"A Splendid Patriotism" - L. W. Kemp - Frontier Times

Texas people have read, ever and anon, about a citizen of Houston who has been going

about the State at his own expense looking up the neglected and abandoned graves of the

Pioneers of Texas, whose last resting places had long been forgotten by history.

The man who is responsible for this splendid patriotism is Mr. L. W. Kemp, one of the

officials of The Texas Company. We had the desire to meet this patriotic Texas – for he

is a Texan born and bred – and on one of our trips to Houston finally found him in his

office and asked and obtained from him a record of what had been accomplished so far, in

discovering the burial places of early Texans and having them removed to the State

cemetery at Austin, or re-buried in a proper manner in their home counties.

Mr. Kemp was born at Cameron, Milam County, on September 4, 1881, and has all his life

been deeply interested in the romantic history of Texas. He says that about three years

ago his curiosity arose as to where the noted Texans of the early days were buried, and

he determined to find out something about it, so in his spare time while traveling

through the State in the interest of his company, he investigated and to aid him in the

location of these early burial places delved more deeply into Texas history, especially

into the columns of the early newspapers wherever he could find one. Much of his

information of the locations of the burial places he obtained from announcements or

articles these early papers.

After locating a number of the graves, he decided to attempt to get an appropriation from

the Legislature to remove the remains from the abandoned cemeteries to the beautiful

State cemetery at Austin. In this work he found the members of our Legislature heartily

responsive to the patriotic duty, and the work began.

Mr. Kemp kindly gave us a list of these re-burials with a brief history of the patriots

and same is published in full below.

One splendid result of Mr. Kemp’s labors has been in arousing an interest in Texas

history and her patriots, with many more citizens, all to the honor and glory of Texas.

The list given herein and the information provided will forman important part of the

record of Texas history.

Removed the remains of James Pinckney Henderson, First Governor of Texas, from the old

Congressional Cemetery at Washington to Austin and there erected a monument.

Removed the remains of Peter Hansbrough Bell (note the spelling of Hansbrough commonly

misspelled Hansborough) from Little, North Carolina.

Erecting a $600.00 monument to Kenneth L. Anderson, last Vice President of the Republic,

at his grave in Anderson, Texas.

Removed the remains of Jesse Billingsley, a Captain at San Jacinto, from McDade, Bastrop

County, Texas.

Removed the remains of Jesse Grimes, a signed of the Texas Declaration of Independence,

from a cemetery near Navasota.

Removed the remains of Oliver Jones and wife from an abandoned cemetery in the heart of

the City of Houston. Jones was one of the congressmen during the Republic who designed

the flag of the Republic, and now the State flag of Texas.

Removed the remains of Moseley Baker and wife from this same cemetery. Captain Baker

commanded a Company at San Jacinto.

Removed the remains of John A. Greer from land belonging to a negress near San

Augustine. Greer was a senator in the congress of the Republic from the 2nd to the 9th

session, inclusive. Greer County, Texas, now Oklahoma, was named in his honor.

Removed the remains of Richard Ellis from an abandoned cemetery near New Boston, Bowie

County. Ellis was President of the Convention that declared the Independence of Texas

and he was a signer of that instrument.

Removed the remains of Governor Hardin R. Runnels from an abandoned cemetery near New

Boston.

Removed the remains of Rev. James C. Wilson from an abandoned cemetery near Gonzales.

Wilson was a Mier prisoner. Wilson County was named for him.

Removed the remains of Robert M. Williamson (Three-legged Willie) from Wharton.

Removed the remains of Robert Potter from an abandoned cemetery in Marion County.

Potter was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Removed the remains of Edwin Waller and wife from Waller’s former plantation in Waller

County. Waller was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Erected monument at the grave of Alexander Horton who is buried near San Augustine.

Horton was an Aide de Camp to General Houston at San Jacinto.

Removed the remains of Edward H. Tarrant from an abandoned cemetery near Italy, Ellis

County, to Fort Worth.

Removed the remains of William B. Scates and wife from an abandoned cemetery in

Montgomery County. Scates was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Erected a monument to Robert Calder at Richmond, Texas. Calder was a Captain at San

Jacinto.

Erected a monument to Stephen Crosby at Oakwood Cemetery at Austin. Crosby was an early

State Comptroller and Crosby County was named in his honor.

Erected a monument at the grave of Robert A. Irion at his grave in Oakhill Cemetery at

Nacogdoches. Irion was a cabinet member under President Sam Houston.

Removed the remains of Captain James H. Callahan from Blanco. Captain Callahan was a

famous Indian fighter for whom Callahan County was named.

Removed the remains of Captain Benjamin T. Bryant form an abandoned cemetery in Milam

County. Bryant was a Captain at San Jacinto.

Erected a monument to Captain Matthew Caldwell at the cemetery in Gonzales. Captain

Caldwell (“Old Paint”) was Captain of the Santa Fe Expedtion in 1841.

Removed the remains of Royall T. Wheeler, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas,

from an abandoned cemetery near Galveston.

Erected a monument near the last resting place of Erasmus (Deaf) Smith at Richmond,

Texas. The exact location of Deaf Smith’s grave is lost but a $1,000 monument will be

placed in the vicinity of the spot where his remains lie buried.

The following men were years ago buried in the Sae Cemetery but no marker had been placed

at their graves, and appropriations were made for that purpose:

Wm. L. Hunter, Survivor of the Fannin Massacre.

General Hugh McLeon, Commander of the Santa Fe Expedition in 1841.

Francis W. Johnson, who succeeded Ben Milam in command of the forces that captured Bexar

when Ben Milam fell.

One honor came to Mr. Kemp, without his knowledge, that he highly appreciates. On his

recommendation the State Highway Department designated a highway through the State

cemetery to be paved and named it “The Lou Kemp Highway”, so his name will for future

time be linked with the names of the Texans who made history in their times.

At each new grave a monument has been or will be erected and money has been already

appropriated for all of them.

We asked Mr. Kemp if any of the patriotic societies aided him in his work and he said,

“no”.

A Splendid Patriotism
Southwestern Resources
Frontier Times - March, 1931
Published by J. Marvin Hunter