Margaret “Peggy” McCormick

Peggy McCormick was the owner of the land where the Battle of San Jacinto took place. Her husband was Arthur McCormick. Peggy’s maiden name is unknown. Arthur was born in Ireland in the late 1780s and Peggy is believed to have been about the same age, also born in Ireland. Arthur and his young family had first settled in Louisiana in 1818 before coming to Texas around 1822 as part of the Austin Colony’s “Old 300” group of settlers. Arthur had been trained as a lawyer, but tried to establish himself as a stock raiser after he received his land grant in 1824. He was the head of his family unit and his was one of three Old 300 family groups with the same last name, though the three families do not appear to be closely related. All three families were farmers. Arthur and Peggy had two sons, Michael (1818 -1874) and John (1820 – 1839).

Soon after the settled on the league and labor of land (over four thousand acres) that they were granted, Arthur drowned in Buffalo Bayou in February of 1825. Little is known about the circumstances of his death. However in an October 14, 1984 article by Jean McGinty in the Baytown Sun, Arthur was said to have been returning home from San Felipe where he had met with Stephen F. Austin. Arthur had been just authorized by Austin to return to his native Ireland to recruit more families to settle in the colony. In the process of trying to swim across Buffalo Bayou, he and his horse likely had become mired in the undergrowth and both were drowned.

Some of the land Arthur had initially been granted was swamp land, so when Arthur had it surveyed by a neighbor, Dr. Johnson Hunter, he had requested additional acreage (some have numbered the added acreage to amount to 2,000 acres) to make up for the swamp land. Some of this land was taken away in a later survey. Also, this may have led to confusion over the actual metes and bounds of their property later when her heirs tried to convey the property and settle the McCormick estate.

Michael was not yet a teenager and his brother John was still a child when their father died. Margaret had to try and support them with her small livestock operation. They grew up helping their mother work the property. The eldest son Michael was 17 in 1836 and wanted to help in the war with Mexico, so he enlisted as a courier. For his services carrying messages between Sam Houston and interim President David G. Burnet, Michael received a grant of 320 acres. The younger son, John, died in 1839 at around 18 from injuries suffered when his horse fell with him. Michael would remain in the same general area for a number of years before moving to Galveston. In 1845, he married the former Exeline Pernell. The couple went on to begin their own family and raise two sons of their own.

In 1836, the Texas Revolution was going on all around them. Peggy was not at the location at the time of the San Jacinto battle, as she had fled with her younger son to safety before the Mexican and Texas forces had begun to prepare for battle. As we know, the battle took place on April 21, with numerous Mexican casualties against a small number on the Texas side. Peggy McCormick is said to confronted Sam Houston upon her return, demanding that his troops do away with the bodies of the Mexican casualties. Houston declined and the bodies were left where they fell. Peggy and her neighbors were forced to clear the area of the human remains. A further disagreement involved the loss of some of her corn crop several beeves to the foraging armies on both sides. Two years later she petitioned the Texas government for a small reimbursement for her losses, but this claim was denied.

Margaret had reportedly declined to live with Michael and his family in Galveston. Instead, she lived alone on her property until her death. Initially she was successful, building one of the largest cattle operations in what eventually became Harris County. Gradually she began to lose the better part of her property. She was said to be illiterate and in 1859 she died when her house burned to the ground. Local individuals theorized that she was likely murdered by bandits for her possessions before her residence was put to flame.

Not long after her death, the Civil War broke out. Michael elected to serve the Confederacy. He was in command of the steamer Bayou City, which in one battle was able to capture a Union steamer named the Harriet Lane near Galveston. After the war ended, Michael returned to the area. Ironically, Michael died in Buffalo Bayou not far from where his father died. Michael is assumed to have drowned on October 31, 1874 after having fallen overboard as he traveled on another vessel. His body was recovered a little more than a week later.

The actual burial places of Peggy, John and Michael are unknown, but they are believed to have been buried on their former property. Michael’s wife Exeline survived him about nineteen years. She is buried in the Old Catholic Cemetery in Galveston.

On May 18, 1926 the original land grant document was given to Miss Adina De Zavala on behalf of the Daughters of the Heroes of the Texas Revolution by Hart Louis Parnell McCormick, great grandson of Arthur and Peggy McCormick, with the provision that it be added to the collection of historic relics in some Texas museum. The grant had been issued by the Mexican government to Arthur McCormick in 1824. An article in the San Antonio Express noted that the document had been in the possession of the McCormick family since it was created. It had been passed down from father to son until this day.

Through a series of transactions, including a sale to settle debts of Peggy, the McCormick family lost most of their interest in the battlefield property. Much of their original land grant is now part of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. It was acquired by the State of Texas in many transactions dating as far back as the 1880s. A large parcel of over 300 acres was acquired in 1897. In 1900, a parcel of 135 acres known as the “Battle League” was acquired by the State in a condemnation proceeding. The San Jacinto State Park was the first state park officially created in Texas.

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