Colonel James Eskridge
(C.J.E.) Graham
October 30, 1828 - April 4, 1895
Colonel James Eskridge (C.J.E.) Graham was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee,
on October 30, 1828. He was the second child of Andrew Graham and Sibbie Kenner
Graham, who had married and settled on Caney Creek in eastern Tennessee. C.J.E.
was named Colonel after his mother’s father, Colonel Eskridge Kenner, and James
after his father’s father, James Graham. Eskridge was the surname of his
mother’s great grandmother, Margaret Eskridge, and of Margaret’s father,
Colonel George Eskridge, who was the guardian of George Washington’s wife, Mary
Ball.
In 1831, after a brief stay with Sibbie’s parents and family in Carroll County,
Arkansas, the Grahams moved in February 1832 to the Texas province of the
Republic of Mexico and settled in Fayette County. Andrew was granted a league
of land (about 4,420 acres) on Buckner’s Creek in Stephen F. Austin’s Colony.
Most of the league was between Smithville and Cistern in Bastrop County, with a
small part in western Fayette County. Because the Comanche and Tonkawa
Indians were such a threat, Andrew chose not to live and farm on his league but
rather on land he purchased in Fayette County east of the Colorado River. This
land was in the W. O. Burnham league, about 12 miles southeast of the town
of La Grange.
According to Fayette County genealogist, Walter P. Freytag, a suit was filed on
May 28, 1875, by other members of the family against C. J. E. and his brother
Andrew Kenner. This suit asked for a partition of the one half share of the
land owned by Andrew’s wife Sibbie under the Texas Community Property Law. In
reply, C.J.E. Graham declared that on October 30, 1849, “becoming of age,” he
decided to go into business on his own--probably as a farmer. His parents
objected and proposed that he remain with them, provide for them, and at their
death, he would receive the homestead. To this, he agreed. He then went to
work, he stated, “with a vim”, cleared the land, built tenant houses, and
provided for his parents. He stated that his sisters, Margaret Mahala Graham
Ross, Louisiana Texas Graham Slack, and Dorcus Mary Graham Howell did not
object at that time. C.J. E. retained the land.
In the 1850 Fayette County, Texas, Census, Andrew and Sibbie Graham are listed
with four of their six children, as Margaret Mahala, their eldest child, had
married James Talbot Ross, and John Samuel had died in August 1833. The
other children were C.J.E., Dorcus Mary, Louisiana Texas, and Andrew Kenner. In
the 1860 Fayette County, Texas, Census, Andrew and Andrew Jr. are living
together next door to C.J.E. and his wife “Mary” (Marion) with their two
children, Eskridge Napoleon, and Sibbie Allie. On October 2, 1851, C.J.E.’s
mother died leaving Andrew Kenner, an infant of 18 months.
On November 28, 1852, Andrew Graham sold C.J.E. Graham 300 acres of land for
$500.00 with the proviso that Andrew should have the use “of the old place with
the house during his lifetime, timber and water, old field, and peach orchard.”
This land was situated on Ross Creek and was part of the W.O. Burnham league.
On July 22, 1857, C.J.E. Graham married Marion Washington Burleson of Bastrop
County, daughter of Joseph Burleson, Jr., and Allie Murray Seaton Burleson.
Joseph Burleson, Jr. was the son of Joseph Burleson Senior, whose Bible is on
display at the Alamo. They had moved from Tennessee and Alabama, were in
Stephen F. Austin’s Colony, and were granted leagues of land in Bastrop County
in 1834. These men were early pioneers who proved their bravery and good
citizenship throughout their life, and took part in the shaping of the Republic
of Texas and later the Lone Star State. Both Joseph Burleson, Jr. and his
brothers Aaron B. Burleson, Captain James Burleson and James’ son General
Edward Burleson fought for Texas independence and were at the Battle of San
Jacinto. The families were all involved in the “Runaway Scrape” when General
Santa Anna was at their heels and General Sam Houston ordered everyone to flee,
burning what they could and leaving little behind for the Mexican troops. Both
the Texas army and the pursuing Mexican army crossed the Colorado River near
Burnham’s (Burnam’s) Crossing, and thus must have passed near the Andrew Graham
farm.
On April 28, 1867, C.J.E.’s father, Andrew Graham, died. There was a
large epidemic of yellow fever in 1867, and Andrew, almost 70 years of age, may
have died of that fever. Andrew had come a long way from Ireland as a mere
youth of 12. He was a pioneer and one of the early members of Stephen F.
Austin’s Colony. It is believed that Andrew, Andrew’s wife Sibbie, and daughter
Margaret Mahala are buried in the now abandoned Ross Cemetery, as the Rosses
and Grahams lived near each other and Margaret Mahala was married to James
Talbot Ross.
C.J.E. grew up and worked on his father’s farm in Fayette County. He was most
likely schooled at nearby Rutersville by the Methodist missions. The La Grange
“Texas Monument” (newspaper) obituary of October 8, 1851, stated that C.J.E.’s
mother was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
During the Civil War C.J.E. served in the Fayetteville Home Guard. In 1878 his
wife, Marion Washington Burleson Graham, died in childbirth with their ninth
child, leaving him with the responsibility of their remaining eight children.
Marion and her ninth and last child, Colonel John Burleson Graham, are buried
in the Burleson Family Cemetery.
