Captain David Young Pyron of the Army of the Republic of Texas
Bernard Pyron
A few years ago I found Captain David T. Pyron or David Y. Pyron
of the Texas Army on the Internet.
But I lost his trail when I found a copy of a Travis county, Texas
Probate Court document from
1847 disposing of the estate of David Y. Pyron. David B. Pyron is
probably the same man as David T. Pyron and David Y. Pyron. Captain
Pyron was given a tract of land in Brown county, Texas for his service
to the Republic. Brown county in the early forties was still mostly
Indian country. This land may be the bulk of his estate which was in
Probate Court in Travis county in 1847.
One way of identifying David Y. Pyron is by his
Texas regiment and Company. See
http://www.tshaonline.org/supsites/military/rep_rev7.htm
Pyron, David T. Company C
1st Regt. Permanent Volunteers (T.A.?)
Period: 6 Mo. or D.W.
Enlistment from Jun 1, 1836
Dec 29, 1836 [A3; T1 p185-186]
Note that Captain Pyron enlisted in the Texas Army on June 1, 1836.
This was after the decisive battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836 in
present day Harris County, Texas. Apparently the dates of June 1st to
December 29th of 1836 are only his first enlistment. He explains in
an existing letter - see link below - how he became Captain of his
company.
On
http://www.forttours.com/pages/idfallof1843.asp
This story of an Indian fight north of Austin in the Fall of 1843 is
from from the book, Indian Depredations in
Texas by J. W. Wilbarger, first published in 1889
The story in the book, Indian Depredations In Texas says: "During the
fall of 1843 Captain Pyron,
Donavan, John Gravis, Jim Berry and Harrell went out to Brushy Creek
at a place called Kinney's Fort, to get a load of corn from a little
field which they had cultivated that year in the vicinity of the fort.
After having loaded their wagon they all started home and when within
a few miles out of the city of Austin - then a mere village town in
point of population - about where the Lunatic Asylum now stands, they
were attacked by a party of Indians, about fifty in number, supposed
to be Lipans. In fact there was no doubt in the minds of those who
were attacked upon this point.
In the afternoon and before the attack was made, a heavy rain had
fallen and had so thoroughly drenched the guns of the whites they they
were almost unfit for use. When the Indians charged upon them they
were traveling in the direction of the timber. The whooping and
yelling of the savages so frightened the oxen that they changed the
course with which they had been traveling and atarted out into the
open prairie. While Pyron was attempting to change the course of the
lead steers back in the direction of which they had been traveling
towards the timber, an Indian rushed upon him and thrust him through
the side with a lance, producing instant death. Donovan was also
killed in the engagement but the other three made good their escape to
the timber and came on down Shoal Creek into Austin and notified the
citizens, who set out immediately in pursuit of the Indians. Of
course some little time had intervened between the attack and the
notification of the citizens by those who escaped, and by the time the
crowd had collected together and arrived upon the battle ground the
Indians had reached the cedar brakes of the mountains near by, which
always afforded them a secure hiding place after committing their
fiendish murders and outrages upon the settlers. This was the first
positive evidence that the citizens of Travis county had that the
Lipan Indians were hostile toward the settlers, though they had been
strongly suspected by some who did not place much confidence in any
tribe of Indians."
But it does not give the first name of Captain Pyron. However, a
contemporary Pyron, John E. Pyron, in a message of December 10, 2009
to me, says "All I know of him, other than his ancestry, is from a
note of my grandfather's that says he died childless, "killed by
Indians at Austin."
There is a
possibility he is the Captain William Pyron killed by Indians north of
Austin mentioned in a book on Bigfoot Wallace. A Donovan and a
Harrell are said to have been in this Indian fight, and interestingly
Jacob M. Harrell was the administrator of David Pyron's estate.
John Harrell bought Pyron's 1200 acres in Brown county. Jacob M.
Harrell was mayor of Austin in 1847. On p. 68 of Bigfoot Wallace by
Stanley Vestal (1942) there is a brief
mention of an Indian fight north of Austin. To me, this book seems to
be part legend, as well as history and Stanley Vestal may not have
gotten the first name of Captain Pyron right. Vestal did say that
Bigfoot Wallace was the one who found Captain Pyron's body, I think
with an Indian lance through it or nearby,
Here is the link to the letter of Captain Pyron to an uncle:
http://www.vialibri.net/item_pg/2987619-1836-captain-david-pyron-1836-army-texas-als.htm
The letter opens in saying "Recently found on viaLibri....Captain
David B. Pyron
1836 Army of Texas...Written in ink and datelined "Headquarters - Army
of Texas / Camp Johnson Nov. 24 1836," letter reads in part: ".Dear
Uncle, Sir I received your friendly letter of Oct 23.I was happy to
learn that none of my friends were dead but regret to learn that my
mothers health is what it is though I would have been more uneasy had
I not heard from her... I [served] three or four months in the
capacity of a private when the captain of our company died, and the
company chose me to fill his place. Since that time I have the honor
to command the most intelligent and respectable company in the Texas
Army..."
