Pat,
I will be checking into Allen CARR as a possible ancestor. After I received
your answer yesterday I found the following article in an old copy (1984)
of the Kerr/Carr Collector that was put out by Bonnie Walden or Warner
Robins, GA for three years. I have volumes except for the Vol. 1 #2. They
have a lot of info on The Kerr and Carr (mostly southern) families. Anyway,
this article was sent in by: Mr. Charles C. CARR of Galveston, TX 77550. I
thought it would be of interest to those that have Carr connections in
Texas.
The CARR FAMILY OF BRYAN
BRYAN, TEXAS
The Bryan branch of the CARR family in Texas dates back to the arrival of
Allen CARR at the town of Old Washington, on the Brazos, in 1858. He came
from Noxubee County, Mississippi, and brought with him a family of five
children, the mother having died in Mississippi. He remained at Old
Washington but a short time, however, having purchased a farm on the river
in Burleson County, about twelve miles northwest of Bryan, he settled
there.
He brought with him from Mississippi one hundred slaves, which he worked on
his farm until affairs, State and national, became unsettled and then, in
1860, sold them (retaining only a few house servants) to a Mr William
Brewer, of Old Independence, in Washington County. Some of these slaves
still live in and about Independence, Brenham and Bryan.
Allen CARR was a native of North Carolina and was born in 1807.
He led an active life until his death at his home in Burleson County in
1861. He is remembered by old settlers as a man of excellent impulses,
strong traits of character, and a good citizen. He was a life-long planter,
and raised cotton and corn with great success.
His early ancestors were Scotch-Irish and his more immediate antecedents
were directly traceable to the earliest colonists of old Virginia.
He married Miss Elizabeth Wooton, she being also of North Carolina birth.
Of their children, three are now living in Texas: Robert W., Jennie, and
Allen B.
Robert W. is a resident of Bryan and for twelve years past treasurer of
Brazos County. He was born on Tar River, Greene County, North Carolina,
Oct. 2, 1831. When about six years of age his father located with the
family at West Point, Miss. In 1850 young CARR went to California and
followed mining throughout the then newly developing gold-diggers. He
passed through the most exciting period of those lively early days in the
"Golden State". He remained in California until the breaking out of the
late war, when returned to the South, coming via Panama, Aspinwall and New
York to St. Louis, from which place he made his way into Arkansas, where he
raised an independent company of cavalry and equipped the men with the best
Sharp's rifles and six-shooting revolvers. With this company he ranged
through that region of country and was with "Jeff" Thompson and his command
at the battle of Black River and also later at Pocahontas, Missouri.
At this point, receiving news from home of the dangerous illness of his
father, he disbanded his company and returned to Texas. His father died at
his Brazos valley farm, as before recited, and Capt. CARR joined Capt.
Hargrove's scouting company, which became a part of Hood's Brigade. Capt.
CARR soon received a commission to raise a company of cavalry, which he did
and was thereupon ordered by Gen. Magruder to fight the "Yankees" in the
valley of the Rio Grande, which he most cheerfully and effectually did.
The story of Capt. CARR's campaign on the Rio Grande River, properly
written, would, in itself, make a fair-sized volume of more than ordinary
interest.
Capt. CARR remained in the valley until the close of the war and for a time
commanded the post at Brownsville, which was the base of supplies from
Mexico for the Confederate States. His company fought and won the last
battle of the war at Palmetto Ranch, about fifteen miles below Brownsville,
which took place some time after Gen. Lee had surrendered and hostilities,
had ceased. It should be stated, however, that Brownsville was so far
distant from the seat of war and the means of communications so impaired
that the official news of the cessation of hostilities had not reached
them. Upon the receipt of the news, Capt. CARR returned to Texas and
commenced merchandising at Millican and, also, pursued farming on the
Brazos until 1867, when he went to Bryan and entered the cotton business,
in which he has been engaged since about 1875.
Since the year 1884, he as continuously held the office of treasurer of
Brazos County, having been elected from time to time with increased
majorities over his opponents.
Capt. CARR married in 1867 Mrs. M.E. Farinholt, whose maiden name was Mary
E. Knowles. She was born in Arkansas.
Mr. and Mrs. CARR have had four daughters, two of whom are living, vis:
Mary E, who serves as his deputy in the treasurer's office, and Lillie E,
who is the wife of Mr. John Davis, of Bryan.
Jennie, the second of the family now living, is Mrs. T.C. Westbrook, of
Hearne.
Allen B, the youngest living member of this generation, is a resident of
Bryan, where he has lived since about 1878. He was born August 27, 1843, in
Lowndes (since Clay) County, Miss, at the town of West Point, where his
father was the first settler and erected the first buildings. Here young
CARR spent his boyhood and youth and was about fifteen years of age when
he, with his father, came to Texas. Soon after the settlement of the family
on their Brazos bottom-farm, the war broke out and he promptly joined the
army, in defense of the Confederate cause, as a member of the Second Texas
Infantry, commanded by Col. (later Brigadier-General) John C Moore, as a
consequence of whose promotion, Col. W .P. Rogers took regimental command.
Mr. CARR participated with his regiment in the well-known and bloody
engagements at Shiloh, Farmington and Iuka, and was in the second battle of
Corinth, where Col. Rogers fell in the heat of the struggle. Mr. CARR was
at the time serving as Col. Rogers's orderly. Mr. CARR remained with the
army until the final break-up and then returned to Burleson County and
engaged in farming (his father having died). He also conducted a ferry
across the Brazos River at the old San Antonio crossing for about two
years, when he removed to Bryan, where he has since resided.
Mr. CARR married in 1866 Miss Pandora Mosley, a daughter of Auguatus Mosley
(deceased), a pioneer of Burleson County (1857) and an extensive
Brazos-bottom planter. They have two sons, Charles O'Conor CARR, engaged in
the insurance business, and Allen B. CARR, Jr., one of the most prosperous
merchants at Bryan.
Mr. CARR for twenty-two years past has, without intermission, held the
office of secretary of the city of Bryan.
His long continuance in office is evidence of the esteem in which he is
held as a citizen and faithful official. Mr. CARR owns rural and city
realty but his time is largely absorbed with his official duties.
Others of the family are deceased. Martha died in Mississippi, the wife of
Wm. McMullen; Elizabeth (or Bettie) married T.P. Mills, was the mother of
two daughters and a son, and died in Houston about 1860. Titus came to
Texas with his father, married and in 1870 died at Bryan, leaving four
children and a widow, who again married; and William came to Texas with the
family, married, and died in the United States mail service about 1885,
leaving one son, Westbrook. William had held a responsible position in the
United States service for upwards of twenty years.