In Memory of_Colonel Benjamin Fort Smith_and all other pioneers
Anderson, Grimes County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(FRONT) In memory of Colonel Benjamin Fort Smith, Dr. Robert C. Neblett, veterans of The War of 1812; Colonel Benjamin F. Smith, veteran of the Black Hawk War, 1832; Jared E. Groce, Joshua Hadley, William Robinson, delegates to the First Convention of Texas, 1832; Jared E. Groce, Francis Holland, Jesse Grimes, delegates to the Second Convention of Texas, 1833; Joshua Hadley, Dr. George M. Patrick, delegates to the Consultation, 1835; Benjamin Briggs Goodrich, Jesse Grimes, signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, 1836; Francis Holland, Anthony Drew Kennard, soldiers in the Army, 1835; Sarah Rudolph Dodson, who made a flag for a military company, Army of Texas, 1835. Erected by the State of Texas 1936 (BACK) In memory of Tapley Holland, John Camp Goodrich, Alfred Calvin Grimes, martyrs of the Alamo; Anderson Buffington, Benjamin Fort Smith, heroes of San Jacinto; Francis Holland, Michael Kennard, John F. Martin, Dr. Verplank Ackerman, William P. Zuber, Soldiers in the Army, 1836; Robert Holman Dunham who was massacred in Mexico, 1842; Kenneth Lewis Anderson, Vice President of the Republic, who died in Anderson, July 3, 1845; William Carley, veteran of the Mexican War, 1846; and all other pioneers who lived in this vicinity during the days of the Republic.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Erected by the State of Texas in 1936, this monument honors the pioneers of the Grimes County vicinity who shaped the Republic of Texas. Its two faces name veterans of the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War, delegates to the conventions that pressed for independence, signers of the Texas Declaration, martyrs of the Alamo, and heroes of San Jacinto. Among them are figures like Jesse Grimes and a woman who sewed a flag for the Texas army.
Why it matters
The memorial gathers a single community's remarkable roll of soldiers and statesmen who helped birth the Republic of Texas.
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Related people
- · Benjamin Fort Smith
- · Jesse Grimes
- · Kenneth Lewis Anderson
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
- · Battle of the Alamo
- · Texas Declaration of Independence
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Fuqua Family Cemetery
Anderson, TX
This family burial ground honors the Ephraim Fuqua family, among the earliest settlers in this part of Grimes County. Fuqua secured a land patent from the young Republic of Texas in 1841 and set aside part of it for a cemetery, whose first recorded grave belongs to a Confederate soldier who died in 1862. Generations of the family rest here, including veterans of the Spanish-American War and both world wars.
Anthony Drew Kennard
Roans Prairie, TX
Anthony Drew Kennard, born in Tennessee in 1788, served in the Army of Texas in 1835 during the struggle for Texas independence, and lies buried here with his wife Sallie Moore Kennard. The State of Texas erected this marker in 1936, the centennial of the Republic, to honor his service. His grave ties this quiet Grimes County spot to the revolution that made Texas a nation.
John Montgomery
Stoneham, TX
A native of Alabama, John Montgomery came to Texas about 1830 with his brother Andrew and joined the struggle for independence. Like his brother he served in Captain James Gillaspie's company at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, the battle that secured the Republic of Texas. The state placed this marker in 1957 to honor his part in that founding moment.
Andrew Jackson Montgomery
Stoneham, TX
Andrew Jackson Montgomery came to Texas around 1830 and took his place in the fight for its independence, serving in Captain James Gillaspie's company at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, the decisive victory that won the Republic of Texas its freedom. The marker, erected by the state in 1957, carries a supplemental plate offering differing dates for his birth and arrival, a reminder of how uncertain early frontier records could be.