E. R. LANE'S NOTES ON BARTLETT FAMILY HISTORY

E. R. Lane (1838-1904) was married to Mary Bartlett Millett, the daughter
of Clementina Bartlett and Samuel Millett.
Some of his undated notes on the Millett and Bartlett family history
have survived and are transcribed below.
Excepting perhaps the family bible, they may be
the earliest effort at recording any family history.
This transcript is from a handwritten transcript provided by Bob and Carolyn Moffett.

Samuel Millett came to Texas 1827.1 Born in Maine, graduated Bowdoin College (Me.) - traveled about Cuba, Virginia - came to East Texas - crossed the Trinity River, Robinson's Ferry [probably Robbins's ferry] at the same time that Bartlett family crossed.2 He settled on the Brazos [River] - met the Bartletts at a party of Mr. Charles - a dancing party - hewed floor - 4th of July - 1832 - married Clementine Millett 17th of January 18333 - Clementine Millett's birthday Dec. 31st 18154 - moved to Grimes Co. Samuel Millett taught school $400 a year - in San Jacinto - S. Millett picked up first man killed at San Jacinto battle - Colonel Dick Andrews5 - his widow lived for a time with Grandma Millett.


Major Jesse Bartlett, major on Gen. Jackson's staff in the Creek War. Mrs. Jesse Bartlett, nee Frances Callaway (born in N. Carolina, Buncam [Buncombe] Co. Thomas Callaway, her father, moved to Tenn.) Maj. Bartlett & family of 11 children (one born after coming to Texas - Cornelia in Texas) moved to Texas in 1832 directly from Ill. among Austin's last 300. (About 400 came) Settled on the Brazos where the railroad crosses now at Hempstead. Bartletts landed on the Brazos in May.6 4 mos. on the way.

Notes by Roger Bartlett:

1. Early-day historians of the Battle of San Jacinto state that Samuel Millett arrived in Texas in April 1831. Sam Houston Dixon and Louis Wiltz Kemp, The Heroes of San Jacinto (Houston, Tex.: The Anson Jones Press, 1932), p.196.

2. The Bartlett family arrived in Texas when they crossed the Red River in December 1831, and they settled on the Brazos River, near Chappell Hill to the west and Hempstead to the east, in May 1832. Joseph C. Bartlett, letter to Gen. Robertson, 9 May 1873, "J. C. Bartlett 1873-76" folder, box 2H118, Texas Veterans' Association Papers, A-Fn, Center for American History, University of Texas, Austin, Tex. Most likely the meeting at the Trinity River occurred in about April 1832.

3. This date is the same marriage date stated in the family bible. Holy Bible (Philadelphia, Pa.: M. Carey & Son, 1817), p. 678. This bible was originally owned by Jesse Bartlett and Frances Callaway Bartlett and was in the possession of Ruby Lynn Shelton, Rice, Tex., in 1974. On the flyleaf, believed to be in Jesse's hand, is "Jesse Bartlett his Book."

4. This date is the same birthdate stated in the family bible. Ibid.

5. The statement that Samuel Millett "picked up first man killed at San Jacinto battle - Colonel Dick Andrews" cannot be correct. There were only a few Texian casualties during the battle, with a few more later died of wounds from the battle, but the literature on the battle does not list anyone named Andrews as a fatality during or after the battle. See, for example, Frank X. Tolbert, The Day of San Jacinto (Austin, Tex.: The Pemberton Press, 1969), p. 164 (not mentioning Andrews and stating that two men, Lemuel Stockton Blakey and George A. Lamb, were killed in the battle and that another seven Texians died later of wounds); "Return of killed and wounded in the actions of 20th and 21st April 1836," in John H. Jenkins, gen. ed., The Papers of the Texas Revolution 1835-1836, vol. 6, pp. 14-15 (Austin, Tex.: Presidial Press, 1973) (not mentioning Andrews and stating that 1st Lieut. J. C. Hale, 2nd Lieut. Lamb, 1st Sgt. Thomas P. Fowl, and Privates Lemuel Blakely [sic], Cooper, and B. Brigham were killed). A Richard Andrews died October 28, 1835 in the Battle of Concepcion, about six months before San Jacinto, and perhaps that is where Samuel Millett encountered him, although no mention has been found of Samuel Millett's participation in Concepcion or the Siege of Bexar, of which it was a part. See, for example, The New Handbook of Texas (Austin, Tex.: Tex. State Hist. Ass'n, 1996), vol. 1, p. 176, s.v. "Richard Andrews"; Alwyn Barr, Texans in Revolt: The Battle for San Antonio, 1835 (Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 1990), pp. 24-25; letter from Stephen F. Austin, 28 Oct 1835, in John H. Jenkins, gen. ed., The Papers of the Texas Revolution 1835-1836, vol. 2, pp. 242-43 (Austin, Tex.: Presidial Press, 1973); letter from Stephen F. Austin to P. Dimmit, 2 Nov 1835, ibid., pp. 297-98; letter from W. D. Divees to Clara Cardello, 25 Dec 1835, ibid. vol. 3, pp. 317-22, at p. 320 (". . . on the part of the Texans but one, the brave and well beloved Richard Andrews, was killed. Andrews received a mortal wound from a grape shot in the early part of the action, which cut him nearly half in two. He instantly placed his hands over the wound, and, turning to his companion in arms, said, 'I am a dead man, but don't let the boys know it; tell them to fight bravely.' Having said this he laid himself down and immediately expired.") In a 1905 article, "Memories of Pioneer Days," published in the Houston Chronicle, Clementina Bartlett Millett (Samuel Millett's widow) is quoted as saying that Dick Andrews died at the Grass Fight, and she does not mention her husband as having been there.

6. See note 2 above.