9-9-2002
Lieutenant Benjamin Ingram Harper Veteran of the Battle
of San Jacinto
Jean L. Epperson
Benjamin Ingram Harper was
an early Texas settler and a soldier in the Texas Army during her
fight for Independence from Mexico. He participated in the
Battle of Conception and the Siege of Bexar (San Antonio) from October to early
December 1835, and the Battle of San Jacinto in April 1836. He was born in 1809 one of nine children of
John Harper and his wife Martha Pennington of Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Benjamin
resided near the Trinity River in 1833 and was listed as a school master in what has
been called the first school in Liberty County. He had come to Texas with his Cousin Jonathan
(John) W. Harper sometime before October 1833. It is possible that he was hired to tutor the
children of Thomas D. Yocum whose daughter, Evelina, became his wife in
1834. Yocum had bought the improvements
on the Trinity
River
at Moss Bluff from Henry Moss and located a part of his Texas head right there. Moss had no legitimate claim to the land.
Doctor
Nicholas Labadie lived at Lake Charlotte just off the Trinity River south of Moss Bluff and was
physician to Benjamin and Evelina Harper.
His Day Book was the first record of Benjamin’s presence in Texas. In July 1834 the doctor noted that he
traveled six miles to attend Benjamin Harper’s wife and prescribed quinine
solution and some other drug.
Six miles must have been a round trip figure therefore Benjamin lived somewhere
between Labadie and Moss Bluff. Another mention of Benjamin’s home was made by
Joseph P. Pulsifer of Beaumont who said Benjamin lived at
“Pleasant Grove” on the Trinity River.
Captain
Andrew Briscoe, of Anahuac, organized the Liberty Volunteers in 1835. He and the troops joined Ben Milam on October
24 to participate in the Battle of Conception and the Siege of Bexar. Benjamin Harper was a member of the company.
Returning
home from San Antonio, Benjamin went to work in Beaumont for Joseph P.
Pulsifer. Benjamin’s son, Andrew Milam
Harper, born February 10, 1836 in Beaumont, was named partly in honor
of Ben Milam who died during the siege of Bexar. When Travis’ last appeal for
assistance from the Alamo arrived in that community, Harper organized a company of 28 local men
and left for Liberty to join Captain William M.
Logan’s troops known as the Third Company Infantry, Second Regiment, Texas
Volunteers. Harper was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
The news of the fall of the Alamo reached the troops when they were camped on
a large mound just before they reached San Felipe. Heart sick, they joined Sam Houston’s troops
and participated in the Battle of San Jacinto April
21, 1836. After the victory at San Jacinto, Captain Logan discharged
his 90 day volunteers. His two
lieutenants, Franklin Hardin and B.“J”. Harper , re-enlisted many of them into
two companies because a number of Mexican armies still in Texas remained a threat. Most of the Jefferson County volunteers joined Captain
Harper’s Company.
It
should be noted that many official records pertaining to Benjamin I. Harper
listed him as B. “J.” Harper this was apparently due to the fact that his
signature made it difficult for the viewer to distinguish between his “I” and a
“J”. See his signature. Appendix I.
After
the war Benjamin made application to the government to be reimbursed for
several items; a roan horse worth $40.00, which was lost at a camp between
Conception and Bexar, a Spanish saddle valued at $12.00, and his rifle worth
$25.00, lost in storming San Antonio.
On March 4, 1835 Benjamin J. Harper had been granted a league of
land by the Mexican government to which he was entitled as a man of family who
had immigrated to the country prior to 1836.
This land was located on Long King’s Creek in Vehlien’s Colony in what
is now Polk County. He was actually entitled to a league (4,438
acres) and a labor (144 acres). He
applied for the labor later in Jefferson County and was granted the land
certificate which was transferred to Jesse Benton on March 13, 1838.
By
1840 Benjamin and Evelina were separated and Benjamin was living in Houston County with title to 2214 acres of
land. His future father-in-law, Reynold Reynolds, was also living in Houston County and assessed taxes for two
slaves, 39 cattle and no land.
Donation Land Grant #140 for 640 acres
was given to Benjamin J. Harper December 20, 1848 for being in the Battle of San Jacinto. Four hundred eighty acres in Nacogdoches County were patented February 3, 1859 to Henry Loller and 160 acres in Rusk County were patented March 5, 1859 to William Hayes.
Bounty Land warrant #792 was issued to
B. J. Harper on December 7, 1837 for 640 acres for his
service in the Texas Army from March 6 to September 6,
1836.
He apparently lost this and a duplicate warrant was issued on December 20, 1848. Thirtytwo.six
acres were patented November 20, 1919 in Harrison County and two surveys for 213.33
acres and 426 acres in Young County were surveyed but never
patented.
The
1850 U. S. Census of Houston County shows Benjamin Harper age
41 a farmer living with his second wife Nancy J. (Reynolds) age 20.
The
1860 Census of Walker County lists B. J. Harper
51 years, school teacher, his wife Nancy J. age 30, and children John (Reynold)
7 years, Webster (Ingram) 3 years, Martha E. 2 years old. A third son, Jefferson (D.) was born in 1861.
Family
tradition says that Benjamin died in the spring of 1863 probably of consumption
(tuberculosis) and was buried on his farm in the Kittrell Cutoff Community in Walker County. This cemetery was
destroyed by the present owner and the tomb stones of Benjamin’s wife and
children were moved to the Chalk Cemetery near the Kittrell Community on the
east side of the Trinity River. No stone for Benjamin has ever been found.
At
the present time the only recognition of the service of Benjamin I. Harper to
his adopted state is an inscription of his name on the San Jacinto Monument at the San Jacinto
Battleground, and that inscription lists his name incorrectly as Benjamin “J”
Harper.
Benjamin
I. Harper is deserving of a historic grave marker because he was an early
settler, an upstanding citizen and a soldier of merit during the Texas War of
Independence. The marker would be
erected at the Chalk Cemetery where headstones of his
wife and children are located.