1 of 3 sons of John Berry and Betsy Smeathers,
dau of Capt William Smeathers Mem #113766278
and Mary Winters.
His middle name was from his mother Betsy's
oldest brother, John Bate Smeathers Sr Mem #53359637
John was known by 'Bate or Batie', his dad John
and his Uncle John Smeathers Sr were both in the
1812 Mounted Spy Unit of his grandad Capt Smeathers
so were familiar with one another fairly well, thus
probably why Bate's dad named him for his Uncle John.

1880 Census Prec 1 Mason Texas lst born son of John/Betsy
John Bate BERRY Self M M W 67 KY Farmer Fa:KY Mo:KY
Nancy Elizabeth BERRY Wife F M W 35 TX [Frazier-Gentry-widow of Wm Gentry when John Bate marr her] Occ: Keeps house Fa:TN Mo:TN
John William GENTRY Step Son M W 17 TX [son of Nancy Frazier Gentry's lst husb]Occ: Works Farm
Fa: TX Mo: TX
William CLARK Nephew M W 14 TX Occ:Works Farm
Fa: TX Mo: TX

John Bate Berry had equipment and built roads and such even built all roads around Carlsbad.

John Bate Berry, often known as Bate Berry, son of Betsy Smeathers and John Berry Sr. was born May 8 1813 Ohio Co KY, the oldest of three sons of this marriage. His mother died soon after the birth of her third child, 1818, Joseph Berry Indiana. John Berry Sr and his three sons moved to Texas in 1826 with the intention of settling in Robertson's colony, but instead settled for a while near the mouth of Buffalo Bayou in what is now Harris County. Bate received a grant of a league of land April 7 1831 in Austin's colony on the east side of the Colorado River adjoining Ira Ingram's grant. He served as a private for fifty days in the Permanent Volunteer Company of Texas Militia in Capt. Robert McAlpin Williamson's company of Col. John Henry Moore's battalion, from July 26 to Sep 13 1835. On Feb. 28, 1836, he and his brother Andrew Jackson Berry joined the Texas army as privates, and although Andrew Jackson fought in the Battle of San Jacinto, Bate, it has been reported, was among those detailed April 21 1836 to guard the baggage train and the camp of the sick opposite Harrisburg and did not take part in the battle. It seems on Feb 28 1836, Bate was appointed to drive a team and served until June 1 1836, and thus was a part of the baggage train itself at the time of the battle. He was discharged from Capt. Jesse Billingsley's service on the latter date, after which he served as a private in Capt. William W. Hill's company from July 3 to Oct 3 1836. He enrolled for three months in the ranging service of Texas on Jan 5 1838, but he served only until Feb 20, when he was discharged. Bate and Andrew Jackson Berry both fought under Col. Edward Burleson in the battle of Plum Creek on Aug 12 1840, against the Comanche. Bate and Joseph Berry each received land grants in Robertson's colony. After the capture of San Antonio in Sept 1842 by Gen. Adrian Woll, Bate joined Capt. William P. Rutledge's company of Jackson County Oct 17 1842. The company was transferred to the command of Capt. Jerome B. Robertson Nov 15 and to that of Capt. Charles K. Reese on Dec 19 when Robertson's company returned home from the Rio Grande with Gen. Alexander Somervell. Joseph and Bate had enrolled in the Brazoria company under Capt. John Shelby McNeill for the Somervell expedition, and when Somervell started for home from the Rio Grande Dec 19 1842, he, too, transferred to Reese's company. Thus both brothers became members of the Mier expedition. Joseph was killed in the battle of Mier, and Bate was captured and imprisoned in Mexico until Sept 16 1844. During the Mexican War he served in Col. John C. Hays' regiment as a scout under Capt. Creed Taylor for Gen. Zachary Taylor in northern Mexico, and on one occasion was strongly admonished by General Taylor to discontinue his practice of scalping Mexican Soldiers whom he had killed in battle. After the Mexican War Berry received a first-class headright certificate and selected his land in Williamson County, where he resided until the end of the Civil War. Shortly thereafter, probably influenced by his brother-in-law, James Bradberry (husband of Bate's half-sister, Elizabeth), he moved to the upper Llano Valley. He settled on the river two miles above the mouth of Red Creek in Kimble County. There he built a log house surrounded by a stockade of tall pickets to afford protection from the Indians and raised cattle. Some five or six miles to the southwest, on Gentry Creek in Kimble County, lived the Raleigh Gentry family, including Nancy Frazier Gentry, widow of William Gentry (son of Raleigh Gentry), who was killed during the Civil War, and her young son. After John Bate and Nancy agreed to be married, they rode horseback to Fredericksburg, a distance of sixty miles, where they were married Mar 9 1867. In 1871 they moved to Willow Creek in Mason County, where Mar 2 1878, Bate purchased 160 acres of land from Gustav Schleicher and Dec 28 1881 bought from William Koock three acres of land a mile or so west of Mason at a settlement known as Koockville. In those days Berry was often involved in helping to defend the frontier against Indians.

"John Wm Gentry-son of Nancy Frazier Gentry Berry and stepson of John Bate Berry B 1862 Kimble Co TX D 1903 Kimble Co TX Bur Gentry Creek Cem Kimble Co TX md Nancy Nichols, children: John Bate Gentry, Walter, William, Bertha, Mollie, Cora, Lora & Lola [twins], Frank. John William Gentry was Mason TX Constable. 1903 he was found in back of a bar & had been hit over the head/died shortly. His son's Walter & John Bate Gentry tried to find the murderer all their lives."

With all contributions to that co/state by Bate Berry and Gentry family, restoring Bate's cabin, still standing is something descendants have wanted to get done. This is same house John Wm Gentry was raised and where John Bate Berry died.

John Wm Gentry-John Bate Berry's stepson thought highly
enough of him that his step son named his own lst son after his step father as John Bate Gentry.

In Mason County Bate farmed and ranched until his death at his home near Koockville Dec 20 1891. Berry was a devout member of the Church of Christ. He was buried in the Grit Cemetery in Mason County. His wife died 1928 at the age of eighty-three and was buried beside him.
Description: Fought at the Battle of San Jacinto