Not Just A Name On A List

In October 1862, 40 men died, breathing their last breath with a rope around their neck. Several others died from gunshot wounds.

Every man who died during the Gainesville Hangings is important and not just because their name is on a list.  

Behind every name written on the list was a real person.  These were men with hopes and dreams -- men with families and loved ones. Most came to Texas hoping for a better future for themselves and their families. Instead, they met a premature death at the end of a rope and their family was left alone on the Texas frontier.

They had wives, children, parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends who grieved when they died. Many of the men were connected to each other by blood or marriage. Several large extended family groups lost several loved ones during the hanging. Their sorrow was inconsolable. 

We have made lists of the men who died during the hanging and of their wives -- these lists were made to help facilitate our research. Please remember that each and every man and woman on these lists was a unique human being and not just a name on a list.

That being said, lists are a great way to help organize and understand information about people and events.

Below are links to some links to lists I have made to help understand the 'Great Hanging' and the men who died in the hanging:

List of men who died in the 'Great Hanging' 

Wives of men who were hanged

Diamond's List of Men Tried and Convicted

James L Clark's List of Victims  

Occupations of Hanging Victims