Notes |
- [18212.ged]
[sweeze~2.FTW]
From a history of the Sweazea Family, by J. E. Sweazea, 1986.
Matthias Sweazea was born in Missouri, 1823. He migrated to Shelby Co., Texas, from Wayne County, Mo., 1846, bringing with him a son ( Alex ), by a previous marriage, and his wife (Hannah McFadden), who had two daughters by a previous marriage. Nancy J. and Artemissa.
The Sweazeas were known for their fine bred Steel Dust Quarter horses. Some of their fine stock was brought to Texas from Missouri. The horses were mostly coal black, some with white stocking feet, some had snip noses and some were bald faced. Some had stars in their face and others cropped out, at times.
When Thomas was 15, and James was 13, they watched their unarmed father (Matthias), being gunned down from behind, by a neighbor named Sapp. There seems to of been some disagreement concerning the school and/or its operation. The killing took place in the front yard of the Sweazea home, while Thomas and James were in the corral, training horses and also unarmed. At the same time, Sapp threatened the boys as to what could and might happen to them. The killing seemed, later, to be all for naught, information passed down through the years, indicated that Matthias was a very sick man, at age 42, and had not much longer to live. At any rate, there was a trial, "mock" though it might have been, at which Sapp claimed "self defense", and was acquitted. Records show that Matthias was killed, 1865.
At some time after the death of Matthias, Alex expressed a wish to return to Missouri to see his mother. Hannah gave him his father's most prized horse for the trek back to Missouri. Alex promised to write, when he reached his destination, but was never heard from. He apparently didn't get very far from home, for some time later, the horse was found and identified by one of the sons [ Thomas or James ]. It was suspected that Alex met with foul play at the hands of the Sapp clan.
Thomas and James, at some later date, laid a plan to avenge their father's death. Some researchers believe it may have been 1868, and some believe it may have been as late as 1873/74. At any rate, the plan worked when Sapp was trapped and shot. Some say that Sapp was executed, but he did not die of this shot, for recent discovery shows that Sapp did not die until 1880, cause of death unknown.
Sapp must have been a very powerful man in the community, with a lot of support from the "clan", for when Thomas and James reported their act to Hannah, she immediately feared for their lives, possibly the entire family. The family loaded their possessions in wagons, gathered their livestock, and in the middle of the night, left their Shelby County home and "headed" west.
continued with Thomas F. Sweazea
Mathias Sweazea served in the Civil War as a Pvt in Co. E, 3rd Reg't Texas Calvary at Camp Wigfall, TX. [Confederate] He was killed after the war by a neighbor, DeKalb Sapp, over a school issue. [from civil war records]
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