William Thomas Gunn

Captain, Company C

29^th Texas Cavalry, CSA

17 Jun 1838 - 2 Oct 1902

By The Late Thomas M. Hagood Jr.

William Thomas Gunn was born 17 Jun 1838 in Bedford Co., TN, the son of Francis Bennett Gunn (born 2 Oct 1818) and Martha Christian Dalby (born 16 Sep 1817). His father received a 640 acre land grant in Texas and moved to Bowie County in 1839.

William married Adeline Terrell, daughter of Joel M. Terrell (born 3 Dec 1811) and Mary Nelson Davidson (born 5 Dec 1815), in Red River Co., TX on 3 Dec 1861.

A mere five months later with the outbreak of the War Between the States, William enlisted as a First Lieutenant joining Capt. John T. Harmon's company, Charles DeMorse's Regiment, Texas Cavalry on 17 May 1862, in Pattonville, Lamar County, and was mustered in on 20 Jul 1862. The unit was later designated Company C, 29^th Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army. He was promoted to Captain and made the company commander.

Children of William and Adeline Gunn were:

1. Alice E. Gunn, born 1862, Biardstown, Lamar Co., TX, married Dr. Will Pierson, died Oct 1936 in Amarillo, Parker Co., TX;

2. Cordelia Eulalia Gunn, born 14 May 1864, Halesboro, Red River Co., TX, married Joseph D. Norwood on 28 Feb 1889, died 8 Jan 1955 in Paris, and buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Lamar Co., TX;

3. Francis Terrell Gunn, born 3 Sep 1868 in Biardstown, married Maud Millsap on 13 Jan 1891, died 3 Jul 1963 in Paris, buried Evergreen Cemetery, Lamar Co., TX;

4. Willie Milton Gunn, born 26 Sep 1871 in Biardstown, died 20 Sep 1876 in Biardstown, buried in Rockford Cemetery, Lamar Co., TX;

5. Joel Elisha Gunn, born 30 May 1874 in Paris, Lamar Co., married Martha Elizabeth Walker on 14 Jan 1902, died 28 Jun 1947 in Austin, TX;

6. Irving Jefferson Gunn, born 16 Mar 1875 in Biardstown, married Cora Southerland in 1903, died 7 Jan 1968 in Honey Grove, Fannin Co., TX, buried Oaklawn Cemetery, Honey Grove;

7. Maud Rowland Gunn, born 23 Nov 1885 in Paris, married Abram Ferguson Lumpkin on 19 Apr 1905, died 6 Jun 1974.

After the war he returned to Lamar County and was thereafter always known as Captain Gunn. He was a farmer in the Bairdstown community and served as Sheriff of the county for eight years from November 1884 to November 1892.

William died 2 Oct 1902 at home in the Bairdstown community and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Block 5-06-04, Paris, Lamar County, Texas.

A record of his funeral is found in the Rodgers and Wade Furniture Co. Funeral Records in possession of Fry and Gibbs Funeral Home; Book #3; p.225; Service #218:

date of funeral, 4 Oct 1902;

place of death, Biardstown;

cause of death, Paralysis;

Physician, Skidmore;

Married;

white;

place of services, Cemetery;

Clergyman, Chas. Manton;

casket #300;

vault;

embalming & services;

open grave;

1 carriage;

wagonette;

2 traps;

Pallbearer carriage;

funeral car with four horses.

Handwritten note: "Fred Manton and I to Biardstown 2 p.m., home 9 p.m., rain, black mud, dark Thursday 2nd. Saturday 4th, 5 a.m., 4 horses Cemetery at 1:35 wait 40 minutes for Manton."

His tombstone is inscribed, "Captain, Company C., 29th Regiment, Texas Cavalry, CSA."

Capt. William T. Gunn, Co. C, is listed in Suffering to Silence, 29th Texas Cavalry, CSA Regimental History, by Bradford K. Felmy and John C. Grady, Nortex Press, Quanah, TX, 1975, p. 202.

April 14, 2000

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