Connections

(Appendix from The Early History of Montgomery County)

by Kameron Searle

   We have seen the power John W. Moody wielded with President Sam Houston and the Congress in early 1837.  See John Wyatt Moody.  

   Below is a list of the social, military and political connections between John Wyatt Moody, W. W. Shepperd, Charles B. Stewart and the first session of the Second Congress of the Republic of Texas that created Montgomery County in December of 1837. This list demonstrates the strong connections of those associated with the founding of the town of Montgomery and/or Montgomery County in 1837 to the men in Congress who would create Montgomery County in December of 1837.  If one was seeking to create a new county, few men in the Republic were as well connected to this Congress as W. W. Shepperd, J. W. Moody and C. B. Stewart.

   In his book, Year Book for Texas - 1901, Caldwell Walton Raines, State Librarian, (Austin, 1902, Gammel Book Company) provides us with a complete list of the members of both houses of the Republic of Texas Congress for the first session of the Second Congress.

Senate, Second Congress.

M. B. Lamar, Vice-President of the Republic, President of the Senate.

Called session, at Houston, September 25, 1837, to November 4, 1837.

Officers.—Stephen H. Everitt, President Pro Tern.; Arthur Robertson, Secretary; Manasseh Sevey, Assistant Secretary; Oscar Farrish, Engrossing Clerk; E. L. Stickney, Enrolling Clerk; A. M. Tompkins, Reporter; Jf. T. Byars, Sergeant-at-Arms; James G. Wilkinson, Doorkeeper.

Officers Regular Session, at Houston. November 6, 1887, to December 19, 18-37.—Same as at special session, with the exception of John Hadnought, who was elected Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms.

Officers Adjourned Session, at Houston, April 9, 1838, to May 24, 1838.~Wm. Fairfax Gray, Secretary; Wm. Y. Allen, Chaplain; Edward

H. Winfield, Assistant Secretary; Brashear, Engrossing Clerk;

Manasseh Sevy, Enrolling Clerk; James D. Cocke, Reporter; other officers the same.

Members.—Henry W. Augustin (succeeded by John A. Greer), George W. Barnett. Isaac W. Burton, John Dunn, Richard Ellis, Stephen H. Everitt, A. C. Horton, James S. Lester, Emory Raines, Sterling C. Robertson, Thomas J. Green, Alexander Somervell, Robert Wilson, and W. H. Wharton. (Collingsworth, who was elected Chief Justice, later resigned, and at the adjourned session was succeeded by Wm. J. Russell.)

 

House of Representatives, Second Congress.

Officers Called Session.—Joseph Rowe, Speaker; John M. Shreve, Chief Clerk; F. R. Lubbock, Assistant Chief Clerk; G. S. Stratton, Sergeant-at-Arms ; S. L. Johnson, Doorkeeper; Thomas Green, Engrossing Clerk.

Officers Regular Session.—Joseph Rowe, Speaker: F. R. Lubbock, Chief Clerk; A. L. McCoy, Assistant Chief Clerk; Thomas Green,1 Engrossing Clerk; R. D. Johnson, Enrolling and Recording Clerk; S. L. Johnson, Doorkeeper; G. S. Stratton, Sergeant-at-Arms.

Officers Adjourned Session.—Joseph Rowe, Speaker; Benj. Sturgis, Chief Clerk; James D. Owen, Assistant Chief Clerk; John H. Herndon, Engrossing Clerk; James G. Simmons, Reporter; George S. Stratton, Sergeant-at-Arms; Marshall Mann, Doorkeeper.

Members.—Jesse Billingsley, Ed. T. Branch, Thos. H. Brennan, Elkanah Brush (succeeded by James Power), Joseph Baker, Edward Burleson, Wm. Clark (resigned and was succeeded by John Boyd), L. C. Cunningham, Kelsey H. Douglas, John English, W. W. Gant, Joseph. Grigsby, Thomas J. Gazely, W. G. Hill (resigned August 22, 1837), Wm. W. Hill, Thomas J. Hardeman, Anson Jones, Oliver Jones, Patrick C. Jack, Samuel S. Lewis (died and was succeeded by Timothy Swift), John J. Linn, Stephen (). Lumpkin, Wm. Menifee, Collin McKinney, Wm. H. Patton, A. Ponton, William Pierpont, Joseph Rowe, Thomas J. Rusk, Daniel Rowlett, George Sutherland, Charlton Thompson, F. W. Thornton. E. H. Tarrant (resigned and was succeeded by Peyton S. Wyatt), Wm. E. Walker.

