A Flood, an Old Book, a Life's Journey
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Banner Graphic - Kristy Watson - Polonyx Graphic Design A Flood, An Old Book, A Life’s Journey The Story of R.W. Whitworth 2020 Winter By Andy Crews In the midst of a hot summer in 1909, Rob- 451 N. Main St. ert Whitworth passed away in his home on Boerne, TX 78006 Landa Street. He had lived in Boerne for nearly forty years and were it not for his - 830-249-3053 2021 obituary appearing in the San Antonio Ex- press newspaper, one might think he was just another small town farmer. The head- — line read, “Death Claims Veteran: R. W. In this Issue: January February March Whitworth of South Boerne Had Fought in Robert W. Whitworth Both the Mexican and Civil Wars – Was 79 Charles Bonnet Alfred Giles, Pt III Years Old.” Autos’ Early Days, Pt II A Guy Like This? Four and a half years later, after yet another Spirits at the Jail? devastating flood in downtown San Antonio, Boerne’s Resort Past Joseph Brown, an employee with the Texas Education Agency, found a waterlogged book in the gutter in front of the Gunter Ho- tel on Houston Street. The first few pages of the little book were missing but it was clear that it was someone’s handwritten journal. The only indication of the owner was a name next to an illustration of a man standing Robert W. Whitworth next to a Saguaro cactus – R. W. Whitworth. The journal begins with Robert’s arrival in America in 1846 at the port of New Orleans. He was only 16 years old. He had come from Yorkshire, England and was accompanied by a friend, William Beddome, who was from Manchester. The circumstances of their immigration are not known but their intentions were to travel north to Fort Union, in what is today North Dakota, to become hunters and trappers on the American frontier. Despite having their firearms stolen from them in New Orleans, they traveled north by Remembering Fondly Kendall Co. History Advocate steamer up the Mississippi to St. Louis and there took the steamer Little Missouri up Theda Sueltenfuss. the Missouri River to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas – as far as they could travel by boat. She will be missed. Whitworth describes in great detail the life along the rivers: discussing the local settlers, industry and even types of trees and fauna along the riverbanks. (Continued on page 2) 2 Robert W. Whitworth, continued “...with beautiful green Prairies stretching as far as the eye can reach and spotted with flowers, High Bluffs cut and hollowed into Towers, arches, Buttresses &c [sic] by the washing of the two combined Sculptors, the rain and the River, and here and there a piece of barren rocky land where the rattlesnake abides unmolested….,” he writes. In Ft. Leavenworth, the two adventurers discovered “some young fellows of about our own age” that were part of a battalion encamped there. Whit- worth lied about his age in order to enlist and, along with his companion, joined up with the fellows in Mormon Battalion who were marching to Cali- fornia. Over the next eleven months, they marched through the American Southwest with Robert journaling and illustrating along the way, on what is still the longest march in American military history. The battalion was mus- tered out in Los Angeles, California where his journal ends. But Robert’s ad- venture continued. Not long after, he was alerted to the gold discovery at Sutter’s Mill and he moved north to Sacramento to try his hand at pro- specting. Robert remained in California with some success until December 1850 when he returned to England, which involved crossing Panama on foot. By August 1851, he was back in the United States, getting married in Memphis, Tennes- see. He finally settled in Bellville, Texas in early 1852. After serving in the Confederacy from 1862 to 1865, and experiencing the death of his wife and three of his six children, he remarried and moved to Kendall County in 1871. Six more children were born to him and his wife, Fannie Whitworth. They farmed in Pleasant Valley until their later years when they moved to a house on the corner of Landa and Hickman streets. Fannie died in 1920 and is bur- ied next to Robert in the Boerne Cemetery. The Pleasant Valley schoolhouse was built on land donated by his children. Left: Robert Whitworth at home, 201 Landa, Boerne, Texas. Right: Robert Whit- worth’s obituary, San Antonio. Andy Crews is a great-great grandson of Robert Whitworth’s son, Thomas Beddome Whitworth. He wishes to thank Dr. David Gracy, who published the Whitworth journal in 1965. Dr. Gracy passed away on Sept. 26, 2020 in Aus- tin, Texas. Godspeed and into the breach! 