Fort Bend County, Texas - Chapter 25, 1904

Dr. Johnson Calhoun Hunter was born in CharlestoUj South Carolina, on May the 22nd, 1787, and was raised to manhood there, and there married Miss Martha Harbert, who was born in Wythe County, Virginia, near the "Blue Ridge," on August the 29th, 1792. From South Carolina Dr. Hunter moved to Ohio and settled in the town of Circleville and helped to build the first brick house in that place. Here he was interested in the mercantile business, but was not successful, and went from there to Madrid, Missouri, about the time of the great earthquake there. Hearing many reports about Texas he concluded to visit that country, and in about 1820 left his wife and three children, and, in company with about twenty others, went to San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Hunter carried a lot of drugs and medicines with him for sale, but not wishing to remain long left his stock in trade with one of the Veramendis to dispose of for him, and returned to his family, having made up his mind to immigrate to Texas. They met him at New Orleans by previous understanding, and, purchasing a schooner there, set out in it for Galveston, coasting around near the shore. He was accompanied by a sailor named Jack, who proved of invaluable service before their journey was over. Half way between Berwicks Bay and Galveston Island they were shipwrecked, and here on an island they remained for some time; they were exposed to all the hardships incident to such unfortunate circumstances. Day after day the doctor skirted around the shore, watching for a sail, and, finally, got aboard of a small schooner, and leaving his family and '^Jack, the Sailor.^' on the island, made his way to Galveston, purchased another schooner and returned for his family and such things as could be reclaimed from the wrecked schooner, and then made his way to Morgan's Point. Here he settled and was granted land by the Mexican government. This was just before the colonists of Stephen F. Austin came and settled on the Brazos River and other places.

At Morgan's Point Dr. Hunter built a unique house. There being no chance to get lumber, he studied out a very good substitute. First, he cut circles around big cypress trees through the bark at the base and eight or ten feet above and peeled off the bark in large slabs, the width of ordinary plank for a box housa Weights were placed on this bark while it was green to prevent curling and kept in that position until dry. It was then used as boxing same as plank, first setting up four posts in a square, the size he wanted the house, then connecting these at the top with girders. To these the bark slabs were nailed, leaving doors and breaking cracks the same as in constructing a plank box house.

A man named Brown was living with Dr. Hunter, and on one occasion, in the absence of the doctor, he was taken violently sick and died. Mrs. Hunter not being able to bury the unfortunate man, who had no family or relatives near, covered him with a blanket in the corner of the house, where he died on a pallet of quilts, and awaited the return^ of her husband, but it was four days before he arrived. In the meantime the odor from the dead man became so intolerable that Mrs. Hunter was compelled to evacuate the house and live under a tree with her children. When the doctor returned he and a negro man who had been on the trip with him took up the body with the quilt on which he lay, and, conveying it a short distance from the house, there dug a deep hole in the sand, deposited the remains, and heaped up a great mound over them. In after years this was a noted place for land corners and bearings, starting from or so many varas from ^'Brown^s grave," and thus expressed in the field notes.

In 1829 Dr. Hunter sold out at Morgan's Point and came to Fort Bend County and was adopted into Austin's colony, but as he had already received his grant of land had to secure more by purchase. He accordingly bought 200 acres out of the Randall Jones survey, for which he paid |400, and it became the well known ^'Hunter Plantation" six miles from Richmond in the edge of the prairie on Oyster Creek near its head, but much more land was added afterwards. Dr. Hunter, with the aid of his sons and a negro man, cut large pine trees near the Jiead of Buffalo Bayou, northeast across the prairie about seven miles from his place, and with a whip-saw got out lumber enough to build a roomy and comfortable house. This, of course, took hard labor and consumed considerable time, but it was the best they could do in those days and they appreciated it all the more when it was completed. The sawing was done by scaffolding one man above and the other below the log, the saw working perpendicular up and down. Before the house was completed William Hunter, who now lives in Houston, was born in camp under a tree, on the 13th of July, 1829. Dr. Hunter prospered in his new home, raised fine crops, hogs and cattle, and by the time the Mexican army came in 1836 was getting well fixed and ready to live easy, but Santa Anna ruined all of this for a time, at least. At this time there were seven children - four boys, Robert H., John C., Thomas J., and William; girls, Harriett, Mesina, and Martha. When Dr. Hunter learned from the movements of the armies that Santa Anna would strike Fort Bend County, he gathered 600 head of cattle and- started east with them in an endeavor to save them. All of his family and a negro girl being with him, except the then oldest sons, who went to Houston's army, Thomas doing scout duty. William was only six years of -age. The doctor drove the cattle ahead of both armies, intending to cross the San Jacinto River at Lynch's Ferry, but when he arrived there the boat was sunk and the cattle could not be induced to take the water. While in this dilema the Mexican army appeared on the prairie, going toward New Washington, and the cattle were abandoned and soon scattered all over the country. The family managed to get across the river in a small skiff, the horses were made to swim over, and they continued their flight toward the Sabine, 'but stopped on Cow Bayou to await developments. On the following day, after the Mexican army appeared, the Texans under General Houston came also and went into camp on the bayou above the ferry. Both armies now slaughtered Dr. Hunter's cattle for food, the Mexicans rounding up about 100 head and carrying them to their camp before the Texans came. After the battle of San Jacinto and return of the settlers, the Hunters found about 300 head of their cattle, and drove them back to Fort Bend. When the doctor abandoned his home he left about 800 bushels of corn in a crib and many big, fat hogs running loose about the place. On his return he expected to And his place in ashes, but this fortunately was not the case, but he soon discovered that a portion of the Mexican army had been there, mostly cavalry, and had fed away all of his corn except a few bushels. They had also killed many hogs and left the place very fllthy. They cooked and eat in the house, some of them, and left grease on everything; also one-half of a fat hog was left on the floor of the best