On January 14, 1867, C.J.E. purchased 500 acres of land in the Marcus Torres
survey on “the waters of Peach Creek” in Bastrop County for $2500.00 from his
wife’s uncle, Aaron Burleson. He moved his five children there in 1869. He
declared this land as his homestead in his will of August 24, 1894, and here
his remaining children were born and grew up. It was hard work on the
plantation growing cotton and other crops such as corn, and the children helped
with all the household and farm chores as well as being schooled in a local one
room schoolhouse. C.J.E.’s son, James Andrew Graham, got to go to the Bastrop
Boys School once the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas railroad had been built
nearby. In fact, Murray Burleson, C.J.E.’s wife’s younger brother, was
instrumental in getting the railroad built near their plantation through the
town of Smithville. What a blessing it was to be able to ride the train all the
way to the town of Bastrop and shop! The family not only bought necessary
supplies for the farm and food, but also calico and cloth for clothes. These
were exciting and uncertain times after the Civil War, during the
Reconstruction period. Two of C.J.E.’s daughters, Susan Marion (Susie) and
Sarah Jane (Sally), recounted the story of an ex-convict or runaway jumping in
the plantation window one night, hiding under their bed, but fortunately
leaving by daybreak.
By 1880, two of C.J.E.’s eldest children had married, Eskridge Napoleon to
Susie H. Smith, and Sibbie Allie to Frank Smith. After the death of their
mother in 1878, Sibbie had become not only the remaining children’s older
sister but also their “acting mother”. Frank Smith helped C.J.E. with the work on
the farm, and later was a co-founder of the town of Smithville.
In 1879 C.J.E. located his family to Tehuacana, Limestone County, to give his
children the advantage of a College education. Trinity University was founded
there on the Burleson property, and later the University was moved to
Waxahatchie and then to San Antonio, Texas. As a means of support during the
years of his residence there, C.J.E engaged in what was termed “mercantile
pursuits” until his passing in 1895. In the 1880 Limestone County, Texas,
Census, C.J.E. and his children are listed next to Frank Smith and Sibbie Allie
Graham Smith. C.J.E.’s children’s names are as follows:
1. Eskridge Napoleon Graham, born May 9, 1858, in Fayette County and who
married Susie H. Smith
2. Sibbie Allie Graham, born March 20, 1860, in Fayette County and who married
Franklin Smith
3. James Andrew Graham, born February 18, 1862, in Fayette County and who
married Bernice Alice Thomas
4. Ann Margaret, born July 31, 1864 in Fayette County and who never married
5. Susan Marion Graham, born July 28, 1867, in Fayette County and who married
Rev. John Edmond Aubrey
6. Sarah Jane Graham, born January 1, 1870, in Bastrop County and who married
Plenney Noah Davenport
7. Martha Washington Graham, born September 30, 1872, in Bastrop County and who
married James Harris McCollum and
8. Murray Texas Graham, born September 25, 1875, in Bastrop County and who
married J. D. Roberts.
On August 24, 1894, C.J.E. left a will in Limestone County which was probated
in Bastrop County, Texas. He died April 4, 1895, and is buried in the Tehuacana
Cemetery, Limestone County, Texas, by his unmarried daughter, Ann Margaret
Graham. On his tombstone is a quotation from the Twenty Third Psalm, “Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me”
C.J.E. was a Democrat, Mason, and a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church. He was not only a good businessman, but he cared for and was loved by
all the family.
The following account is quoted from Sibbie Allie Graham Smith’s daughter,
Sibbie Graham Smith (Price), “The History of My Life.” “My father, Franklin
Smith, grew up around Smithville, met and married my mother, Sibbie Allie
Graham, who at that time was not quite 17 years old. Her father, C.J.E. Graham,
also owned land there in that area. Papa and Uncle Murray Burleson,
(Grandmother Graham’s younger brother) had a general store there. They wanted
to name the little town that was growing up around their store. Uncle Murray
wanted to name it “Burlesonville” and Papa wanted it named “Smithville,” so
they flipped a coin and it came out “Smithville” for my father. Grandmother
Graham (who was a Burleson) died and Grandfather Graham (C.J.E.), with his 5
girls and 3 boys, came to live with my Papa and Mama, who at that time had 2
girls of their own. Then Papa’s father and stepmother died and their one
daughter came to live with my Papa and Mama. What a family that was to be
educated! So they moved to Tehuacana where Trinity University was located.
They* bought the “old college” down by Barrey Spring where Trinity first
started. With that large family I suppose they needed that big house with all
those rooms. Later, they sold that house and bought a large colonial type house
with about 4 blocks of land. It was right across the street from Trinity
University. All the girls and the 2 remaining boys (one having died when he was
just seven months old) were educated there. I don’t think we children ever had
a happier childhood with our own big upstairs playroom, our big back yard with
a well walled up waist high by Papa with rocks and a rock seat all around the
base of it, big black walnut trees and a barrel stave hammock and a swing, with
all the orchard, the wood lot, the milking pen, the big barn and a large
pasture behind that where we were free to roam and pick wild flowers. There was
a one-room house in the corner of the back yard for Mama’s negro house servant
and another one room house at the back of the orchard for Papa’s negro
manservant. Mama was kept busy sewing for all those girls, but Papa was never
too busy or too tired after his day at the farm to play and read to us from
Grim’s Fairy Tales and other books, and then always to end with reading from
one of our big Bible Story Books. Then we knelt at their knees and said our
prayers and Mama tucked us in bed.”
*It appears that C.J.E. bought the “old college”, as he gave “the old college
building” in Tehuacana to Sibbie (“Libby”) and her husband Frank Smith, as
mentioned in a quitclaim deed (Bastrop County Deeds, Volume 11, p.220-221).