John Swanson Yarbrough Archives   

John K. Castleman Family

The Genealogy and Records for the Castleman Family are courtesy of Asa Castleman.  If you would like to learn more about the Castleman Family visit Asa Castleman's Page  

I am interested in this Castleman Family.  If you have more information please contact Renee Smelley.  I am very interested in the maiden name of Sarah Castleman.  Swanson Yarbrough was appointed executor of the estate of John Castleman.  It has been assumed that there is some type of relationship between the Castleman family and John Swanson Yarbrough.

Descendants of John K. Castleman

 Generation No. 1

1.  JOHN K.² CASTLEMAN  (JACOB¹ CASSELMAN)¹ was born 1786 in Davidson Co., TN¹, and died Bet. 1843 - 1845 in Houston County, TX¹.  He married SARAH UNKNOWN¹ Bet. 1805 - 1810 in TN or MO¹.

Notes for JOHN K. CASTLEMAN:

  Subj:       John Castleman

   Date:       10/6/00 9:41:44 PM Central Daylight Time

   From:        ACastleman

   To:  IRSmelley2

  Renee, I am sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you, too many reasons to enumerate.

By now you more than likely have everything already figured out but will give you what I have anyway, do with it as you will.

  I have not been able to find out the maiden names of either Sarah, John's wife or Patience, his mother. I do have copies of several papers filed in Texas where after John's death, Sarah married William McDaniel and he was appointed Guardian of the two minor sons, Andrew and John on 1 April 1846. When they first made the application to the January term 1845 probate court, there were three minor children, James Andrew and John, James gained his majority before the guardianship was granted.

  I also have a copy of his daughter Elizabeth's marriage bond to John McCoy dated 15 March 1830.

  I also have a memo from a filing that a Moses Wood approved a grant of $12.26 to John K. Castleman for military service already served, on 16 August 1836. However, I cannot put him at San Jacinto. I have copies of "The Honor Roll of the Battle of San Jacinto" and John is not listed. Swanson Yarbrough is listed as being with Houston at the battle and Jacob Castleman, a boy of sixteen years is listed as one of the troops made to stay across from Harrisburg to protect and help the wounded and be part of a relief force should the battle go badly.

  On 3 March 1838, John K. Castleman is listed as administrator of his mother, Patience Castleman's 120 acres in Montgomery County. It says she arrived there in 1825, the lady of the family, with 2 sons (probably Michael & Andrew).

  On 31 August 1838, the certificates # 269 for 1 labor of land & 277 for 1 league of land, were issued by the land commissioners of Montgomery County to "John K. Castleman, administrator of Patience Castleman, Decd.

  From John Henry Brown's History of Texas.

In the autumn of 1833, John Castleman, a bold and sagacious backwoodsman, from the borders of Missouri, with his wife and four children, and his wife's mother, settled fifteen miles west of Gonzales, on Sandy Creek, on the San Antonio Road.  Etc., etc.

  Another article says that John F. Castleman was granted a league of land in 1828, in the town of Gonzales and that John K. Castleman and Sarah sold this league of land to Henry Manton on 13 July 1835. The difference between John F & John K. is understandable but the date of 1828 is problematic unless, the 1828 is when John was granted the land in DeWitt's Colony and then went back to bring his wife and kids there. The 1828 is apropos to when his mother arrived in Montgomery County. Originally, I think all those counties were Washington County, later to be formed into Fayette, etc....

I need to return to Gonzales again for more research and I want to try and find where some of them are buried..

