 24, 1944, and he was remarried August 17, 1946 to
Zona Brashear and lived at San Angelo, Texas where he operated a sheep
ranch. He died July 24, 1947. No children were born to John Louis
"Little John" Whitmire and Zona Brashear Whitmire.
Children born to John Louis Whitmire and Clara Jewel Morris
Whitmire include:
Ethel Etoile
Whitmire born Jan 3, 1910
Anthony Clifton
Whitmire born May 31, 1912
Myrtle Onetta
Whitmire born Oct 13, 1914
J. L. Whitmire born Nov 30,
1923
Two other children born to them died in infancy.
Ethel Etoile Whitmire, daughter of John Louis Whitmire and Clara
Jewel Morris Whitmire, was born January 3, 1910, according to Coryell County
Birth Book 1, page 208. According to
Coryell County Marriage Book 10, page 167 she was married October 12, 1924 to
Samuel Wesley Cox. He was born February
14, 1906, according to Coryell County Delayed Birth Book 3, page 623. He was a son of Samuel (George?) Cox and
Myrtle Johnson Cox and a brother to Thomas Cox. Samuel Cox was born in Texas in 1872, and Myrtle Johnson Cox was
born in 1879. Later they were
divorced. Ethel Etoile Whitmire Cox was
remarried to "Blackie" Newton October 31, 1968. In 1984 she lived in Lampasas County, Texas.
Children born to Samuel Wesley Cox and Ethel Etoile Whitmire Cox
include:
Alta Mae Cox born
October 11, 1926
Wanda Fay Cox born December 2, 1929
John Samuel Cox born January 3, 1935
Arnetha Anice Cox born March 21, 1940
Samuel Wesley
Cox, Jr. born June 11, 1948
Alta Mae Cox, daughter of Samuel Wesley Cox and Ethel Etoile
Whitmire Cox, was born October 11, 1926.
She was married about 1946 to Gail Edwards.
Children born to them include:
Douglas Edwards born about 1948
Gayla Fay Edwards born about 1951
Michael Edwards born about 1954
Wanda Fay Cox, daughter of Samuel Wesley Cox and Ethel Etoile
Whitmire Cox, was born December 2, 1929.
She died February 4, 1946.
John Samuel Cox, son of Samuel Wesley Cox and Ethel Etoile
Whitmire Cox, was born January 3, 1936, according to Coryell County Birth Book
A, page 1940. He died January 12, 1947.
Arnetha Anice Cox, daughter of Samuel Wesley Cox and Ethel
Etoile Whitmire Cox, was born March 21, 1940, according to Coryell County Birth
Certificate 3510. In 1985 she remained
unmarried.
Samuel Wesley Cox, Jr., son of Samuel Wesley Cox and Ethel
Etoile Whitmire Cox, was born June 11, 1948 at Mound, Texas, according to
Lampasas County Birth Book 8, page 256.
Children born to Samuel Wesley Cox, Jr. include:
Bryan Wayne Cox born about 1963
Samuel Wesley Cox
III born about 1965
Leslie Cox born about 1967
Brenda Kay Cox born about 1968
Kyle Cox born
about 1971
Anthony Clifton Whitmire, son of John Louis Whitmire and Clara
Jewel Morris Whitmire, was born May 31, 1912, according to Coryell County
Delayed Birth Book 3, page 544. He was
married August 15, 1940 at Sweetwater, Texas to Opal Lavenia Hartsell who was
born about 1915 at Chico, Texas. In
1969 he was a farmer, and she was a schoolteacher at Kress, Texas. They continued there in 1986.
Opal Lavenia Hartsell Whitmire, an accomplished genealogist, has
made a detailed study of the Whitmire family.
Through her kindness much of the data in this section came from her
research.
Children born to them include:
Alan Charles
Whitmire born June 30, 1943
Clifteen Ranell
Whitmire born July 4, 1946
Alan Charles Whitmire, son of Anthony Clifton Whitmire and Opal
Lavenia Hartsell Whitmire, was born June 30, 1943. He was married August 20, 1965 to Ann Blackerby. In 1984 they lived in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Children born to Alan Charles Whitmire and Ann Blackerby
Whitmire include:
Anthony Charles
Whitmire born August 3, 1971
Elizabeth Ann
Whitmire born Dec 28, 1974
Clifteen Ranell Whitmire, daughter of Anthony Clifton
Whitmire and Opal Lavenia Hartsell
Whitmire, was born July 4, 1946. She
was married March 19, 1968 to Joseph W. White.
