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| The
1927 Classical Revival Courthouse is the county's third. You can't miss it, but
the address is a memorable one - Main and Broadway. It's constructed of limestone
and concrete according to The Courthouses of Texas by Mavis Kelsey Sr. and
Donald Dyal. |
The
San Augustine County Courthouse
1939 photo
courtesy of TXDoT |
| | The
courthouse today
TE photo, 2000 |
Scrolling
Through History by
Bob Bowman
"The search system -- which
has brought unbridled joy to genealogists and historians -- is believed to be
the most comprehensive county archive system in Texas.
It took two years
for Murphy and three employees to feed every county document into the $450,000
system that holds everything from slave sale records to current court cases."
... more
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San
Augustine County ForumShooting
of Rangers in San Augustine County
In July 1918, a squad of Texas Rangers
was sent to San Augustine county to round up deserters from the army. Two Rangers
went to the farm house of Samuel Williams to recover his son Sam Williams and
Daniel Evans. In a gun fight early in the morning, Ranger White was killed and
the other Ranger wounded. A massive manhunt pursued in the coming days lead by
twenty Rangers and more than a hundred volunteers from surrounding cities. The
two deserters were surrounded and turned themselves in after four days. The two
were taken to Camp Travis and tried in a military court. They were both found
guilty and sentenced to death. Their sentences were later commuted to life in
prison and eventually they were released from Fort Leavenworth in the Thirties,
I believe.
I have been researching this account and would like to know
if [anyone has] information on this case and the reasons surrounding the commuting
of sentence and release of the two men. In interviews with family members of the
young men I have unconfirmed tales of presidential pardons resulting from the
actions of the fallen Texas Ranger and his partner.
This is a very interesting
part of the history of San Augustine county and is a reflection of the attitude
toward the Great War among Southern families whom felt no connection with the
U.S. Government.
Any information anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
- John D Carrell, Mesquite, Texas, October 25, 2006 |
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