James Washington Winters
Bigfoot, Frio County, Texas
Marker Inscription
San Jacinto veteran, went on Somervell Expedition. Loyal to former general Sam Houston, did not sign Oath of Allegiance to the Confederate States at Oakville, July 4, 1861. Capt. 29th Brig. T.S.M., Provost Marshall, scout between Nueces and Rio Grande rivers. 8 yrs. in Tuxpan Mexico. Wife, Piercy Tullos. Children; James, Josephus, Adeline, Susan, John, Marion, William B. and Sallie. His 2nd wife was Elizabeth Wier. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
James Washington Winters fought at San Jacinto in the 1836 revolution that won Texas independence and later joined the Somervell Expedition. A loyal follower of Sam Houston, he refused to sign the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy at Oakville on July 4, 1861, yet served as a captain, provost marshal, and scout in the militia patrolling the country between the Nueces and Rio Grande. He spent eight years in Tuxpan, Mexico, and raised a large family with his wives Piercy Tullos and Elizabeth Wier.
Why it matters
His life spans the whole turbulent making of Texas — from the battlefield of independence to the divided loyalties of the Civil War frontier — embodying the Unionist Texans who resisted secession.
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Related people
- · James Washington Winters
- · Sam Houston
- · Piercy Tullos
- · Elizabeth Wier
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
- · Somervell Expedition
Themes & tags
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