Veteran Bio

A volunteer company was organized in that part of old Washington Municipality now embraced in Montgomery and Walker Counties, February, 1836 of which Joseph L. Bennett was elected Captain and Mr. Gillaspie was elected First Lieutenant. On April 8th at the reorganization of the army Captain Bennett was elected Lieutenant Colonel of the Second Regiment of Texas Volunteers and Gillaspie was chosen to succeed him as Captain of the Sixth Company of the Second Regiment. In Comptroller's Military Service Record No. 6575 it is certified that Captain Gillaspie was discharged May 29, 1836. He was issued Donation Certificate No. 1062 August 21, 1840 for 640 acres of land for having participated in the Battle of San Jacinto.

Captain Gillaspie commanded, at different times, two companies in the United States Army in the Mexican War. From Jane 9 to October 2, 1846 he was Captain of a company in the First Regiment of Texas Mounted Riflemen under Colonel John C. Hays, participating in the Battle of Monterrey, September 21-23. He next commanded a company from April 25 to June 4, 1847 of the same regiment.

In 1850 Captain Gillaspie was appointed Superintendent of the Texas Penitentiary at Huntsville by Governor Peter H. Bell, serving as such until 1858. He was reappointed Superintendent in May 1867 and held that position until his death, October 3, 1867.

Captain Gillaspie raised a Company for the Confederate Army in Walker County in 1861 and was stationed in Galveston.

He was married in Walker County to Susan Farris, daughter of Hezekiah Faris who was a member of Captain Gillaspie's Company at San Jacinto. Susan Faris Gillaspie was born in Tennessee, July 18, 1829 and died in Huntsville, Texas October 27, 1867. The couple are buried in marked graves in Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Texas.

Their children were: (1) W.O.B., born in Huntsville Aug. 28, 1850, married Orline Wynne on Jan. 11, 1877 and lived in Huntsville, he died Aug. 1, 1939, no children were born; (2) J.K.P. was born in Huntsville, Jan. 19, 1853, he married Eula Randel Gass, a widow, in September 1891. ISSUE: Mary Randle Gillaspie died in Houston in 1898, Eula May Gillaspie, m. D.E. Baird in 1920 and lived in California, J.W. Gillaspie, m. Florence Hazelton and lived in Miami, Florida,; (3) Mary A. Gillaspie, born Aug. 3, 1857 in Huntsville, m. James Sylvester Anderson, (who was born in Nacogdoches, May 13, 1834 and died in Orange, Texas in Aug. 1907.) Mary died in Houston May 9, 1927, only Issue: Mary Gillaspie Anderson who died in infancy; 94) H.L.C. Gillaspie, born in Huntsville on Oct. 7, 1854, died there of yellow fever Sept. 28, 1867; (5) J.C.C. Gillaspie, born in Huntsville May 30, 1860, died December 7, 1865; (6) Sue E. Gillaspie, born October 27, 1862 in Huntsville, married A.C. Murrelle, who died in Waco, Texas, Sue died in Houston; (7) Elizabeth M. Gillaspie, born July 27, 1865 in Huntsville, married Roscoe Cornell, of Dillon, Montana on April 28, 1904. They had one child and all lived in Dillon.

Members of Captain James Gillaspie's Company who participated in the Battle of San Jacinto:
James Gillaspie, Captain; Matthew Finch, First Lieutenant; A.L. Harrison, Second Lieutenant; Richard H. Chadduck, First Sergeant; The following listed were all privates: Ganey Crosby, Socrates Darling, Fielding Deadrick, Willis L. Ellis, Hezekiah Faris, William Ferrill, William Fullerton, Michael R. Goheen, Elzy Harrison, Robert Henry, Benjamin Johnson, Thomas F. Johnston, Francis B. Lasater, A. Lolison, William McCoy, Edward McMillan, Andrew Montgomery, John Montgomery, O'Banion Jennings, John Peterson, Lawrence Ramey, John Richardson, John Sayers, John Wesley Scallorn, Alfonso Steele, Elijah Votaw, James Walker, Thomas H. Webb, John Carey White, Sameul Wildy, and F. Marion Woodward.

Muster Roll of Captain James Gillaspie's Company in the First Regiment of Mounted Texas Riflemen Volunteers commanded by Colonel J.C. Hays, Called into the service of the United States by Gov. J. Pinckney Henderson, 9th June, when first mustered, to second day of October, 1846, when discharged.

