The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923 Page: 317

Notes and Fragments

NOTES AND FRAGMENTS
Ben Milam's Rifle and Its Donor.-The Daughters of the Re-
public of Texas have recently acquired for their State Museum,
now housed in the Old Land Office Building, the rifle which Ben
Milam was using at the time of his death. It was presented by
Mrs. Joseph Pybus, of Palacios, who had inherited it from her
father, William Lacy. Mr. Lacy bought the relic at Columbus,
Texas, when Milam's effects were sold in the course of the admin-
istration of his estate.
David and Sarah Bright, Mrs. Pybus' maternal grandparents,
came through Illinois to Texas in 1822. The latter part of the
journey was made by boat; the party landed near the mouth of
the Colorado River near the present Robbins ranch.
Mrs. Pybus' mother, who was a little girl of 12 when the family
came to Texas, married Eli Hunter, four days before she was 14
years old, and the two made their home on the Jackson place
near Wharton. Their first child was born on Peach Creek in
Wharton County in January, 1824, and is supposed to be the first
girl born in Austin's Colony.
After the death of her husband Mrs. Hunter married M. Mc-
Crosky from Kentucky; and being again left a widow, married
Wm. D. Lacy.
Mr. Lacy was alcalde in Columbus just before the war of 1835-6.
The Lacy family were refugees on Galveston Island before the
battle of San Jacinto, and Mr. Lacy helped to fortify the camp
there. They left Galveston in September, going to the town of
Matagorda and locating on the Trespalacios.
Hearing of the proposed sale of some of Milam's effects at
Columbus, Mr. Lacy rode there and purchased Milam's horse and
rifle. He used the gun constantly for several years, eventually
breaking it somewhat by dragging it across a little branch while
hunting.
The rifle is in good preservation, though unfortunately, from
the point of view of the antiquarian, the old flint and steel has
been replaced by a percussion cap arrangement.
Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lacy, one of
whom was Sarah Jane, who married Joseph Pybus, an English-
man, in 1866.
ELIZABETH H. WEST.

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