History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 406

406 HIST O R Y IOF TEXAS.

the ^ame industry and frugal management
that had characterized his career in early life
he succeeded in making a comntortable living
for himself down to his last days, and also
rendered his children much aid as they came
on and were settled off to themselves. He
had enjoyed in youth only very limited ediucational
advantages, but was a man of good
general information and possessed very correct
habits and feelings. He was a member
of the Masonic fraternity and in later life of
the Methodist Church. By his second wife,
Frances (Gibson) Randle, lie had six children.
all of whom became grown and were married.
These are: William H., Jolln T., Espie,
Aurelia, Georgie and Ella. William H. died
in Bryan, this State, September 27, 1878;
John T. is the subject of this notice; Espie
is now the wife of William Jenkins, of Velasco,
this State; Aurelia is the wife of H. S.
Pipkin, of Midland, Texas; Georgia is the
deceased wife of Dr. L. J. Turner, of Milam
county; and Ella is the wife of Frank Brinkiran,
of Velasco.
John T. Randle was born in Coweta county,
Georgia, June 10, 1842, and was in his
seventh year when his parents moved to
Texas. On the death of his mother the year
after the family came to this State he went
to live with an aunt, a Mrs. Susan Daniel, of
Washington county, with whom he made his
home until his father's marriage the third
time. He then returned to his father's house
and lived there, thus passing his early years
on the farm. He attended Baylor University,
then located at Independence, Washington
county, from which he received a reasonably
good education.
At the opening of the war in 1861, before
any forces had been organized in this art of
the State for the Confederate service, lie in
company with eight others went to Missouri,

where he entered Price's army and served for
about six months, taking part in the raids of
that date. Ile then returned to Texas, having
heard that active steps were being taken
by the people of the State to send Confederate
troops to the front, and entered Company
A, Captain Thomas Harrison, Eighth Texas
Cavalry, commanded by Colonel John A.
Horton. Joining General Albert Sidney
Johnston's army, under this command he got
to Shiloh jusc before the engagement at that
place, participating in it, and was with his
command from that time on until the surrender,
taking part in the battles of Perryville,
Kentucky, Murfreesborough, Stone River,
Chickanmauga, the siege of Knoxville and all
of the Georgia campaign, his regiment being
one of the detachments that hung on the
wing of Sherman's army and gave it all the
annoyance possible in its march to the sea.
Returning home in 1865, Mr. Randle
farmed for about a year and a half in Washington
county, when he came to Milamn
county, and in 1868 married Miss Frances
L. Rogers, daughter of Michael and Frances
Rogers, then of this county, and settled on a
section of land which his father had given
him, where he took up farming pursuits.
Not content with his holdings then, he began
to branch out as his means would allow,
buying unimproved laud for which he went
partially in debt, paying out from year to
year as he made the money to do it with. In
this way he catne to own a farm of 2,100
acres lying in the Little river valley in the
west part of the county, all rich land and
about one fourth in cultivation. He farms
largely by the tenant system, having some
ten or a dozen families living on his place.
His farm is well-stocked and conducted in a
thoroughgoing, business like way. In addition
to this he owns valuable property in

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