Doctor Hunter died May the 29th, 1855, and his wife died December the 25th, 1860. Both are buried in the Hunter burying ground, about four hundred yards from the old Hunter residence in a post oak point in the edge of the prairie, known as the ^^Brick Church'^ grave yard - named from a brick school house, which was nearby, but long since gone, and which was used for church also.

R. H. Hunter, the eldest son, was in the first fighting at San Antonio in 1835, and was with '^Old Ben Milam" when he stormed the city. He died at Flatonia in the spring of 1901 at a very advanced age, being over 90 years old. He married a Miss Beard, and in 1854 moved to Gruadalupe County and put up a water mill on the San Geronimo Creek, two miles east of Seguin.

Thaddeus Warsaw Hunter was born September 30th, 1823, and died in Weimar, Colorado County. His twin sister, Mesina, married Aleck McCloy, of Port Bend County, in about 1851. She died Febmary 26th, 1853. Her only child, James Franklin McCloy, survives her, and lives in Fort Bend County.

Harriett Hulda, an elder sister of Mesina, was born November 15th, 1818, and married Colonel I. M. Frost, and died May 29th, 1859, leaving a large family of children in Fort Bend County, four now living. Her children were Henry H., J. Miles, and Frank P. and two daughters, Ada and Ella.

Bend County. She was born June the 26th, 1823, and died April the 1st, 1881. Their children were Louis, John, Percival, Louise, Robert E. Lee, Eunice, Susan (one died in infancy not named ) ; all of these are dead except Percival, Robert E. Lee, Louise and Eunice.

A generation has passed away, and the Hunter burying ground is full to overflowing. Dr. Hunter came here a young man, compara'tively full of hope and energy, and commenced improving a home in this beautiful spot on the edge of the prairie. He succeeded and died with old age. His sons also succeeded, and some of them died with old age. Thus it is in life, one following the footsteps of the other. The large, roomy house of the Hunters has been remodeled, until only a few pieces of the original remain, and the new work is getting old and will pass aA\ay like the hand that fashioned it. Of all the Hunters that once lived here and had their joys and sorrows, the old home now has but one occupant, Robt. E. Lee Hunter, unmarried, and who lives here alone and runs the farm. He is the son of Thomas J. Hunter, and at the foot of the elevation on which the house stands is a large pecan tree, which his father planted, and which bears the flnest pecans of any tree around here. West of the house, a short distance, is Oyster Creek, a peculiar stream. It heads near here, runs parallel with the Brazos, but keeps clear of it and empties its waters into the Gulf. All other streams near the Brazos go into it somewhere. The writer spent more than a week at the Hunter place, the guest of the genial, hospitable Lee, and enjoyed roaming about the historic place. In front of the east gallery stands an old moss-covered post oak tree, with the marks of many rifle balls upon it. Here the Hunters, in their prime, eyesight unimpaired, with the old-time rifles preparing to take a hunt or to flght Mexicans, would fire at that tree, empty their guns so that they could clean up and load afresh. Here a portion of the Mexican army and cavalry remained, and fed away nearly 800 bushels of his corn, killed many hogs, cooked and eat fresh pork in the house, and left it in a very filthy condition for the good wife to worry about when she returned from the forced flight.