 

The Connections

   Below we will examine the connections between Moody, Shepperd and Stewart to many of these Senators and Representatives.  It is important to remember that Moody was the First Auditor of the Republic of Texas during the First Session of the Second Congress.  Both the Auditor's office and the Congress were located in Houston, Texas in the fall of 1837.

 

President Sam Houston

[Houston's signature on Dec. of Ind.]

   Served with W. W. Shepperd's son-in-law, C. B. Stewart, at the Convention at Washington and signed Texas Declaration of Independence with Charles B. Stewart.  W. W. Shepperd's son, Jacob H. Shepperd, had been Sam Houston's courier at a very critical point in early Republic of Texas history.  Jacob H. Shepperd had delivered Sam Housotn's dispatch that prevented the court martial and execution of Santa Anna.

Edward Burleson - House of Representatives

[Scan Jacob Shepperd Discharge]

   Jacob H. Shepperd, the son of William Watters Shepperd, fought with General Edward Burleson at the Siege of Bexar in 1835 as a Second Lieutenant.  Burleson signed Jacob H. Shepperd's discharge papers at San Antonio.

Patrick C. Jack - House of Representatives

[Scan Brown]

   In 1832, William Barrett Travis, Patrick C. Jack and others were arrested by Colonel Juan Bradburn at Anahuac.  Both Jacob H. Shepperd, the son of W. W. Shepperd, and C. B. Stewart, W. W. Shepperd's son-in-law, had both participated in the Battle of Anahuac which resulted in Jack's release. It is unlikely Patrick C. Jack would have forgotten this.  See Brown's History of Texas, pp.

Senator Richard Ellis

   W. W. Shepperd's son-in law C. B. Stewart served as delegate to the Convention at Washington with Richard Ellis where they both signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, as shown below.  Ellis was the President of the Convention at Washington.  C. B. Stewart was the first signature following Ellis' signature on the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Signatures of Richard Ellis and Charles B. Stewart Together on the Texas Declaration of Independence

Richard Ellis and Charles B. Stewart - Texas Declaration of Independence

...we fearlessly and confidently commit
the issue to the decision of the Supreme
arbiter of the destinies of nations.

Richard Ellis, President

of the Convention & Delegate

from Red River

Charles B. Stewart

Thos Barnett

 

James Collinsworth

Edwin Waller

Asa Brigham

 

Senator William H. Wharton

   W. W. Shepperd was related by marriage to William H. Wharton.  Wharton's wife was Sarah Ann Groce.  She was the daughter of Jared Ellison Groce, and Jared Ellison Groce was the son of Jared Ellison Groce, Sr. and his wife, Sarah Sheppard.  Sarah Sheppard was the sister of Jacob Sheppard [Shepperd] who was the father of William Watters Shepperd. William Watters Shepperd and Jared Ellison Groce, Jr. were first cousins. Jared Ellison Groce Jr.'s daughter was married to William H. Wharton.  See "the Mothers and Wives of the Groce Men" in Groce Family Data a family history of the Groce family compiled by Sarah Groce Berlet. An original of this family history is located at the Clayton Library in Houston. Also see http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ricewrc/00269/rice-00269.html . It is interesting to note the Sheppard/Shepperd name was perpetuated in the Groce family for several generations. For instance, Jared Ellison Groce, Jr,'s brother was named Sheppard Groce.

   Sam Houston trained his army at Jared Ellison Groce, Jr.'s plantation before going to San Jacinto and defeating the Mexican army.

   W. W. Shepperd was also related by marriage through the Groce's to the Waller family.

Thomas Gazley - House of Representatives

[Scan Gazley signature on Declaration of Independence]

   Congressman Thomas J. Gazley had served as a delegate from the Municipality of Mina with W. W. Shepperd's son-in-law, Charles B. Stewart, in the Convention at Washington on the Brazos and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence with him there in 1836. 

[Scan Newspaper article showing Gazley Chairman and Moody Secretary]

   John Wyatt Moody and Thomas J. Gazley were both from the Municipality of Mina. Moody and Gazley had both served on Mina Committee together in 1835.  Gazley was also the surgeon in Captain Michael R. Goheen's Company in the Texas army during the Texas Revolution.  Michael R. Goheen was John W. Moody's son-in-law.

Senator G. W. Barnett

[scan signature of Barnett Dec. of Ind.]

   Served with Charles B. Stewart at Convention at Washington and signed Texas Declaration of Independence.

William Menifee - House of Representatives

   Served in Convention at Washington with Charles B. Stewart and signed Texas Declaration of Independence.

Collin McKinney - House of Representatives

   Served in Convention at Washington with Charles B. Stewart and signed Texas Declaration of Independence.