Historical Bits and Pieces of Fort Bend County, Texas 

Old Settlers

There are many old settlers of Fort Bend County whom the writer can only give a passing notice of, as their history could not be procured.

	Levi P. Scott was one of Fannin's men.
	Courtney Gibbs, was an old settler of this county.
	J. W. Eckman came to Fort Bend in 1857 from Maryland.
	John I. Herndon, another old settler, and a member of the Somerville expedition.
	Freeman Douglas was a Mier prisoner, and an uncle of Mrs. Mary W. Frost, Mrs. Phoebe D. Everett and Mrs. W. L. Davidson, of Richmond.
	Mrs. Irene Rocker, born in Richmond.
	Ingham S. Roberts, well posted on the Masonic history of Fort Bend.
	Henrietta Lamar, wife of General Lamar, died October 8th, 1891, and is buried at Richmond.
	M. M. Battle, an old settler of Fort Bend County, was born in New Orleans February 20th, 1800, and died at Richmond, Fort Bend County, January 15th, 1856. He at one time held the office of County Judge of Fort Bend.

Thompson's Ferry

Thompson's Ferry is noted, in the history of Texas as the place in Fort Bend where the Mexican army made the passage of the Brazos. Thompson had a Negro named Moses who was captured by Santa Anna at the ferry, and was sent with a message to General Houston while he was in camp in the bottom at "Groce's Retreat," telling him that he was coming up there soon and smoke him out.

When the Mexicans came to the ferry quite a number of the settlers who had congregated at Thompson's large house on the east side of the river were dancing, and although the Mexicans fired on the place and hit the house repeatedly, the dance went on. The river was very high, and the dancers said the Mexicans were poor shot's, and they could not cross the river. When Almonte, however, effected a crossing lower down, they had to run.

Incident In Fort Bend County During The Passage Of The Mexicans

With all of the history that has been written of the pioneer days of Texas and the wars of the early settlers against Mexicans and Indians, yet many, incidents remain unrecorded, and will ever remain so. Those connected with them, and the only ones conversant with the facts, have long since passed away and the history lost. The writer, in his researches for Fort Bend, County history, came across the following pathetic incident, penned by one who has passed away, yet the facts remain and live, and it is to such men of an inquiring turn of mind who record facts and dates in a manner in which they can be preserved for generations to come, are we indebted for the knowledge which we have of the history of our country. The people of Texas should and do cherish the memory of those men and women who have labored and spent their time and money in order that the deeds of our forefathers and mothers should not be forgotten, and the hardships which they endured for us should ever remain a cherished and green spot in our memories.

While the people of Fort Bend County were fleeing and hiding from the Mexican invaders, unavoidable fate threw a young couple into the deep tangled recesses of a cane brake below Fort Bend on the Brazos River, from whence it was impossible for them to escape, with every path occupied or picketed by the enemy. There in that wild retreat, with wild beasts for neighbors and a Negro boy for a companion, their first-born came into the world.

That young father was Francis Menefee White, afterwards a well known Legislator and Commissioner of the General Land Office. His wife was a Miss, McNutt, who did not survive many years the remarkable ordeal through which she had passed.