Veteran Bio

Asa Brigham, father of Benjamin R. Brigham, was born in Massachusetts in 1790. On December 30, 1836, President Houston appointed him the first Treasurer of the Republic of Texas. He died in Washington, Texas, July 2, 1844.

B. Brigham is listed on page 14 of the San Jacinto rolls printed in 1836 as a private in Captain Robert J. Calder's Company of Brazoria Volunteers, but Captain Calder made an affidavit that Mr. Brigham was Orderly Sergeant. (See the Pension Papers of Algernon P. Thompson)

Mr. Brigham was mortally wounded at San Jacinto, dying on the night of April 22nd. His San Jacinto Donation Certificate No. 526 for 640 acres of land was issued August 29, 1838. His heirs received Headright Certificate No. 482 from the Brazoria County Board of Land Commissioners March 26, 1838, for one-fourth of a league of land due Benjamin R. Brigham. In the certificate it is simply stated that he came to Texas prior to May 2, 1835.

Eight of the men who fell at San Jacinto were buried on the grounds on which the Texas army had encamped on April 20th. Board headstones with proper inscriptions were placed at the heads of their graves. Judge J. L. Sullivan of Richmond, Texas, inaugurated a successful campaign for subscriptions to erect a suitable joint monument near their graves. The Legislature passed an act to add to the fund raised "The sum of one thousand dollars to aid in enclosing the graves and in erecting a monument over the remains of those who fell in the Battle of San Jacinto; to be paid to the Treasurer of the San Jacinto Monumental Association, when he shall file with the Treasurer good and sufficient evidence of the completion of the monument, and the enclosure of the graves, the said enclosure to be of substantial iron rails." (See Gammel's Laws of Texas, Vol. - p. -) The monument was unveiled at Galveston August 25, 1881, by Captain Robert J. Calder, in whose company Mr. Brigham fought at San Jacinto. Temple Houston of Brazoria County, youngest son of General Sam Houston, was the orator for the occasion. Mrs. Buchanan, granddaughter of Lemuel Stockton Blakey, one of the men killed, was among those present. The headstones were so badly decayed by this time that only Mr. Brigham's grave could be identified. The monument was, accordingly, placed at the head of his grave and is commonly referred to as the "Brigham monument".

As has been stated, when Mr. and Mrs. Asa Brigham arrived in Texas their two children were with them. These were Benjamin Rice and Samuel B. Brigham. In Texas a daughter, was born. She was married to Edwin Richardson. A daughter of this union, Sue E. Richardson was married to Judge John Hancock of Austin. Information contained in the files of the Court of Claims, General Land Office, show that on September 1, 1858, Mrs. Hancock was living in Austin and Samuel B. Brigham was living in Brazoria County. They were the sole heirs of Benjamin R. Brigham. Mrs. Hancock was alive as late as the year 1880 and was at that time the only surviving member of the Brigham family.

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