William Whitaker Reed
| William Whitaker Reed | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 23, 1816 Bedford County, Tennessee, USA |
| Died | August 21, 1891 (aged 75) Bell County, Texas |
| Occupation | Texas pioneer; Sheriff |
| Spouse(s) | Emeline Cobb Reed (married 1841-1890, her death) |
| Children |
James Michael Reed (born 1842) |
James Michael Reed (born 1842)
Martha Reed (born 1844)
Sarah Atlas Reed (born 1847)
Wilson Cobb Reed (born 1849)
Virginia Clinton Reed (born 1852)
Texanna Reed (born 1854)
William Stancell B. Reed (born 1856)
Volney Erskine H. Reed (born 1859)
Jefferson Reed (born 1861)
William Whitaker Reed (January 23, 1816 - August 21, 1891) was a Tennessee native and a pioneer in the settlement of Bell County, Texas.
Born in Bedford County near Nashville, Tennessee, Reed in 1833 traveled with his parents, Michael and Martha Reed, to , Louisiana, the launching point in the preparation for immigration to colonial Texas. They found, however, that Anglo immigration had been suspended by the government of Mexico. Furthermore, the area in which the Reeds planned to settle was in dispute between partisans of the empresarios Sterling C. Robertson and Stephen F. Austin. Nevertheless, Reed and his brother-in-law, William Crain Sparks, explored territory in what is now Bell County south of Temple, Texas. The two selected lands along the south bank of the Little River for various family members near what is now the community of Salado. Robertson gained control of the colony in 1834 while Austin was imprisoned on false charges in Mexico City.
When the Texas Revolution began in 1835, Reed joined the Army of the Republic of Texas and served under Captain L. H. Mabbett. In April 1836, Reed, who was just 20 years of age, was among those who dug the mass grave to hold the burned and charred remains of the 344 men under Colonel James Fannin who were massacred on orders of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at Goliad west of Victoria, Texas.
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