Veteran Bio

Mr. Tom received Bounty Certificate No. 1762 for 320 acres of land for having served in the army from March 1 to May 30, 1836. He was a member of Captain William W. Hill's Company at San Jacinto and on page 6 of the San Jacinto rolls printed in 1836 he is shown as having been killed in the battle. He was badly wounded and crippled for life but lived to be an old man. On May 24, 1838 he received Donation Certificate No. 35 for 640 acres of land for having participated in the battle. On an original roll of Captain Hill's Company at muster April 11, 1836, the following information concerning Mr. Tom is given: He was five feet, five inches in height, of dark complexion with black hair and black eyes. He was enlisted at Asa Mitchell's home in Washington County by Captain Joseph P. Lynch. (Note: HR No. 267 1 league By Special Act of Congress)

Colonel John M. Swisher in his published memoirs has this to say about Mr. Tom:

"The pursuit of the fugative Mexicans was continued until dark. On my return to the battle ground, I found that one of my comrades of Hill's Company, Mr. John Tom, had been wounded and had not been carried off the field. A blanket was obtained upon which the wounded soldier was laid. A man at each corner of the blanket had not difficulty in bearing the weight, but as soon as it was raised the poor fellow gave a cry of agony; his leg had been shattered just below the knee and the foot was dangling, which gave the most excruciating pain to every movement. It fell to my part to support the foot, and in doing this I had to stoop nearly to the ground; if I raised or lowered it an inch it caused a groan. This was the most tiresome task I ever undertook. It was impossible for me to go over a hundred yards without stopping to rest, consequently it was near ten o'clock when we reached the camp.

"In some of the lists of Mr. Tom's name is published among the dead. This is a mistake. He recovered entirely, and the only evil effect resulting from this wound is a crooked leg. He lived many years in Washington County and moved west. He was for several years sheriff of Guadalupe County. He is at present a citizen of Atascosa County and two or three years ago represented his district in the lower house of the State Legislature."

Mr. Tom moved to Guadalupe County in 1846 and from 1856 to 1860 he served as sheriff of the county. In 1862 he moved to Atascosa County, which was then just being settled. The Indians were very hostile and made many raids through this country, and in 1863 John F. Tom received a commission to raise a company of rangers for frontier protection. While acting in this capacity the Indians made a raid and killed some of the people besides carrying off a lot of stock. Captain Tom pursued them with his rangers and came upon the Indians at the head of San Miguel Creek, and a fight ensued. Both parties tried to get to a mound of rocks for protection during the battle and the Indians beat the rangers to the coveted spot. In the fight which followed, the Comanches were defeated with loss. Of the men in the fight only the names of Calvin Turner, Lott Miller and one of the McCombe boys can be remembered. After the fight the rangers followed the Indians to the Frio waterhole on the divide, hut could not again bring them to battle and the pursuit was abandoned.

Mr. Tom was twice married. He was married to Mary Ann Moffitt, July 2, 1840. After her death he, in 1873, was married to Nancy Henderson. Mr. Tom died March 26, 1906 while a member of the Texas Veterans Association. Mrs. Tom died February 25, 1923. Both are buried in marked graves in the cemetery at Leakey, Edwards County. Mr. Torn was a member of the Methodist Church and was made a Mason in 1867, Pleasanton Lodge No. 383.

Children of Mr. Tom by his first marriage were: Mary J., who married Edward Campbell; Sarah C., who married W. G. Winsett; Harriet L., who married Charles H. Long; and Emily Tom, who married Thomas Deweese. By his second marriage his children were: William, who married Isabel Wilson; Ida, who married John Howell; Annie, who married H. B. Godbold; Ireland, who married Ora Bonner; Burges, who married Ola Cooper; Ola, who married L. L. Orrell; and Vesta Tom, who married B. Godbold.

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