biography – Texas History Notebook

Andrew Jackson Sowell, Author and Texas Ranger

Andrew Jackson Sowell was a native Texan born August 2, 1848 in Seguin, Texas to Asa Jarmon Lee Sowell and Mary Mildred Turner Sowell, one of about thirteen children born to the couple. He was named for an uncle of whom it is said fought in many major battles of the Texas Revolution including the Battles of Gonzales, Concepcion, the Grass Fight and others. The uncle was serving with the garrison of the Alamo but happened to be away on assignment with Byrd Lockhart buying cattle for the garrison when the Mexican seige began out or he would have died there. The uncle took part in the Council House Fight, the Battle of Plum Creek, the Battle of Salado Creek and served in the Mexican-American War. A large contingent of the Sowell family had come to Texas from Tennessee as a group around 1829, settling along the Blanco River.

Edward Wingate and Edward Taylor Wingate

Two men with similar names are connected to the massacre at Goliad. Edward Wingate (1780 – 1836) and Edward Taylor Wingate (1802 – 1868). From time to time they have been confused with one another, yet according to online genealogy records, they were two different individuals and were unrelated. Each man appears to have been married and had a family.

Samuel Rhoads Fisher

Samuel Rhoads Fisher was born on December 31, 1794 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Samuel Wharton Fisher and Elizabeth Rhoads Fisher, a family with Quaker ties. He resided for a number of years in Philadelphia. Fisher was married to the former Ann Pleasants on September 2, 1818. Children of the couple include Samuel W. born in 1819 in Missouri, Ann Nancy Fisher born in Philadelphia in 1823 followed by Samuel R. Fisher, Jr. born in Texas in 1833.

Eddie LeBaron

Edward Wayne LeBaron, Jr. was born January 7, 1930 to Edward Wayne LeBaron and Mabel Sims LeBaron. His grandfather Oscar LeBaron was a farmer who had moved his family to California from New York. Eddie was small in stature but was a gifted high school athlete at Oakdale High School near Modesto. He was also on the young side for his class year, entering high school at the age of 12 and graduating at 16. He signed with College of the Pacific, now known as University of the Pacific, in Stockton, California where his coach when he was a freshman was Amos Alonzo Stagg. At that time, Stagg was 84 years old and in the last year of his amazing career as an athlete and coach.

Sarah Ann Hardin-Kelton

There is a Texas Centennial historical marker honoring Sarah Hardin-Kelton. The text is spare and states, “Widow of William Hardin before her marriage to Dr. O. P. Kelton. Many of the Mexican officers and men were placed in the care of Judge and Mrs. Hardin after the victory at San Jacinto and were mercifully treated by them. Born August 27, 1806. Died.” (Punctuation added.) The marker is placed in South Belton Cemetery in Bell County, Texas. Her date of death was not entered on the marker and still appears to be unknown at this time.