Young Perry Alsbury - Biography

Biography

Alsbury was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1814. He was the youngest of his parents’ ten children. His father Thomas Perry Alsbury was a frontiersman and was one of the founders of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. In the spring of 1820 his family moved to Texas. Stephen F. Austin had written a letter to his father Thomas Perry Alsbury, The letter had asked the Alsbury family and their ten children, including seven sons, to move to Texas. They settled in Brazoria on the Brazos River. Land was what had enticed the family to move to the area. Thomas P. Alsbury was given two leagues and 1½ labors somewhere between 9,000 and 10,000 acres (36 and 40 km²). (A league of land was 4,428.4 acres (17.921 km2), a labor 177.136 acres) The property was located on the west bank of the Brazos River. Three of the older sons of Thomas were also given land. It was located in the Indian country, along the Gulf Coast, a bit west of where the Dow Chemical Company is now located.

When he was 22, during the Texas Revolution, Young Perry Alsbury fought on the Texian side in Captain Henry Wax Karnes’ Cavalry, better known as "Deaf Smith's spy company". Prior to the pivotal Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, he joined a small company in passing close to enemy lines to burn the strategic Vince's Bridge to prevent reinforcement and escape of Antonio López de Santa Anna. The others who were with him on that mission were Deaf Smith, John Coker, Denmore W. Reaves, John T. Garner, Moses Lapham and Edwin R. Rainwater.

On May 28, 1838 he was issued Donation Certificate No. 247 for 640 acres (2.6 km2) of land for having participated in the battle. He received a Bounty Certificate No. 3599 for 320 acres (1.3 km2) of land for having served in the army from March 1 to May 28, 1836. On March 5, 1839, he was issued a Headright Certificate for one-third of a league of land by the Brazoria County Board. Shortly after the Battle of San Jacinto, Young Perry Alsbury came to San Antonio, Texas and in 1845 during the U.S.-Mexican War he went into Mexico with General Scott. He was wounded at the Battle of Palo Alto.

After the war was over he came back to San Antonio, and was married there in 1847 to Mary Rodriguez. Early in the spring of 1848 he moved to the East bank of the Salado Creek, just north of Dittmar road. His mother moved from Brazoria to live there with him. He raised four children, their names were Lea Jane, Thomas Jefferson, Young Perry the 3rd, and Mary Ann. Young Perry Alsbury died November 19, 1877, and was buried only a few yards from the home on the Salado that he loved. A huge pecan tree marked the head of his grave. To his right lies the body of his wife, and to his left is that of his mother.