Milam County, Texas

In 1837, after the Mexican war, our land office reopened, having been closed during the war. Congress met and enacted a law granting to every man who was the head of a family, and who had an honorable discharg(sic) from the army, a league of land. But this condition was to last for only a short time.

To give a correct idea of courtship at that time, and of marriage also, I must have a beginning corner. In most cases the engagements were made at the cow pen gate. Many of the men lived in camp, and being bashful, did not have the courage to visit the girls at the houses, but went instead to the cow pen where they would find the girls milking.

Of course after the law giving land to married men was passed every man, young and old, who did not have a wife, started out in search of one. Soon all the girls were either married or engaged, some of them marrying as young as twelve years of age.

One young man, whom we will call Sam, came in from the army rather late, and like all the others started out to hunt a wife, but all his girl friends were either engaged or married except one, a widow. Mrs. Sikes. Later he found a girl named Lizzie who was, he decided, to be preferred to Mrs. Sikes, so one morning he started out courting and found Lizzie as usual at the cow pen. He rode up, said "good morning" and dismounted. Lizzie shutting the gate on him, and thus compelling him to stand on the outside. He told her he had come on importatnt business and wanted to talk to her, offering her all the inducements he could to marry him, telling her about the land they would get. But she did not give him much encouragement, telling him that she too had urgent business, that of milking about thirty cows, so they could have a cheese to cut by Thursday, "this meant a dance and general good time in those days."

Sam urged his case and told her he wanted to marry, and there was no one left except Mrs. Sikes, the widow, and herself.

"Well, why didn't you take the widder, Sam?" Asked Lizzie.

"Wa'al I had some serious objections," said Sam.

"What are they?" inquired Lizzie.

"Wa'al, I found on close examination she had lost an eye; then she's red headed, roman nosed, and worse-than-all, she smokes a gourd neck pipe that will hold half a plug of tobacco, and I have always had a horror of being burned alive."

"Sam," said Lizzie, "your judgment's good on that. An' I've been thinking something about getting married an' I reckon I had just as well begin talking about in (sic) now as any time But be'ore I make you any promises, you've got to make me three: first, that you wont (sic) drink whiskey; second, that you wont (sic) gamble; and last that you wont (sic) ride a pitching horse."

"Well," said Sam, " to the two first I can easily promist, but as to the last, I don't know so well, I've already promised Major Goldern to catch some buffalo calves and mustang colts for him next spring, and mighty nigh all his horses pitch."

It is to be supposed that Lizzie agreed to these terms, as she told Sam to go up near the house and lie down on a buffalo hide and rest until she got through milking, but not to go to the house and say anything to the old people. Sam proceeded to do as he was told, saying that he was very tired as he had ridden three horses down in finding Lizzie.

When Lizzie reached the house she discussed the matter with the old folks and got their consent to the marriage. Then Sam was called in and he and Lizzie set the wedding day, agreeing on Thursday the day for the cheees (sic) cutting, as the guests were already invited.

Ladies must have been held in higher esteem then than now, judging from the cost of marrying, as it took ten dollars then to get married. This couple was to be married by the first county judge of Robertson county, Massilon Farley, and the question now with Sam ws how he could raise ten dollars. He went to the judge and asked him if he would accept an order on a country store nearby. The judge said, "yes, that will do;" so then Sam went to the merchant to make some arrangement with him to pay this order, and the merchant finally agreed to take deer hides, and if he could not kill enough deer, a few coon skins to finish out.

So all Sam's friend's (sic) rallied to help him kill his necessary number of deer and coons. When the skins were carried in there was lacking one in number, but one of the crowd had carried along an o'possum skin, and having on a coon skin cap, he cut the tail off his cap, fastened it on the 'possum skin, and this went in for change. This seemed to be satisfactory to the merchant, so Sam got his order and carried it to the judge.

The marriage took place at the appointed time. The buffalo hides and cow hides were spread on the ground for a dancing hall and "Ole Bill" the negro "fiddler" as we clled them in those days, was there in all his glory. He often played to the girls at the cowpen but as Lizzie said, "he always played left handed then." It was said that he could play only two pieces. "Jaybird" left handed and "Jawbone" righthanded. Lizzie instructed him on this occasion to be sure to play right-handed, and she informed the company that "he could play 'Jawbone' jamup."

These were favorite air's in those old days, and there were few fiddlers who knew more than those two tunes, but this did not lessen the enjoyment of the dancers, as they could dance as well all night as if there had been ever so many tunes.

This is a true case and only one out of many, as many of the old settlers can tell you.

We must say a special thank you to Jan Jordan of Kingsville, Texas , for typing the above for use on the Milam County TXGenWeb site.