Local Haggis

All Haggis originated in Scotland thousands of years ago. During the last Ice Age they crossed over the land bridge into the Americas.  As they came south, they became less hairy over the years. The healthier strain settled in Texas.

The Family of Joe T G. were the first to recognize the true potential of these little Haggis critters. 

Texas Haggis in nature

They started the first ever Texas Haggis Rancho. All the cattle ranchers made fun of them. Little did the cowboys know.

The family had years earlier developed the Nacho Critters. 

Nachos - caught and ready to be eaten

The only problem was that the Haggis would eat the Nachos. So they have to keep them separately. If you wonder why - with the spring breeding season, they are reproducing at an alarming rate. So from time to time, the breeders are in panic with the Runaway Nachos.

Texas Haggis - known locally as chimichangas

Our own family tradition was helping those great people with catching the Nachos every holiday season and and reducing the number of the local Haggis, as well.

Nobody makes better nachos and chimichangas. We did use to visit the place together and enjoy the food feast at least twice a year.

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The post dedicated to our brother Shrader has been inspired by the traditional history of the Scottish Haggis.

Our tribute to the food place and food makers mentioned above. Best Tex-Mex food in the world.

William Todd Sr. & Family

 

William Henry Todd is our distant relation on the maternal side of the family tree.

He was the son of John Moses Todd Sr. and Ann Filgo. William was born in 1787, in North Carolina. His ancestors were of Scottish and Irish descent.

William Todd was married ⚭ Martha (Patsey) Holder in 1813, Wake County, NC. The man signed the marriage bond on 23 November 1813 (1).

Sometime after their marriage, William and Patsy moved to Georgia. Their daughter 🔹Martha was born there in 1815.

More children of theirs came to this world in the coming years.

🔹Samuel born in Wake, NC, in 1816',

🔹Candice, born in Georgia, 1817,

🔹Susan Johanna Eleonora, born  in Georgia, 1822,

🔹Mary Elizabeth, born in 1823,

🔹William, born on 28 March 1828, Georgia,

🔹Thomas Jefferson born on 1 March 1831, in Putnam, Georgia,

🔹John David Elton born on 11 June 1835, Georgia,

🔹Amanda, born 1837, Texas.

⚭ William married ten years younger Sara Elizabeth Hanks, born in Alabama, in 1834. She was the daughter of James Hanks of SC and Susan Caroline Kennedy.

⚭ Candice married her brother-in-law, Joshua English in abt. 1837, in Tennessee. He was the son of James English and Elizabeth Denton.

The eldest daughter ⚭ Martha married Mr. Jonas English, her brother-in-law, in abt. 1838. 

⚭ Samuel married his cousin Elizabeth on 22 August 1840 in Wake, NC (2). She was the daughter of Moses Todd Jr. and Elizabeth Massey.

⚭ Susanna Johanna married Joseph Goodbread, after his death in 1840, she married Alfred Marion Truitt.

⚭ In abt.1840, Mary Elizabeth married David Ruff Cannon, born in in 1811, in South Carolina. He was the son of William Billy Cannon and Nancy Isabella Cox.

⚭ John David Elton married Ann Smith, born in 14 September 1844, in Washington, Alabama. She was the daughter of William Smith and Mary Carlisle Dunbar.

🏡1850 Shelby County TX Census registered William Todd, a farmer, age 53, his wife Martha, age 55, and children – Thoms J., age 20, John, age 18, and Amanda, age 13. The record reads that William also fathered 2 other children, Samuel Heath, born 1838 and Marthy (Martha) born in 1841. They both came to this world in Texas. I did not find out who their parents were.

In 1850, William’s real estate was worth $4163 (3). William Todd Jr, lived with his wife Sara E., and their son William J. not far from Todd parents’ house.

♦ William Henry Todd passed on 23 April 1850, in Shelby, TX. His wife Martha died in circa the same year.

After the parents passing, William Jr., his wife Sara, and their baby son moved in with Sarah’s father’s family who also lived in Shelby County, TX (4).

⚭ In 1855 (5), Thomas Jefferson married Narcissus Mize, born in 1836, in Alabama. She was the daughter of Obediah Allen Mize and Mary McCrary.

