Aaron
Elizabeth Sarah Mary
Silbernia Augustus James Luther
John William George
John Redus b. Dec 25 1833, Athens, Alabama, m. Dec 11 1859, in Medina County, Texas, Sarah "Sallie" McLemore, b. Dec 11 1839, Benton County, Alabama, (daughter of Daniel McLemore and Elizabeth Kelly) d. 1931, Devine, Texas, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas. John died Jul 25 1895, Devine, Texas, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas. Children: i William Hugh Redus b. Nov 14 1860, Medina County, Texas, d. Feb 17 1861, Medina County, Texas. ii Mary Jeanetta Redus b. Aug 9 1861, Medina County, Texas, m. Oct 13 1881, in Medina County, Texas, Pleasant Ernest McAnelly, b. Mar 3 1851, Guadalupe County, Texas, (son of Pleasant McAnelly and Anna Vogt). iii Lucy Willa Redus b. Aug 2 1864, Medina County, Texas, d. Oct 5 1867, Medina County, Texas. iv John Otis Redus b. Jun 2 1867, Medina County, Texas, m. Oct 1888, Laura Belle Asher, (daughter of Henry B. Asher and Hester Ann Packwood) d. Sep 29 1966. John died Jan 20 1934. v Robert Moore Redus b. Dec 23 1869, Medina County, Texas, m. Mar 22 1893, Julia Ramsey, b. Big Wells, Texas, d. Aug 6 1906, San Antonio, Texas, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas. Robert died Jun 18 1961, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas. vi Elizabeth Lee Redus b. Dec 22 1872, Medina County, Texas, m. Sep 1 1895, in Devine, Texas, Caleb Marshall Thompson, b. Jul 30 1864, Copiah County, Mississippi, d. Nov 8 1932, Charlotte, Texas. Elizabeth died Sep 15 1952, San Antonio, Texas. vii James Presley Redus b. Dec 29 1874, Medina County, Texas, d. Jan 24 1875, Medina County, Texas. viii Sallie John Redus b. May 1 1876, Medina County, Texas, m. Dec 26 1897, Jasper Alanson Crawford, b. Apr 18 1866, Corsicana, Texas, d. Apr 29 1951, Devine, Texas. Sallie died Mar 10 1971, Devine, Texas. ix Lena Love Redus b. Apr 16 1878, Medina County, Texas, m. Jan 3 1904, in Devine, Texas, William Montgomery Williamson, b. Feb 25 1875, Palestine, Texas, (son of Alexander Williamson and Amanda Hand) d. Nov 13 1942, Devine, Texas, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas. Lena died Nov 2 1978, Devine, Texas, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas. x Fannie Laura Redus b. Sep 8 1880, Medina County, Texas, d. Jun 15 1902, buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Devine, Texas.
John Redus
JOHN REDUS, son of Aaron Redus and Lucy Ann Oglesby, was born In Athens, Alabama on Christmas day, 1833. In the 1850 Federal Census he was 17 years old and living with his parents in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He was the eleventh of thirteen children born to Aaron and Lucy Ann Redus. Aaron Redus's entire family suffered from tuberculosis, as did the families of his half brothers, James, William and Thomas. Aaron encouraged his sons to move west to a drier climate for their health. With this is mind, he furnished John with a span of horses, a buggy and a negro slave. They set out for Texas in 1854. After a long and tiring journey they finally came to the newly established town of Austin, Texas, where he found a large assembly of people, many of whom were from San Antonio, who came to hear General Sam Houston, the hero of the battle of San Jacinto and conqueror of Santa Anna, President of Mexico. This was a colonization rally to bring settlers to Texas. John Redus bought land about twelve miles southwest of the town of Castroville, Texas. This was a rather extensive tract of land embracing several thousand acres along the Hondo and Seco creeks. His father sent him more money and he continued to buy land and cattle. He bought out the Adams brothers who had large holdings nearby. John visited the McLemore family north of Castroville and got well acquainted with Sallie whom he married on December 11, 1859 on her 20th. birthday. The following day they moved into their new home, which John had built. This is Sally McLemore Redus's life story that was published by the Devine News in 1929 which shows the hardships she endured. "I was born in Benton County, Alabama the eleventh day of December 1839. My parents moved to Mississippi when I was two years old, and lived there for ten years. We started to Texas in wagons, bringing eleven slaves with us, there being twenty-two in all. After getting through the bog of the Red River, everything, horses, wagons and family were put on a boat at Delta, Mississippi and landed at Galveston, Texas in December 1851. It was there that we experienced our first Texas norther. After staying there a few days, we resumed our journey, and next, landed at Indianola where we camped on the white sands of the beach. The next