The Bonnie Blue Flag
By Col. M. L. Crimmins
The first flag unfurled in the
young Republic of Texas became known
as the Bonnie Blue Flag. It was
designed by General Lorenzo de Zavala,
the grandfather of Miss Adina de
Zavala, 141 Taylor Street, San Antonio,
and adopted May 11, 1836, by the
Republic. of Texas. This is the
personal account of F. G. Crawford,
of Oakville, Texas, who had written
some of his experience while a soldier
in the 32nd Texas Cavalry. He describes
the story of the flag.
Mentions: C. R. Dickson * Honorable
William S. Barry of Lowndes county,
Mississippi * H. H. Smythe of Jackson,
Mississippi * Mrs. Mamie Wynne Cox
* Harry McCarty * Ben Butler * Mr..
Fred Green * Major Bliss * General
Tom Green * Mrs. Mary Ann Maverick
* the "Sunshine Ranch" * Mayor Maury
Maverick *
The Dinosaur Tracks In Bandera
County
Account describing the work of
Dr. Roland T. Bird, of the Department
of Vertebrate Paleontology of the
American Museum of Natural History
of New York, who did extensive research
work in Bandera county, uncovering
evidence that prehistoric animals
once lived and roamed throughout
Southwestern Texas.
Mentions: the H. J. Mesch ranch
near Tarpley * the Mayan Guest Ranch
just across the river from Bandera
* the ranch of Mrs. Cleora Davenport
on the West Verde Creek, thirteen
miles south of Bandera * Mr. C.
F. Pitta of Taylor, Texas * O. L.
Adams' ranch at Tuff * B. G. Weimers
on West Verde Creek. * the ranches
of Earl Parsons and Ben Gerdes on
West Verde * Turtle Creek in Kerr
county *
The Turbulent Rio Grande
From El Paso to the sea flows
a river. It rolls out of the mountains
of Colorado, hell-bent for leather,
tires when it hits the hot tamale
and frijole country, staggers and,
finally, falls into the Gulf of
Mexico. It is soaked with the blood
of men. The bottom is laid with
the bones of those who fought for
money, love, glory and politics…
The Diary Of A Frontier Preacher
Account continues the diary of
Rev. Walter Smith South, a Methodist
preacher on the frontier of Texas.
Here are more extracts from his
experiences in 1860 to 1869. These
ex-tracts taken from the original
diary, appear in Frontier Times
at intervals for several months,
and will continue in later issues.
If you want the whole series, contact
us here at Oldventures Frontier
Times Archive.
Mentions: Hugh Ingram * Mollie
and Mrs. Win. Ingram * Mr. Barlow
* Bro. Puryear * Rural Shade, Ingram
neighborhood * F. Simmons * Dunn's
School House * A. Simmotie, Missionary
Baptist minister * Wade's store
* Sidney Jones * Miss Rebecca Rankin
* Mr. A. Dunn * Chamber's Creek
* Fred Cox * Mr. James Ingram *
Jude Fowler * Miss F. Wade * Billie
South * Dr. Crume * Col. Eliot *
Bro. Jernigan * Alex Dunn. * A.
Simmons * Rush Creek * Marion Martin
* Dr. Felder * Mac Wade *
A Long Dry Drive On The Cattle
Trail
By Adolph Huffmeyer, San Antonio,
Texas
Account of old trail driver,
Adolph Huffmeyer who, in April,
1878, drove cattle on the Old Chisholm
Trail from Texas to Ogallala, Nebraska.
Mentions: the Wichita Mountains
* Virgil Johnston was the foreman
of the Woodward & Oge herd * Mr.
Caylor * Doan's Store *
TEXAS TYPES—THE SHERIFF.
By Larry Chittenden.
He's a quiet, easy fellow,
with his pants tucked in
his boots,
And he wears a big revolver,
which he seldom ever shoots.
He has served. his time
as ranger on the reckless
Rio Grande,
And he has the reputation
for great marksmanship and
sand ;
He has strung up several
horse thieves in the rustler
days gone by,
And although he seems
so pleasant there's a devil
in his eye.
