WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
444
in July, 1861; other sources state that he was killed in Matamoros in 1865 by the Mexican husband of his former common law wife, because he was trying to obtain possession of his daughter, Adeline. See J. W. Wilbarger, Indian Depredations in Texas;· 65-71; Thrall, A P.icto,·i<tl Histoi·y of Texas, 579. From 1840 to 1860, the Texas newspapers carried many accounts of H. L. Kinney and his doings; but even a mere citation to all of them here would require too much space. Editor Norton of the Austin Times, from May 28 to July 1, 1937, briefed many of these accounts into a readable story for his paper. The archivist of the Pennsylvania State Library at Harrisburg, has furnished a valuable genealogical record of the Kinney family, which shows that Henry Lawrence Kinney came of a worthy line of ancestors.
To JOHN M. Sw1sHER 1 Executive Department, January 23, 1860.
John M. Swisher, Esq., Sir You are hereby appointed pay master for the purpose of paying off the companies of Captains John S. Ford/ and John H. Brown. 3 You will be careful to discharge the duties incident and belong- ing to the appointment and will be entitled to such compensation as is by law allowed, and before entering on the duties you will give bond according to law and take oath to discharge the duties of the office of pay master. Sam Houston. P.S. You will also proceed to pay off Capt. J. Bourlan[d]'s 4 company at Gainsville, Cook County, Texas. Sam Houston. 1 Execnttive Records, 1859-1861, p. 29, Texas State Library. See Volume I, 501, for a brief sketch of John M. Swisher (May 31, 1819-March 11, 1891). In this sketch the name is once written James intsead of John. This is a mere type error. ~For a sketch on John S. Ford, see Houston to Ford, December 30, 1859, in this volume. 3 John Henry Brown (October 29, 1820-June 1, 1895), was born in Pike County, Missouri, five months before that territory became a state. The parents of John Henry Brown were both natives of Kentucky, but had immigrated to Missouri before the birth of the boy. The family made another move in 1824; the father, Captain Henry S. Brown at that time came to Texas and set up a trading station in the Brazos-Matagorda sec- tion of the country, for trade with Mexicans and Indians. He became con- spicuous as an Indian fighter and often led companies of Texans against the Indians, or lawless Mexicans. The same Henry S. Brown was a cap- tain of Texas voluntee1·s at the battle of Velasco in 1832; he commanded
Powered by FlippingBook