More Reed Ancestors Found!

It has been an exciting day here for genealogy. I found several more Reed ancestors and have interesting stories to go along with them.

Your several great-grandfather, "Silver Billy" Reed had a brother Isaac who moved to Texas in 1836 and settled in Nacadodges County. Texas was a part of Mexico. Protestant churches and preaching were forbidden, but "Uncle" Isaac ignored the prohibition and continued to preach. He later moved to Panola County.

On 3 May 1937 a marker was set under the tree where Isaac is credited with preaching the first protestant sermon in Texas.

Isaac Reed was killed by an Indian in 1836 in Panola County. When they went to that county the Indians were friendly but the United States Government had them moved to a reservation. They rebelled and they gave a lot of trouble. They would go back and murder people and steal horses. They would slip up to the house in the night and hide. When the man would come out they would shoot him down and murder the family. If a woman went out first they would not shoot her; they knew there was a man in the house with a gun. Then the women got to going first to see if there was an Indian in sight. The women seemed to have been as brave as the men.

The Indians got so bad the people forted up several families together. It seems all the Reed connection except Isaac and John Morris were away from home. Every evening they would go around to each house to see if everything was all right. One evening they went to a house as it was growing dark. They could see some men in the yard. Isaac called to them. He told them if they did not answer he would shoot. He had his gun ready. Just at that time the Indian shot he fell. Morris ran and left him and reported that he was dead. Of course, there was great excitement. Some hours later they heard someone holler. Morris and the women thought it was an Indian trying to get someone out so they could shoot him. There was a negro man there. He said, "It’s Mas Isaac and I’m goin’ to get him." He went and carried Isaac to the house. He had crawled nearly a mile. He died the next day. A day or so later they found a dead Indian in a gully, covered with brush, near where Isaac was shot.