• General Notes

  Benjamin Franklin Fry, Jr. was born September 15, 1800 in Wilkes county, Georgia to Benjamin Fry and Mary Ann Jameson Fry. While he was a young child, his parents moved to Jasper Co., Georgia, and he grew to manhood there.
  
  On December 23, 1820 (or 1819) he married Nancy Carden (or Carter), from Jasper County, Georgia.
  
  Benjamin is listed in the 1820 U. S. Census Record as follows: Benjamin Fry, Jasper Co., Ga., Monticello Town District No. 228-216: 1 male over 10 and under 26 yrs. (himself); 1 male over 45 yrs. (his father); 1 female under 10 yrs. (This may be daughter of Ben's sister Sally who died before 1822.); 1 female over 16 and under 26 yrs.; 1 female over 45 yrs. (Mary Ann Jameson, Ben's Mother).
  
  Ben Jr's mother died 2 years later and his father 3 years later. They were obviously in poor health and in need of assistance, so they were in the household qf their youngest son in 1820.
  
  The Henry County 1830 U. S. Census Record lists Benjamin Fry: 1 male 20-30 yrs., 1 male under 5 yrs., 2 males 5-10 yrs., 1 female 30-40 yrs. (This would indicate that Nancy was slightly older than Ben. Census taken before Sept. 15, 1830.)
  
  Family tradition places Mary Ann Jameson's' death about one year before her husbands, that is 1822.
  
  Ben Jr. moved from Jasper County to Henry County in December 1822 and there his father died September 1823.
  
  While Benjamin Fly's forefathers were of the Lutheran faith, he, being reared in a Baptist community, became a Baptist, and later joined the Baptist ministry. About 1833 he moved to LaGrange Georgia where he filled a pulpit in the Baptist Church for a short time.
  
  In 1834 he heard the call of Texas for colonists, and December of that year found him, with his family, entering from the north the Mexican Territory called Texas. After crossing the Red River near Jonesborough, now called Davenport, near the present town of Clarksville, they stopped to rest for a few days. While doing this, their son, John Gilmore Fry, was overcome with nostalgia for his old Georgia home, and, though but a lad, determined to, and did return with some Georgia people he had met at a horse race in Joneshorough. (John Gilmore b. Sept. 1823 was 11 years old.) Benjamin Fry, with the rest of his family, continued their journey which ended in Nacogdoches. From there he moved to Crockett, Houston County, Texas.
  
  Family Group Sheet
  
  Just after the Battle of Gonzales Oct. 2, 1835, the call went out that Texas should throw off the yolk of Mexico, no longer should that country encroach upon the rights of the Colonists. Benjamin Fry joined the Texas Army at San Augustine on Oct. 5, 1835 just three days after the first battle in Gonzales. On the evening of that day, an enthusiastic meeting was held, and Sam Houston and Thomas Rusk spoke. A company of men was then organized to leave on the morning of Oct. 10th, just four days later. The cry of this Company was 'Take Bexar', and they became known as the "Red Landers" because the soil of East Texas, their home, was of a red color. They traveled what is known as the 'El Camino Real', or 'King's. Highway', which road was blazed in 1691 between San Antonio and Nacogdoches, and joined Stephen F. Austin and his men at the Salado Creek about ten miles from San Antonio. Benjamin Fry was in the skirmish at Salado Creek, Battle of Conception, and later, when camped with the Army out of San Antonio, he saw Ben Milam step out in front of the men and say, "Who will go with old Ben Milam into San Antonio?" Benjamin Fry was one of the "Old Three Hundred and One' volunteers, who stepped forward and followed Ben Milam into battle. The "Seige of Bexar" was on. For four days and five nights the Mexicans fought - house to house - room to room - until the morning of Dec. 9, 1835 when the Mexicans were defeated.
  
  At the Battle of San Jacinto April 21, 1836, Benjamin Fry was in the First Regiment , Texas Volunteers, Company 1 under the command of Captain William S. Fisher. This Company was known as the "Velasco Blues". He had joined on March 6, the same day the Alamo fell to the Mexicans, just 4 days after Texas declared their independance on March 2nd at Washington on the Brazos. Benjamin was released from duty June 6, 1836. After his release from duty, Benjamin returned to the ministry.
  
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  Fry was a Baptist Minister who is said to have preached under five of the "Six Flags over Texas," becoming known as the "Fighting Parson." He was at the siege of Bexar, at San Jacinto, and fought later in the Mexican War. He was born in Wilkes County, Georgia in 1800 and married Nancy Carter in 1829. He preached his final sermon on the day of his death in Jeddo, Bastrop County, 1872.
  
  There were few churches in those days. Saloons sometimes had to make do, requiring on the part of a saloon keeper a certain degree of introduction: "Oyez, oyez, there's goin' to be some hell-fired racket here this mornin, gents, by Fightin' Parson Potter, a reformed gambler, but now a shore-nuff gospel shark... the Devil's gonna git ye quicker'n hell kin scorch a feather."
  
  Religion generally came late to the Republic. Although the Baptist J. H. Pilgrim founded a Sunday School in Austin's colony, a Catholic mission to the new nation in 1836 found there to be only two priests in the whole of Texas. The Methodists came in the persons of the Reverend Martin Rider and his assistants Robert Alexander and Littleton Fowler in 1836. The first Lutheran may have been the Reverend Louis C. Ervenberg, a German. The first Protestant Episcopalian, Caleb S. Ives, arrived in 1836.
  
  from Debrett's Texas Peerage, Hugh Best, Coward-McCann, Inc., New York, 1983
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  In 1840, Benjamin owned 640 acres in Houston County, Texas. His son King Lodwick (18) owned 320 acres, his brother Lodwick owned 320 acres, and his nephew Robert owned 320 acres.
  