In 1984 they lived at Happy, Texas.
Children born to them include:
Joseph Lee White born June 26, 1969
Kristi Ranell
White born November 22, 1972
Myrtle Onetta Whitmire, daughter of John Louis Whitmire and
Clara Jewel Morris Whitmire, was born October 13, 1914. She was married January 3, 1933 to Ed
Stevenson. Following their divorce she
was remarried in October 1945 to Preston Stewart. He died January 4, 1946, and she was remarried June 9, 1947 to
Clifford C. Smethers. He died in
1980. In 1984 she lived in Mineral
Wells, Texas.
Children born to them include:
Von L. Stevenson born September 8, 1935
James T Stevenson born June 12, 1937
Von L. Stevenson, son of Ed Stevenson and Myrtle Onetta Whitmire
Stevenson, was born September 8, 1935.
He was married June 1, 1953 to Geralene Ruby Courtney. Following a divorce he was remarried
November 27, 1978 to Stephanie Downing.
He retired as a master sergeant in U.S. Army intelligence and died May
6, 1984.
James Thaddeus Stevenson, son of Ed Stevenson and Myrtle Onetta
Whitmire Stevenson, was born June 12, 1937.
He was married May 24, 1957 to Patsy Ann Harris. In 1984 they lived at Watauga, Texas.
J. L. Whitmire, son of John Louis Whitmire and Clara Jewel
Morris Whitmire, was born November 30, 1923, according to Coryell County
Delayed Birth Book 2, page 328. He was
married December 7, 1947 to Mildred Damron.
In 1984 they lived at Tulia, Texas.
Children born to J. L. Whitmire and Mildred Damron Whitmire
include:
Vicki Jayleen
Whitmire born October 2, 1953
Dianne Whitmire born March 18, 1959
Vicki Jayleen Whitmire, daughter of J. L. Whitmire and Mildred
Damron Whitmire, was born October 2, 1953.
She was married November 3, 1972 to Gary Wilfong. In 1984 they lived at Tulia.
Dianne Whitmire, daughter of J. L. Whitmire and Mildred Damron
Whitmire, was born March 18, 1959. In
1984 she remained unmarried and was employed by Southwestern Public Service
Company in Amarillo, Texas.
Jesse James Whitmire, son of Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and
Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born in June 19, 1888 in Williamson
County. He appeared in the household of
his brother William Henry "Boss" Whitmire in the 1910 census of
Coryell County. He was married June 4,
1911 to Lela Belle Lee, according to Throckmorton County Marriage Book 1, page
212. She was born to James Harvey Lee
and Mary A. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hawkins Lee October 1, 1893 and was a
niece to Claud Franklin Gowen. They
received a visit from Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire in Throckmorton County
about 1915. He died January 14, 1919 in
the influenza epidemic and was buried at Woodson, Texas. She was remarried there to Martin Gardner, a
widower whose wife Nora Ellis Gardner had died leaving a son and a daughter.
Martin Gardner died at Corona, New Mexico April 17, 1965. She followed him in death one day
later. Sixty-five descendants attended
the double funeral.
Children born to Jesse James Whitmire and Lela Belle Lee Whitmire
include:
James O Whitmire born Mar 25, 1912
Leonard Noble
Whitmire born Oct 21, 1913
Melvin Elbert
Whitmire born Aug 22, 1915
James Otho Whitmire, son of Jesse James Whitmire and Lela Belle
Lee Whitmire, was born March 25, 1912.
He was married in March 1938 to Bonnie Barrett. He died August 22, 1941 in Deming, New
Mexico.
Children born to them include:
Jesse Whitmire born about 1940
Wanda Whitmire born about 1941
Wanda Whitmire, daughter of James Otho Whitmire and Bonnie
Barrett Whitmire, was born about 1941.
She was married about 1960 to H. D. Bowen.
Leonard Noble Whitmire, son of Jesse James Whitmire and Lela
Belle Lee Whitmire, was born October 21, 1913.
