The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 359
426 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Jared Ellison Groce
his children in college, Sarah Ann, in Nashville, Tennessee (she
was only eleven years old at the time), and his boys in Macon,
Georgia. After disposing of his plantation in Georgia, he re-
moved to Alabama, where he invested in thousands of acres of tim-
ber lands, putting his negroes to work clearing them; he converted
the timber into lumber, clearing several hundred thousand dollars.
It was at this time that the Mexican government offered great
inducements to all settlers in Texas. There was quite a stir
among the people in the old States,. Some longed to go, but
were prevented by many obstacles; others were afraid to venture
into the wild, unsettled country. But to Jared Groce it offered
just the balm to soothe the aching of his heart, adventure, some-
thing strange and exciting. He did not wait to sell his lands in
Alabama, but gave them to his wife's piece, Caroline Waller (Mrs.
Dr. Mordicia), of Mobile.
He sent a trusted servant to Georgia for his eldest son, Leonard
Waller (a lad of sixteen years), to ask if he would like to accom-
pany him to Texas; it was only a few days before the boy rode
up to his father's gate, flushed and eager to take the long trip.
The next few weeks were spent in buying farming implements,
tools, seeds, etc., and when they left Alabama, the procession was
more like a caravan than anything else. Mr. Alfred Gee, the
overseer who had come with him from Georgia, had charge of
the negroes, nearly one hundred of them. There were fifty or
more covered wagons, in which the women and children traveled;
the men, most of them on horseback, horses, mules, cows, sheep,
hogs, came next; then more wagons containing furniture, spin-
ning wheels, looms, provisions, etc.; and lastly came Colonel Groce
and his son on beautiful thoroughbred horses, accompanied by
their body servants, Edom and Fielding. It was said that when
they passed through small towns and villages the inhabitants ran
out to their gates to watch wonder eyed at such an unusual sight.
It was in December, 1821, when they reached New Orleans.
There they purchased provisions to last many months. In Jan-
uary, 1822, they arrived at the Brazos River. Groce did not take
up all the lands he was entitled to, for he was entitled to eighty
acres for each slave. He chose as his home site a league of land
on the Brazos River, four miles south of the present town of359
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917, periodical, 1917; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101070/m1/365/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.