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UPDATE

William’s siblings were

🔸Joshua Robert Todd

Born in 1771, Bertie, North Carolina,

Died on 26 May 1826Wake, North Carolina, 

🔸 Moses Todd Jr

Born in 1775, Bertie, North Carolina

Died in March 1841. Wake County, North Carolina

🔸 Soloman Todd

Born in1777, in Wake, North Carolina

Died in  1838, Wake, North Carolina

🔸 David Todd

Born in 1779, Bertie, North Carolina,

Died on 31 Aug 1853, Lowndes, Alabama

🔸 George Todd

Born in 1783, Wake, North Carolina

🔸 Elijah Todd

Born in 1785, North Carolina, 

Died in about 1865, Craven, North Carolina

🔸 Elizabeth Todd

Born in 1787, Wake, North Carolina, United States

🔸 Nancy Todd

Born in 1791, Wake, North Carolina

🔸Mary Todd

Born in 1793, Wake, North Carolina.

Sources:

1.     1  "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011 ", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJQ-HKNF : Thu Mar 07 10:52:19 UTC 2024), Entry for William Todd and Patsey Holder, 23 Nov 1813.

2.      2. "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011 ", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP9J-J73H : Fri Mar 08 16:36:20 UTC 2024), Entry for Samuel Todd and Elizabeth Todd, 22 August 1840.

3.      3.  http://www.shelbycountytexashistory.net/Shelby/Census/1850censusT.htm

4.       4. "United States, Census, 1850", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXLG-G8P : Fri Oct 17 04:40:42 UTC 2025), Entry for James Hanks and Johnathan Hanks, 1850.

5.    5. The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 358, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 29, 1906, newspaper, March 29, 1906; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth603417/: accessed March 20, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

familysearch.org

John M. Bradley

 There was more than one man by the name of John M. Bradley who lived at the same time in Texas.

The John M. Bradley I talk about in this post was born in about 1800 in North Carolina. Whether and how he was related to our Bradley family line, I do not know. However, our direct ancestor John Bradley Jr., was born in 1799, in North Carolina as well. Possibly there is some family relation between the two men, but I did not discover it.

Not much is known about the ancestors of John M. Bradley and his family members. By the time when John M.  arrived in Texas with his four children, his wife passed away. I wish I knew the children’s name or what name the initial M. stood for.

John M. Bradley became the captain of Texas Militia regiment (Tenaha Militia). They fought in the battle of Nacogdoches in August 1832. Then, the man attended the Convention in San felipe as the Tenaha District representative.

In 1835, John M. Bradley was the captain of the San Augustine and Tenaha company, which he commanded during the Grass Fight. He and his company also took part in the siege of Bexar. Subsequently, Bradley and his San Augustine Cavalry joined the Texas army and participated in the fights which led to expelling the Mexican army from Texas.

John M. Bradley’s company was discharged in July 1836.

From 04 February 1839 to 31 January 1841, the man served as the Shelby County Sheriff. During that time, the Regulator – Moderator conflict arose, and John M. Bradley was chosen as the leader of the  Moderators.

After the death of Charles Jackson, the leader of Regulators, Charles Watt Moorman, took over their leadership. According to (1), he was a “young psychopath ”, and a “cruel and dangerous man” who did not tolerate anybody daring to stand in his way. Moreover, he was a man of impressive appearance and striking personality, who was able to make people think that Regulators’ actions was righteous. The Regulators controlled Shelbyville which they had chosen as their headquarters. Whoever did not agree with them was either forced to leave the county or face death. The Regulators followed their opponents even to adjacent counties. 

Clipping source: Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 47, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 20, 1841, newspaper, October 20, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48156/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Clipping source: The Morning Star. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 243, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 25, 1841, newspaper, September 25, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1497666/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu

Moorman’s plans reached high and included the idea of a revolution, overthrowing the Government of Texas and becoming the state governor.

Gradually, the situation in the county was becoming more serious and dangerous.