He was married about 1937 to Josephine Sherill who was born August 22,
1912. In 1969 they lived in Deming.
Children born to them include:
James Henry
Whitmire born October 22, 1939
John Lee Whitmire born Dec 15, 1940
James Henry Whitmire, son of Leonard Noble Whitmire and
Josephine Sherill Whitmire, was born October 22, 1939 in Deming.
Children born to him include:
John Whitmire
(adopted) born April 30, 1959
Pamela Hope
Whitmire born November 7, 1962
John Lee Whitmire, son of Leonard Noble Whitmire and Josephine
Sherill Whitmire, was born December 15, 1940 in Odessa.
Children born to him include:
Marcella Jo
Whitmire born December 8, 1960
Richard Lee
Whitmire born April 26, 1964
Ronald Paul
Whitmire born June 6, 1966
Melvin Elbert Whitmire, son of Jesse James Whitmire and Lela
Belle Lee Whitmire, was born August 22, 1915.
He was married November 3, 1946 to Ruth Spain who was born July 11,
1924. In 1969 they lived in Deming.
Children born to Melvin Elbert Whitmire and Ruth Spain Whitmire
include:
Bettie Ruth
Whitmire born Sep 16, 1947
Robert Wayne
Whitmire born May 30, 1950
Alma Louise
Whitmire born Dec 26, 1953
Kenneth Edwin
Whitmire born Jan 22, 1961
Bettie Ruth Whitmire, daughter of Melvin Elbert Whitmire and
Ruth Spain Whitmire, was born September 16, 1947.
Robert Wayne Whitmire, son of Melvin Elbert Whitmire and Ruth
Spain Whitmire, was born May 30, 1950.
Alma Louise Whitmire, daughter of Melvin Elbert Whitmire and
Ruth Spain Whitmire, was born December 26, 1953. She died October 2, 1959.
Kenneth Edwin Whitmire, son of Melvin Elbert Whitmire and Ruth
Spain Whitmire, was born January 22, 1961.
He died November 17, 1962.
Ruth "Dinkie" Whitmire, daughter of Asa C.
"Ace" Whitmire and Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born February
2, 1891 in Williamson County. She was
married in Throckmorton County [one report shows Coryell County] February 3,
1910 to Joseph G. Allison who was born December 23, 1887. He died March 1, 1964. In 1969 she lived in Redmond, Oregon. She died July 16, 1975.
Children born to them include:
Theodore R.
Allison born November 7, 1911
Aultice Allison born October 26, 1913
Pauline Allison born September 2, 1915
J D
"Buck" Allison born February 14,
1921
Theodore R. Allison, son of Joseph G. Allison and Ruth
"Dinkie" Whitmire Allison, was born November 7, 1911. He was married October 31, 1945 to Lora Lee
Titus.
Aultice Allison, daughter of Joseph G. Allison and Ruth
"Dinkie" Whitmire Allison, was born October 26, 1913. She was married July 27, 1936 to Daniel H.
Hiereman. In 1985 he was a realtor in
Redmond.
Children born to them include:
Daniel H.
Hiereman, Jr. born February 6, 1941
Pauline Allison, daughter of Joseph G. Allison and Ruth
"Dinkie" Whitmire Allison, was born September 2, 1915 and died
January 1, 1918 in the influenza epidemic.
Joe Dawson "Buck" Allison, son of Joseph G. Allison
and Ruth "Dinkie" Whitmire Allison, was born February 14, 1921. He was married February 8, 1941 to Opal Ruth
Roberts. In 1969 they lived at Rogue
River, Oregon.
Children born to them include:
Joe Denny Allison born February 22, 1942
Jeanne Barbara
Allison born December 6, 1944
Beverly Gail
Allison born December 7,
1946
Joe Denny Allison, son of Joe Dawson "Buck" Allison
and Opal Ruth Roberts Allison, was born February 22, 1942.
Jeanne Barbara Allison, daughter of Joe Dawson "Buck"
Allison and Opal Ruth Roberts Allison, was born December 6, 1944. She was married about 1964 to John Fawcett.