  A meeting was held in the School house in the town of Huntsville, Montgomery County, Republic of Texas, on Monday, September 16, 1844 for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church. The following proceedings were had to wit-. After divine worship by the Rev. Benjamin Fry, the meeting was called to order by Elder Z. N. Morrell who invited all persons present who wished to become members of the church about to he organized to take seals and also invited visiting brethren sit with us. Rev. Benjamin Fry, Chairman of the Committee heretofore appointed to draft an abstract of principles reported the following, to wit: Articles of Faith, etc.
  
  On November 11, 1844 Benjamin Fry was involved in the organization of Antioc Church in Anderson Co., Texas.
  
  When the Mexican War broke out, "Benjamin Fry was enrolled May 17, 1846 at Cincinnati, Texas for six months; was mustered into service todate May 30, 1846 at Fort Polk, Point Isabel, Texas as a Sergeant in Captain Bennet's Company B, 1st Regiment Texas Foot Riflemen Mexican War; and was mustered out with the Company and honorably discharged the service as Sergeant Aug. 24, 1846 near Camargo," according to the U.S. War Department. He was mustered out due to ill health.
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  Captain Cheshire, from Eastern Texas, had fitted up a large tent for the accommodation of those who felt piously inclined; whence, on a calm moonlight night, the melody of psalm singing, sermonizing, and prayer, resounded over the camp. The chief orator, on these occasions, was our orderly-sergeant Fry. He was a decided character, and deserves a passing notice.
  
  The Sergeant was the tallest man in our regiment, being six feet nine in his stockings, and was slim and straight as an Indian; long favored, with blue eyes, and pleasant countenance, and a nose of huge proportions. Whether he belonged to the Methodist, Baptist, or Universalist persuasion, could not be ascertained from his discourses. One thing, however, was certain,--if he was a Methodist, there was not much method in his eloquence. He never touched upon doctrinal points; and when not holding forth to his congregation, there was nothing of the parson in his manner, unless it was his general good-nature, and friendly smile, and word for every one he met.
  
  The Sergeant declared "he had volunteered to look after the spiritual interest of the boys. That he meant to serve the Lord; but, if duty required him to shoot Mexicans, why, he thought he could do so, and look to heaven with a clear conscience." He was one of those pious soldiers who could trust to Providence, but chose to take care of his own powder.
  
  from Chile Con Carne or The Camp and the Field by: S. Compton Smith, M. D., Acting surgeon with General Taylor's Division in Mexico.
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  In No. 15, Public Department Papers in the Archives of the State Library there is an affidavit made June 10, 1836, by Captain William S. Fisher at Velasco that Mr. Fry served in his company of "Valasco Blues" from March 6 to June 6, 1836. Mr. Fry was issued Donation Certificate No. 184 on December 3, 1849, for 640 acres of land for having participated in the battle of San Jacinto. He received Bounty Certificate No. 9247 for 640 acres of land for having served in the army from March 6 to September 6, 1836. On January 11, 1850, Governor Peter H. Bell signed a joint resolution of the Legislature granting Mr. Fry one-third of a league of land as a headright, setting forth that he "entered the army of Texas in October, 1835, aided in the siege of Bexar, and participated in the battle of San Jacinto."
  
  The 1850 Walker County, Texas Census listed Ben Fry, 51, Carpenter; Nancy Fry, 54; Ben Fry, 23.
  
  From A History of Cincinnati, by Vernon Cleveland Fitzgerald Schuder: "In Walker County, on the west bank of the Trinity River, Cincinnati, Texas was founded by James C. DeWitt in 1837. Carpenters in Cincinatti were Ben Fry, Dan Clarke, and William Devane Shockley."
  
  Down river a few miles lived Benjamin's. brother Lodwick, Lodwick's son Robert, and other members of Lodwick's family.
  
  In the fall of 1853 the yellow fever epidemic struck the town of Cincinnati. An estimated 250 of about 600 people died from the "Yellow Jack".
  
  Whether or not the yellow fever affected the Fry families directly or not is not known. But several had died and are buried in the Fry Cemetery on what was Robert's land near present day Point Blank, San Jacinto County, Texas.
  
  1860 found Benjamin and many of the Fry relatives in Limestone County, Texas.
  
  In 1867 it was reported that Ben had a home in Jeddo, Bastrop County, Texas. Benjamin's wife, Nancy Carden (Carter) Fry died in Jeddo, May 1867 and is buried in Jeddo Cemetery. She was reportedly a very small woman, had dark eyes and black hair, and in her later years, smoked a pipe.
  
  In October 1869 in Trinity County, Benjamin Fry married Martha Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Phillips Williams, widow of "Buck" Williams.
  
  The 1870 Trinity County Census, Aug 3, 1870 listed Benjamin Fry, 69 Baptist Minister and Farmer, Married within the year; Lizzie Fry, 40, Housewife, born in Mississippi; Sterling Williams, 20, Farm Labor, born in Lousiana; Mitchell, 15, born in Lousiana; Christiana, 12, born in Lousiana; Lizzie, 7, born in Lousiana.
  
  November 17, 1870, George Washington Fry was born to Benjamin and Lizzie Fry. G. W. Fry was about one year old when Lizzie died. Ben was an old man and was concerned for the future of his new son, so in the fall of 1872 he took G. W. to Waelder, Texas, Gonzales County, to his grand daughter Mary Ann Hopkins, daughter of his son King Lodwick, for her to care for.
  
  On October 3, 1872, Benjamin Franklin Fry died and is laid to rest beside his first wife Nancy.
  
  

Details of Benjamin's family with Nancy Carden

Details of Benjamin's family with Martha (Lizzie) Elizabeth Phillips