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 mother, 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 that was 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 6 girls and 2 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 man servant. 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).