I have been interested in family research for almost 30 years and just
this past year I discovered that my husband has THREE gg grandfathers
who lived in Anderson County, Tennessee. These three men also served in
the same War of 1812 military unit from Anderson County. Two of them
can be found on the Scott County Tennessee 1850 Federal Census. One of
them had a son who married the other one's daughter. The third one
had wanderlust and left Anderson County for Illinois and then came to
Texas when Texas was still a Republic. This third one is the one who
made it possible for my husband to be a "Texian" and a registered member
of the "First Families of Texas". I want to share some of my research
on these three men.
Submitted by:
Glenn & Patsy Hand
417 Cottonwood St.
Victoria, TX 77904-9623
e-mail ghand@viptx.net
Thomas ASHER was the one who decided to pull up his roots and "go
west". Thomas was born between 1785 and 1795 in Tennessee. Some
researchers believe his father was Robertson ASHER who is listed on the
Washington County TN tax list for 1791 & 1793. On his application for
Bounty Land Claim, filed in DeWitt County Texas on 19 July 1855, Thomas
states that he married Mary McGEE in Anderson County TN in May 1817.
Also on the application Thomas ASHER states he served as a pvt and as a
substitue for Walton/Walter TAYLOR. He was mustered into service 19
Sept 1814 at Knoxville, TN. in Capt. James TUNNELL'S Co., Reg't East
Tennessee Militia commanded by Col. Wm. JOHNSON. His term of service
expired
4 May 1815. In his application for bounty land he names the following
as being members of the same militia unit:
RICE-Adjutant General; James C. McGEE-major; McADOO-1st Lieutenant.
Other enlisted men:
Michael ASHER; David LANDRUM; James BLACKBURN; Andrew EDGEN; George
GARNER; John SEXTON; Wm. SEXTON and _____ PATTON.
By 1820 Thomas ASHER had moved to Bond County, Illinois and he married
his second wife, Sally SWANSON in Greene Co. Illinois on 5 Dec 1822. In
Shelby Co. Texas, Republic of Texas, on 22 Feb 1838, Thomas ASHER made
an application for bounty land as "an immigrant of the year 1832." He
was granted a league and labor of land in Travis Co. TX in 1841. By
1846 Thomas had moved to DeWitt County TX and is listed without a wife
on the 1850 DeWitt County census. Thomas died 4 July 1885 in
Riddleville, Karnes County, Texas.
Children: (1st marriage)
1. James ASHER , b. 4 Jan 1818 Tennessee m. Emily WOFFORD; 2. Delaney
ASHER b. 1820 Illinois
(2nd marriage)
1. Thomas Pleasant ASHER b. 1825 Illinois m. Mrs. Annastasia BROWN
TENNELL; 2. Mary
Ann ASHER b. 1826 Illinois m. John J. TOMLINSON; 3. Robertson ASHER b.
1828 m. Susan
DOWDY; 4. Franklin ASHER b. March 1835 Texas m. Sarah Ann KEYES; 7.
Nancy Caroline
ASHER b. Feb 1838 Texas m. John Benjamin HAND in 1855; 8. John Henry
ASHER b. Oct. 1842 Texas b. 1. Rachel BROWN 2. Nellie BARTER; and 9.
Louisa Eliza ASHER b. 12 Apr 1843 Texas m. Thomas CAFFALL
note: another ASHER researcher has related that his ancestor Charles
ASHER and a brother of Charles, William both served in the War of 1812
from Anderson Co. TN. The Michael ASHER named in Thomas ASHER'S claim
application has been traced to Washington Co. Arkansas.
Get your own