Beverly Gail Allison, daughter of Joe Dawson "Buck"
Allison and Opal Ruth Roberts Allison, was born December 7, 1946. She was married about 1966 to Richard
Rensfield.
Otho Walter Whitmire, son of Asa C. "Ace" Whitmire and
Clarissa Abigail Shedd Whitmire, was born in March 1895 in Williamson
County. For $1,000 he gave a warranty
deed to Albert B. Sherwood May 6, 1913 to land which he had purchased August 3,
1912 from John Ward Bowlin, his brother-in-law, according to Coryell County
Deed Book 81, page 276. He received
another deed from the Bowlins to land in the Walling Survey located 16.5 miles
southwest of Gatesville for $1,200, according to Coryell County Deed Book 87,
page 402. He purchased land in the
Edmiston Survey from J. L. Fowler and wife, M. E. Fowler January 3, 1920,
"same conveyed to J. L. Fowler by W. H. Whitmire and wife Josie Whitmire
by deed dated February 11, 1918."
Consideration was $4,250, according to Coryell County Deed Book 81, page
377. He was married in October 1918 to
Ada Hufstetler, according to Coryell County Marriage Book 9, page 255. "He received a deed from the Carrie R.
Shouse Estate to 162 acres in the Shouse Survey for $1,200 February 2, 1921,
according to Coryell County Deed Book 96, page 110.
"Otho Whitmire et ux Ada Whitmire of Lampasas County"
conveyed their interest in his parents' farmland to John Louis Whitmire for
$300, according to Coryell County Deed Book 101, page 124. They had returned to Coryell County by
January 8, 1924. On that date they sold
five tracts of land in the Shouse Survey to the First State Bank of Copperas
Cove for $8,000, according to Coryell County Deed Book 101, page 372. They appeared in the 1926 tax list of Concho
County, according to "History of Concho County, Texas." He died in 1957, and she was deceased by
1969.
Jack Whitmire, son of Henry Whitmire and Amanda M. Fish
Whitmire, was born about 1845 in Jasper County. He was killed, about age 18, in a Civil War massacre in Bandera
County July 25, 1863 along with his cousin, Jacob Kyle. "One Hundred Years in Bandera."
carried an account of the massacre:
"In 1863 a party of men who, not caring to take sides in
the great struggle that was being waged between the North and South, left their
homes in Williamson County and started to Mexico. They were well provided with good mounts, heavily armed, had
several hundred dollars in cash and were fully equipped for the long journey.
This party of eight men and a boy reached Bandera and stopped to
rest their horses and buy supplies.
They made no secret of their destination or the reason for their trip,
but openly stated that they were going to Mexico to avoid conscription.
At the time there was stationed at Camp Verde, 12 miles north of
Bandera a company of Confederate cavalry.
When it was learned that the party was en route to Mexico a detachment
of 25 cavalrymen under the command of a Major Alexander was dispatched to
apprehend them. When the detachment
reached Bandera the men had gone, but they were overtaken on Squirrel Creek and
were promised a fair trial by court martial if they would surrender.
The men agreed, gave up their arms and started back to Camp
Verde escorted by the cavalry, little dreaming that they would never see
another sunrise. When the party reached
Julian, two miles east of Bandera, later in the afternoon a camp was made for
the night. After supper some of the
men suggested that they should hang the men on the spot. Major Alexander seems to have given tacit
consent, and the prisoners were hanged, one at a time, on a liveoak tree. One of the prisoners requested that he be
shot, and the troopers complied--he was shot thru with a full charge. The ramrod was left in the muzzle and
penetrated his body like an arrow.
Joe Poor, who lived on the Middle Verde, was camped nearby, but
did not hear the disturbance. When he
went out to look for his horses the next morning he came upon the bodies. Seeing the ramrod protruding from one of
the victims, he surmised an Indian attack and rode a full speed to Bandera to
spread the alarm. A party of men
composed of O. B. Miles, George Hay, John Pyka, Robert Ballantine, Amasa Clark
and others accompanied Poor back to the scene and found the bodies. The eight bodies were wrapped in blankets
and buried on the spot in a common grave.
Stones were stacked for a marker.
An inquest was held and a verdict rendered attaching blame to
the major and his party. The boy in the
party was spared in the massacre and was taken away by the murderers,
according to one version of the report.