When he goes to take
a prisoner he …
Flowers And Fruits From The Wilderness
Written by Z. N. Morrell, in
1871
(Continued from last Month)
The famous fighting parson continues
in this excellent series of articles,
to describe the period of Texas
history from December, 1835 to October,
1871. It was during this time that
Morrell settled and labored in Texas,
having come here from Tennessee
at a time of great conflicts and
conquests—conflicts between barbarism
and civilization, anarchy and well
regulated government; conquests
of truth over error, and the faith
of the gospel over priestcraft and
superstition.
Mentions: Anson Jones * James
K. Polk * Anderson and Huntsville
* Elder N. T. Byars who then lived
on Richland Creek, in Navarro county
* two brothers by the name of Dorsey
* Leona * R. E. B. Baylor * Richland
Association * Judge Hemphill *
The Counties Of Texas
By James A. Wright
Interesting information and little
known facts about Texas counties
taken from early records and historical
documents.
Mentions: Texas came into
existence in 1,836 with 23 orginal
counties. These were Austin, Bastrop,
Bexar, Brazoria, Colorado, Goliad,
Gonzales, Harris… * In 1858
Callahan county was created from
Bexar, Bosque and McLennan; Dawson
from Bexar; Dimmit from Bexar, Maverick,
Uvalde and Webb; Edwards from Bexar;
Frio from Atascosa, Bexar and Uvalde;
Jones from Bexar ; McMullen from
Atascosa, Bexar and Live Oak, which
had been organised from Golaid and
San Patricio in 1856; Mason from
Bexar; Menard from Bexar; Runnels
from Bexar and Travis; Taylor from
Bexar and Travis; and Wilbarger
from Bexar…etc, etc, etc.
STEPHEN AUSTIN'S TEXAS TRIP
June 18, 119 years ago, Stephen
Austin left New Orleans for Texas.
In his mind there were doubts regarding
the province of Texas, but in his
heart were the ringing words of
his father that he push forward
the colonization plans.
Unknowingly Stephen Austin was
launching again into a brilliant
career...
The Big Thicket Of East Texas
W. C. Moore
Excellent article on the Big
Thicket of East Texas – the uniqueness,
the wildlife, the hunting, etc.
A very informative and interesting
article.
Mentions: Judge L. B. Hightower
who presided over the district courts
in Liberty, Chambers and Hardin
county, told me about the middle
of the 90's he and others that hunted
with him had killed 70 bears in
Southeast Texas up to that date
* There were other noted bear hunters
in Liberty county, namely, Bob Whittington,
Aaron Cheery, Nev Green, Marion
Wells and Will Berrybill. * Hardin
county contributed its quota of
bear hunters, who enjoyed the sport
and killed a great many bear, and
whose names are as follows: Carter
Hite, Johan Pevito, Eh Chance, Hardy
Turner, Bud Hooks, Ben Hooks, Jake
Lloyd, Wiley Brackin, John Jordan,
Tom Hughes, L. B. Hightower Jr.,
and Dunk Grattin * Captain Barbee,
who lived at Wharton *
A Tribute To Charles Carlton
By T. U. Taylor
Charles Carlton was born in Kent
County, England, August 21, 1821.
He was the son of Charles and Mary
Carlton. In 1829 his father came
to America and was influential factor
in building the first railroad from
New Orleans to Lake Ponchartrain
in 1829. Charles later made his
home in Bonham, TX where he became
an influential teacher and preacher
of the gospel, being of the Campbellite
(Church of Christ) persuasion. This
is his story.
