The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 190
359 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Livingston, was born to the young couple. Not quite two years
later, December 9, 1929, a second son, John Cleveland, was born.
And on the 12th of January, 1832, a third son was born and
named Thomas Jefferson for the father. But only a week after
the birth of a fourth son, Cicero, in 1834, the little Thomas Jef-
ferson died. 1
In addition to their sorrow over the loss of this little one, the
young couple were in financial trouble. Clarksville was then in
the center of the "Gold Region." Speculation was rife, and the
young father invested heavily in the stock of a company of miners
and speculators in land. The managers absconded with some of
the funds of the company, and left the young man in poverty
and debt. Rusk, financially ruined, followed them to Nacog-
doches, Texas, where he overtook them, only to find they had
gambled the money away."
Rusk decided to make a fresh start in the new country. In
taking the oath of allegiance to the Mexican government he stated
that his occupation was farming and stock-raising. Rusk did not
speak Spanish and knew nothing of Mexican law. There would
have been no possibility of his succeeding in his profession in his
new home. Moreover, the Mexican Government encouraged the
emigration of farmers by offering a land bounty. Ie gave his
age as 29,17 which fact would imply that 1806 was the date of
his birth. In his Bible his birthday is given as December 5, 1803'.
David Rusk never knew exactly the year of his birth, and it is
possible that Thomas Jefferson Rusk was also confused about his
age. Or, it may be, he did not understand the Spanish number
when he took the oath.
Even after having settled in the new home, Rusk did not feel
it safe to bring his little family out to Texas. He was parted
from them for a year or a little more.
Mary Cleveland Rusk, called Polly by her family and intimate
friends, during the later years of her life in Nacogdoches was a
tall slender woman with dark hair and eyes, but fair skinned.
She was quite handsome, in spite of the fact that she had lost
"Rusk Family Bible in the Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College
Library.
"Texas Almanac, 1858, p. 105.
17C. B. Sterritt, "Life of T. J. Rusk."190
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931, periodical, 1931; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101091/m1/206/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.