GUINN, JAMES WASHINGTON (b. 1804 - d. 1866). Buried: Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Travis, Texas.
The Texas State Cemetery; hallowed ground, reserved for Founding Fathers, Republic of Texas Heroes, Governors and such. Who was this man, and how did he gain this honor?
James Washington Guinn, was born June 11, 1804, in Greene County, Tennessee to John and Rachael Shields Guinn. On February 2, 1830, James Washington and Catherine Ann Dobson were married in Macon County, North Carolina. James Washington Guinn died in Austin, Travis County, Texas on August 27, 1866, and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas.
Catherine Ann Dobson was born February 2, 1812, the daughter of John Dobson and Nancy Parks Dobson. Catherine Ann Dobson Guinn died in Homer, Angelina County, Texas on March 3, 1865, and is buried in the Homer Cemetery, Homer, Texas.
Rather straight-forward, but if you dig a bit, you learn some fascinating background. For example, according to family history, a tailor in Greenville, Greene County, Tennessee, made the coat that Guinn wore to his wedding to Dobson, The tailor? Andrew Johnson, later President of the United States. And Catherine? Also according to the family, she was a medical doctor. If so, this would make her one of the very first, if not the first female doctor in Texas. Her death? The story is that slaves accidentally poisoned Catherine, while on call to deliver a baby. (!)
Guinn studied law as a young man, and was admitted to the bar in Tennessee in 1827, North Carolina in 1828, Georgia in 1832, and Alabama in 1841. Each move appears to be to a higher, more important position. His last stop in Alabama was as a judge, but the job got abolished, so in 1858, Guinn pulled up roots and the family (by now there were 10 children) moved to East Texas, where his brother, Robert, was a lawyer in Rusk.
Guinn and family show up next in the 1860 Federal Census, living next door in Angelina County; his occupation is listed as a lawyer. In 1863, about the time his wife was poisoned, he was elected to represent the counties of Nacogdoches and Angelina in the Texas House of Representatives after receiving one hundred and ten votes. In 1866 he won a seat in the senate with three hundred seventy-nine votes. No mention of how many votes his opponents received.
The official records show that Guinn identified with the Douglas Democrats and was against the secession of Texas from the United States. Nevertheless, five of his sons fought in the Confederate Army; all lived to return, but one lost an arm, another was captured twice and imprisoned once.
Guinn's tenure as Senator was short-lived, however. He died after a few days illness with Cholera, while the Senate was in session. As a Statesman, he was accorded burial in the Texas State Cemetery on September 18, 1866.
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2 comments:
Which side of which family is this fellow?
Catherine Ann Dobson Quinn, daughter of Capt John Dobson of NC was the 2nd cousin to my ancestress Harriett Katherine Scott Stewart. They were contemporaries--ie born within a year of each other in old Burke County NC. Catherine eventually moved to Macon County, NC where she was married, and Harriet eventually moved to the next county over, Cherokee County. What is interesting--BOTH were called Doctors in their area. I suspect however, that neither actually went to medical school, but apprenticed to one of the Dobson or Scott family members who were doctors at the time. I'm trying to find out who that might be. Medical schools were few and far between--it was not unusual at all for doctors to be individually trained and not go to university--like both of their greatgrandfather did--Dr Joseph Dobson of Revolutionary War fame.
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