Colonel Lewis Given Harman
Marathon, Brewster County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1818-1902) Typical of those who served the South and then moved into new counties of Western Texas. Surveyor, Indian agent, soldier, legislator, Justice of the Peace. Born in Tennessee. Moved to Texas 1838. Fought in Mexican War. Though 43 when Civil War began, immediately joined 11th Texas Cavalry, in swift 1861 campaign to place Confederate forts in Indian Territory. Was Post Commander, Fort Arbuckle, I.T., June to August 1861. Civic leader in Marathon after its founding in 1882. Had town's first Masonic funeral.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Lewis Given Harman (1818–1902) typified the many men who served the Confederacy and then pushed into the new counties of West Texas. Born in Tennessee, he came to Texas in 1838, fought in the Mexican War, and though 43 when the Civil War began, joined the 11th Texas Cavalry in the 1861 campaign to seize Confederate forts in Indian Territory, briefly commanding Fort Arbuckle. A surveyor, Indian agent, soldier, and legislator, he became a civic leader in Marathon after the town's founding in 1882.
Why it matters
Harman's many roles trace the arc of nineteenth-century Anglo expansion across Texas—from war and frontier administration to the settlement of the far-western counties.
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Related people
- · Lewis Given Harman
Related events
- · Mexican War
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
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