Dear Kinfolk,

The following chart will give you and idea of the life events of Henry M. and Sarah Collier Anderson:

1809     Henry M. Anderson was born on July 15, 1809, in the Louisiana Territory (Mississippi).  His parents were James Anderson and Bettie Harlan Mitchell.

1828     Henry married Sarah Collier on August 16, 1828 in Cartline, Texas.  Another research show them married in Montgomery County, Arkansas.

1850    Census shows the family in Milam & Williamson County, Texas.

1860    Census shows the family living in For Belknap, Young County, Texas.  Henry traded horses and mules to the Army.

186?    Records show Henry M. Anderson in the 6th Texas Infantry, Private, Confederate Army.  Can not verify that this is our Henry, we do know that his boys were either Texas Rangers or in the Confederate Army during the Civil War period, 1860-64.

1865   Family had gathered after the Civil War in Stephens County, Texas.  They “forted-up” at Fort Davis shortly after the Elm Creek Indian raid.

1870  Census shows Henry and Sarah living in Stephens County, Texas.

1877   Moved to Hemphill County, Texas.  Settled on Gageby Creek.

1890  Sarah Collier Anderson died on 21 August 1890 (91?)  in Zyback, Texas.

1891-2   Henry married the widow Mrs. Louisa A. Russell Calhoun.

1897   Henry M. Anderson died on February 11, 1897 in Zyback, Texas.  He was buried next to Sarah on the George Ranch.

There is a book ( which I can not find a copy,) written by Millie Jones Porter, called  Put up or Shut up.  The book tells of life in the Texas Panhandle during the period when Henry and Sarah lived on Gageby Creek in Hemphill County, Texas.  excerpts from the book were sent to me some years ago and I will share them with you.

“Henry Anderson moved from Fort Griffin and settled on Gageby (Creek).  His children were grown and married.  He and his wife (Sarah) lived in an ole-fashion log house.  Two rooms set apart and connected by a picket hall.  The old couple lived in one end of the house and an old negro servant they had raised and her two grandchildren, a girl and a boy, lived on the other end.”

“One of the Anderson sons, John (Henry) lived three miles below his father (Henry).  W.W. (William Walter) lived on Spring Creek near Mobeetie, another Al (Albert J.)  lived in La Junta, Colorado.  He came to the Panhandle about 1893, but stayed a only a short time and moved to Oklahoma (Red Moon, O.T.)  An Anderson daughter, Elizabeth, Mrs. J.J. Smith, lived on the Washita River which was not far from her father (Henry M.).”

“Grandpa (Henry M.) wanted W.W. (son William Walter) to come to take charge of things.  His negroes had left him and he needed someone.  He was 81 or 82. He was a stock man and ran horses and cattle, too.  You know, then, we never fed anything, just rode the bogs, branded the calves and tailed ’em up when they got too poor to get up by themselves.”

“Grandpa Anderson (Henry M.) died in 1895 (1897).  Mother (Louisa Calhoun) inherited the old home.  He did not own a foot of land.”

That’s it for today, got to get ready for Christmas.

Jim Lee