Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 4, Number 1, January 1994 Page: 21
46 p. : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Brief History of Columbus
What was known as the Runaway Scrape ocurred [sic] with the retreat of Houston and
his army from Gonzales. It was a season of stark terror, fear and suffering for those
inhabitants of Texas running ahead of the horde of murderous Mexicans who composed
Santa Anna 's army. Hundreds of men, women and children, traveling in any manner
possible, crossed the river at Beason's ferry here, eastward bound.
Here Zumwalt apparently employs Dewees again. His account of the
runaway scrape appears in the "letter" dated October 12, 1836 (see
Letters From an Early Settler of Texas, pages 203-205). Dewees,
however, is not specific about the number of people, their modes of
travel, or the place they crossed the river, nor do they characterize the
Mexican army as "murderous."
The Republic of Texas was organized at Houston in January of 1837. General Houston
had burned all of the buildings in Columbus, so the first district court here was held under
a thousand year old liveoak [sic] in April of that year, presided over by Judge R. M.
Williamson, who was familiarly known as Three Legged Willie. At a later term of the
district court here a man by the name of Bibbs was convicted of grand larceny. The court
records do not state the nature of the larceny, but cattle theft was the most popular form
in those days. The sentence of the Court was that Bibbs should be branded with a hot
iron the letter T for Thief, be given 39 lashes on the bare back, be fined $500 and kept
in "custide" until the fine should be paid. "Later, it being made represent to the Court
that there was not five hundred dollars west of the Colorado river that portion of the
sentence was remitted and he was discharged from custide. " It is surmised that Bibbs
was kept in "custide" by chaining him to a tree.
The earliest recorded district court business in Colorado County was the
brief visit to the county by Judge Robert McAlpin "Three-Legged Willie"
Williamson. The account of that first session of court appears on page
1 of District Court Minute Book A now on file in the Office of the District
Clerk in Colorado County, Texas. The date is given as "April term 1837."
The exact date was probably April 3. By law, Williamson, as judge of
the Third Judicial District, was required to conduct court twice a year in
six different counties over a six week period, beginning his circuit on the
first Mondays in March and September. Colorado County was the fifth
stop on the circuit, meaning that Williamson should have been here on
the fifth Monday of his six-week tour, or April 3 (see The Laws of Texas
1822-1897, volume 1, pages 1258-1259).
Williamson apparently heard no cases in that brief first session.
His practice that spring was to make a speech asserting the court's
authority to the assembled people. He probably made remarks very
similar to those he made in Washington County on the second week of
his tour. That speech was printed in the May 16, 1837 issue of the
Telegraph and Texas Register. He also imposed fines on the several men21
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Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 4, Number 1, January 1994, periodical, January 1994; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151390/m1/21/?q=nesbitt%2520memorial%2520library%2520journal: accessed May 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.