3 Johann Carl Bonnet Early Settler, Kendall County Commissioner in 1862 By James and Kathryn Hurst Johann Carl Bonnet arrived in Texas with his parents and four siblings in 1846. They emigrated from Charlottenburg, Nassau, Prussia, and sailed to Texas aboard the Harriet as part of the Meusebach colony. They land at Galveston, where they endure many hardships and delays, face an epidemic of fever in Indianola, and finally reach New Braunfels after an ox-team trip of three weeks. A few months later, they move to San An- tonio and live in tents along the San Antonio River. By 1850, Johann Carl becomes known as John Charles, and he is a stone- mason. In July of that year, he marries Anna Elise Klemm, and they have their first child, Caroline Emilie. In 1856, he acquires a piece of land along Joshua Creek, between Boerne and Comfort, where he raises cattle. Albert and August Beversdorf had settled there a few years earli- er and never seemed bothered by the Indians. Charles hopes to share in their good luck, but family stories tell that the first night he moves up there, the Indians steal and slaughter one of his fat work oxen only a few yards from where he is sleeping. In the agricultural census of 1860, he has fifteen improved acres, 145 unimproved, a horse, and seventy-one head of cattle. He becomes a United States citizen on 31 December 1860 through his father, Phillip Bonnet, who is still living in San Antonio. Less than five weeks later, Texas secedes from the Union. Having just sworn allegiance to his new country, is it any wonder that he and his Johann Carl Bonnet sons are Union sympathizers? Charles signs the petition to form Kendall County in 1859 and serves on the first Commissioners Court in 1862. Dur- ing a special session on 8 March 1862, Chief Justice Joseph Graham, with three of the four commissioners Adam Vogt, Charles Bonnet, and James C. Nowlin, meet "to organize the County of Kendall." Christopher Rhodius, the fourth commissioner, is unable to attend the meeting. County Clerk, Hermann Holzapfel, records the minutes. The first order of business is to discuss the boundary line between Blanco and Kendall Counties. The commissioners approve the survey. Next, is to set up polling places in the precincts for residents to vote on the county seat. At the next meeting on 18 May, County Clerk Holzapfel records, "On motion of Ch. Bonnet, it was resolved that the County Clerk be directed to give official information to John James and Gustavus Theisen in San Antonio that at an election held on 26 April according to law, Boerne was elected as the County seat by a majority of 67 votes above Sisterdale, and that he requests them to make and deliver the titles for the 14 lots each, which they proffered to give to this contingen- cy." On one of these lots, the county later builds the first courthouse. Charles Bonnet is present for the next meeting on May 29. On 13 September, the County Clerk does not record attendance, so it is not sure if he attended. Charles Bonnet is not present at the 17 November meeting, and no explanation is given. He does not report in as a commissioner again. (Continued on page 4) 4 Bonnet, continued The Civil War is now in full swing, and all able-bodied men are required to serve the Confederacy. Bonnet enlists in the Comfort militia for Precinct Two. He does not stay in the militia for long; his Union sympathies lead him to avoid the Confederates. His brother Peter goes to Mexico with Adolph Zoeller to join the Union Army. On 12 October 1862, while swimming crossing the Rio Grande, Peter and seven other men are shot by Confederate soldiers. Peter dies a few days later in Piedras Negras. Five years later, Peter's name is inscribed on the newly erected Treue der Union Monument in Comfort. At the end of 1863, after evading conscription in the Confederate Army for over fifteen months, Charles and the Bev- ersdorf brothers also travel to Mexico to join the Union Army. His brothers Daniel and William go with them. In Brownsville on 1 February 1864, he enlists as a private in Co. H, 1st Regiment Texas Cavalry, for three years. He is ap- pointed First Lieutenant and is assigned to the Gulf of New Orleans. In January 1865, he writes his commanding officer requesting a discharge. "Being driven off by the rebs from my home in the State of Texas, I left a wife and nine children alone where there is nobody to take care for. My family is in a great want, as the last letter from my wife states, so that I am compelled to ask for my discharge." On 7 February 1865, his discharge is approved in New Orle- ans, but he does not officially muster out until 4 November 1865 in San Antonio.