Hopson and Sarah "Sallie" (Burleson) Burleson
By Dee (Pullin) Todd and Marci (Pullin) Easterwood
Freestone County History Book, Vol. I, Article 168

Hopson Burleson was one of thirteen children born to David, Jr. and Sally Hopson Burleson, natives of N.Carolina. They moved to Tennessee, then to Blount County in Alabama. Hopson married Sally Burleson, his cousin. The Burleson moved to Texas; they became prominent in many ways. Hopson came to Nacogdoches County in 1834 and settled there. During the time he was living there, he fought with the Mexican army against the Indians that were raiding Texas at that time. On October 16, 1835, the governor of Mexico gave him a land-grant that included a league and a labour in Freestone County for his participation. In 1850 his brother John moved to Freestone County and he sold 320 acres of this land to him. Several of his descendants still own and operate some of this land. One of them has the original Spanish land-grant[now on file at Navarro College Library]. Hopson moved to Freestone County on his land soon after 1835 with his family. [TX Tax List Index, 1840-1849 lists a Hopson Burleson in Bastrop County in 1840; 1850 US Census Records show Hopson, Sarah, and 8 children in Leon County.] His home was located about six miles north of Fairfield. The house-site is on the west side of Interstate 45. He spent the rest of his life there and is buried in the Hopson Burleson Memorial Cemetery on the east side of the highway near the overpass. He also served his county as commissioner for a number of years.
When Mr. Burleson settled here, there was much work to be done; logs to be cut for houses and barns, rails to be split for fences and land cleared for farming. He had a huge underground cistern curbed with rock, also a well. This was accomplished with slave labor. They are still there. Their main crops consisted of corn, cotton, feed-grain and vegetables. Most of the hauling was done with oxen and wagon. Their cotton had to be taken to Houston; it took several weeks for them to make the round trip. Because of marauding Indians, several farmers would go together. On these trips, they would bring enough staple groceries to last a year.
While living in east Texas, a frightening experience happened to Sally and her children. Mr. Burleson had to be away for a few days and left her and the little ones and their Negro cook alone. Several times one day they noticed Indians hiding in the brush near the house. Knowing the Indians intended to harm them if they found out they were atone, they stayed hidden in the cabin all day. Sally and the cook packed some food and other necessities and waited until dark to escape. There was a spring branch and a cave near the house they could -hide in. They knew any noise might mean capture or death for all of them. While they were running there, the three-year old-boy stuck a thorn almost through his foot and he did not make a sound. When they were safe in the cave, Sally's baby boy cried and they could not quiet him. They knew the Indians would find them if he did not stop. Sally had the cook to take the baby to the water-hole to drown him three different times while they were hiding out, and each time the baby stopped crying.
Once, white living in Freestone County, Hopson and three men had to make a trip to South Texas on business. On returning, some Indians tried to massacre them; while running for their lives, they had to separate to try to make it to the woods to hide. Hopson was riding a mule and had to leave it, the last the others saw of him, he was running for the woods with the Indians chasing him. They did not know if he got away or not. The men were reluctant to tell Sally, so they drew straws to see who would do the talking. They weren't certain how she would react as she was expecting another baby. When they told her, she calmly said, "How far was Hopson from the brush?" They told her about how far and she said, "Hopson made it, don't worry about it he'll be home." Early one morning about six weeks later, she looked out the kitchen window and saw Hopson walking up the trail. Her baby was only two weeks old but she was so anxious to see him, she did not stop to open the gate but jumped the high rail fence and ran to meet him. Hopson had a flute that no one could blow but him, and as soon as he got to the house, he went outside and blew it. Neighbors came from miles around as they knew that Hopson was home. Hopson had had a hard time, he had almost died of thirst. He put pebbles in his mouth to keep his mouth and throat moist. He was without food and water for days. He had to hide during the day and travel very carefully at night until he was out of Indian range. Hopson and Sally had five sons and five daughters. The sons were: Oliver, David, Isaac, Joshua and Wilson. Oliver, Isaac and Joshua lost their lives in the Civil War. Oliver and Isaac never married. David married Sarah Dunigin [Dunagan]; Joshua married her sister, Lucy Dunigin [Dunagan]; Wilson [Moses Wilson] married Amanda Winders. The daughters-were: Margaret, Nancy, Alice, Ellen and Zillah Dee. Margaret married Bluford Nettle; Nancy married William Coleman; Alice married his brother Ansel Coleman; Ellen married John Spires; and Zillah Dee married Anthony Graham Pullin. After Sally died, Hopson married a widow, Demoss. Later she died and he married a widow Vickers. Hopson died in 1884. [2nd wife: Mary C. Brinton, wife of George DeMoss; 27 Oct 1872 in Freestone Co. / 3rd wife: Marcella Ransene wife of Berry Vickers; 27 Oct 1875 in Freestone County.]

--- Sent by Linda Mullen

Service Documentation ~~

Name Hopson Burleson
Age 29
Birth Year abt 1833
Enlistment Date 1862
Military Unit Twenty-Second (Hubbard's) Infantry