SOWELL, ANDREW
JACKSON
- An Alamo Survivor -
Andrew Jackson Sowell,
b. June 27, 1815, Davidson County TN; d. Jan. 4,
1883, Seguin TX residence: Gonzales TX son of John N. Sowell
Sr. of TN
served with CSA.
Andrew Jackson Sowell
was a couriour who brought messages back and forth
from Arkansas. He was also known as a great Indian fighter.
Andrew Jackson Sowell,
according to the "American Sketch Book" by Bella
French Swisher "is perhaps the only man living to see a
monument erected
to his memory." Andrew’s nephew, A.J. Sowell, in his
book "Rangers and
Pioneers of Texas" wrote that Andrew "... escaped
the massacre at the
Alamo…yet he left such a short time before the fall his
name was engraved
on the monument erected to the memory…." of those who
died. Born in
Davidson County, Tennessee June 27, 1815, the son of John N.
and Rachel
Sowell, Andrew went to Texas with his parents in May, 1830, a
young man
of fifteen. Andrew loved the woods and was frequently absent
from home
"….hunting, fishing and exploring . . . he and his
brother John kept the
table supplied with honey, venison, turkey, bear and fish."
Andrew was in
his first Indian fight in 1832 at age seventeen, and early in
October,
1835 he joined the volunteer army and helped defend Gonzales
and the
small cannon against the Mexicans. On October 28, 1835 he fought
alongside Jim Bowie and Fannin in the battle of Concepcion and
in
November of that year was with Deaf Smith in the "Grass
Fight." Shortly
before the fall of the Alamo, Andrew and Byrd Lockhart were sent
out by
William Travis to hurry reinforcements and "secure beef
for the garrison
. . . but before they had time to procure the beef, the fort
had been
surrounded…" Andrew was in Gonzales when the news of
the approaching
Mexican army was received. He was given leave from the army to
accompany
his parents and others to safety. He then rushed back to join
Houston's
army but arrived too late to participate in the Battle of San
Jacinto, no
doubt the only major battle in the Republic of Texas history
that Andrew
Sowell was not a part of. In March, 1840 in San Antonio Andrew
fought the
Comanches in the "Council House Fight" and in August
of that year was at
the "Battle of Plum Creek." Andrew was almost constantly
on the scout. He
was at the "Battle of Salado" in 1842 and went on to
serve in the Ranger
Service under Hays, McCulloch, Mason, Caldwell and Callahan.
During the
Civil War he joined the Confederate services. Andrew found time
between
scouting and ranger service to court the young daughter of William
S. and
Elizabeth Smith Turner and July 7, 1842 twenty-seven-year-old
Andrew and
fifteen-year-old Lucinda Smith Turner were married. In the years
that
followed the couple had ten children, all born in Seguin, Texas.
[Children were Asa J.L. , Elizabeth, Mary, Virginia Bell, Albert
Marion,
Martha, John and Lewis--WLM] Andrew and Lucinda both died at
their home
about twelve miles east of Seguin in January, 1883, he on January
4 and
three days later on January 7 Lucinda followed her "old
warrior" to the
grave. It was said that they were buried in the Mofield Cemetery
near
Seguin; however, in 1957 the State of Texas erected markers in
the San
Geronimo Cemetery to pay tribute to John N. Sowell Jr. and his
brother
Andrew Jackson Sowell. Dorcas Baumgartner (From The History of
Gonzales
County, Texas. Reprinted from the Gonzales County Historical
Commission).