Clipping source: Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 46, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 13, 1841, newspaper, October 13, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48155/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

At the end of December 1841, a certain letter was published in a local newspaper. The alleged author of the letter was John. M. Bradley – as the publication stated (2). The letter content showed Bradley in a very bad light, the least to say.

On the next day, information of J. M. Bradley’s protest was published in the same paper. Bradley had announced that the letter was a forgery and he was not the one who had written the letter.

Clipping source: Whiting, S. Daily Bulletin. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 22, Ed. 1, Friday, December 24, 1841, newspaper, December 24, 1841; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80076/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

It was probably Moorman and the Regulators who were behind the letter publication. If it was meant to slander Bradley’s name and ruin his good reputation, it seems they succeeded. In 1842, when Moderators reorganized themselves, John M. Bradley was excluded from the group. James J. Cravens became their leader.

Researching the information on John M. Bradley, I came across the newspaper note on the legal case Bradley vs McGrabb (1843). 

Clipping source: The Planter. (Columbia, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 40, Ed. 1, Saturday, September 9, 1843, newspaper, September 9, 1843; Columbia, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80181/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Most likely – it was John M. Bradley who tried to clear his name after the slandering post in the paper and took it to the court. Considering the fact that most jury members at that time were Regulators supporters, and others, who were not, would not have dared to vote in favor of Bradley (due to the obvious reason, as it was in case of the McFadden brothers), John M. Bradley presumably lost the court case and failed to restore his good name.

24 July 1844 – a truce between Regulators and Moderators was signed by Cravens and Moorman. The truce was to protect citizens regarded as “good and unoffending”. However, Moorman composed “Articles of Agreements” in which he was supposed to include some escape clauses for himself.

Soon, a man by the name of Lindsey was shot in an ambush by Regulators. The man managed to get to the Moderators and let them know who he had been attacked by.

After a Regulators’ meeting at San Augustine, they came up with a list of 25 men who were “doomed” by the Regulators. The list was later placed on the courthouse door. It was believed that  Moorman himself posted the paper with those names. The listed citizens of Shelby County were:

• Sheriff Llewellyn,
• John F. Cravens – leader of Moderators,
• Five men of the Haley family: Thomas, John, Richard, Allen, and Mark,
• William Todd,
• I. Strickland, 
• D. Strickland,
• Isaac Hall,
• Jonathan Anderson,
• Laurel Lang,
• Charles Lindsey,
• E. Ritter,
• M. H. Moseley,
• J.D. Raines,
• Joshua English,
• John Choate,
• Moses F. Wooten,
• James West,
• W. J. Thomas,
• Samuel Todd,
• Henry Thorne,
• David Harris.

Some of the above men had family connections to Jospeh Goodbread, who was shot and killed by Jackson in 1841, and the McFadden brothers hanged some time later. I will come back to those men in my future posts.

28 July 1844 – on a Sunday evening, when John M. Bradley was leaving the Baptist church camp meeting he had attended at St Augustine, he was approached by Charles W. Moorman and a few other Regulators. It was dark, when light was brought, Moorman shot Bradley in the chest and killed him at instant. The story mentions that Moorman had had a dream about Bradley in which the latter wore a steel jacket. That is why Moorman shot Bradley below the line where the jacket could have been. Later it appeared, Bradley was indeed wearing a steel jacket as seen by Moorman in his dream. The steel jacket factor - true or false? Seems probable.

Clipping source: De Morse, Charles. The Northern Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 40, Ed. 1, Wednesday, August 7, 1844, newspaper, August 7, 1844; Clarksville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80525/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

The conflict  between Regulators and Moderators continued to escalate. Finally, President  Houston took actions which led to the end of the bloody conflict and disbanding both fractions of the feud.

Clipping source: De Morse, Charles. The Northern Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 43, Ed. 1, Wednesday, August 28, 1844, newspaper, August 28, 1844; Clarksville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80528/: accessed March 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Sometime later, Moorman was arrested and trialed.

Clipping source: De Morse, Charles. The Northern Standard. (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 45, Ed. 1, Wednesday, September 11, 1844, newspaper, September 11, 1844; Clarksville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80530/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

The result of the trial was no surprise regarding the state of the affairs regarding members of the jury (as mentioned above).

