HistoricSiteMarkers
Civil War

Benjamin F. Gholson

Evant, Coryell County, Texas

Marker Inscription

(Nov. 17, 1842-April 3, 1932) Born in Falls County. Son of early Texas settlers Albert G. and Elidia Anderson Gholson. After 1858-1859 service with Texas Rangers, he re-enlisted in company under Capt. J. M. Smith, and in 1860 aided in the rescue of Cynthia Ann Parker, kidnapped by Comanche Indians in 1836. Served in 2nd Regiment, Texas Cavalry in Civil War. Married Jane Adaline Langford. Prominent stockman, was active in the Texas Ex-Rangers Association.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Benjamin F. Gholson, born in 1842 to early Texas settlers, served with the Texas Rangers as a young man and in 1860 took part in the company that recovered Cynthia Ann Parker, the Anglo woman taken by the Comanche as a child in 1836. He went on to serve in the 2nd Texas Cavalry during the Civil War before becoming a prominent stockman. In later life he was active in the Texas Ex-Rangers Association, helping to preserve the memory of the frontier era he had lived.

Why it matters

Gholson's life bridges the raw frontier of Ranger service and Indian conflict, the Civil War, and the ranching age — one man's span across the making of Texas.

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Related people

  • · Benjamin F. Gholson
  • · Cynthia Ann Parker

Related events

  • · Rescue of Cynthia Ann Parker

Themes & tags

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