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

About Lost Sheep

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to offend anyone. It is not meant to offend anybody's feelings either. It is my search for understanding the matters described below.

✷★★

Some stories (parables) which I have heard many times since my early childhood never made any sense to me, even when I was little. Especially the three ones, well known to many, seem to be rather nonsensical and made me wonder what their meaning was.  At some point, the understanding of their meaning came to me on its own. 

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Probably you have heard a parable about a shepherd, his 100 hundred sheep. When one of his  sheep got lost, he left the other ones and went to look for the missing animal. I used to think, “What shepherd would leave 99 sheep “in the open country” – unattended – and go to look for one sheep”? They would lose most of those 99.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a parable is “a short, simple story that teaches or explains an idea”. A story that explains an abstract matter by using familiar situations listeners can relate to.

What if 

The sheep in the above mentioned parable represent our thoughts? We may have 99 positive or neutral thoughts and one only negative. The latter one could for example be a fear, recollection of a traumatic moment in our life, an encounter with an unpleasant person, an unjust or unkind word about us spread by somebody, resentment, and/or many more. The negative thought gives us unpleasant feelings, triggers harmful reactions in our body. It makes all the prior positive thoughts move to the background and disappear. They no longer exist as they have no meaning when we focus on that negative one only. 

“Take captive every thought (1)”.

To avoid self destructive dwelling on the unpleasant thought, we do need to look closer at what bothers us and deal with it. What are we afraid of? What is it that makes us feel gloomy or resentful? Why should you re-live that particular negative experience/unfair treatment, or focus on somebody’s unkind word again and again? This one lost sheep needs to be found to join the rest of the herd. You need to find it to regain peace of mind and balance in your body. 

Focusing on the negative thought makes it grow, lowers down our frequency and subsequently attracts negativity and darkness.  It is not just my words. It is science. According to Quantum Physics* the multiple outcomes of our current life situation already exist in time and space. We choose which way our life goes by deciding which thoughts we stick to. Whatever we focus on, grows. No matter if it is positive or negative. Why would you choose negativity if you do not want to live it through?  

It is all not about pretending that there is no negativity in the world. There is a lot of darkness and dreadfulness around us. Noticing and observing it is one thing, but why would you want to surrender your mind to it? Choose Light, Peace, and Harmony. You can replace an adverse thought with a constructive one. 

“Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - (… ) think about such things.” (2)

Each of us can find their own way to make dark thoughts go away. Whatever works for you – a prayer, a chosen mantra - positive words that make us focus on peace, harmony, and Divine abundance. Repeat them every time when your mind is overwhelmed by a negative thought or belief. Continue practicing it and guarding your thoughts. Be their careful shepherd. It takes some time, but you can make a destructive thought go away, and dissolve your mental connection with it. 

*At high school, I studied expanded curriculum of Physics. Quantum Physics was never mentioned in classes, though. I was familiar with the name of Max Planck, physicist, but I knew not much about his works. It’s been recently only that the Quantum science is talked about more and more often.  It all made me think that is a rather new scientific approach regarding Physics and the world as it is. I was surprised to read that the beginnings of Quantum Physic go back to the early years of 1900s and Max Planck, as well. I guess for all those years those ideas where discarded and neglected because you cannot measure or weigh the quantum world contrary to the material objects/world.

1. 2 Corinthians 10:5

2. Philippians 4:8

TBC

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!

About Dreams Again

Dreams about teeth falling out of my mouth are always unpleasant. Usually, a few days after such a dream, I get a message about somebody’s passing. When there is blood in the dream + teeth falling out – it means a message about a relative’s death. No blood in such a dream + loose teeth = a message about an unrelated person’s death.

Raw meat in a dream, in my case always means somebody’s illness. If somebody is eating raw meat in a dream, it  usually means that persons ailment. The more meat they are eating in my dream, the more serious the ailment is.

A dream about eating a cake, or someone eating it, is often a message about that person's temporary and less serious state of not feeling well.

When I put raw meat in a freezer or a fridge (in my dream), later I am informed about a scare related to somebody’s health condition. F I manage to place that meat in the fridge/freezer, that initial health concern usually appears just a scare, though.

Not always, my dreams have a sensible meaning, or are a sign of a message that comes a few days later. Some are just a mystery and remain a mystery. Perhaps, they might have been my astral and time travels, who knows.

