Part of an old map of the San Jacinto area from the Texas Revolution

Veteran Bio

Texian Location:  Participant

The Kemp Sketch

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RUSK, DAVID -- Born in South Carolina in 1814, a son of John and Mary (Sterritt) Rusk, and brother of General Thomas J. Rusk. In Headright Certificate No. 157, issued to him February 6, 1838 for one-third of a league of land by the Nacogdoches County Board, it is stated that he came to Texas in January, 1836. On December 30, 1837 he received Bounty Certificate No. 1184 for 320 acres of land for having served in the army from March 6 to June 6, 1836. He was a member of Captain Hayden Arnold's Company at San Jacinto and Donation Certificate No. 96 for 640 acres of land was issued to him May 18, 1836 for having participated in the battle.

Mr. Rusk was Sheriff at Nacogdoches County, Texas, from 1840 to 1846. He was married to Elizabeth Reid at Nacogdoches, January 26, 1843. Mr. Rusk died September 1, 1877 and is buried in a marked grave in Oak Grave Cemetery in Nacogdoches. He was a member of the Texas Veterans Association. At the death of Mrs. Rusk, the date of which has not been ascertained, her remains were placed beside those of her husband. Her grave is unmarked.

Children of Mr. and Mrs. Rusk were (1) Mary Jane; (2) Elizabeth Ann; (3) Charles H.; (4) Aphelia; (5) Martha H.; (6) William H.; (7) Harriet T.; and (8) John Rusk.

(1) Mary Jane Rusk was married to James A. Day.

(2) Elizabeth Ann Rusk was married to John T. White.

(3) Charles H. Rusk died at the age of ten.

(4) Ophelia Rusk died at the age of six.

(5) Martha H. Rusk died at the age of eight.

(6) William H. Rusk died at the age of twenty-one.

(7) Harriet T. Rusk was married to __________. (8) John Rusk, youngest child of David and Elizabeth (Reid) Rusk was married to __________. Their children were (a) Edward; (b) Helen; (c) __________; (d) __________; (e) __________; and (f) __________



Written by Louis W. Kemp, between 1930 and 1952. Please note that typographical and factual errors have not been corrected from the original sketches. The biographies have been scanned from the original typescripts, a process that sometimes allows for mistakes in the new text. Researchers should verify the accuracy of the texts' contents through other sources before quoting in publications. Additional information on the veteran may be available in the Herzstein Library.


Battle Statistics

  • Died in Battle: No
  • Rank: Private
  • Company: Capt. Hayden S. Arnold

Personal Statistics

  • Date of Birth: 1814
  • Birthplace: South Carolina
  • Origin: Georgia
  • Came to Texas: 1836 Jan
  • Date of Death: 1877 Sep 11
  • Burial Place: Oak Grove Cemetery, Nacogdoches, Texas
  • Bounty Certificate: 1184
  • Donation Certificate: 96
  • Profession: Sheriff
  • Wife: Elizabeth Reid
  • Children: Mary Jane Rusk Day; Elizabeth Ann Rusk White; Charles H. Rusk; Aphelia Rusk; Martha H. Rusk; William H. Rusk; Harriet T. Rusk; John Rusk; David Franklin Rusk; Nicholas J. Rusk
  • Family at San Jacinto: Brother Thomas J. Rusk at San Jacinto