William Dunbar
Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A member of the Mier Expedition, 1842-43. Born in Tennessee, January 1, 1819; died December 20, 1855.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
William Dunbar, born in Tennessee in 1819, was a member of the ill-fated Mier Expedition of 1842–43, when Texans crossed the Rio Grande in a raid against Mexico and were captured and imprisoned. He survived that ordeal and lived until 1855, his grave in Bastrop marking a participant in one of the Republic of Texas's most dramatic military misadventures.
Why it matters
Dunbar's story links a Texas community to the Mier Expedition, a harrowing episode of the young Republic whose captured men faced the infamous "black bean" lottery of life and death.
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Related people
- · William Dunbar
Related events
- · Mier Expedition
Themes & tags
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