Especially Texan: Gideon K. Lewis

[joe817]

"Gideon K. (Legs) Lewis, soldier and newspaperman, was born in Ohio about 1823. At an early age he moved to New Orleans, where he worked as a printer's devil.

In the spring of 1842, following the invasion of Rafael Vásquez, he enlisted in Capt. H. W. Allen's Orleans Company for service in Texas. At the breakup of the volunteer companies, he remained in Texas and enrolled in Ewen Cameron's company to resist the invasion of Adrián Woll. Lewis joined the Somervell expedition and continued on the Mier expedition. He survived the Black Bean Episode and was released from Perote Prison on September 16, 1844.

He settled in Galveston, where he managed a theater and was for a time associated with Willard Richardson in the publication of the Galveston News. Lewis's acquaintance with Samuel Bangs led to his moving to Matamoros, where they established the Matamoros Reveille on June 24, 1846; the paper was discontinued in August at the order of Zachary Taylor.

In the meantime Lewis had enlisted in Samuel H. Walker's Texas Mounted Rangers for service in the Mexican War. Upon being mustered out he reenlisted on January 13, 1847, in Walter P. Lane's battalion and served until June 30, 1848. During this enlistment Lewis acted as express rider and was eventually promoted to captain.

He made his home at Corpus Christi, where he published the Nueces Valley and formed a partnership with Richard King. Lewis played an important role in the beginnings of the King Ranch when in 1852 he and King set up a cattle camp on Santa Gertrudis Creek in South Texas. Formal purchase began in 1853, when they bought a Spanish land grant, Rincón de Santa Gertrudis, of 15,500 acres on Santa Gertrudis Creek in Nueces County. A short time later they purchased the Mexican land grant, Santa Gertrudis de la Garza grant, of 53,000 acres. During the mid-1850s, as partners, King and Lewis acquired more landholdings around the area of the creek.

In 1851 he ran unsuccessfully for Congress. In addition, from September 1, 1852, to March 13, 1853, he was captain of a company of mounted volunteers. On April 14, 1855, he was shot and killed by Dr. J. T. Yarrington, with whose wife Lewis had had an affair. After Lewis died, Richard King acquired Lewis's half interest in the Rincón grant at a public sale. Lewis had accumulated a considerable estate and was, at the time of his death, again a candidate for Congress from the Western District."

Content courtesy of the Handbook of Texas

[ELB]

I tried to find out what happened to Dr. J. T. Yarrington, but no luck.

[joe817]

I tried to find out what happened to Dr. J. T. Yarrington, but no luck.

There's not much info on him, but I did dig this up.First reference on P.24:

https://books.google.com/books?id=V8ps7 ... on&f=false

[ELB]

Thanks, that’s excellent!

No mention of any legal troubles for Dr. Yarrington.