Veteran Bio

There are incidents concerning Mr. McHorse's life that are not understood by the compiler. Certain persons claiming that Mr. McHorse had died before May 5, 1846 applied for the land due him as a headright and for his services in the army and seem to have received his bounty land, but no other. Mr. McHorse did not die until January 9, 1897 but he did not receive a headright or the land due him for having participated in the Battle of San Jacinto. Neither did he apply for a Veterans Pension or for Veterans Donation land. Bounty Certificate No. 27 for 320 acres of land was issued in Mr. McHorse's name 1846, due him for having served in the army from March 6 to June 6, 1836. In the Bounty Book in the General Land Office it is shown that the certificate was applied for by C.H. Randolph and was sold to C.B. Stewart.

In File No. 1127 of the Court of Claims Papers it is shown that in 1858 C. H. Randolph, representing the heirs, whose names were not shown of John W. McHorse, deceased, applied for, but was denied the headright due Mr. McHorse. The following affidavit in the file was made by Jesse Walling February 6, 1858 by Jesse Walling before William J. Hotchkiss, Chief Clerk of the Commissioner of Claims:

"Jesse Walling a respectable witness of Rusk County, Texas, being duly sworn, says that he was acquainted with said McHorse: that he first became acquainted him as early as the first day of March 1836, that said McHorse was a member of Capt. Hayden Arnold's Company and participated in the Battle of San Jacinto, and continued in Service until discharged. He states these facts from personal knowledge having served in the same company with the said McHorse. After he was discharged he came to affiants home after the Battle of San Jacinto and remained about two months, and affiant is informed that said McHorse again joined the army. Since which time affiant has not known him."

The records of the Texas Veterans Association show that Mr. McHorse was living in Milan County in 1874. He and his wife were living in Milam County in 1874. He and his wife were living at Leander, Williamson County as early as the year 1881 and that was their home in 1895 when they attended the Texas Veterans Association in Houston in 1895. On that occasion they visited the San Jacinto Battlefield.

Mr. McHorse died January 9, 1897. The State of Texas had a monument erected at his grave in the State Cemetery in 1936. His address July 2, 1883 was Circleville, Williamson County, Texas.

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