After the war was over and the courts functioning again the men
responsible for the crime were indicted by the Bandera County grand jury, but
all had disappeared. They were never
brought to trial although the case was continued from term to term.
In later years a monument was erected over the grave of the victims,
and it stands there today in an out-of-the-way place in the pasture formerly
owned by Frank Pyka. Presently the property is owned by J. H. Corneilison. Inscribed on the monument is:
C. J. Sawyer W. M. Sawyer
George Thayre William Shumake
Jake Kyle Jack Whitmire John Smart
Mr. Van Winkle
Died
25 July, 1963
In its edition of January 29, 1922 the "San Antonio
Express" carried an article about the mass murders:
"SENTINEL OAK AND LONELY GRAVE
MARK GRIM TRAGEDY OF BANDERA HILLS
During the days of the Civil War Bandera County was the scene of
several tragedies, the most prominent of which was the execution of eight men
one night in the summer of 1863, on Julian Creek, four miles east of this
town. There are no living witnesses to
this tragedy--at least, if they are living they have kept silent for many, many
years. But living in Bandera County
today are two or three men who remember the circumstances, and who assisted in
giving the victims a decent burial, and it is from these men that I got the
information from which to weave the story of a crime for which the perpetrators
were never brought to justice.
When Texas seceded from the Union old Camp Verde, 12 miles north
of Bandera, was occupied by the Confederate forces. First a frontier battalion was organized to protection against
the Indians, and this was direction from Camp Verde. Later Confederate soldiers were stationed at this well known post
where Gen. Robert E. Lee, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston and other notables had at
previous times been in command
In 1863 it became known that a small party of supposed
bushwhackers were passing through the country en route to Mexico to avoid conscription. There were eight men a one boy in the party,
and it became known that they were from Florence, Williamson County,
Texas. A troop of 25 men under command
of Maj. W. J. Alexander immediately started in pursuit. In the pursuing party were a number of men
who were well known to the early settlers of Bandera County, but after the
close of the war, they all disappeared, some making haste to get out of the
country.
The small band of nine men passed through Bandera several days
before the soldiers took up their pursuit.
They were well mounted, well armed and well provisioned and made no
secret of their destination saying that they were leaving the country because
they did not care to become involved in the strife between the states and when
it was over they expected to return and take up their residence in Williamson County
again, where some of them had families and homes. They seemed quiet and peaceable and paid for everything they
secured in Bandera, and went on their way.
Several days afterward Maj. Alexander and his men came through
Bandera on the trail of the men, and went from there to Hondo. Picking up the trail there, they followed
it to Squirrel Creek, some 10 miles beyond Hondo, where they discovered the men
they were seeking in camp. They had
finished their noonday meal, and were quietly resting, some lounging around and
talking, others attending to the stock, not suspecting that they were being
pursued and at that very moment in danger of being captured. Approaching under cover to within a very
short distance of where the men were camped, Maj.. Alexander stepped out into
an opening and swinging his saber over his head called upon them to surrender,
telling them he had them surrounded and there was no chance for escape, and if
they would quietly submit he would pledge his word that they should have a fair
trial by court-martial at Camp Verde.
The little party of nine promptly yielded up their arms, and
were then forced to saddle their horses and immediately start back toward Camp
Verde. All went evenly enough until the
second night on the return trip when while in camp on the Julian some of Alexander's
men wanted to hang the prisoners.
Some of the party refused to have anything to do with the
execution, but some were determined to put the prisoners out of the way, and
accordingly marched them out some distance from camp and hung them one by
one. A hair rope was used in hanging
these men, and each one died by strangulation, being drawn up until choked to
death. When life was extinct the victim
was let down, and the rope cut, leaving the noose still about his neck. Bill Sawyer, one of the victims, begged to
be shot, saying he preferred that manner of death to being hung. His wish was granted, and someone in the
party fired a rifle at him which only produced a flesh wound on his arm. Sawyer fell, but when it was found that he
had not been fatally shot, another man placed the muzzle of his gun against the
fallen man and shot him through the body with a full charge leaving the ramrod
in the gun, which went through him and into the ground. He was thus found the next day. The boy in the party, a lad of about 16, is
supposed to have escaped, but he, too, may have been murdered, as he was never
heard of again.
