William Blewett
Newton, Newton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1830-1862) Georgia native William Blewett came to Texas with his family in 1849. They settled first in Jasper County, where he was district surveyor about 1853. He married a cousin, Nancy Adams; they later became the parents of 6 children. In 1858 they moved to Newton and William opened the Blewett & Company Mercantile near this site with his cousin Adam Adams. When the Civil War broke out, Blewett was a leader in organizing a company of local volunteers that became part of Company G, 13th Texas Cavalry. He served as a captain and died in Arkansas in 1862. (1997) Incise on base: Donated by Blewett Descendants
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Georgia-born William Blewett came to Texas in 1849, worked as a district surveyor, and by 1858 had opened a mercantile in Newton with his cousin. When the Civil War came, he helped raise a company of local volunteers and served as a captain in Company G, 13th Texas Cavalry. He died in Arkansas in 1862, one of the many Texans who never came home.
Why it matters
Blewett's short life—from frontier surveyor and merchant to Confederate officer—reflects how the Civil War swept up the leading men of even the most remote Texas communities.
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Themes & tags
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