Some time after this event, for reasons which he deemed sufficient, Stephen F. Austin removed the commander of a company, many of which had aided in the capture of this fort. The company adopted a resolution against a change, every man but the captain, Dimmitt, signing it, sixty-seven in all. Among them were: James O’Connor, George McKnight, James Duncan, Edward Quirk, Spirse Dooly, Robert McClure, Thomas O’Connor, Thomas Brien, Michael Riley, Andrew Devereau, J. B. Dale, Michael O’Donnell, Chas. Malone, Thomas M. Blake, J. L. McKenzie, Morgan Brien, Martin Lawlor, William Cumming, Patrick O’Beary, William Quinn, John Bowan, Jeremiah Day, Patrick Quinn, John Dunn, Thomas Todd and James Fagan.
A company, known as the New Orleans Grays, arrived at Brazoria to aid the Texan cause. They numbered sixty-two. Among the members were Chas. W. Connor, John Connell, Michael Cronican, Geo. H. Gill, William Harper, “of Ireland;” Nicholas Herron, Francis Leonard, Dennis Mahoney, M. B. McIver, John D. McLeod, John D. McNeill, James Nowland, Christopher O’Brien, Richard Ross, Thomas William Ward, Allen O’Kenney,—sixteen in all. Of these, Gill, Harper, Kenney and Mahoney were butchered with Fannin.
Among the signers of resolutions declaring for independence at Columbia, Dec. 25, 1835, were John Sweeney and P. R. Splane. Among those massacred with Fannin, and not mentioned thus far, were George McKnight, James Fagan, John Donoho, James McDonald, Robert Owens, R. R. Rainey, Lieut. John Grace (brother of subsequent Bishop Grace of Minnesota), James Logan, John O’Moore, John S. Scully, James McCoy, Moses Butler, J. M. Powers, Michael Carroll, Dominick Gallagher, Martin Moran, Patrick Osborne, J. B. Murphy, J. H. Moore, John McGowan, Cornelius Rooney, Edward Fitzsimmons, John O’Donnell, —— Glennan, George W. Coghlan, Lieut. J. B. Manomey, James Kelley, William McMurray, Z. O’Neill, Arthur G. Foley, D. Moore, Alfred Dorsey, J. W. Duncan, John Kelly, W. E. and James Vaughn and William Quinn.
S. Tucker Foley and James Foley, brothers of Frank G. Foley, were killed by the Indians. Among the few who escaped the Fannin butchery were Capt. James H. Callahan, Peter Griffin, J. McSherry, Nicholas Waters, W. Welsh, A. M. Boyle, Capt. Wm. Sherlock, William Brennan, J. H. Neely, N. J. Devenny, Bennett Butler and William Murphy.
During General Houston’s march he encamped at the ranch of a Mrs. McCurley. The historian writes that the condition of affairs just before the battle of Jacinto was such that the hopes and fears of the whole American population west of the Trinity gathered around General Houston.
Many of those who inhabited the western portion were without means of escape. Among the number were many of the Irish families of Refugio and San Patricio, still weeping and wailing for their sons and brothers who had been massacred with Fannin. The wife, sister and first-born child of John J. Linn were of the number.
The battle of San Jacinto occurred on April 21, 1836. Among those who participated of known Irish origin, or bearing Irish names, were the following,—Gen. Sam Houston, Col. Robert M. Coleman, Surgeon J. P. T. Fitzhugh, Lieut.-Col. J. C. Neill, John M. Wade, Willis Collins, J. Neil, E. Nixon, Jacob Duncan, W. B. Sweeney, Lieut. Robert McClusky, Daniel O’Driscoll, and Cassidy, Flynn, Farley, Montgomery, O’Niel, Sullivan, Moore, Hogan, Callahan, Capt. Richard Roman, McStea, McAllister, Morgan, McNeill, Donan, Gill, Adjutant Nicholas Lynch, Griffin, Hayes, Welsh, Magill, Cunningham, Herron, Conley, Dempsey, Blahey, Connell, McClelland, Bryan, Duncan, Maher, O’Conner, Connor, McNeill, Malone, McLaughlin, Hagan, McCrabb, Sennatt, O’Connor, Ryan, John, Lewis and Stephen T. Foley; Waters, Rainey, Cannon, Gentry, Dunn, Adjutant B. McNelly, Kincannon, Mitchell, McCoy, McLinn, Logan; Patrick Carnell, McManus, McFadden, Orr, Cornelius Devoy, Duffy, Cole, Lieut. David Murphy, Bradley, Boyd, Barr, Sweeney, Gallaher, McGay, McCormick, Hayes, Kenyon, Brennan, Corry, Capt. Thomas McIntire, Gill, Boyle, Campbell, McCorley, Madden, Montgomery, John and Andrew Ferrall, McMillan, O’Bamion, Capt. Bryan, Irvine, Clarke, McGary, Maxwell, McGowan, Hughes and Hannan.
When Santa Anna was captured and brought before General Houston a youth named Bryan, nineteen years old, acted as interpreter. Among those butchered by the Indians pending the siege of the Alamo, was the Dougherty family, but two members escaping. Of another party attacked about the same time, five of the males were killed. Five persons more, three of whom were females, were taken away by the Indians. One of the latter was rescued in 1860, after being a captive nearly twenty-five years.
Her recovery was made by Capt. Lawrence Sullivan Ross, commanding a company of Texas Rangers, later a general in the Confederate army, and still later governor of Texas. The counties of Refugio and San Patricio had been almost depopulated by the ravages of Mexicans and Indians. In consequence, the scattered exiles from these localities wherever they might have been, were allowed to vote for representatives and senators to represent their county in the first congress of the Texan republic.
This congress met on the third of October, 1836. Sam Houston had been chosen president, receiving 5,119 votes of a total of 6,640. The two Irish colonies were represented in congress as follows: Refugio, Elkanah Brush; San Patricio, John Geraghty. The colony of Victoria had quite a sprinkling of Irish settlers, among them the family of the McLinns. It was represented by Richard Roman. It is not at all unlikely that this may originally have been the name Ronan, a common Irish name. Sabine sent John Boyd. Collin McKinney represented Red River, and Jesse Grimes, Washington. Among the judges appointed by this congress were W. H. McIntire, Massillion Farley, Patrick Usher, Bartlett McClure, Geo. B. McKinstry, John Dunn, John Turner (the two latter were for Refugio and San Patricio), William McFarland and John McHenry.