(1) James Gillaspie-Captain; (2) Henderson Yoakum-First Lieutenant; (3) George W. Rogers-Second Lieutenant; (1) William Frost-First Sergeant; (2) Thomas King-Second Sergeant; (3) Leonidas C. Rountree-Third Sergeant; (4) William Cannon-Fourth Sergeant; (1) Moses Ford-Corporal; (2) Mordecai Boone-Corporal; (3) Addison W. Finney-Corporal; James W. Moore-Bugler; Seaman McCune-Blacksmith; the following were Privates: Edgar W. Alston, Glover W. Banton, George W. Beaty, Howard Bailey, Jacob Benedict, John H. Calhoun, Lowry Crabb, William W. Crockett, Thomas A. Cresop, Thomas Dewberry, Samuel Davidson, Hendrick Fenner, Martin L. Harning, Robert ____, Absolom Moore, Moses W. Moore, Samuel Myers, Theodore Lewis, William F. McClain, John Mahonney, Charles Mullen, Peter Royall, Joseph Stinehausen, Clayton Thompson, Napoleon B. Viser, Robert T. Walker, Jacob Ward, John V.(?) Thompson.

The following Privates Transferred: Edward M. Moller, Enoch Bell, Charles Barton, Edward B. Gorbett, Henry P. Chandler, I.T.F.E. Fitzsimmons, Jeremiah Leekin, Jerome B. McCown, Samson McCown, Egbert I. Oliver, Thomas A. Plaister, John H. Plaister, William I. Taylor.

The following were discharged: Samuel I. Bass-Sergeant; the following were Second Corporal: John McVay, William A. Burton, Thomas Carothers, Andrew I. Crane, John W. Cook, Joseph C. Davis, Samuel T. Gillaspie, Pleasant Gray, Henry Hill, Charles G. Hunson(?), Robert S. Love, Isaac McGary, Philip T. Magee, Ira G. McClenden, Jessie W. Neely, Samuel ___, Eli Roberts, Edward Roberts, Jessie Strango, James Skinner, Miles T. Skinner, Ezekiel Smith, Anthony W. Smith, James Thompson.

Dead: John D. Blanton, Private.

Muster Roll of Captain James Gillaspie's Company in the First Regiment, of Texas Mounted Volunteers, commanded by Colonel J.C. Hays, called into the service or the United States by under the Act of Congress approved May 13, 1846, from the 25th day of April, 1847, when mustered, to the fourth day of June, 1847, when discharged.

(1) James Gillaspie-Captain, (2) William B. Middleton-First Lieutenant, (3) Michael Gray-Second Lieutenant; (1) Alferd Briggance-Sergeant, Jacob A. Ward-Sergeant, John McRountree-Sergeant, (4) Lemuel Kimbro-Sergeant; (1) Elijap P. Robertson-Corporal, (2) Logan W. Stimson-Corporal, D.H. McGary-Corporal, John Gillaspie-Corporal; Calvin Puit(?)-Farier; the following were all Privates: Calvin Akin, Francis Akin, Eli Ariola, Francisco Ariola, Phagan Briggance, Harry Brimbery, James A. Bimbery, Frederick Brandes, Charles A. Barton, Jacob Benson, John Burns, John M.(?) Blair, William A. Culbertson, Theodore Culbertson, William Copeland, Louey(?) Crabb, Wiley D. Cozart, Cornelius Cain, Samuel Duckworth, Thomas Dewbery, William M.J. Evans, James C. Evans, William C. Evans, Alfred I. Gardner, Clobovee(?) Isham, G.A. Jones, Cave Johnson, B.G.Z.Y. Johnson, A. Kurtley, John King, Joseph Kimbo(PROBABLY KIMBRO), John Kiney, William Kegwin, Larkin Landrum, John Lavinis, William G. Nelms, John Morgan, Archbold McNeill, John L. McCann, Ira G. McLenden, M.W. Moore, John D. Murphy, Chas. A. Ogsbury, John M. Plasters, George Poe, William M. Plasters, Willis Parker, Peter Royal, James B. Riley, Henry S. Robinson, Thomas E. Riley, Thophilus, Robertson, Josiah Reed, Henry G. Robinson, Elias Roberts, Elish S. Robinson, George W. Stranler, John A. Smith, Anthony Smith, Reed R. Smith, J.O. Thompson, Elijah C. Tolbert, William Tolbert, G.W. Tate, Sterling Vaughan, John W. Woods, Alfred P. Waulden, Henry S. Whitehead, Right W. Williams (or Wright Williams), Peter S. Young, James H. Tincher(?).

Close