  Asa

MANTON, EDWARD T. (1820-1893). Edward T. Manton, soldier and writer of an eyewitness account of the Dawson massacre,qv was born at Johnston, Rhode Island, on September 16, 1820. In 1833 he came to Texas with his brother Henry and settled in central Fayette County. In March 1842, when Mexican general Rafael Vásquezqv attacked San Antonio, Manton joined Rabb's company of Fayette County volunteers and, with them, pursued the retreating Mexican army toward the border. For this service he received a 640-acre bounty grant of land. In September of the same year, Gen. Adrián Wollqv again led a Mexican army against San Antonio, and Manton joined Capt. Nicholas Dawson'sqv Fayette County volunteers to help repel the invasion. When Dawson's command was massacred at Salado Creek on September 18, Manton was one of the fifteen prisoners taken to Perote Prisonqv in Mexico. At the intercession of Gen. Waddy Thompson,qv he was released on March 23, 1844, and returned to his plantation near La Grange, where he wrote an eye-witness account of the Dawson massacre. In Fayette County he expanded his holdings by acquiring the John Castleman home at Castleman Springs. He renamed the spring Manton Spring and resided near that location until his death on August 20, 1893. His correspondence, legal documents, and reminiscences are in the Barker Texas History Center,qv University of Texas at Austin.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY: Leonie Rummel Weyand and Houston Wade, An Early History of Fayette County (La Grange, Texas: La Grange Journal, 1936).  Handbook of Texas Online

Jeff Carroll

  SANDIES CREEK. Sandies Creek, formerly known as Castleman Creek, rises in eastern Guadalupe County (at 29°27' N, 97°54' W) and runs southeast across the full length of southern Gonzales County to its mouth on the Guadalupe River, a mile northwest of Cuerro in DeWitt County (at 29°06' N, 97°20' W). The tributaries of the stream include Rocky and Five Mile creeks. In October 1835 Gonzales men buried the famous Gonzales "Come and Take It" cannonqv on the banks of Sandies Creek during the revolutionary army'sqv advance on San Antonio de Béxar. There the tiny cannon remained until a 1936 flood unearthed it. The flat to rolling terrain is surfaced by the sand that gives the creek its name. The vegetation consists of hardwoods, pines, mesquite, and a variety of grasses. Hanbook of Texas online

  Dear Renee,

I will tell you what I know of John Castleman. Yes, I do think there is a relation between John & Sylvanus.

From a book called "Texas Indian Fighters", by  A.J. Sowell.

Some of the Colonists had settled a considerable distance west of Gonzales, and bore the same relation to people in town as the advance guard to an army.  As the Indians generally came in from the west, these isolated settlers received the first blow.  In the Spring if 1835, or about that time, as near as we can get the records now, there lived an outside settler named John Castleman. His ranch was fifteen miles west of Gonzales in the Guadalupe valley, on the south side of the river.

Since I was born & raised in this area Renee, I would actually call it southwest from Gonzales. There is yet a creek there called Castleman Creek.

  One evening just before sundown there stopped at his house a French merchant or peddler named Greser, accompained by 10 Mexican as guards. He had a large lot of costly goods which he was going east to sell, probably having purchased them in Mexico.  Castleman lived on what was called the Old San Antonio Road, the main traveled route from San Antonio to eastern Texas.  Castleman informed him that there was a large pool of water not far from the house, and pointed him toward it, but at the same time remarking "You had better camp here by my yard. I have plenty of water & wood, and you can get all you want. The Indians are very hostile now, and they might attack you before morning; there is no telling. You will be safe here, for my house is surrounded by strong palisades, and in case of danger you can come inside, and I will help to defend yourself and property".  The Frenchman declined saying his men were well armed, and would go down and camp by the pool of water.

Castleman made everything secure for the night and retired.  Just before daylight next morning he was awakened by firing of guns and the yelling of Indians in the direction of the Frenchmen's camp.

The settler saw an Indian at a tree in front of his house, and raised the gun, but his prudent wife laid her hand on the gun and begged him to desist, saying the Indians might go away and not molest them.

The fight lasted until 10 o'clock, reducing the Mexican forces. The Indians assembled their whole force and charged on 3 sides at once, then all was still for an hour or so. They were 80 Comanches and they rode by the house and shook their lances at them. They had taken the Mexican horses and all their goods, plus the scalps of the slain men.

Renee,

as well as I can determine, Castleman later died and his probate records are in Gonzales County. As my remembrance recalls, they had 3 to 4 small children and she remarried. At about this time the Courts of Houston County, TX appointed Swanson as executor of this Estate. He moved to Gonzales before 1850 and began to care for this estate, sale and distribute the land, etc. I cannot imagine what his envolvement in this affair was. I think that I have given you some of the papers from this.

  John Castleman was at the Battle of San Jacinto, in Col Burlesons Command under Capt. Hill.  The book that I have cited above is a very important book of Texas History that is available at any library. I have given you only part of the story, to make a setting for this. On page 249 of this same book tells the following story.

