Thomas Hinds Duggan
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hinds Duggan was an early Texas settler and two-time Texas State Senator
from Guadalupe County
, Texas
.
Duggan was born in Jefferson County, Mississippi
to Edmund Duggan and the former Elizabeth Alston. He married Elizabeth Berry on 20 May 1834. As a young man in Rodney, Mississippi
, he worked as a merchant outfitting parties leaving for Texas. After applying to empresario
Joseph Vehlein for land in 1835, he and family first moved to Austin
in the fall of 1839. When Indian
attacks on the then-frontier town became too much, Duggan moved his family, eventually settling just east of Seguin
in present-day Guadalupe County, Texas
. When Guadalupe County was organized in 1846, he was its first County Clerk.
In 1850, Duggan was first elected to the Texas Senate from the 23rd District
for service in the Fourth Texas Legislature
. After a failed bid for re-election, Duggan was again elected in 1858, this time from the 27th
district, to serve in the Eighth Legislature
. It was during this session he voted for secession
prior to the Civil War
. After losing a re-election bid to Stephen Heard Darden
(for the 25th
district), Duggan, at age 46, joined the Texas militia. His service during the conflict was limited to Texas.
At the close of the Civil War, Duggan, as a politician, was required to have a presidential pardon. Though it was not necessary that he do it in person — he journeyed to Washington, D.C.
where he secured a pardon from Andrew Johnson
. The hardships of the journey aggravated an old injury, and after his return to Seguin, he died on 26 December 1865. He is buried in the San Geronimo Cemetery.
Duggan was the grandfather of Texas State Senator Arthur Pope Duggan.
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
from Guadalupe County
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
, 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...
.
Duggan was born in Jefferson County, Mississippi
Jefferson County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* Homochitto National Forest * Natchez Trace Parkway -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,740 people, 3,308 households, and 2,338 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 3,819 housing units at an...
to Edmund Duggan and the former Elizabeth Alston. He married Elizabeth Berry on 20 May 1834. As a young man in Rodney, Mississippi
Rodney, Mississippi
Rodney was a city in Jefferson County in southwest Mississippi, approximately northeast of Natchez. Rodney was founded in 1828, and in the 19th century, it was only three votes away from becoming the capital of the Mississippi Territory. Its population declined to nearly zero after the Mississippi...
, he worked as a merchant outfitting parties leaving for Texas. After applying to empresario
Empresario
An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.- Background :...
Joseph Vehlein for land in 1835, he and family first moved to 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...
in the fall of 1839. When Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
attacks on the then-frontier town became too much, Duggan moved his family, eventually settling just east of Seguin
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...
in present-day Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County, Texas
Guadalupe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 89,023. It is named for the Guadalupe River. The seat of the county is Seguin. It was founded in 1846....
. When Guadalupe County was organized in 1846, he was its first County Clerk.
In 1850, Duggan was first elected to the Texas Senate from the 23rd District
Texas Senate, District 23
District 23 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves a portion of Dallas county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 23 is Royce West.-2004:-2002:-1998:-1994:-1992:...
for service in the Fourth Texas Legislature
Fourth Texas Legislature
The Fourth Texas Legislature met from 3 November 1851 to 7 February 1853 in its regular session and one called session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1850.-Sessions:...
. After a failed bid for re-election, Duggan was again elected in 1858, this time from the 27th
Texas Senate, District 27
District 27 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Cameron, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties and a portion of Hidalgo county in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 27 is Eddie Lucio, Jr.....
district, to serve in the Eighth Legislature
Eighth Texas Legislature
The Eighth Texas Legislature met from 7 November 1859 to 9 April 1861 in its regular session, a first called session, and an adjourned session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1859....
. It was during this session he voted for secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
prior to the 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...
. After losing a re-election bid to Stephen Heard Darden
Stephen Heard Darden
Stephen Heard Darden was a prominent Texas politician who served in the Texas Senate and then as an officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War...
(for the 25th
Texas Senate, District 25
District 25 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves all of Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties, and portions of Bexar and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas...
district), Duggan, at age 46, joined the Texas militia. His service during the conflict was limited to Texas.
At the close of the Civil War, Duggan, as a politician, was required to have a presidential pardon. Though it was not necessary that he do it in person — he journeyed to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where he secured a pardon from Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
. The hardships of the journey aggravated an old injury, and after his return to Seguin, he died on 26 December 1865. He is buried in the San Geronimo Cemetery.
Duggan was the grandfather of Texas State Senator Arthur Pope Duggan.