Mentions: New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia * Fredonia, N. Y. * Bethany
College * Alexander Campbell * Harriet
Ann Taylor * Charles T. Carlton.,
Mary Carlton Ella Carlton, Gracie
Carlton, and Sallie Jo Carlton *
Mrs. Abernathy * Mr. G. W. Lewis,
a strong friend of Charles in Fredonia
* W. K. Pendleton * Harriet Ann
Taylor * Robert Graham * Van Buren
* Mrs. Sallie Abernathy * Dudley
Gordon * Willow Wild Cemetery *
James Chenoweth * Joe W. Bailey,
Cone Johnson, DeWitt Talmage * Frank
K. Taylor * Lindly Murray * Randolph
Clark * Thorp Springs * Carlton
Seminary * Add-Ran College at Thorp
Springs * Bill Bagby *
BILL KELLIS, TEXAS EDITOR RECALLS
WORLD PROGRESS
Menions: W. F. (Uncle Bill) Kellis
* Glade Springs, two miles south
of Mount Vernon, Titus county (now
Franklin county), Texas * Sterling
City, Texas *
The Long Arm Of The Law Reached
Out To Avenge The Murder Of Sam
Sparks
By Eula Sue (Sparks) Fisher
Lengthy and detailed account
of the murder of Sam Sparks (the
author’s grandfather) who was born
in Tennessee in about 1854. He was
the son of Anderson Sparks and Mattie
Aiken Sparks, and an elder brother
to Hugh, Will and Ike West Sparks.
The Sparks boys were induced to
come to Texas after the Civil War
through the prosperity of their
mother's relatives, Wash, Sol and
George West. The mystery that surrounded
the assassination of Sparks was
not a mystery to his family, his
close friends, or to many other
citizens in Giddings at that time.
But in those days it was best to
keep quiet on some things and this
case was one of them. Here is the
story.
Further Mentions: the Curtaindoll
(Kuykendall) herd * a Texas Ranger
under McNelly * the old Sparks homestead
which was located four miles out
of Giddings on the old San Antonio
and Nacogdoches road * Jim Brown
* Ed Myers * the Cowden boys * Sheriff
Scarborough of Lee county * Sue
Burden Sparks * Eula Lee Sparks
* Mrs. Edwin Templeton * Mrs. Willis
P. Fisher * Mrs. Ray J. Lawrence
* Mrs. Frank Moulton * Mrs. Nelson
Elliott * Quinn Ike * Mrs. M. Krouse
* Yevone Lawrence of La Mesa * Glenda
Elliott * Mr. J. T. Wroe * ) C.
Peery, W. T. Wroe, Franz Hoffman,
A. Hirschberg, R. D. McClellan,
F. Raube * B. L. Zander & Co's.
store * Carlisle And Luttrell *
Revs. Sheldon and Wilson * Drs.
Winn and Matthews of Sherman Hoard
of Whitewright * Savage and Wilson
of Denison * Rev. Sheldon * Luttrell
* Mrs. Sharman * Joe Melton * W.
T. Sharman, a blacksmith * Sheriff
McAfee * Sheriff Jim Scarborough
* Garfield Park * John T. Carlisle
* Sheriffs Scarborough, * Ed Myers
* Tom Shams * Frank Fogg, a liveryman
of Fort Worth * John Poe, alias
Joe Brooks * Dick Harrison, a restaurant.
keeper at Fort Worth * John Thomas
* Fred Robinson of Orange, Texas
* Cecil Smith and Col. Scarborough
of Waco * S. B. Cox * Judge Teague
* J. W. Fed * Judge T. J. Brown
* Jan T. Carlisle * Charles Luttrell
* Woodville *
Captain And Mrs. G. W. Arrington
By Mrs. Sam Isaacs, Canadian,
Texas.
G. W. Arrington, a native of
Alabama, served with the Confederate
forces during the-Civil War. In
1867 he made a trip to Central America
but returned to settle in Brown
County, Texas. While living there,
he entered the service of the Texas
Rangers with the title of Sergeant.
In 1877 he received a First Lieutenant's
commission and in 1878 was promoted
to Captain, a title by which he
was ever afterwards known. This
is his story.
Mentions: In 1882 he met Miss
Sallie Burnett of Westboro, Missouri
* Mrs. H. L. Eubank * the Connell-Eubank
ranch * Old Mobeetie * the Rocking
Chair ranch in Collingsworth county
* French Arrington * John Arrington
* L. F. Sheffy * Mrs. Jesse Grimes
and Mrs. Chas Teas * Dr. Roland
T. Bird * Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Burgin
of Refugio * Mrs. H. N. Burgin,
postmaster at Yancey * Sarco Creek
in Goliad county * Caddo Cameron
* President J. D. Sandifer * Carl
Coke Rister * Rupert. N. Richardson