morning the horses were put to the wagons and we set out for Gonzales. The horses seemed as happy as we children did. On reaching there, my father, Daniel McLemore, met an old Alabama friend who took him to the Erskin farm. I presume we could not have gone any further, as all of our means had been used up. My father rented land from Mayor Erskin in Gonzales County on the Guadalupe River. We lived in two log cabins on a ditch, which caused us to have chills and fever all the year. We would pick cotton one day and have the chills the next. When a number of stockmen were going west to raise cattle, my father went with them. In Castroville, Medina County, he met Charles DeMontel who was a land speculator and surveyor. He went with my father to the Hondo creek and sold them land at two dollars an acre without improvements. He rented father his farm, which was a mile above Castroville. That year the crops were very poor. We didn't have cotton to pick as we had hoped, since we knew nothing of the long spells of drought. That fall after crops had been gathered, father decided to build a house on the land we bought. He and the negro men went to the creek and hauled rocks to build the house. My mother saw that we would not have a house ready for winter, so she took us all out there and lived until they could put up a shack with a shingle roof. Our temporary home consisted of four iron bars stuck in the ground with straw thrown on the top. It was a very cold winter but we had plenty of bedding. We slept on a feather bed and covered with another. When the house was finished, all hands went to work clearing land, building fences, which were made by packing brush between pickets. The German people had towns at New Fountain and Quihi. They had to live there because of indian raids, but we didn't know then why they all lived in settlements. They were very good to us, loaning us cows to milk, and inviting my sister and I to their parties. They would warn us when they knew the indians were about to raid so we could have the horses penned up. The indians finally got the ten fine head of stock we had. After we had been there two years, three other families came from Mississippi. One, a newly married couple, Mr. and Mrs. John Malone. The bride, a college graduate, decided to open a school, as her husband was away so much looking after his cattle. This was the first school I had attended in four years, and I might say the only real school I had ever attended. Mrs. Malone was my life long friend. She died several years ago in Luling, Texas. Our spiritual life had not been entirely neglected through all these years while we had been wrestling for a living. We had been here three or four years when the first preacher, with his wife came. I presume they had been sent out by some missionary. They were Methodist and came in an open one horse buggy. They would go from one house to another and hold meetings. We would call him a very poor preacher now, but he could preach and sing, and we were always glad to have he and his wife come. (The Methodist preacher was Brother Fisher). He would go as far west as Uvalde, which was a perilous part of the country in those days. He drove his buggy with his gun within reach, but never had to use it. Our next preacher was Mr. Briggs who was an invalid. My mother, the Malones, and the Franks were Baptist. Several families including the Heaths, Rackleys and others bought land six miles below us on the Hondo creek. They organized a Baptist church with seven members. I had been converted while on a visit with one of my sisters in Guadalupe County. When I came home I united with this church, which was the first church in the County. The church house was made of pickets set in the ground and covered with straw. There was no floor, and the seats were made of split logs. Our meetings didn't last long as it was drougthy and most of the people had to leave. The church members were given letters of disolution before they left. We had no church for a long time, but the Methodists had a circuit preacher by the name of Myers and we worshipped with them. With the Malones and relatives came my first sweetheart. He was the only young man and I the only young American lady, be we didn't get up a big courtship. We spent Sunday evenings pleasantly, but had no places of amusement. Soon there came a young man, John Redus, from Mississippi, who was a friend of the Malones, and he boarded with them. I was still the only young lady, as my three sisters had married Gonzales men, so Mr. Redus and I were very much together. After he had lived here a year, his father Aaron Redus sent him money to buy land and cattle for himself and two brothers, George and