After completing their work, the men who had participated in
this crime (some refused to have a hand in it having passed on) came to Bandera
the next morning and proceeded on to Camp Verde without delay, some of the
party hinting to citizens that they had rid the country of some more
bushwhackers. Alexander's men had their
victims' horses, saddles,bedding, clothing and shoes.
Joseph H. Poor, who lived on the West Verde, was camped near the
place of execution, and the next morning he went out to look for his horses and
came upon the bodies just as Alexander's men left them. He hastened to Bandera and notified the
authorities and Justice of the Peace O. B. Miles, Robert Ballentyne, George
Hay, Amos Clark, John Pyka and a number of others went down there to investigate. They found seven of the men had been hanged
until dead, and the eighth had been shot through with a ramrod, as stated. George Hay says he pulled the ramrod out of
the body. An inquest was held, and the
verdict rendered as follows: 'We, the
jury, find that these men [named] were killed by Maj. W. J. Alexander's
company.' A grave was opened, and the
bodies were rolled into it and covered up.
Many years later, a tombstone was erected over the grave, and on this
tombstone appear the names of the men who were murdered while prisoners, who had
been given a sacred pledge that they would be given just treatment if they
surrendered.
How do we know these things?
There were men in Maj. Alexander's party who refused to countenance the
execution of helpless prisoners and months afterward they talked freely of the
occurrence, telling all particulars, and even giving the names of the men who
participated. After the war ended and
while E. J. Davis was governor of Texas, district judges all over the state
were instructed to charge their respective grand juries to investigate wartime
lawless activities. When Judge G. H.
Noonan convened his Bandera County grand jury to investigate the massacre in
1866 there was a hasty departure of those involved in the murders.
The grand jury indicted 'W. J. Alexander et al' for murder and
highway robbery, and for want of service the case was continued on the docket
from term to term so the records show.
Maj. Alexander had disappeared.
Not one of the men charged in the indictment was ever arrested. One of them, Dan Malone, was killed at New
Braunfels by officers while resisting arrest. The court records may reveal the
other names if a search is made of the grand jury records of 1866."
In its December 22, 1968 edition the "San Antonio
Express-News" carried excerpts from the 1922 article.
Mary Alnora "Nora" Cox Drennan placed a query in the
magazine "Old West" requesting additional information about the
individuals involved in the massacre and received the following replies as a
result:
"Lenorah,
Texas, 79749
April
12, 1970
Dear Mrs. Drennan:
In reply to your inquiry in "Trails Grown Dim" section
of "Old West" magazine, about the massacre of several men from
Georgetown during a war, I will tell you what I can. One of the victims of this
massacre was my great-grandfather, W. M. Sawyer, from Georgetown. He left a wife and four children on the
ranch 8 miles west of Georgetown on the North San Gabriel River.
The oldest of these children was my grandfather, George, aged 6
years. There are several versions of
the reason the men were on this trip from Williamson County. The story my family tells is that they were
on a hunting trip while on furlough from the Civil War. They stopped in Bandera for supplies and got
started gambling with local men and soldiers stationed near Bandera. After winning considerable money they rode
out a few miles and camped for the night.
An army officer, a Major Alexander and a company of Confederate
soldiers came to camp and told the men they were wanted in Bandera for
questioning on some charge of which my g-grandfather and his party knew they
were innocent of. After the soldiers
had disarmed the party the soldiers hung each man with a horsehair rope with
the exception of my g-grandfather. He
asked to be shot instead of hung. They
shot him with the ramrod in the gun.
There was a 16-year-old boy from Florence in the party who was released
after the massacre.
After thinking over releasing him they changed their minds and
tried in vain to recapture him. He made
his way to friendly people and told his story.
The men killed were W. M. Sawyer; C. J. Sawyer, brother of W. M;
George Thayre, brother-in-law of W. M; William Shumate, Jack Whitmire; Jake
Kyle; John Smart and Van Winkle (no given name known.)
The massacre occurred July 25, 1863. My family has erected a stone with the above names on it at the
grave. Also we have built a fence
around the common grave. The grave is
located in the Frank Pyka pasture, southeast of Bandera.
