"Citizen of the Republic of Texas" medallion on marker.
Sue
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Wife #1: Hanna Berry
Wife #2: Catherine Senterfill - FAG # 58097372
Wife #3: Anna Z. Walton
Wife #4: J.D. Morris - gravesite unknown
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The following obituary and biographical information were copied just as they were published. Contributed by FAG member Sue Lilley. Original photocopy work by Jeff Jackson.
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THE LAMPASAS LEADER
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1903

Moses Hughes

Mention was made last week of the death of Moses Hughes, which occurred at the residence of his son, at Troy, Bell county. The following facts are given at the request of his daughter, Mrs. McCormick, and other relatives:

Moses Hughes was born in South Carolina, August 28, 1819. He was married four times; first to Hanna Berry, Jane 29, 1840. She died July 24, 1862, and November 5, 1863 he was married to Catherine Senterfitt, who died June 24, 1872. April 5, 1875, he was married to Anna Z. Walton, who died July 16, 1876. May 16, 1881, he was married to J.D. Morris, who died in the winter of 1901. Mr. Hughes was well known all over this section of Texas, and was one of the pioneers. The letter given below, written by Mr. Hughes nearly 20 years ago, will give an idea of his early life in Texas:

"I thought as this was my anniversary day of fifty years in Texas, I would give your readers a short history of my travels, some ups and some downs, with some pleasant times in early life and early days in Texas.

"My father and mother, with seven children, left the state of Alabama, Taladega county, on the 25th day of November, 1834, with seventy persons, all of one connection, and landed at the mouth of the Brazos river on the 29th day of January, 1835. We had with us tradesmen of all kinds-millwrights, wagonmakers, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, shoe and hat makers. The most of the others were farmers. There was also one Baptist preacher in the crowd by the name of Blye, who preached one sermon in July, 1835, near where Brenham is now situated, in Austin Colony, now Washiington county. I suppose that that was the first Missionary Baptist sermon that was ever preached west of the Trinity river, and likely the first true Baptist sermon that was ever preached in Texas. He was a regular Missionary Baptist preacher.

"In 1836, when Santa Anna with a large force of Mexican soldiers was invading Texas, my father was living in Washington county. When the reports came to our settlement that the Alamo had fallen, and that Fannin and his men had all been massacred, and that the Mexicans were marching on and killing the citizens as they went, and that General Houston had retreated and given orders for the families to cross the Trinity river in haste, the news came to us at night, and by sunup we were on the march. We had only one little Spanish mare, and we packed her up with one bed, some quilts and warm clothing. Father carried the second child and mother the youngest. I carried the meat house, which was an old fashioned rifle gun. All we had to eat was killed by the hunter, and if he failed to kill anything we had no supper till next day. We went as far as the Neches river, when the news came that Sam Houston had defeated the Mexicans, that Santa Anna was a prisoner. You could see families running in every way imaginable-in wagons, trucks and slides, running for life, as we thought. This is what the old Texans called the 'Runaway Scrape.' My father made a corn crop on the Neches river that year, and in the fall returned to the town of Washington, in Washington county, on the Brazos.

"You will see in Z. N. Morrill's book, 'Flowers and Fruits of Texas,' that he (Morrill) organized the first Baptist church west of the Trinity river with seven members. As he failed to give the names, I will give them: Z. N. Morrill, wife, daughter and son-in-law, my father and mother and myself. My father's name was Bradford Hughes, and my mother's name was Rebecca. The church was organized in 1837. In 1838 we moved to what in now Burleson county. On January 29, 1840, I was married to Hannah Berry, on the 5th day of May following, my father was accidentally shot and killed by his nephew, John Smith, while on a buffalo hunt in Burleson county. Burleson county was not organized at that time.

"I moved to Williamson county in 1847, before the county was organized and in November, 1853, I moved to Lampasas Springs for the benefit of my wife's health. Myself and brother, Nimrod Hughes, were the first families that settled in the county outside of the jurisdiction of Coryell county. The first town was called Burleson, and when the county was organized the name was changed to Lampasas, and the county was called by the same name.

"In 1855 I settled seven miles west of Lampasas, on the road to San Saba. In 1857 the Indians became very troublesome, killing people and stealing horses, and continued their depredations until 1866 or '67. I have been chased by the redskins seven times, and, and once had my horse shot from under me. I was surrounded by seven of them and run them-by working in the lead for a mile and a half. Then I thought that a good thicket would beat a bad run, so I made for the thicket, and on stopping I found that my horse had an arrow in his flank, ranging forward eighteen inches. One Indian ran a colt seventy-five yards from me, when I pulled down on him with a rifle, and at the crack of the gun I saw him straighten himself and he gave a yell. They all left me and went on their way down the country. I led my horse to Mr. Epsy's that morning, where he died. The redskins usually came in the full of the moon, and in squads of five, seven or nine, very seldom in larger numbers. They came on foot, and would conceal themselves along the roofs of the cedar baakes or on hills until they got in the settlements and spied out a bunch of horses, and then they would start and drive all night.

Your subscriber,
Moses Hughes
Lampasas, Tex., Jan 25, 1885