William. During this time he had gotten acquainted with the Adams boys, who owned a big ranch down on the Hondo Creek, thirteen miles below our home. He bought land near there and stayed with them to learn the cattle business. He came to see me quite often as he was my real sweetheart. Soon we were engaged and just after his father died, he had to go back to Mississippi to settle business affairs. While he was there, his sisters chose a wife for him to bring back to Texas, but he brought only her picture. I told him I didn't blame his sisters as they knew I was a backwoods, ignorant girl. His two brothers, William, George, a 12 year old nephew, Tally Burnett, and a family of negroes came back with him; three of them, Tom Sullivan, Sarah and Monroe Brackins are still alive. They built a two room house with a stack chimney, and the old colored woman, who used to be a cook for their mother, Lucy Ann Redus, kept house for them. He didn't come to see me very often, and he didn't say a word about getting married and I had begun to get very unhappy, but I didn't let him know it. I acted very independent and had another beau by this time. I got acquainted with his brothers and had them up to the house several times so he became to come regularly, and shortly he asked me to name the day to be married. On the 11 th. of December 1859 on my 20th. birthday, we were married. He had bought a new buggy and a fine horse and the next day we drove to our new home, the Redus ranch. What would that Mississippi bride to be said to have gone to such a home? Not a family nearer than four miles, in a country where indians came every light moon. The Adams ranch house was within a quarter of a mile of our house. There were seven brothers who owned it. They soon divided their cattle and went west, and this started others selling out and going west too. We held on and prospered. The men would go on round-up and be gone for weeks at a time. I stayed home with the negroes. I had a gun as did Nelson, the old negro slave who was too old to go on the round-ups, so we kept things going at home. During one of the round-ups a bunch of men came riding up to our house as the indians were after them, I held the candle while old Nelson moulded bullets for the men to fire upon the indians. I was only in my night gown and night cap as I didn't have time to dress. Will Redus, brother of my husband bought Tom Sullivan for sixteen hundred dollars, a hundred dollars for each year he was old. He was sixteen. Ester Bell Wright, one of my slaves, was given to me by my father. She resides in Hondo. My husband bought more land and cattle every year. Soon the Civil War came on and our men all went. When the indians knew that most of the men were gone, they came in big bunches and killed someone every trip. The folks had to go to the bigger settlements and I took the negroes and went to my fathers place near the German village. The colored men and nephew Tally Burnett would go back to the ranch and put out salt for the cattle. When peace was declared our men came back home, and we went back to the ranch home, very thankful that none were hurt. George Redus and my sister Annie Kie were married and we had two babies by this time, so it was necessary for one of us to move. My husband bought the Adams ranch and we had plenty of room there. We had a home for all of the cattlemen coming along the road. We had a rock school house built and advertised for a teacher. A nice lady from St. Louis came to take the school, but before the term was out, she married at my house and went to live in Del Rio, Texas. My husband had been in failing health for some time. He was confined to his bed for six months before he died July 25, 1895. Our financial affairs were not running so smoothly by now. Crops were poor and we barely made enough to pay taxes. I began to take in borders in an attempt to make ends meet. It was decided that it would be best to sell the ranch. I sold it to a land speculator, J.E. Adams for $7.50 an acre. I am now ninty and keep house. My health is fairly good and I have much to be thankful for. When I look around and see how few of my dear old friends are left, I realize that 1, too, will soon pass on. Not one of my husband's family is living, and I am the only one out of a family of nine. I have 28 grand children living, 33 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. There are 5 generations still living.
Written by Sallie Redus in 1929 at age 92
The following letter was sent to William Evans Redus from Sallie McLemore Redus ( wife of John Redus ) in response to his inquiry concerning her knowledge of the Redus family. It was written in 1929 in the 90th. year of her life.