On Captain Pyron's Pyron ancestry, contemporary John E. Pyron says
"This is in reply to your Facebook posting, Bernard. I'm reasonably
sure your Capt. David Pyron was my great-grandfather's older brother,
David Young Pyron, born in Knoxville in late 1806 or early 1807. All
I know of him, other than his ancestry, is from a note of my
grandfather's that says he died childless, "killed by Indians at
Texas." He was the 1st cousin of Charles Lynn Pyron, who fought in
the Mexican War and was later Colonel of the Confederate Texas Mounted
Riflemen. I would be delighted to have any other information you have
on David. He was the grandson of John, born 1762 (1st cousin of
William, born 1757), and hence your 3rd cousin a few times removed, I
think.
John Pyron"
In a December 16, 2009 E Mail on Facebook John E. Pyron says "
David Y. Pyron's father was Charles, born in Mecklenburg Co., NC, in
1783, married to Ann Henderson in Knox Co., TN, in 1806, died in
Williamson Co., TN in 1847. His father was John, b.1762."
Charles Pyron is a son of John Pyron, born in 1762. According to
http://genforum.genealogy.com/pyron/messages/88.html "John Pyron,
born c.1735, was married to Mary Cates and that they had two sons (and
daughters Ann and Margery): John, born c.1762, and Joshua, born
c.1770."
In addition, Charles Pyron, father of Captain David Young Pyron of the
Texas Army, was born in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina. Later he
lived in William county, Tennessee.
The William Pyron (1757 to 1850) line, including my great
grandfather, Andrew Jackson Pyron, also lived in Mecklenburg county,
North Carolina. Andrew Jackson Pyron, grandson of William Pyron,
1757-1850, was born in 1814 and died in about 1859.. According to
John E. Pyron our William Pyron and John Pyron, born 1762, were first
cousins. So the father of Andrew Jackson Pyron, William Pyron the
Younger, about 1789 to 1844, and Charles Pyron, born in 1783, were
second cousins. Andrew Jackson
Pyron, as a grandson of William Pyron, 1757-1850, was on the same Pyron
generational level as Captain David Pyron.
Below is the entire letter of Captain Pyron to an uncle:
http://www.vialibri.net/item_pg/2987619-1836-captain-david-pyron-1836-army-texas-als.htm
viaLibri
Resources for Bibliophiles
Recently found on viaLibri....
Captain David B. Pyron
1836 Army of Texas ALS
- 1836 Army of Texas letter by Captain David B. Pyron. Original
historical document with references to Sam Houston's leadership and
the formation of the new republic. Written in ink and datelined
"Headquarters - Army of Texas / Camp Johnson Nov. 24 1836," letter
reads in part:
".Dear Uncle, Sir I received your friendly letter of
Oct 23.I was happy to learn that none of my friends were dead but
regret to learn that my mothers health is what it is though I would
have been more uneasy had I not heard from her. You seem to think I
acted an unwise part in leaving.when I did as perhaps every man
would.with all the circumstances with which I was surrounded.I had
commenced the practice of medicine without having received a diploma
and it has ever been my disposition not to engage in any profession
until I stood upon an equal footing with the members of that
profession. I consequently would have had to attend some two or three
courses of lectures which would have cost me all I could have made for
three years by my practice, I should then have had to commenced anew.
I could have cleared fifteen hundred or two thousand dollars a year.
At this rate it would have taken me five years to get able to purchase
a farm and hands to work it on a small scale. This I conceived too
tedious for me and another thing I did not like the practice of
medicine. Another thing which induced me to come to Texas was I had an
offer made me by a worthy and experienced young man to go into the
mercantile business with him in Texas thinking that there would be a
prime opening here as soon as peace was made, which from what I can
learn will be the case. Another thing which induced me to leave the
Chickasaw Nation was I did not find it to be the country I expected to
find, and I did not like the manner they were managing the lands
there. Another was I believed Texas, from what I could learn, was the
finest country on the globe which I find is the fact. And finally, I
was in a proper situation to embark in the most hazardous enterprise
being separated from all my kindred friends and acquaintances,
standing alone as it were, surrounded by suspicious and ungrateful
world. I left and came to Texas and I do not repent it yet, though we
have had to live thirty days on beef and beans alone. I joined the
army as a private at the same time I was solicited to act in the
capacity of a surgeon. I discovered their task was disagreeable and
unthankful one and the one.to which their was not much honor attached.
I [served] three or four months in the capacity of a private when the
captain of our company died, and the company chose me to fill his
place. Since that time I have the honor to command the most
intelligent and respectable company in the Texas Army. Congress is now
in session and appear to move on which perfect harmony in organizing a
new republic. There seems to be a tolerable share of intelligence in
both houses with Samuel Houston at their head.Their acts seem thus far
to prove this fact. They are at this time about reorganizing the army
thru regimenting of volunteers.The number of men in the army at this
time does not exceed eight hundred men.Felix Huston has the confidence
of the army at this time.His opinion seems to be that we will have a
fight with the Mexican forces this winter. My impression is we will
not as they are fighting at home. The plan, I believe, is to wait
awhile and if the Mexicans do not come in or make peace there will be
an expedition filled out for the attack of Matemoros and by this means
we will force them into a treaty. I have no doubt that if such an
expedition was declared but what we could raise three thousand troops
ready to march into Matemoros. I still think that peace will be made."
Letter measures 9.75" x 15.5". Some soiling and dampstaining to
creases; bites and chips to edges. Very good condition."
