Veteran Bio

In Service Record No. 9297 it is certified that Mr. Thompson served as a second lieutenant in the corps of New York Volunteers from November 21, 1835 to March 1, 1836. He was issued Bounty Certificate No. 3730 for 960 acres of land June 6, 1838 for having served in the army from January 5, to October 5, 1836. On May 15, 1838 he received Donation Certificate No. 18 for 640 acres for having participated in the battle of San Jacinto.

Mr. Thompson served as a clerk under William S. Fisher, Secretary of War, and under Asa Brigham, auditor at Columbia. He was a volunteer in the army in 1842 and 1843. In 1839 he moved to Houston where he resided until his death in 1873. On March 9, 1839 he was married to Louisa LaGrange Stanley by Rev. R. M. Chapman.

Mr. Thompson was a prominent attorney in Houston. In 1867 he was a member of the law firm of A. P. and E. W. Thompson with offices in the Van Alstyne Building, Houston.

Editor of "The People."

Name omitted

THOMPSON, A. P. -- A charter member of the first Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge of Texas, organized at Houston, July 25, 1838.

State of Texas
Harris County

Before me the undersigned Notary Public in and for said State and County, personally appeared Algernon P. Thompson, to me well and personally known, and in support of his application under the Pension Act, approved August 13, 1870, upon oath said:

That, to wit in the month of November A. D. 1835, he entered the service of the Provisional government of Texas as a lieutenant in the army, at the city of New York, and received a commission as such, under the authority of Messrs. Stephen F. Austin, John A. Wharton, and Branch T. Archer, Commissioners of said provisional government to raise men and money for the purpose of effecting the revolution which separated Texas from Mexico. That said Commissioners fitted out an expedition from New York for Texas, which was placed under the command of Colonel Edward H. Stanley, by whom this dependent's commission was signed. That the said expedition sailed from New York for Texas, to wit in said month of November - and that this deponent made part of said expedition with the rank of Lieutenant as aforesaid, and a part of a company of volunteers under deponent's subordinate command. That the vessel in which said expedition sailed was named the Matawamkeag. That after several days, - first by capture by a British cruiser, which detained us prisoners for to wit thirty days at Nassau, New Providence; and afterwards in waiting for convoy by the Texian Navy, at the mouth of the Mississippi, - the said expedition arrived off the coast of Texas, to wit on the 2nd. day of March A. D. 1836, whence it was ordered to proceed under like convoy to Matagorda, thence to re-inforce the army of the Republic (independence having been in the meantime declared) under the command of Colonel J. W. Fannin. That on his arrival at Matagorda, this deponent discovered that the men composing said expedition had or claimed a right to choose their own officers, and that his commission as lieutenant had no further force. The whole command was then reorganized. Whereupon this deponent volunteered as a private in the company of Captain Louis P. Cook. News having been received of the capture of Col. Fannin's command, this deponent obtained leave of said Capt. Cook, to proceed to the headquarters of General Sam Houston's army, and to report himself to General Houston for duty, and to await there the arrival of his own company. This deponent obeyed said instructions, and, alone without companions, overtook the main army of the Republic of Texas, at Mill Creek in Austin County, on the retreat of said army from the Colorado to the Brazos River. That General Houston assigned this deponent for duty to the company commanded by Captain R. J. Calder, then of Brazoria, now residing at Richmond, Fort Bend County. That deponent did duty with said company until the attack of the enemy on the 20th April 1836, when, in consequence of his being armed with musket and bayonet for the said of uniformity of arms, he was by order of Colonel Jno. A. Wharton, Adjutant General transferred to the company commanded by Captain William S. Fisher, with which last named company this deponent did duty on the 20th. and 21st. of April A. D. 1836, participating in the skirmish of the 20th. April and in the battle of San Jacinto on the 21st. April A. D. 1836. That after the battle, this deponent, by proper order, returned to the command of said Capt. R. J. Calder with which he continued to do duty until regularly furloughed. That the company of said Capt. Louis P. Cooke did not join the army until after this deponent had been furloughed. That deponent's furlough was until further order. That afterwards, the Mexicans having made a second invasion as far as the Nueces, in obedience to General Orders issued by President David G. Burnett, this deponent agained (sic) joined the army at Victoria, under the command of General Thomas J. Rusk. Here he found his own company, Capt. Louis P. Cook's, with which he did duty as a private soldier, until again generally furloughed by General Rusk. From that time he served in the civil departments of the government, as clerk in the war office under Wm. S. Fisher, Secy. of War; as clerk in the Auditor's office, under Asa Brigham, Auditor, at Columbia, Brazoria County, then the seat of government; also being subject to call for military duty, until the whole army was disbanded, under the form of a general furlough, in 1837 or 1838. Of the subsequent services rendered by this deponent as a soldier of a volunteer uniformed company in 1842 & 1843, this deponent sayeth nought, not being pertinent to his said application for pension. He merely states, generally, that he obeyed every call made for men for military service by the constituted authorities of the Republic of Texas, until the final annexation of the same to the United States.