Charles W. Moorman met his end in Louisiana, on 14 February 1850. He was shot/killed by Dr. Robert Burns.

God bless their souls.

Sources:

1. East Texas Genealogical Society. East Texas Family Records, Volume 11, Number 3, Fall 1987, periodical, Autumn 1987; Tyler, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38028/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting East Texas Genealogical Society.

2. Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 47, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 20, 1841, newspaper, October 20, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48156/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

3. East Texas Genealogical Society. East Texas Family Records, Volume 11, Number 3, Fall 1987, periodical, Autumn 1987; Tyler, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38028/: accessed March 1, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting East Texas Genealogical Society.

Texas Handbook Online

Photos Sept. 2020

McFadden Brothers

The McFadden family were the early settlers who made their home east of the Sabine River. The brothers, John, William, and Bailey, sons of Sam McFadden, settled in the south-east of the county, and the nearby creek was named after them.

Joseph Goodbread mentioned in one of the previous posts was related to McFaddens. Some of his relatives joined the group of Moderators organized after Joseph’s death, in response to the actions taken by Charles Jackson (the man who shot Joseph) and his supporters known as Regulators.

When the legal ways failed - Jackson's trial, mentioned in the previous post, was a total fiasco. Jackson was not sentenced/went free, despite the fact that he had shot Goodbread in broad daylight. Therefore. his friends and relatives took matters in their own hands.

As mentioned before, Jackson was killed in an ambushed and the McFadden brothers were known to be part of the Moderators group who retaliated after the death of Goodbread.

Charles Watson (Watt) Moorman became the leader of the Regulators after Jackson’s death. He had been with Regulators when Jackson was their commander. Subsequently,  John T Middleton (first deputy)  deputized Moorman and a few other Regulators, and the posse after Jackson’s killers was organized.

The Regulators approached a group of Moderators, when they were going towards Grimes County. During a fight, one of the Moderators by the name of Joe Bledsoe was killed at Crockett, others managed to escape. However, later, the Regulators apprehended  a Moderator called One-Eyed Williams, and made him tell where the McFadden brothers were.

 The men were staying then not far from the Montgomery town,  at the house of Mr. Whitaker. Surrounded by the Regulators , the brothers barricaded themselves  and fought back, shooting from the inside of the house. The Regulators threatened they were going to burn the house down. The McFaddens agreed to surrender when they were promised a fair trial which was to be done by the vote of the Shelbyville inhabitants, not the jury. 

I am not sure about the fairness of that trial since the Regulators controlled Shelbyville. Their motto was “those who are not for us are  against us”, and each person who was not willing to align with them was treated as a member of the opposition, a Moderator.  According to one source (3) , Regulators’ representatives were members of every grand jury. Thus, the people of Shelbyville voted 174 to 0. which decided of the brothers’ fate. In such circumstances, even if any of the voting man was against the hanging, fearing for their own lives, they would not have dared to stand up and say, “I am against it”. John and William McFadden were hanged. Bailey, the youngest of the three brothers, was spared due to his young age. He was ordered to leave the town after he was beaten 25 times with a “blackjack”.

Clipping source: The Morning Star. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 256, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 26, 1841, newspaper, October 26, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1497679/: accessed February 8, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

Clipping source: Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 48, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 27, 1841, newspaper, October 27, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48157/: accessed February 8, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

The “Tenaha gang” mentioned in the newspaper piece was the Tenaha Militia who participated in the Battle of Nacogdoches (Tenehaw Municipality was the original name of Shelby County). The wounded Moderator was Henry Strickland. He was hit by Hansford Hanks, Regulator.

I wish I was able to find out more about the brothers’ and the names of John’s and Bill’s wives. 

Mary Elizabeth McFadden (1800-1847) is one of our direct ancestors (5 generations  back - great-great-great-grandmother). She was the daughter of Sam McFadden and Lucy Hampton. Perhaps, the brothers ment6ioned above were her brothers?

Sources:

1. East Texas Genealogical Society. East Texas Family Records, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 1984, periodical, Spring 1984; Tyler, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38042/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting East Texas Genealogical Society.