None of the murderers were ever brought to trial. One committed suicide when an officer tried
to arrest him. My grandfather and his
brothers tried to find some of the men in later years, but were unsuccessful.
There is a picture and a one-page story about this tragedy in
"The Album of a Gunfighter" by Warren Hunter. In this version it appears that the men
killed were deserting the army, but letters in my family's possession do not
lead me to think he was not a deserter.
I cannot trace my family back farther than this
great-grandfather. If you ever run
across any lead I would like to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Jimmy
G. Sawyer"
A second letter was received from another great-grandson of W.
M. Sawyer:
"April
8, 1970
Star
Route
Lenorah,
Texas, 79749
Dear Mrs. Drennan,
I received your most interesting letter today. I was born in Williamson County in 1932 and
left in 1949. W. M. Sawyer was my
great-grandfather. The old Sawyer place
was sold in 1950 after being owned by his descendants for about 100 years.
The other Sawyer killed in the massacre was my
great-grandfather's brother. I don't
know if he had a family or was single.
I have a copy of a letter written by my great-grandfather at
Columbus, Texas about three months before he was killed. He was in a hospital at the time and in the
Confederate Army. I haven't been able
to find out if he or any other men were deserters or not.
George
D. Sawyer"
Canzada "Can" Whitmire, daughter of Henry Whitmire and
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire, was born in 1846.
She became known in the community as an expert fiddle player. She appeared in the 1870 census of her
mother's household as "age, 24, illiterate." She was married October 26, 1871 to Jim
Shedd, according to Williamson County Marriage Book 3, page 165. He is believed to be a brother to Clarissa
Abigail Shedd. He was from a family of
about 16 children, according to Mrs. Daniel C. Mott of Georgetown.
"Mrs. Cansada Shed, joined by her husband J. Shed, and
Isaac Whitmire, a single man, all of Lavaca County, Texas and Nancy McCall,
feme sole of Williamson County"
deeded two tracts of inherited land to John Ward Bowlin January 23, 1903
for $75, according to Williamson County Deed Book 118, page 26. The first tract was for 50 acres received
October 8, 1882 from J. M. Bristol, and the second was for 53 acres received
from him October 23, 1878. Oliver
Elijah McCall signed for his mother who was perhaps indisposed.
She joined her brothers and sisters December 6, 1905 in deeding
additional inherited land to John Ward Bowlin, according to Williamson County
Deed Book 118, page 26. She died of
skin cancer and was buried in Chalk Ridge Cemetery. Children born to them are unknown.
Christianna "Roach" Whitmire, daughter of Henry
Whitmire and Amanda M. Fish Whitmire, was born in Williamson County in
1850. She appeared in the 1880 census
of her mother's household as "Chrischana, age 30, married, epilepsy,
insane." Charles Augustus Lord
wrote in 1941 that she was married to Mike Rape and had no children.
They appeared in the 1880 census of Williamson County adjoining
her mother's household:
"Rape Mical 33,
born in Ireland, laborer, $50
personal property
Cruchina 22, born in Texas"
She died before 1900 and was buried in Chalk Ridge Cemetery.
William Whitmire, son of Henry Whitmire and Amanda M. Fish
Whitmire, was born in 1850 in Williamson County. He appeared as a 20-year-old in the household of his mother in
the 1870 census of Williamson County.
He was killed before 1900 "on his way to the war"
[Spanish-American War?], according to family legend.
Isaac A. "Ike" Whitmire, son of Henry Whitmire and
Amanda M. Fish Whitmire, was born in 1851 in Williamson County. He appeared in the 1870 census of his
mother's household as "illiterate, idiotic." He reappeared in the 1880 census of her
household as "single, idiotic".
In 1903 he was living in Lavaca County with a sister. Later he lived with his brother, Asa C.
"Ace" Whitmire, and for a time he lived with his nephew, George H.
Holley in Dawson County, Texas. He was
a expert watch repairman. He died
February 4, 1927 at Abilene, Texas in a mental hospital, according to Texas BVS
File 6865. He was buried in Abilene.
====================================================
Arlee Gowen 806/795-8758 or 806/795-9694
5708 Gary Avenue
Lubbock, Texas, 79413
FISHMS.006 06/17/99
====================================================