In confirmation of the foregoing and above stated facts, this deponent says that most of them ought to appear from the archives of the several departments, unless destroyed in the burning of the Adjutant General's Office. For example, his claims for services as lieut were audited and paid by order of the Auditorial Board, established at Houston, before which board all the necessary proofs were filed; his claims for pay were audited by J. W. Moody, auditor and his furlough filed; that he received his certificates of Bounty, one of which he believes was No. 3730 and patented to his assignee, James W. Henderson; also his donation warrant for having taken part in the battle of San Jacinto, which he believes was No. 68 - which bounty and donation warrants, he was compelled by his pecuniary necessities to sell for a trifle. That the said Donation warrant could only be obtained upon the certificate of two field officers that deponent did in fact participate in said battle. And in fact said certificate was given by two such officers, one of whom was Thomas J. Rusk, then Secretary of War and afterwards General in command; the other is not remembered, but believed to be Col. John A. Wharton or Col. Roman, as well as now recollected, both since dead. That Captain Wm. S. Fisher is dead, and that the affidavit of Capt. R. J. Calder is herewith presented; and is also that of Col. Sydney Sherman.

That deponent is fifty two years of age and has resided in the City of Houston since 1839 - and still resides in said city.

A. P. Thompson."

State of Texas
Harris County

Before me, the undersigned officer duly authorized to administer oaths, personally came, Robert J. Calder, of Fort Bend County to me well known and to whose identity I certify, and upon oath said:

That he is well acquainted with Judge A. P. Thompson, of Houston in the County of Harris resident, and has known the said Algernon P. Thompson since the month of March in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred thirty six; that said Thompson served as a private soldier in the army of the Republic of Texas, under the command of General Houston, throughout the campaign of the said year, namely the Spring campaign of 1836; that during the time of active operations of said campaign, the said Thompson was under the immediate command of this deponent; whose company formed part of Col. Edward Burleson's regiment; that on the twienth (sic) day of April in said year, the said Thompson was detached from this deponent's company on account of being armed with the musket and bayonet, and temporarily attached to the command of Capt. Wm. S. Fisher, in consequence of an order of the Adjutant General, for the purpose of uniformity of arms in the battle fought on the 21st day of April A. D. 1836, known as the battle of San Jacinto; that said company in said battle was under command of Col. Millard; that after said battle the said Thompson returned to the command of this deponent, and did duty under deponent's immediate orders until regularly furloughed; that this deponent's orderly sergeant was killed in the battle, and the muster rolls of deponent's company as reported to the commanding general were doubtless incomplete, and did not include the names of those detached by said order of the Adjutant General of the 20th April A. D. 1836.

R. J. Calder.
Sworn to and Subscribed before me this sixteenth day of June 1870
John W. McDonald J. P.
and Ex Officio Notary Public
(Seal)

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