2. Texas Gulf Historical Society. The Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, Volume 1, Number 1, November 1965, periodical, November 1965; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1433634/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Gulf Historical Society.

3. Texas State Historical Association. The Texas Historian, Volume 35, Number 5, May 1975, periodical, May 1975; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391259/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

4. Abernethy, Francis Edward; Lincecum, Jerry Bryan & Vick, Frances Brannen, 1935-. The Family Saga: A Collection of Texas Family Legends, book, 2003; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc701341/: accessed February 3, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.

Texas Handbook Online

Photos: Sept. 2020

S for Sauerkraut

 This post relates both to My Polish and My Texas Alphabets.

A few days before Christmas, we were invited to the Christmas song concert which took place at Pecan Grove Store. While waiting for the program, we ordered something to eat. On the menu, I saw one item served with sauerkraut - it was ”Fred Dog”. The sauerkraut caught my attention so I thought I would  give it a try. I had not eaten good sauerkraut in 15 years. Last time, it was when I was still in Poland. I had tried to find some after I cane to Texas, but with no satisfying result.

T & C Miller at Pecan Grove - Christmas program

To my utter surprise, the Fred Dog was sooooo delightfully  good! It was the good brand of sausage and, most of everything, the super tasty sauerkraut. I ate it all very quickly. That was it! The sauerkraut – not to sour, not too sweet, perfectly thin pieces of cabbage. Just right! It was so delicious and I was so happy having it, I almost ate the aluminum foil the dog was wrapped in.

The music program was very nice and Christmassy. We also really enjoyed the instrumental part presented by T. Miller, not to mention the time spent with friends. However, the culinary experience both unexpected and wonderful.

at Pecan Grove Store

After the music performance, I talked to the owners, praising their sauerkraut. It tasted just like home made stuff served by my mom long time ago. The man showed me a jar of the product – Bavarian Sauerkraut, made in Germany. One of its ingredients is wine, instead of commonly used vinegar. To my total surprise, the jar was also gifted to me. Thank you so very much! I am now enjoying eating the sauerkraut again and again!

Cave Without A Name - Solstice Concerts

 It seems I never mentioned it here. Not far from Boerne, TX, 90 feet below the ground, there is a wonder of nature known as "Cave Without A Name". Full of stalactites and stalagmites, refreshing air and water basins. We visited it for the very first time in 2021, and spent an hour walking in that amazing place. 100% humidity in the cave makes the air easy to breathe and refreshing. The temperature inside the place is moderate and quite pleasant. The time there passed quickly while we were admiring the scenery and listening to stories told by our guide. 

Since then, we wanted to come back for a music concert in the cave, which they have every month. Various bands play their music pieces under the ground.  We finally went there for the Equinox Concert in September. 

Rudi Harst and his band play in the cave three or four times a year. We very much enjoyed their September program. It was something totally different from we had ever experienced, and the acoustic is great in the cave.

During each concert, the light is switched off for about 20 minutes and the Rudiments perform in total darkness. That makes it a form of meditation-like time. With no lights, it is so dark in the cave, you cannot see your own nose or fingers. Some people cannot handle it. The band always announces there would be no light period so anybody who does not like it can move to the section with lights on. There is always somebody who thinks they can manage, but they do not, and, feeling uncomfortable, they make all sorts of noise disturbance during that special performance. Myself, while sitting in the dark and listening to the sounds of the instruments, I felt like a tiny spec in Space.

Last night we were in the Cave again.

This time it was a Winter Solstice concert.  It was very enjoyable again. Very Christmassy and very nice - our Christmas treat to ourselves. Despite that, we both liked the September show more, though.

Visits to the cave by appointment only. More about the cave here: https://www.cavewithoutaname.com/

Photos: September and December 2025

Yupi, Yupi, Ya!

When I heard this Christmas song, I thought, "I know this tune!". However, I had never heard in that version before - with the lyrics turned into a Christmas theme. The recording seemed to be old - sounded like made in the 40s or 50s.

On the Internet I only found a children's version of that Christmas song.

At first, I could not remember what were the words I knew.  It was so long ago. I had not sang the song for ages. I recalled myself I taught it to kids in English classes. Then, after a while, only the refrain came back came back, " Yupi, yupi, ya!" 

