Alfonso Steele
Encyclopedia
Alfonso Steele (1817 – July 8, 1911) was the last remaining survivor of the Battle of San Jacinto
during the Texas Revolution
.
. At seventeen, he traveled to Louisiana
, where he joined Captain Daggett's volunteers bound for Texas
in 1835. Upon arriving at Washington-on-Brazos, he found that Texas had not yet declared independence from Mexico. He worked at a local hotel and gristmill
and served the signers of the Texas Declaration of Indepdence. After independence was declared, he then joined a company that marched toward the Alamo which was under siege to aid Travis. After learning that the Alamo had fallen, they joined Houston's army.
's regiment at the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836). He was wounded during one of the first volleys of the battle, but continued to fight until it ended. Houston rode Steele's horse through part of the battle; it was one of the horses that were shot out from under Houston.
Discharged, Steele made his way to Montgomery County
, where he recuperated. During his stay in Montgomery County, he farmed and raised cattle.
, where he lived. Hampton and his brother, Rado Steele, were the only survivors of the first families that are now in the county. He had another son, also named named Alonzo Steele; he was an army officer who fought for the South during the American Civil War
. Alonzo Steele inherited the league of land that was paid to Alphonso Steele for his services provided during the revolution. The land is still owned by several direct descendants living in North Texas. The descendants of Alphonso P. and Mary Ann Powell Steele continue to meet annually the first Saturday in October at the Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site, in Mexia, TX.
A portrait of Steele currently hangs at the state capitol in Austin
. There is also a roadside park dedicated in his honor in Limestone County.
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
during the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
.
Life
He was born in 1817 in Hardin County, KentuckyHardin County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 94,174 people, 34,497 households, and 25,355 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 37,673 housing units at an average density of...
. At seventeen, he traveled to Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, where he joined Captain Daggett's volunteers bound for Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1835. Upon arriving at Washington-on-Brazos, he found that Texas had not yet declared independence from Mexico. He worked at a local hotel and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and served the signers of the Texas Declaration of Indepdence. After independence was declared, he then joined a company that marched toward the Alamo which was under siege to aid Travis. After learning that the Alamo had fallen, they joined Houston's army.
Military
Steele was a private in Sidney ShermanSidney Sherman
Sidney Sherman was a Texan general and a key leader in the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution and afterwards.-Early life:...
's regiment at the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836). He was wounded during one of the first volleys of the battle, but continued to fight until it ended. Houston rode Steele's horse through part of the battle; it was one of the horses that were shot out from under Houston.
Discharged, Steele made his way to Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...
, where he recuperated. During his stay in Montgomery County, he farmed and raised cattle.
Family
In 1838, he married Mary Ann Powell. Mary Ann Powell and her family came to Texas by covered wagon with their cousins, the Berryman and the Parker families. The Parker family established Fort Parker near Mexia, TX, where in 1836 several family members were massacred or kidnapped by a band of Comanche, including Cynthia Ann Parker. Alphonso and Mary Ann Powell later moved to a part of Robertson county that became part of Limestone County. They had several children, one of which being Hampton Steele, who wrote a sketch of the early history of Limestone CountyLimestone County, Texas
Limestone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 22,051. Its county seat is Groesbeck.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
, where he lived. Hampton and his brother, Rado Steele, were the only survivors of the first families that are now in the county. He had another son, also named named Alonzo Steele; he was an army officer who fought for the South during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Alonzo Steele inherited the league of land that was paid to Alphonso Steele for his services provided during the revolution. The land is still owned by several direct descendants living in North Texas. The descendants of Alphonso P. and Mary Ann Powell Steele continue to meet annually the first Saturday in October at the Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site, in Mexia, TX.
Death
Alfonso was honored in 1909 by the Thirty-First Texas Legislature as being one of the last two living survivors of the Battle of San Jacinto. Two years later, on July 8, 1911, he died aged 94, having outlived his co-survivor. He is buried in Mexia.A portrait of Steele currently hangs at the state capitol in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. There is also a roadside park dedicated in his honor in Limestone County.
External links
- Alfonso Steele at Find A Grave
- James R. Curry, "STEELE, ALFONSO," Handbook of Texas Online, accessed January 30, 2011.