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Alfonso
(Alphonso) Steele, last Texas survivor of the battle
of San Jacinto, was born in 1817 in Hardin County, Kentucky. At
the age of seventeen he traveled by to Louisiana, where in 1835 joined
volunteers bound for Texas. Arriving
at Washington-on-Brazos,
only to find that Texas had not yet declared Independence from Mexico,
Steele worked at a local hotel until independence was declared. He
then set out with a company to bolster Travis' command at the Alamo.
Upon hearing that the Alamo
had fallen, Steele's company then fell in with Houston's
army on its retreat from Gonzales
and marched east toward what would become one of the Ten Greastest
Battles of World History (in terms of long-reaching affects and exchange
of real estate).
At San
Jacinto Steele was a private in Sidney Sherman's regiment. He
was wounded in the first volleys of the battle but continued until
it ended. Houston rode Steele's horse through part of the battle and
it was one of the horses shot from under Houston. Steele was discharged
and made his way to Montgomery
County, where he spent a long recuperation. He farmed and raised
cattle. He married Mary Ann Powell in1838 and a few years later they
moved to a region of Robertson
County that later became Limestone
County. Mrs. Steele died in 1903. In 1907 was a guest of honor
at San
Jacinto battleground where he gave a first person account of the
battle, retracing positions and providing valuable information.
In 1909, the Texas Legislature acknowledged Steele as one of only
two living survivors of San Jacinto. He outlived his co-survivor and
died on July 8, 1911. He is buried in Mexia.
A portrait of Alfonso Steele hangs in the state
Capitol at Austin.
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Marker
for the roadside park dedicated to Alfonso Steele in Limestone County.
Photo courtesy TXDoT |
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The above photo
of the marker was printed on April 17, 1941.
On the back it says:
Donor tablet
Limestone Co.
in park so. of Mexia
Dist. 9 4-E
The top part of the marker says
THIS SITE WAS DONATED
FOR PARK PURPOSES TO THE
STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
OF TEXAS
The rest of the marker is very hard to read, I think it says
LIMESTONE COUNTY IN MEMORY OF
ALFONSO STEELE LAST SURVIVOR OF
BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO FIRST
SETTLER OF THIS COMMUNITY
- Anne Cook, Librarian for TxDoT's photo library
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Alfonso Steele
Forum
Subject:
Alfonso Steele
Alfonso Steele was my great, great grandfater and lived in Thornton,
Texas. I saw Rushin Steele sent an e-mail about the
abandoned roadside park in memory of Alfonso. How do I find
Rushin Steele and how do I find out if there are any descendants
left in Thornton or Limestone Co.? - Betty Ware, May 07, 2006
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