Dear Evans:
Your great grand father Aaron Redus and his wife Lucy Oglesby.
I don't know the date of their move to Mississippi from Alabama.
Their three oldest children were born, lived, and died there. (
note from compiler of this history---the three oldest children
are known to have been born in Indiana according to bible
records, and moved to Alabama when they were just babies ). The
oldest, Elizabeth Oglesby Redus was named after her maternal
grandmother, Elizabeth Dancy Cole, and her sister Sarah Chaffin
after her paternal grandfather, Aaron Chaffin. I never knew or
heard much of them. The oldest married a Mr. Hine, and Sarah
married a Mr. Tanner. Mary married a wealthy batchelor named
Crawford, who lived always in Mississippi. Two other sisters
Mattie and Caroline were never married. Sabrina ( Silbernia)
married a worthless man named Burnett, lived with him till they
had four children, then came back to her father to die. She gave
the oldest boy, Tally, to her brother John to bring to Texas
which he did when he was 10 years old. Augustus (I think he was
the oldest son) was a commission merchant in Mobile, Alabama.
After his health failed he and his wife went to Cuba or South
America and he died on the way home. I got the names from the old
family bible which George, the youngest and the 13th. child, got
from the house division. James was a never do well rover. He was
with General Sam Houston in Mexico, got very sick and father had
to assist him in getting home. He then came to east Texas, got
married and his wife died. He drifted to San Antonio, got another
wife and after our 2 ( not clear) younger boys came to Texas,
they all helped him to come too, and was at last settled with us.
A brother Luther lived in South Mississippi and seemed to have
been entirely separated from the rest of the family. Aunt Rose,
the colored woman ( note from compiler -Rose was the cook for
Aaron and Sarah Chaffin Redus ), told me that everyone liked his
wife. John's sister Mary, told me when she visited us in Texas in
the winter of 1878, that she came to his home to see him and he
was in bed with TB. Another brother, Thomas was in business in
Shrevesport, La. He was never married. I suspect he was well off
as he had fine clothes. After his death, my husband John Redus
got his diamond rings, a banjo with 7 diamonds in the (not clear).
Your grandfather (William) had his gold watch and a very fine
satin vest which was too fine to wear in this country. George
Redus, the youngest brother, got fine leather trunks and other
things. John Redus was the first one to come to Texas. He too was
an invalid. He came with a family moving west who furnished him a
team, buggy and a negro driver who had to help him in and out.
When he got to Austin, Texas, General Sam Houston was there on a
speaking tour. While there he met old friends from Mississippi
who took him to San Antonio. There he met another friend who had
bought land in Medina County who advised him to come west which
he did and boarded with them. His health began to improve at once.
My father Daniel McLemore had come two years previously with some
men looking for cattle range. There were very few Americans in
Medina County at that time. mostly German and Dutch who lived in
villages for protection against hostile indians. By this time,
John's health was so much better he bought a horse and saddle and
would go on hunts with the stockmen for weeks at a time. He liked
it so well, he too wanted to go into the business. The father
sent him money to buy land which was to be cleared by the three
brothers, John, William and George. John still boarded near our
home so he and I got to be great friends and finally lovers. I
think his mother had died so he went back to Miss. and stayed
quite a while, came back, bought some cattle and started a ranch
on the creek 13 miles below our house. While in Miss. his sister
picked him a wife, but he only brought her picture back which I
used to give to my babies to play with. After he had been back in
Texas for some time we were engaged and were married the I Ith of
Dec., 1859. We had a new buggy and fine horse and went to our
partnership house which was only a small lumber 2 room house with
double chimney which was to be the abode for the three brother
and the nephew Tally Burnett. The negroes also had a shack and
dirt house in the yard. We all lived that way until the Civil War
came on, and quite a while after Your grandfather was sent to
Virginia at the beginning of the war. John and George were on the
Rio Grande river. Never left Texas only to go into Mexico on
raids. I think Mr. Crawford was the main purveyor of the family
of the children. I know he sent our boys money for years after I
was in the family. John and George got a family of negroes, a
man, his wife and four children. Your grandfather got a boy some
one else wanted and he run him up to $1600 ( at an auction? ) on
him, but he got him, and he is still living (Tom Sullivan ). He
is living in Pearsall in Frio County. He celebrated his 100th.
birthday several years ago. I see him ocassionely. James Redus
got a family of negroes too--six I think. I don't know of the
other children except the mother of the Burnett children 's share.
