Veteran Bio

After receiving the usual preliminary education, Richard Roman attended the medical college of Transylvania University in 1830 - 1831 but did not graduate. His preceptor, the man in whose office he 'read medicine', was Dr. Joseph Maxwell of Lexington. William W. Roman graduated from the medical college in 1825. He was probably a brother of Richard's. Not long after leaving college, Richard served as a volunteer in the Black Hawk War, rising to the rank of Captain.

In the Headright Certificate issued to Captain Roman by the Goliad County Board for one-third of a league of land, it is stated that he arrived in Texas January 29, 1836. As a matter of fact, he arrived at Velasco, January 28, 1836 on the schooner, Pennsylvania, having been recruited in New Orleans for the Army of Texas by Captain Amasa Turner. On January 29, Captain John Hart's Company was organized with Roman as First Lieutenant. On February 13th he succeeded Captain Hart in command of the Company.

Capt. Roman's Company was transported on the "Yellow Stone" from Quintana to Major Nathaniel Whiting's home on Feb. 19, 1836.

The companies of Captains Roman, William S. Fisher and Amasa Turner were conducted from Velasco to the Colorado River, where they joined the main army on March 26th.

Captain Roman issued Donation Certificate No. 782 for 640 acres of land January 25, 1837 for having participated in the Battle of San Jacinto. On January 5, 1838 he was issued Bounty Certificate No. 1609 for 640 acres of land for having served in the army from January 29, 1836 to September 4, 1836. Captain Roman wrote a letter that was published in the Texas Almanac in 1872. In it, he stated that after the Battle of San Jacinto, and while stationed on the Guadalupe, he was appointed aide-de-camp to General Rusk.

Captain Roman was elected to a seat in the House of Representatives of the First Congress of the Republic of Texas from Victoria County, and from Refugio County in the Third Congress. On March 9, 1841, he qualified as County Clerk of Victoria County, and in the Ninth and last Congress, December 2, 1844 to June 28, 1845, he was a Senator from the District composed of Victoria, Matagorda and Jackson Counties.

At the outbreak of the Mexican War, Dr. Roman preemptly enlisted in the United States Army as a Private in Captain John C. Hay's Company "C" Rangers. He was wounded in the Battle of Monterey and fought at Buena Vista. He was later appointed Commissary with the rank of Major. After the close of the war, he moved to California and was elected first Treasurer of the State, serving from December 22, 1849 to January 2, 1854. He was appointed Consul to Guaymas during the administration of President Franklin Pierce, which position he resigned a short time after. Later he held the position of U. S. Appraiser at San Francisco under President James Buchanan. After retiring from this position he engaged in mining. He became entirely deaf, so that he was compelled to be communicated with by writing. He died at the residence of his nephew, William T. Wallace, at San Francisco at 7 A M, Wednesday morning, December 22, 1875, of chronic enteritis and his remains were entombed in a vault in Calvary Cemetery. Captain Roman was never married.

William T. Wallace, son of Margaret W Roman and James S. Wallace, the Nephew of Capt. Richard Roman, was Attorney General of California 1856-1857; Supreme Court Justice, 1870-1879; Chief Justice from 1872 to 1879. He died in 1926.

Republic of the Rio Grande?

Captain Roman arrived at Velasco, January 28, 1836 on board the schooner Pennsylvania, having been recruited in New Orleans for the -Army of Texas by Captain Amasa Turner. In the Headright Certificate issued to him February 22, 1838 for one-third of a league of land by the Board of Land Commissioners for Goliad County, it is stated that he arrived in Texas January 29, 1836.

A company of Permanent Volunteers, composed of men who had enrolled for a period of two years, was organized at Velasco January 30, 1836 (Army Rolls, Page 27) of which John Hart was elected Captain and Richard Roman First Lieutenant. Later Roman became Captain and commanded it at San Jacinto. There were a total of 48 Officers and men in the Company and, of these, 21 served in the Battle of San Jacinto in Captain Roman's Company; 2 served in Captain Moseley Baker's Company; 3 served in Captain Amasa Turner' s Company; 1 served in Captain Isaac N. Moreland' s Company; and 1 served in Captain William Wood's Company. Nineteen did not participate in the Battle.

ROMAN'S COMPANY
Richard Roman
Isaac B. Bradley
Charles A. Clark
Benjmain L. Cole
James Conn
Nicholas M. Dawson
William Dunbar
James S. Egbert
Homan Harvey
Shelly W. Lamar
Andrew M. McStea
Hugh Miller
Alexander S. Mitchell
William P. Moore
James Ownsby
Abraham R. Taylor
Daniel Tindale
C. W. Waldron
James Wharton
Joseph Wilder
Francis F. Williams

(IN) TURNER'S COMPANY
George W. Browning
James Eldridge
Samuel Woods

(IN) BAKER'S COMPANY
Orin D. Anson
Joseph D. Vermillion

(IN) WOOD'S COMPANY
Irwin Armstrong

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