  Titled:

Early Settlers of Atascosa County (created in 1856)

In 1853 permanent settlements began to be made, and by the time the county was organized quite a number of settlers were located, among them Juston Rodrigues, Judge J.S. Fern, Calvin Horton, the Askins, Yarbers, Tumblinsons, Brights, Slaughters, "Scotch" Jim Brown, Franks, Spears, James Low, Charles Hood, old man Terry, McCoys, and Dan Arnold.

  This book has been reprinted and you should be able to find it in some good Texanna used book stores for about $30 or under. It has proven very valuable for me because of our family. The writer must have known Swanson.

  I think it would be good to study the Castleman family. I stated in my story that I thought that he could have married one of the older daughters on the 1810 census of LA.

Hope I have helped but cannot yet connect Sylvanus to John.

  Beth Walker

  Notes for SARAH UNKNOWN:

 From these and their dates, it would seem that James was probably very young when Andrew and John were given in guardianship to older sister Elizbeth McCoy and her husband. then it would seem that after Sarah married McDaniel, the children must have come back to their mother, and her new husband. (a guess).

  Asa

  More About SARAH UNKNOWN:

Nickname: Sally¹

Children of JOHN CASTLEMAN and SARAH UNKNOWN are:

 i.      ELIZABETH³ CASTLEMAN¹, b. Bet. 1810 - 1812, Davison County, TN¹; m. JOHN MCCOY¹, March 15, 1830, DeWitt Colony, TX¹.

  Notes for ELIZABETH CASTLEMAN:

 From these and their dates, it would seem that James was probably very young when Andrew and John were given in guardianship to older sister Elizbeth McCoy and her husband. then it would seem that after Sarah married McDaniel, the children must have come back to their mother, and her new husband. (a guess).

  Asa

  Notes for JOHN MCCOY:

  Marriage Notes for ELIZABETH CASTLEMAN and JOHN MCCOY:

 Marriage Bond of John McCoy and Elizabeth Castleman

15 March 1830

Know all men by these presents that we, John McCoy and Elizabeth Castleman both of the State of Coahuila and Texas and DeWitt Colony, are held and firmly bound to the Govenor of the State of Coahuila and Texas and DeWitt Colony and his successors in office in the penal sum of ten thousand dollars, lawful money of the United Mexican States (next line undecipherable) truly to be made, we and each of us bind ourselves, our hiers jointly and severably and firmly by these presents.

The condition of the above obligation is such that where as the above mentioned John McCoy and Elizabeth Castleman have mutually agreed to enter into the solem bonds of matrimony and there being as yet no church or regular established ecclesiastical authority in this colony by which means marriages may be legally solemised, and therefore it is understood that so soon as the said authority shall be regularly established, the said parties agree to marry lawfully and if either party shall then fail or refuse to comply, --- and in that case this obligation to be ---- otherwise to be forever void. Given under our hands and seals this 15th day of March in the year of our lord one thousand and eight hundred and thirty.

  (Signed by John McCoy and Elizabeth Castleman. Name and signature of the judge unreadable.

ii.      JAMES CASTLEMAN¹, b. 1827, Texas¹.

iii.       JOHN CASTLEMAN¹, b. 1829, Texas¹.

 iv.       ANDREW CASTLEMAN¹, b. 1834, Texas¹.  

Notes for Castleman Children

  Guardianship of John and Sarah's minor children

Republic of Texas                                                 in probate court

Gonzales County                                       January term A.D. 1846

To the Honorable James M. Baker, probate judge of Gonzales County.

Sarah McDaniel, wife of William McDaniel, hereby resigns her right to the appointment of guardian of her minor children, James, Andrew & John Castleman, and requests the court to appoint her husband, William McDaniel guardian (undecipherable) and she further desires the Court to appoint her said husband administrator de borxx? Non of John Castleman, deceased. She hereby resigning  & waving all right to the appointment.

                                                           (her mark)

Witnessed: William W. Stewart                             Sarah   (X)   McDaniel  

State of Texas

County of Gonzales

Know all men by these presents That I William McDaniel, as principal and James Brown and Benjamin F. Duncan as securities, are held and firmly bound unto unto James M. Baker Chief Justice of said County or his successors in office in the penal sum of Twenty Five hundred dollars, good and lawful money, for the payment of which well and truly to be made, we and each of us jointly and severally bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents.