It seems that the grandfather wrote his own will, and the lawyer
construed it to mean that the Burnett children were to get an
equal share. Your own grandfather William Redus was the Executor
to this will. After I was in the family several years and after
Tally Burnett came of age, he sued his Uncle Will for the whole
amount. It was in the court for a long time, was taken to an
appellate court and was tried in San Antonio. Will won the case
but it costs him plenty of money and their friendship. Your
grandmother may know more about this than 1. Tally's mother gave
him to John to bring to Texas. He lived with us for some time
after the Civil War until he married. Evans, I got a lot about
the Redus family from the old negro slave Aunt Rose who was the
family cook in Miss. She came to Texas to live with them after
Aaron and Lucy's death. I also got a lot of information from
letters the different ones of the family had written John. In one
of the letters was an article clipped from a paper he had written
on the orgin and course of the Gulf Stream from the Gulf of
Mexico up the Atlantic coast. I think he was a smart man. I never
read any letters from John's mother, so I think she must have
been dead. Aunt Rose said both had died of TB as nearly all of
the 13 grown children had. The three oldest girls all outlived
the others. John was the last one to go. He died July 25, 1895
and was born December 25, 1833. He is the only one of his family
whose age I know. I think I have told you that George got the
family bible which was burned in a fire which destroyed his home
after his death. He and my sister Annie Kie McLamore were married
I think in Dec. 1864 after they all came home from the war. We
all moved back to our home, which was then too small for a big
family, but we all lived in those two rooms quite a while. We
finally moved to the big rock house near by which had been
vacated by the Adams brothers during the war when the indians
were so bad. We lived there three years and then bought it,
finished the house and lived there more than 30 years, the
happiest time of my life. Your grandfather and George still lived
in the old house till Will was married. Tally went with us.
George's health got so bad he sold his interest in the land to
Will and his stock to John. George and Annie and their two sons
then went to live with my father and was sick a long time with TB
and died there. Both sons died young. My sister lived there. She
died I think 18 years ago. You asked about ( writing not clear ).
I never heard of any of the ones I knew ever speak of any and the
old Bible had no such record. You know your grandmother knew very
little of the family. The negro woman who lived with them most of
her life, told me most. She was my companion when the men would
be gone weeks at a time on roundups. She and old Nelson lived
with your Uncle John and 1. There are only 2 of their children
living. I must tell you when we moved and they divided the few
things they bought from Mississippi, Rose had to come and tell us
which items belonged to each of them. There were three quilts she
said mother pieced for the three boys after they got sick. They
were not quilted. I quilted mine. Allie still has it and is going
to take it to the fair next year. I don't know how old it is. I
have had it for 69 years, don't know how long it had been pieced
before mother died. Never hear any of the boys speak of her often.
The boys in Texas have scattered from here to Arizona to
California. There are only 2 Burnett children living. Edgar is
the jailor in Hondo, Medina County. Jennie is in California. Your
Uncle John and I have corresponded with his sister Mary as long
as he lived. Since then I have not heard from them. She told me
when here on a visit they were all poor. The girls had to go to
work. I too am poor and feeble. My husband lost all we had by
speculating in driving beef cattle to Kansas and going security
for others. I came here to Devine in October 1888 to send my four
little girls to school. After John died we sold what land we had.
I kept a boarding house, Just making a living. I have a shack
house, a few notes which I hope will last until my remaining
years. I am now in my 90th. year and am the mother of 10 children.
Three girls and 2 boys living. Three girls and two boys dead. I
had a hard time but much to be thankful for.
Home of John and Sallie Redus