Benjamin Franklin Bryant (15 March 1800 – 4 March 1857) was a military officer noted for his service to in the

Texian Army The Texian Army, also known as the Revolutionary Army and Army of the People, was the land warfare branch of the Texian armed forces during the Texas Revolution. It spontaneously formed from the Texian Militia in October 1835 following the Ba ...

at the Battle of San Jacinto, and later in the

Army of the Republic of Texas The Texas Army, officially the Army of the Republic of Texas, was the land warfare branch of the Texas Military Forces during the Republic of Texas. It descended from the Texian Army, which was established in October 1835 to fight for independenc ...

. Bryant founded the frontier fort Bryant Station and was personally recognized by

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 ...

and the Texas Legislature. The legislature voted in 1931 to relocate his grave to the Texas State Cemetery due to his notable place in Texas history.

Early life and career

Bryant was born in Wilkes County, Georgia, and spent his childhood in Macon County. He married Roxanna Price and also maintained a relationship with Rebecca Parker. After a 1929 petition to the state of Georgia to legitimize his children with Rebecca Parker, the scandal of the openly adulterous relationship led to Bryant, Roxanna, and Rebecca, along with their children and a nephew, to leave for

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, where the extended family settled-in near the Palo Gacho Bayou.

Battle of San Jacinto

In March 1836, Bryant, now

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of a recruited company of volunteers joined up with other units from the Texian Army at Bernardo Plantation, former home of

Jared Groce Jared Ellison Groce (October 12, 1782, Halifax County, Virginia – November 20, 1836) was an American planter, slaveowner and settler. He was one of the first American settlers in Texas, making him one of the Old Three Hundred. Early life In ...

, a wealthy Texas farmer. In June 1836, Bryant was issued Donation Certificate No. 314 for 640 acres of land for fighting on behalf of Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto. Though retired from military service in 1836, Bryant established and led Bryant Station a frontier fort on Little River. Bryant Station became a Headquarters for Indian fighters.

Later life

On 16 March 1839, Bryant commanded an engagement of 52 fighters against a group of natives at the falls of the Brazos, near the present city of Marlin. The engagement did not go well, with 18 killed or wounded, and they are reported to have retreated "in disorder." In 1845, Bryant built a new home near the fort for the extended family. He died at that home on 4 March 1857. The remains of Bryant and his legal wife Roxanna were removed by the State of Texas to the State Cemetery at Austin in 1931, in recognition of Bryant's significance in Texas history.

References

External links

* Captain Benjamin Bryant: Letter to Senate & House of Rep. re: Illigitimate (sic) children.
ancestry.com. Retrieved 23 May 2019. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Benjamin People of the Texas Revolution American emigrants to Mexico 1800 births People from Wilkes County, Georgia 1857 deaths