Edward H. Tarrant (1799August 2, 1858) was an American politician who served the Republic of Texas and the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

by fighting multiple indigenous nations for two decades. He, along with John Nealy Bryan, John B. Denton, John H. Reagan, and surveyor Warren Angus Ferris, participated in the massacre of

Caddo Indians The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...

along the Trinity (Arkikosa) River. Once all native people were removed from the area Bryan was able to claim the land, divide it, and sell it, all thanks to the efforts of Gen. Tarrant. This area along the Arkikosa is now known as Dallas, TX. He also served in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

during both periods.

Tarrant County Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of 2 ...

is named after him.

Early life and education

Edward was a young veteran of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, taking part in the

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...

(1814–15) at the age of 19, probably as a private in the Kentucky state militia. Having moved to Tennessee, he was elected a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

state

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, in the frontier environment. By 1827, Tarrant had become a sheriff of

Henry County, Tennessee Henry County is a county located on the northwestern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and is considered part of West Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,199. Its county seat is Paris. The county is named for the Virgi ...

, but he moved to

by the early 1830s and established a ranch in Red River County. He became one of the most prosperous landowners, and he owned slaves.

Career

In September 1837, Tarrant was elected to represent Red River County in the House of Representatives of the Second Texan Congress; but after a few months, he resigned to serve the republic by directing ranger activities against the Indians in 1838. In 1838–39, he served as chief justice in Red River County and was elected Brigadier-general of a northeast Texas

unit called the Fourth Brigade. Tarrant's Indian-fighting career culminated in the battle of Village Creek, east of present-day Fort Worth, in May 1841. In 1843, Tarrant, along with George W. Terrell, negotiated the

Treaty of Bird's Fort The Treaty of Bird's Fort, or Bird's Fort Treaty was a peace treaty between the Republic of Texas and some of the Indian tribes of Texas and Oklahoma, signed on September 29, 1843. The treaty was intended to end years of hostilities and warfare be ...

with nine tribes of Native Americans. Tarrant served two terms in the state House of Representatives, between 1849 and 1853. In April 1851, he married Mary Danforth. The couple resided on Chambers Creek near

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Ellis County, Texas Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, its population was estimated to be 192,455. The county seat is Waxahachie. The county was founded in 1849 and organized the next year. It is named for Richard Ellis, pre ...

. As fighting Indians had become his specialty, in 1857, Tarrant moved part of his household to Fort Belknap in present-day Young County. He led a "go-to" fighting force to protect settlers in that locale from frequent Indian uprisings.

Later life and death

In 1857, Tarrant began moving part of his household to Fort Belknap. On one of his journeys, General Tarrant fell ill and died on August 2, 1858, at the home of William Fondren, which is 10 miles from

Weatherford, Texas Weatherford ( ) is a city and the county seat of Parker County, Texas, Parker County, Texas, United States. In 2020, its population was 30,854. Weatherford is named after Thomas J. Weatherford, a State senator and advocate for Texas’ secession ...

, in Parker County. He was initially interred in the William Fondren family cemetery. On January 28, 1859, Tarrant's remains were moved to a grave on his Chambers Creek family farm in

. Tarrant's final resting place, effective March 3, 1928, is Pioneers Rest cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas, the seat of his namesake county. His widow later married James Emerson Hawkins, settler of

Midlothian, Texas Midlothian is a city in northwest Ellis County, Texas, United States. The city is southwest of Dallas. It is the hub for the cement industry in North Texas, as it is the home to three separate cement production facilities, as well as a steel mill ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tarrant, Edward H. Members of the Texas Legislature Texas–Indian Wars 1796 births 1858 deaths 19th-century American politicians People from Bamberg County, South Carolina People of the War of 1812 Burials at Pioneers Rest (Fort Worth, Texas) American militia generals People from Henry County, Tennessee Tarrant County, Texas

Early life and education

Career

Later life and death

References

Further reading

External links