urn:taro:utexas.cah.02047 A Guide to the John H. Chrisman Reminiscences, 1915, 1921 Original EAD encoding by Bethany Anderson according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. November 2010 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Chrisman, John H., 1821-1922 Chrisman, John H., Reminiscences 1915, 1921 Materials are written in English. 1 vol. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin These reminiscences were written by Chrisman in 1915, and chronicles his life from 1854 to 1865, including his move from Illinois to Texas and his role in organizing the community of Gatesville. Biographical Note

Born in Charleston, Indiana, John H. Chrisman (1821-1922) moved with his parents to Illinois when he was at the age of one. In 1846, he sought to move to Texas with his wife, Samantha Minnis, and two children. En route to Texas, Chrisman’s wife died in Arkansas. Chrisman left his children briefly in Arkansas and returned to Illinois, where he married Sarah Mitchell, with whom he later had nine children. After reclaiming his children from Arkansas, Chrisman arrived with his family in Fort Gates, Texas, on April 4, 1854. Chrisman surveyed and settled in the town of Gatesville, and also created a plot map of Coryell County. As an involved member of his community, he built the first jail in the county and served as justice of peace from 1855 to 1861. Chrisman engaged in a number of trades, including selling dry goods and groceries from Houston, transporting mail between Comanche and Gatesville in 1858, and driving a herd of cattle to Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1859. During the Civil War, he joined the Frontier Regiment composed of Texas Rangers and Confederate soldiers, which protected the western frontier from Native American depredations. Following his service in the regiment, Chrisman returned to Gatesville and practiced law until his death in 1922.

Source:

Edwards, Sylvia. Chrisman, John H. Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed Novmember 8, 2010. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fch36.

 Scope and Contents

The John H. Chrisman Reminiscences, 1915, 1921, was written by Chrisman in 1915, and chronicles his life from 1854 to 1865. The collection consists of two typescripts of his reminiscences from 1921. Chrisman ruminates his journey from Illinois to Texas, his role in organizing the community of Gatesville, and his experiences as a grocer, mail carrier, cattle driver, Texas Ranger, and Confederate soldier. In addition, he discusses frontier life and conflicts between Native Americans and settlers in the region.

 Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Chrisman, John H., 1821-1922--Archives Subjects (Organizations) Confederate States of America. Army. Texas Frontier Cavalry Regiment Subjects Indians of North America--Texas--History-19th century Texas Rangers--History--19th century Places Coryell County (Tex.) Gatesville (Tex.) Preferred Citation

John H. Chrisman Reminiscences, 1915, 1921, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

 Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.

 Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 2Q479 Two typescripts, 1915, 1921