Old Cemetery Being Restored in Edgar, Texas

A project is underway to restore the old EDGAR Family Cemetery in DeWitt County. The cemetery is remote and on private

land, near the location of the old Edgar family homestead in the Edgar community, between Cuero and Yoakum.

The cemetery dates to 1863 when the first burial is believed to have occurred there. The James Edgar family had moved to

DeWitt County, TX from Maury County, TN in late 1853 to settle on a third of a league of land (1,476.1 acres) which was a first

class headright grant, awarded to their first-born child, Joseph Smith Edgar (1818-1837), for his presence in Texas prior to the

signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence on 02 Mar 1836. Ten children are known to have been born to James

Edgar and his wife, Selah Witherington, between 1818 and 1835. There were nine boys and one girl, and they all came to

Texas.

The 17-year-old Joseph came first, in late 1835. He joined the Texas Army, and he was a member of Capt. Robert Calder's

Infantry Company K, in Col. Edward Burleson’s 1st Regiment, Texas Volunteers at the Battle of San Jacinto. In addition to the

headright grant described above, Joseph was also awarded a donation grant of 640 acres for his service at the Battle of San

Jacinto and a bounty grant of 320 acres for his service in the Texas Army in general.

Unfortunately, Joseph died before he ever saw any of the land he had earned. He died 09 Jul 1837 at the home of Capt.

James Gibson Swisher on the Swisher Farm near the Old Gay Hill community in Washington County. Capt. Swisher was a

signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and he was from the same area in middle Tennessee as was the Edgar

family.

In addition to Edgar family members, numerous other burials occurred in the old EDGAR Family Cemetery of relatives by

marriage and of friends and neighbors. Some of the surnames of those known to have been buried in the cemetery include:

Abel, Batchelor, Bates, Bell, Bennett, Bouldin, Brown, Carr, Dikes, Donnell, Duke, Dykes, Farquhar, Hadley, Hugo (or von

Hugo), Jacobs, Ladd, Lee, Luce, Mahler, McAdoo, McCormick, McMeen, Means, Mikes, Mikesh, Murphey, Newsome,

Nyegaard, Odom, Pincham, Powers, Pridgen, Rackley, Reader, Robinson, Skeen, Sparkman, Strown, Taylor, Welch,

Witherington and Young, many descendants from whom are still living in DeWitt, Gonzales, Victoria, Lavaca, Jackson, Karnes,

and surrounding counties.

Anyone interested in getting (or providing) more information about the cemetery or about those buried there may contact the

EDGAR Family Cemetery Association via email at EFCA1853@gmail.com.

More information about the cemetery can be found at the EDGAR Family Cemetery website at www.parkerhannah.com/

More information about the Edgar community can be found at the Texas State Historical Association website at

More information about Joseph Smith Edgar can be found at the San Jacinto Museum of History website at www.sanjacinto-

Written and submitted by Bob Webb of League City, TX. James Edgar and Selah Witherington were his ggg-grandparents.

Joseph Smith Edgar was his gg-granduncle.

Before and after photos of the cemetery taken by Bob’s wife, Jane Webb.