My husband showed me the original version of the song he knew.

"Ok" I said, "It is close, but it is not what I used to sing with kids".  the words I taught to children were slightly different. 

Later, that same day, I found it, though.

What a coincidence it was to hear the Christmas version of that song. Neither of us had heard that holiday edition before.

I wonder, how many other people would recognize the original tune?  I am asking it myself because it has happened persons born and brought up here, did not know popular songs or movies written/made in this country, when we mentioned them. Examples?  Some of them: "The Battle of New Orleans" song or "Beetlejuice", the original movie.

Anyhow, it was nice to hear the "Yupi, yupi, ya" tune again.

Joseph G Goodbread

Joseph G Goodbread has waited long for the post dedicated to him. He was born in 1809, in North Carolina, to Philip R Goodbread and his first wife, whose name is unknown. Joseph’s great-grandfather Philippus Gutbrodt was born in 1725, in Wuertemberg and later, the man emigrated to North Carolina.

There are several land assessment Alabama records which mention Joseph G Goodbread. It was possible that it was ‘our’ Joseph as his family lived at that time in that state. 

31 August 1833, Joseph bought 39 acres for $1.25 in Chickasaw township area, Alabama (1).

On 24 November 1834, he purchased 52 acres in Chickasaw township area, Alabama. He payed $65 and received patent for the land on 27 September 1886 (2).

In 1837, Joseph married Miss Susan Johanna E Todd (born in about 1822 in Georgia). She was the daughter of William Henry Todd, Sr. and Martha "Patsey" Holder. Joseph and Susan had a daughter whom they called Mary, she was born in 1838.

Philip’s family came to Texas in 1838.

From July 9 to 10 August 1839, Joseph served with Captain Inman’s Harrison-Shelby County Volunteers, during the Cherokee War in Northeast Texas (3).

After the service, Joseph came back home to Shelby County. 

In that time, land certificates were issued in the Shelby County. They were signed by local Land Commissioners. Many important lawyers of the area, who signed the certificates, believed they were good and legitimate because they were issued by the Land Commissioner’s Office.

If I had bought such land grants then, most likely I would have believed they were legal. Probably Joseph did think so, as well as he used them as a payment mean in the transaction with his former fellow Militia man, Albert George. Those land certificates amounted for 46 000 acres.

George on the other hand, allegedly put fake grantees names on the certificates which he received from Joseph.

Later, it appeared that despite the common believe, the land certificates were not legal as they hadn’t been signed by the travelling board of land commissioners appointed by the State.

The information about the deal and land certificates got to Charles W. Jackson, who was originally from Kentucky. He was a man of a dubious character and a criminal record. Jackson used to be a steamboat captain on the Mississippi River. Once, his boat was passing another one (named Ben Sherrod). That boat was in flames and sinking. Jackson did not try to help those people. He passed Ben Sherrod by – its passengers and the boat went down to the river bottom. Afterwards, Jackson moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he ran a store.  The man was arrested by a group of men and was to be taken to New Orleans. He managed to escape, though and came back to Shreveport. There was a gun fight between Jackson and those ones who were after him. Jackson killed some of his opponents and fled to Shelby County in Texas.  In Texas, the very same man ran for the position of the representative in the Texas Congress. He failed, though, and he blamed land speculators for that.

Jackson wrote letters to the General Land Office in Austin and other persons in Texas, and Louisiana . He also wrote one to Joseph Goodbread. The exchange between the two men was not pleasant, the least to say. Both man were agitated. Joseph wrote to Jackson telling him to mind his own business, otherwise, as Joseph said, he would kill Jackson.

On 20th September 1840 (4), Charles Jackson came to Shelbyville. When he approached Joseph, he was sitting on his horse while Goodbread was sitting on the ground. During the dispute, Joseph apologized for what he had written in his letter and the hasty words. Goodbread also stated he was unarmed. Despite that, Jackson kept demanding that Joseph would stand up. When the latter finally did, Jackson shot him dead. There was a witness of that encounter - Mr. Ephraim  M. Daggett saw and heard what happened, and he later described that in his memoirs.

