The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937 Page: 232
348 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the date of Mr. Fisher's departure for Matagorda and his family's
embarking for the same place, they had been spending their time
with Mrs. Fisher's father, Mr. Israel Pleasants, in Philadelphia.
Besides the parents, the family that went out to Texas consisted
of the little daughter, Annie, between eight and nine years of
age, little Israel Pleasants, six years old, and the baby Rebecca,
two years of age. The oldest child of the family, Samuel W. Fisher,
was left in Philadelphia to attend school.
After arriving in New Orleans, they were obliged to re-embark
for Texas. This they had to do on a very small, dirty, uncomfort-
able little schooner.
While in New Orleans, Mr. Fisher purchased a servant woman
to take with them to Texas. IHer name was Sarah, the children
calling her "Mammy Sarah." She was an excellent servant for
work, but disagreeable in disposition and manners.
The family were two weeks making the voyage from New
Orleans to Matagorda-two weeks on that wretched little schooner.
When at last they arrived, they found a great disappointment
awaiting them. Mr. Fisher had left plans and money for building
a house for the reception of the family, but on their landing, so
far from finding a home of their own, it was with difficulty they
found a shelter of any kind.
When Mr. Fisher applied to the agent whom he had entrusted
with the money, to learn why the house had not been built, he
answered, "I had other uses for your money, sir. My brother
was in difficulty, and I required your money to clear him."
The walk from the landing was fully two miles, over a trackless
waste of wild grass, up to a house which was situated on what
was called a "bluff," which was only a slight elevation above a
marsh. The house was not a house of entertainment, but belonged
to a kind-hearted woman, who was willing to put herself to
inconvenience to accommodate strangers. It consisted of only one
room, about eighteen feet square, raised on posts about four or
five feet in height, and it was not even finished, for it had no
floor.
As a substitute for planks, clapboards had been laid from sleeper
to sleeper, and over these was spread an old rag carpet. There
were two rough bedsteads, not pieces of furniture, but planks232
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937, periodical, 1937; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101099/m1/254/?rotate=270: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.