HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

John S. Roberts

Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Sheriff in Natchitoches Louisiana in 1826 One of the leaders in Battle of Nacogdoches. Member of Consultation, 1835. Commanded the Nacogdoches Company in storming of Bexar, 1835. Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Born in Virginia, July 13, 1796 Died August 9, 1871 His wife HARRIET ROBERTS Born April 7, 1796 Died April 5, 1874 Erected by the State of Texas 1936

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Once a sheriff in Natchitoches, Louisiana, John S. Roberts threw himself into the Texas cause, helping lead the 1832 Battle of Nacogdoches and commanding the Nacogdoches company in the 1835 storming of Bexar. He served in the 1835 Consultation and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. A Virginia native, he lived out his years in the town he had fought for, dying in 1871.

Why it matters

Roberts was both a soldier and a founder of the Republic, embodying the fusion of frontier militia leadership and statesmanship that made Texas independence possible.

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Related people

  • ยท John S. Roberts
  • ยท Harriet Roberts

Related events

  • ยท Storming of Bexar
  • ยท Texas Declaration of Independence

Themes & tags

Military & WartimeWestward ExpansionFrontier HistoryMonument

Nearby & related markers

Haden Edwards

Nacogdoches, TX

A Virginia-born empresario, Haden Edwards received a contract to settle American families around Nacogdoches but fell into bitter conflict with Mexican authorities and existing residents. In 1826-27 he led the short-lived Fredonian Rebellion, an early and premature bid for Anglo independence in Texas that collapsed quickly. A decade later, during the Texas Revolution, he was sent to the United States to raise funds for the cause.

Site of the Home of Juan Antonio Padilla

Nacogdoches, TX

A native son of Nacogdoches, Juan Antonio Padilla rose to serve as land commissioner in 1829 and as vice-governor of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas, then took an active part in the Texas Revolution. He died in Houston in 1839, and his wife, Maria Montes del Padilla, died at their Nacogdoches home in 1846. A 1936 state marker honors the site where they lived.