Soon after the incident, Jackson organized a group of men who were called Regulators. Officially, their purpose was to stop crime. Practically, however, Jackson got that group together to protect himself from Goobread’s friends and relatives, who were expected to retaliate after Joseph’s death. Thus, the Regulators first target, were Joseph Goodbread’s allies.

To make the long story short, Capt. Jackson was taken to trial on 16 July 1841 (7), in Harrison County. Jackson chose trial by Jury. The Judge by the name of John Hansford, was under enormous pressure. Hansford’s father-in-law, Joshua Prewitt, was murdered by the Regulators on 4 July. The old man was killed in in the presence of his daughter, Hansford’s wife. If it was not enough, 150 armed men, friends of Jackson, surrounded the court during the trial. It all led to Jackson’s indictment. 

A contra group was organized by those who were against the Regulators. They were known as Moderators, and that is a subject to be talked about in a later post.

In the following months of the same year, Charles W. Jackson was shot dead by Moderators. It happened  when he was on his way to Logansport.

Clipping source: Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 41, Ed. 1, Wednesday, September 8, 1841, newspaper, September 8, 1841; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48150/: accessed December 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

The two homes mentioned in the clippings were the homes of James Strickland and John McFadden. Regulators burned the dwellings of those families and forced the wives and children out in the cold weather. Strickland and McFadden were called "outlaws" in the above clipping. Apparently, the newspaper editor either supported Regulators, or was afraid of their retaliation. As the previous events showed, it was not safe to openly condemn or oppose to the Regulators' actions.

Albert George was elected a sheriff in 1841. He was not present at the Jackson's trial. Another man by the name of George was (first name Hezekiah). Judge Hansford tried to arrest and prosecute murders of Joshua Prewitt, with no success, though. At the end of 1841, he was to be impeached by the Senate. Hansford resigned before it happened. 

Clipping source: Whiting, S. Daily Bulletin. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 27, Ed. 1, Thursday, December 30, 1841, newspaper, December 30, 1841; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80081/: accessed December 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Clipping source: Whiting, S. Daily Bulletin. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 26, Ed. 1, Wednesday, December 29, 1841, newspaper, December 29, 1841; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80080/: accessed December 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

At the end of the year 1844, John M. Hansford was shot dead by Regulators.

Clipping source: The Morning Star. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 612, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 1, 1844, newspaper, February 1, 1844; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1498026/: accessed December 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

Clipping source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 11, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 28, 1844, newspaper, February 28, 1844; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth78039/: accessed December 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Clipping source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 12, Ed. 1, Wednesday, March 6, 1844, newspaper, March 6, 1844; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth78040/: accessed December 5, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Joseph’s widow, Susan Eleonor married Mr. Alfred M. Truitt, who was a Moderator and was present at the Jackson’s trial. More about Albert another time..

Sources:

1. "United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JN8-VC9G : Fri Oct 31 09:02:26 UTC 2025), Entry for Joseph Goodbred, 31 Aug 1833.

2. "United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:62X9-JC8B : Fri Oct 31 11:03:10 UTC 2025), Entry for Joseph G Goodbread, 24 Nov 1834.

3. Savage Frontier: Rangers, Riflemen, and Indian Wars in Texas, Volume 2, 1838 – 1839, by Stephen L. Moore, p 275.

4. Texas State Historical Association. The Texas Historian, Volume 35, Number 5, May 1975, periodical, May 1975; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391259/: accessed December 3, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

5. Yoakum, H. (Henderson K.), 1810-1856. History of Texas: From Its First Settlement in 1685 to Its Annexation to the United States in 1846, Volume 2, book, 1855; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2386/: accessed December 3, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections. 

6. Texas Gulf Historical Society. The Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record, Volume 1, Number 1, November 1965, periodical, November 1965; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1433634/: accessed December 3, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Gulf Historical Society.

7. East Texas Genealogical Society. East Texas Family Records, Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 1984, periodical, Spring 1984; Tyler, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38042/: accessed December 3, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting East Texas Genealogical Society.

Photos taken in 09. 2020