HistoricSiteMarkers
Civil War

Henderson Cemetery (Two miles north)

Ingram, Kerr County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Howard Henderson (1842-1908) came to Texas in 1857. He was a survivor of the Civil War Battle of the Nueces in 1862, in which he and other Unionists were ambushed by a Confederate force near the Nueces River. He later served as Texas Ranger. Henderson married Narcissa Turknett in 1866 and they settled near this site. In 1870, upon the deaths of their infant twin sons Thomas and Philip, they began a family burial ground which became known as Henderson Cemetery. Other family members and neighbors were also buried in the graveyard. (1990)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Howard Henderson came to Texas in 1857 and survived the 1862 Battle of the Nueces, in which Confederate forces ambushed a group of German Unionists near the Nueces River. He later served as a Texas Ranger and, with his wife Narcissa, settled here after their 1866 marriage. When their infant twin sons died in 1870, the couple began this family burial ground, which grew to hold relatives and neighbors.

Why it matters

Henderson's survival of the Nueces massacre preserves the memory of Texas Unionists who paid dearly for opposing the Confederacy in a divided frontier society.

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Related people

  • · Howard Henderson
  • · Narcissa Turknett

Related events

  • · Battle of the Nueces

Themes & tags

Civil WarFrontier HistoryMemorial

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