Andrew Briscoe (November 25, 1810 – October 4, 1849) was a merchant, revolutionary, soldier, and jurist. He was an organizer of the Texas Revolution, attending the Convention of 1836 and signing the Texas Declaration of Independence. He fought in three major battles, including the victory at San Jacinto. He was the first Chief Justice of Harrisburg County, Texas.

Early life

Andrew was born in

Claiborne County, Mississippi Claiborne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,135. Its county seat is Port Gibson. The county is named after William Claiborne, the second governor of the Mississippi Territo ...

on November 25, 1810.

Career

Briscoe emigrated to Texas, gained Mexican citizenship in 1833, then settled in

Anahuac, Texas Anahuac ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas on the coast of Trinity Bay. The population of the city was 1,980 at the 2020 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in Southeast Texas. The Texas Legislature designated th ...

, where he opened a store. He was among the local businessmen who protested the manner in which Mexican authorities collected import duties. He was jailed with DeWitt Clinton Harris, catalyzing an armed confrontation led by

William B. Travis William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army. He died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Tr ...

, the second of the Anahuac Disturbances. He volunteered on behalf of the Texian rebels at the Battle of Concepción,

Siege of Bexar A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

, and led Company A, Infantry Regulars at the decisive

Battle of San Jacinto The Battle of San Jacinto ( es, Batalla de San Jacinto), fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day La Porte and Pasadena, Texas, was the final and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Samuel Houston, the Texan Army engaged ...

. Briscoe signed the

Texas Declaration of Independence The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and was formal ...

. Briscoe was a delegate to the Texas

Convention of 1836 The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether ...

. After Texas Independence, President

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

appointed him to serve as the first Chief Justice of Harrisburg County, later renamed

Harris County, Texas Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas; as of the 2020 census, the population was 4,731,145, making it the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States. Its county seat is Houston, ...

. After his term ended in 1839, he retired from office and became a cattle dealer. In 1839, he planned a new railroad from town of

Harrisburg, Texas Harrisburg is a community that is now (originally documented as Harrisburgh, then shortened to Harrisburg in 1892) located within the city of Houston, Texas, United States. The community is located east of downtown Houston, south of the Brays Bayo ...

to the Brazos River. He hired workers to grade a roadbed and lay ties for about two miles before running short of capital. His wife, Mary Jane (Harris) Briscoe, was a surviving daughter of John Richardson Harris, who had received a land grant from the Austin Colony, founded Harrisburg, Texas, and was the namesake of Harris County. Mary Jane Briscoe was not an heir, but the Briscoes did invest in Harrisburg.

Death and legacy

In the spring of 1849, Briscoe moved with his family to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, where he lived until his death on October 4. He is buried in the

Texas State Cemetery The Texas State Cemetery (TSC) is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and vice-president of the Republic of ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

Briscoe County, Texas Briscoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,435. Its county seat is Silverton. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1892. It is named for Andrew Briscoe, a soldier ...

, is named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Briscoe, Andrew 1810 births 1849 deaths Politicians from Houston People from Claiborne County, Mississippi Politicians from New Orleans People of the Texas Revolution Burials at Texas State Cemetery Texas local politicians 19th-century American politicians People from Anahuac, Texas Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence