Dr. M. W. Matthews
Paradise, Wise County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Dr. M. W. Matthews (December 29, 1806 - April 13, 1891) Pioneer physician and preacher. Born in Kentucky. As army surgeon in Texas Revolution (1836), treated Gen. Sam Houston at Battle of San Jacinto. Served in the 1st and 7th Congresses of the Republic. Took part in Mexican War (1846). A firm Unionist during Civil War (1861-65), he once barely escaped hanging at hands of Southern vigilantes. Founded many churches across state. Was married twice: first to Sarah Gehagan and later to Margaret Spencer. Recorded - 1971
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Kentucky-born M. W. Matthews was both frontier doctor and preacher across nineteenth-century Texas. As an army surgeon in the Texas Revolution he treated Sam Houston after San Jacinto, later served in the Republic's Congress, and took part in the Mexican War. A firm Unionist during the Civil War, he once narrowly escaped hanging by Southern vigilantes even as he went on founding churches across the state.
Why it matters
His life threads together nearly every chapter of early Texas—revolution, republic, war, and religion—and the perilous cost of standing for the Union in a Confederate state.
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Related people
- · M. W. Matthews
- · Sam Houston
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
- · Mexican-American War
Themes & tags
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