frontier times – Page 4 – Texas History Notebook

Green DeWitt and the DeWitt Colony

Green C. DeWitt was born to Walter John DeWitt and Sarah Ann Holliday DeWitt on February 12, 1787 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Walter John DeWitt is referred to as a Revolutionary War veteran. Not a great deal is known about the Walter John DeWitt family but they are presumed to have made their living as farmers. Green’s paternal grandfather DeWitt was born in New York, was of Dutch heritage, and his wife, Catherine Pierette Depuy de Brissac, appears to have been of French heritage.

Bob Causey

Robert Lincoln “Bob” Causey was born in Illinois on February 12, 1868 to George Washington Causey and Mary Adeline Crowder Causey. February 12, 1809 was the birth date of the late United States President, Abraham Lincoln. This was likely the source of Robert’s middle name. Concerning his place of birth, articles usually say that he was born in Missouri, but both the 1870 and 1880 census pages list his place of birth as Illinois. He was one of ten children born to the couple, many of whom were also born in Illinois. George W. (the father) had been born in Tennessee and in the 1870 census, his occupation was listed as farmer. He was still shown as being a farmer in the 1900 census before his death in 1907 at around 80 years of age. He died in Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma Territory. Mary Adeline had predeceased him, also in Oklahoma, in 1895.

S. W. T. Lanham

Samuel Willis Tucker Lanham was born July 4, 1846 in Woodruff, South Carolina to James Madison Lanham (1815 – 1869) and Louisa D’Aubrey Tucker Lanham (1820 – 1898). Samuel was the second of about ten children born to the couple. His first three names, Samuel Willis Tucker, came from his maternal grandfather. Samuel enlisted in the 3rd South Carolina Regiment of the Confederate Army when he was fifteen or sixteen years old and served throughout the entire war. His regiment primarily served with the Army of Northern Virginia and also participated in some engagements in Tennessee. His rank was sergeant when the war ended and he surrendered with his group in North Carolina.

Big Tree, Koiwa Warrior

Neither the year nor place of his birth is precisely known, but he is believed to have been born around 1850. He is most often mentioned along side other Kiowa warriors such as Satank and Satanta. Big Tree (Ado-ete) is associated with numerous raids including the Kiowa attack of May, 1871 on the Henry Warren wagon train. Big Tree was arrested later that month, tried in June of that year in Jacksboro in the court of Judge Charles Soward. The prosecutor was future Texas governor S. W. T. Lanham. The Kiowa defendants were represented by a local attorney named Joseph Woolfolk.

Oliver Loving’s Family, Part 1

Oliver Loving was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky on December 4, 1812 to Joseph Loving (1786 – 1842) and Susannah Mary Bourland Loving (1788 – 1850). Joseph and Susannah were married in Kentucky around 1806. They had many children, most of whom remained in Kentucky, but Oliver and at least three of his siblings moved to Texas. Joseph and Susannah remained in Kentucky until their deaths.