What were their occupations?
In October 1862, 42 men were tried for their Union Sympathies and convicted by a Confederate ‘Citizens Court’ in Gainesville, Texas. 40 men were hanged and several were shot while trying to escape.
According to McCaslin, “Many of the victims were not of the lower echelons or fringes of society, but instead could claim to be middle-class.”
The following is a list of ‘Great Hanging’ men and their known occupations. Since most came to Texas to become landowners and farm, the majority of the men were obviously farmers, but it’s surprising to see other occupations represented as well. Many of the men had trades or held county offices. Known talents, such as being a musician, are also noted.
Any corrections or additions to this list of the men and/or their occupations are welcome!
1. C. F. (E. F., Frosty, Edward) Anderson - farmer
2. George W. Anderson - farmer
3. Richard J. Anderson - ?
4. William B. Anderson - farmer
5. Thomas O. Baker - farmer
6. Bennet C. Barnes - farmer
7. Barnibus Burch - farmer
8. Samuel Carmichael - carpenter
9. Ephraim Chiles - farmer
10. Henry Chiles - physician
11. Nathaniel M. Clark - farmer
12. Henry Cockrum- -farmer, miller
13. John Mansil Crisp - blacksmith
14. Arphaxton R. Dawson - farmer
15. Rama Dye – farmer, justice of the peace, minister, road overseer
16. Hudson John Esman – farmer, musician
17. Henry S. Field - shoemaker
18. Thomas B. Floyd (shot) - farmer
19. James T. Foster (shot) - physician
20. Curd Goss - farmer
21. Edward D. Hampton - farmer
22. M. D. Harper - carpenter
23. William W. Johnson - farmer, Clark called him Dr. Johnson
24. C. A. Jones - ?
25. David Miller Leffel - carpenter
26. Leander W. P. Jacob Lock - farmer
27. Abraham McNeese – farmer
28. Richard N. Martin - farmer
29. John M. Miller – carpenter, teacher, musician
30. John A. Morris - farmer
31. Wash Morris - farmer OR John W. Morris - farmer
32. M. Wesley Morris - farmer
33. William W. Morris - farmer
34. James A. Powers – “sawer”
35. William R. Rhodes - farmer
36. Alexander D. Scott - farmer
37. Eli M. Scott - farmer, road overseer
38. Gilbert Smith - farmer
39. William B. Taylor - farmer
40. Eli Sigler Thomas - physician
41. James A. Ward - farmer
42. William Wilson Wornell - farmer
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43. William Boyles (later shot and possibly died from wounds) - farmer
44. Hiram Kilborn (shot) - road overseer, school trustee, poll supervisor, Baptist preacher
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Other men that were killed during that time:
Hanged by James Young:
William A. McCool - ?
John M. Cottrell -?
A.N. Johnson - ?
E. Junius Foster, shot by Young, newspaper editor of the Sherman Patriot, shot as he was closing up newspaper office.
The above occupations were found using census records, family histories, and the James L Clark book
Related Posts:
List of Men who Died in Hangings
James L Clark's List of Victims
Diamond's List of Men Tried and Convicted
1880 Newspaper List of Hanging Victims
2 comments:
Love your blog! When are you going to post an article on Powers, Crisp or Essman?
My great grandfather was Alexander Dudley Scott. He was born and raised in Callaway County, Missouri. In 1849, he married Lorena Sims and left Missouri for Texas, following the Missouri River into Arkansas and then going on to Cooke County and Gainesville. Lorena died and in Gainesville he married Mary Ann Woolsey, oldest daughter of Thomas Woolsey and Elizabeth Tucker, also living in Gainesville. By 1862 they had 2 children, Mary Alexander Scott, and William Walter Scott, my grandfather. When A D was hung in this incident, Mary A was 3 years old and W W was 1. Mary Woolsey Scott was left with 2 small children in a very precarious situation. She married William Benton, a Gainesville widower with 9 children in 1865. I knew nothing of this until I got interested in family history as an adult. I asked by father about his father, William Walter, and his grandfather. He told me that he didn't even know the name of his grandfather, that his father, W W, had also not known the name of his father because he was so young when A D was killed. It took my brother and I several years of digging to find out that my grandfather was A D Scott and that that stood for Alexander Dudley Scott. Fortunately my father did know the name of the man Mary Woolsey Scott married, which gave us a starting point. W W did not have a happy childhood going from being an only son in a small family to the youngest in a very large family. He overwhelmed and unloved and ran way from home along with the only stepbrother he felt any affection for when they were both 14.
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