McDade in Bastrop County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Capt. Jesse Billingsley

1810-1880

Photographed by James Hulse, August 31, 2022

1. Capt. Jesse Billingsley Marker

Inscription. Born in Tennessee, friend of David Crockett, Jesse Billingsley came to Texas in 1834. Known as a fearless Indian fighter, Billingsley was elected captain of the Mina Volunteers, Company C, of the Republic of Texas Army. At the Battle of San Jacinto, he and his men proved their daring and audacious valor by being the first into Santa Anna's camp and suffering the most casualties: Historian J. Frank Dobie described Capt. Billingsley as "The Old Rock" of San Jacinto and credited him with being the first to yell "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!" Despite being crippled in his left hand from a gunshot wound during the fight at San Jacinto, he continued to participate in almost every major skirmish on the Texas frontier. To be known as one of "Billingsley's Men' was considered a mark of distinction. He served in the Republic of Texas Congress and as a senator in the 5th and 8th Legislatures of the State, sleeping on the Capitol floor in a buckskin suit. His vote against secession and his fair treatment of African-Americans caused him to lose re-election but never dampened his spirit. Capt. Billingsley died on his farm at

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McDade in 1880 and was buried in the front yard at his request next to his favorite horse. His body was later reinterred in the Texas State Cemetery, one of the highest honors in the state.

Erected 2014 by Baron de Bastrop Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, Texas Independence • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1834.

Location. 30° 17.241′ N, 97° 14.386′ W. Marker is in McDade, Texas, in Bastrop County. It is at the intersection of Waco Street and Old Highway 20 (Farm to Market Road 333), on the left when traveling east on Waco Street. The marker is located along Waco Street on the west side of the railroad tracks. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mc Dade TX 78650, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas

and in the Austin Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

Photographed by James Hulse, August 31, 2022

2. Capt. Jesse Billingsley Marker

it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rock Front Saloon, 1870 (within shouting distance of this marker); McDade Baptist Church (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); McDade (approx. half a mile away); Three Oaks (Goerlitz) Cemetery (approx. 1.8 miles away); Siloah Cemetery (approx. 2.1 miles away); John Herron (approx. 3 miles away); Knobbs Springs Baptist Church (approx. 5.7 miles away); Rural Farms and Communities Before Camp Swift (approx. 5.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in McDade.

Also see . . . Jesse Billingsley. San Jacinto Museum

Born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, October 10, 1810, the third child of Jeptha and Miriam (Randolph) Billingsley. The other children were Tobitha, who married a Mr. Turner; Elijah; Mary C., who married Phil Claiborne; William, who married Eliza Pinckney Wilson; Artena, who married a Mr. Rutherford; Robert and Carroll Billingsley.

In Headright
Photographed by James Hulse, August 31, 2022

3. The view of the Capt. Jesse Billingsley Marker from Waco Street
Certificate No. 130 issued in 1838 to Captain Billingsley for one-third of a league of land by the Board of Land Commissioners for Bastrop County it is stated that he came to Texas in 1835. His parents and most of his brothers and sisters came in 1854. His father died on Cedar Creek in Bastrop County October 25, 1863.

(Submitted on September 6, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 3,000 times since then and 343 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 6, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.