The condition of the above obligation is such that the above bound William McDaniel has been appointed guardian to the minor heirs of John Castleman, deceased, namely Andrew and John Castleman; and charged with all the duties under the law in such cases made and provided. Now therefore if the said William McDaniel shall well and truly do and perform all the duties of said appointment in accordance with the law made and provided in such case, then this obligation to be null and void, otherwise to be and remain in full force and virtue in law. Given under our hands and seals this 1st day of April A D 1846.

(his mark)

Approved William (X ) McDaniel (seal)

J. M. Baker, chief Justice (his mark)

James ( X) Brown (seal)

(signed)

B. F. Duncan (seal)

(Swear)

You do solemly swear that you will do and perform all the duties required of you as guardian to the minor heirs of John Castleman, deceased, namely Andrew and John Castleman in the terms of the law. So help you God. This 1st day of April AD 1846.

Sworn to and subscribed to (his mark) before me this 1st day of April 1846 William (X) McDaniel J. M. Baker chief justice.

Endnotes

  1.  Asa L. Castleman Genealogy.

Sylvanus Castleman

CASTLEMAN, SYLVANUS (?-1832). Sylvanus Castleman, one of Stephen F. Austin's^qv Old Three Hundred,^qv moved to Texas from Missouri, probably in 1821 or 1822, for in March 1822 Austin took a lot in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, as payment for surveying Castleman's land in Texas. Seth Ingram^qv surveyed the Castleman land on the west side of the Colorado River above La Grange in 1823. Indians raided the Castleman farm and stole cattle from him just before Austin and the Baron de Bastrop^qv lodged with him in August of the same year. In December Castleman was appointed judge for the alcalde^qv election and, being himself elected alcalde, took his oath of office on January 10, 1824. In April 1824 his daughter Nancy married John Crownover.^qv On July 7, 1824, Castleman received title to two sitios of land in what is now Wharton County, one-half sitio now in Fayette County, and two labores now in Austin County. The census of March 1826 listed him as a farmer and stock raiser aged between forty and fifty. His household included his wife, four sons, two daughters, one servant, and one slave. Castleman died before March 10, 1832, when it was announced that all movable property of Sylvanus Castleman, deceased, would be sold at his house. Elizabeth Castleman, administratrix, gave notice in the Telegraph and Texas Register^qv of July 8, 1840, that she would present her account for final settlement of the estate at the next term of Austin county court, and the July 1841 term of the Fayette county court divided Castleman's Fayette County land among his wife and children.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Eugene C. Barker, ed., The Austin Papers (3 vols., Washington: GPO, 1924-28). Lester G. Bugbee, "The Old Three Hundred: A List of Settlers in Austin's First Colony," Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association 1 (October 1897). J. H. Kuykendall, "Reminiscences of Early Texans," Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association 6-7 (January, April, July 1903). La Grange High School, Fayette County: Past and Present (La Grange, Texas, 1976). Worth Stickley Ray, Austin Colony Pioneers (Austin: Jenkins, 1949; 2d ed., Austin: Pemberton, 1970). Texas Gazette, February 20, 1832. Leonie Rummel Weyand and Houston Wade, An Early History of Fayette County (La Grange, Texas: La Grange Journal, 1936). Handbook of Texas Online

Subj: No Subject

Date: 3/28/00 12:30:56 PM Central Standard Time

From: ACastleman@aol.com

To: IRSmelley2

 Renee',

As hard as I try, I cannot connect Sylvanus and John together. I know there has to be some connection, somewhere but it is not a close one. John did vote in the election where Sylvanus was elected alcalde in what is now Fayette County. It is 99&44/100% sure that they were not brothers, and probably not first cousins.

We keep working on this and still have a lot of paperwork to go through. Will keep you informed.

This letter I am including in this e-mqil is the first shot in an effort to get the State or County to maintain the Castleman cemetery. You may be interested, you may not be, just want you and the others aware of what I am attempting to do.

This page is part of the John Swanson Yarbrough Archives

This page was last updated on June 18, 2001

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