Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas Page: 80 of 372
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,BIOGRAPHIITCAL
70
the Black Hawk war.- In 1832 he resigned his command
in the army, and in 1836 located in Texas.
In 1837 he was appointed by President Houston to
the command of the army in the West. Shortly
afterward lie resigned his command and located on
a plantation in Brazoria county. He was Secretary
of War under President Lamar. In 1839 he organized
an expedition for the expulsion of the Cherokees
from East Texas. In 1846 hlie was elected
Colonel of the 2d regiment of Texas volunteers for
the Mexican war. On the close of the Mexican
war, he was re-appointed to the United States
army, and made Inspector-General. In 1849 he was
made Paymaster, and was assigniied to the coimmand
of the 2d cavalry on the Texas frontier. lIe
resided in the city of Austin for a mniber of years.
In 1855 he accompanied General Harney to the
Plains, In 1856 he was assigned to the command
of Salt Lake. In 1860 he was given command of
the department of the Pacific, with headquarters at
San Francisco. The following year he joined the
Confederacy, and was assigned to the command
of the Confederate army at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
In 1862 at the battle of Shiloh, while
bravely leading his men lie was killed. He was
temporarily buried at New Orleans. In 1.866, the
State of Texas had his remains broughlit to Austin
and there interred in the State burying ground.
Qeneral Albert Sidney Johnson was a man of remarkable
ability, an amiable and loving disposition,
unaffected modesty, dauatless courage, and
marked integrity and purity of character.
.AKER, WILLIAM ROBINSON, capitalist
iand prominent citizen of Houston, Texas,
. was a son of Asa Baker, of Cheshive
county, New Hampshire. Asa Baker was
in his lifetime a merchant, at times also followed
the business of a civil engineer. In the war of
1812 he served with distinction as a captain in the
volunteer army; was a son of Captain Alden S.
Baker of Revolutionary fame, who served as a gallant
officer in the New Hampshire line. The Baker
family at a very early date emigrated directly from
England and settled in the wilds of New Hampshire.
Captain Asa Baker at the conclusion of
the war of 1812 removed to Onondaga county, New
York, where the subject of this biography was
born, May 21st, 1820. Mr. Baker's mother, Hannah
Robinson, was a native of Philadelphia;
daughter of a well known merchant, and large miporter
of that city, by name of WilliF m Robinson..
She was a lady of great respectability, possessingin
an eminent degree all tmhe gracets of her sex.,
Mr. Baker was raised in the State of New York,
and was early thrown upon ihis own resources. At4
the age of teni years lie was put to mnanual labor;,
His early literary acquirenments were exceedingly
limited, for his father, though a scholarly man,.
was held in check by the pinches of poverty, and
in consequence wvas obliged to l)becomne the tutor of
his own children. i:e however succeeded in givingi.
his son William a tolerable knowledge of thie mEnglish
rudimentary branchles. Performing hlard:
labor until the age of seventeen, lie determined to:,
go to Texas, and in 1837 arrived in the Republic,
locating at .lHouston, where lie lihas resided eversince.
Soon aifter his arrival lie got employymient,
as book-keeper of the Houston Town Company,.
and was thus engaged for abtout two years. Front
1839 to 1.841 lie carrited on a kind of general store.
In Feblrumary 1841, lie was :imnoniced as a canididate
for county clerk of ltarris county and was
elected, anId re-elected ftor sixt,een consecutive. years...
In 1852 he became Secretary of tilhe Texas C("entral
Rail Road Company. In 1856) he was chosetn Secretary
of the Houston and Texas Central, and Director
of that road, and sulsequently its Vice
President. From 180;8 to 187I lie was President of
the road, and from 187:1 to 1875 Vice-President and
Mlanager. in 1877 le sold uit his interest in,:
the road and retire 1 fro:n rail-road busiiess,.
In 1874 lie was hlmonored with a seat inli theState
Senate of Texas, being elected on( the
Democratic ticket. !Iis legislative career was;
marked by closeo attention to duty andl a strict riegard
for the interests of the people at laitrge. lie
married in December, 18-.15, Miss Ilester E. Runnels,
a dauglhter of Hosea A. Rhunnels, a prominent
mercliant of Mississippi, and brother of Governor
Hiiram G. Runmels of tlinat State, in whose family
Mrs. Baker, was raised after tlie G(lovermnor lhad
settled as a liantmoer in Brlazoria c(,mlty, Texas.
IE, JAMIES POP, law1e,r citizen and
. pioniieer of Galveston, Texas, is a son of
John Cole, a descendant, in the third
generation of a British colonist, who settlCed
in South Carolina at a very early ieriod..
John Cole was one of those men of whomi it imy
be said, that such appear upon the earth at ee-tain
periods, and generally one at a time: like'
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Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas (Book)
Biographical view of Texas and its history including narratives of the individuals who helped shape Texas history and information about important point in history including: the pioneer days of Texas, Texas' transition from a Mexican state to being part of the United States, and the wars in which Texas citizens took part.
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Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas, book, 1880; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5827/m1/80/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.