McCarley,
Samuel, Homesite
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Marker Title: |
Samuel McCarley Homesite |
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Address: |
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City: |
Houston |
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County: |
Harris |
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Year Marker Erected: |
1993 |
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Designations: |
na |
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Marker Location: |
FM 2920 and A. J. Foyt Rd., about 9 mi. west of Tomball |
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Marker Text: |
Texas Army Camp - April 15, 1836 Samuel McCarley (1775-1838),
his wife Celia (1794-1873), and their ten children settled near
here on Spring Creek in 1831. By 1836 the McCarley home was located
on a well-traveled road linking Washington-on-the-Brazos (30
mi. NW) with Harrisburg (40 mi. SE). Their neighbor, Abraham
Roberts, lived about three miles east at a fork in the road.
One fork led east to the Trinity River and the other southeast
to Harrisburg. On April 15, 1836, the Texas army led by General
Sam Houston left camp near the Brazos River and marched east,
arriving here at dusk. Overnight, Houston's 1100 hungry soldiers
consumed cattle, corn, and bacon belonging to the McCarleys and
burned about 4,000 of their fence rails for fuel. According to
post-war accounts, many in the Texas army strongly suspected
that Houston was unwilling to engage the Mexican army, known
to be advancing toward Harrisburg. On April 16, however, Houston
and the Texas soldiers took the Harrisburg Road at the fork and
on April 21 defeated the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto
to win Texas independence. Samuel McCarley died in 1838 and in
1858 the state of Texas awarded his widow, Celia, $460 as compensation
for damages caused by the Texas army. Sam Houston Bicentennial
1793-1993 |
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