#1 That dream came about two/three years ago. I was on one of the main streets in my home town. That street (Starowiejska St.) leads from the city center (situated by the sea) to the railway station. Most buildings in Starowiejska St. are four or five-story houses. In that dream, I knew a huge flood was coming. I was telling people to go to the roof tops to find shelter as, somehow,  I was sure they would be safe there. When the flood came (from the sea), the wave was higher than a five-story house at the end of the street, closer to the city center. It flooded the entire street and everybody who stayed at its lower level. After the flood, in one of the buildings on that street, a shelter for the flood refugees was established.

This year, there was a severe flood in the nearby county. I am not sure the dream about the flood in my home town, was related to that tragic event that took place in Texas. Most probably not.

Before that real life flood, I had a dream in which I took out of my mouth a half of my broken lower jaw. The dream experience was very unpleasant. Many people lost their lives in that county flood, which came a few days later.

 #2 The scenery and people in that dream looked like taken from a futuristic movie. We (and many other people) were resting somewhere in the open air. What I knew - we were not close to our home. Some men, who looked like "Mad Max" show characters, had rifles/guns. Everybody was wondering in which direction they should go, to find shelter. 

I said, “ We can’t go to the north, it’s only decay and destruction there. Let’s hide in the south, it’s safe there."

Hopefully both dream #1 and #2 were just weird dreams not any sort of premonition.

#3 In that dream I could see big neon-like yellow capital letters hanging in the air in front of myself. The neon sign was:

"SUGGESTED TIME OF DEATH: 2079 VI p.m."

A voice said, “On Friday, in some kind of an accident”.

A message from a paralel world? 2079 is quite far from now. Nevertheless, I would rather not know what the message meant.

#4 We were looking for a new home. Each of the buildings we visited, had rooms full of people. They were really overcrowded. Finally, we found a brand new block of flats/apartment hose. There were other people waiting to see the inside of the house, as well. A few green spirits came and said they would give us a tour inside the house. When the two of us were telling our guide how many rooms we would want to have, the spirit told us that the rooms for us were not ready.

When I woke up,  I thought of the line “There are many rooms in my Father’s house.” I am glad the rooms for us are not ready, yet.

Dreams about my space travels are a totally different matter.

UPDATE:

Other dream themes and what their meaning according to my dream "experience":

- light red blood in a dream = joy, health/a positive message;

- clear, clean water + good health/ positive events;

lots of hair/hairy legs = most likely some money coming/something positive is "around the corner".

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

About Gifts and Giving

The time of getting and giving presents has come again. Some people may sigh, “Socks again!” or “Another tie?!”, being frustrated about the gift exchange idea, and/or the anticipated item they will be given.

Are you one of those persons? Perhaps, the reason of such frustration is you, not the gifter or the gifts you get.

A lady I know, used to bring me a bar of white chocolate every time we met. The white chocolate gifting lasted long, for about a year. I had no idea why she was giving me it again and again. Finally, I asked her about that. Her answer was, “You like it best, don’t you?” 

I found her thoughtfulness wonderful. She believed I loved that treat so she made an effort to get that type of chocolate. Just to please me and make me happy!  Finally, I got it, and I appreciated it a lot. Both the gift and her intention.

It did not matter that the lady’s assumption was not exactly correct. Actually, I do not know where she took the “white chocolate idea” from. 

It is the intention beyond the gift that matters, not the gift itself. We might never know what made somebody think we would like the item they have for us. Perhaps, this is what they would like to get? We may not understand another person’s mindset regarding the choice of presents. Nevertheless, what we can do is shift our perspective. From the gift to the intention beyond it, and to the exchange of good feelings. The good energy we give each other is often very much underestimated/lost in the process. If you feel upset about the present you are getting, it is because you choose to feel and see things in that certain way. Choose differently! 

Stay positive and enjoy the holiday season!

Some people do not like getting cash. They take it as an impersonal attitude of the one who is giving it. Again, change your perspective. Perhaps, the giver wishes to avoid buying you what you do not like? Or is it what hurts, is knowing how much money that somebody intends to spend on the gift for you? Shift your focus! From your ego and from what it is telling you, to the entire occasion and the offering aspect. Well, if you still do not like the cash, send it to me (joking of course).

You may say, “I cannot afford to buy presents/ I have nothing to give to others”. You could not be more wrong. Material gifts are just a symbol of something else. A smile, kind word, a helping hand cost nothing, but can make a difference and turn someone’s dark moment into a lighter and easier one. In that meaning, each of us is full of gifts which are priceless. Give them to others every day, not only at Christmas.

Merry Christmas from the Bobos!

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.