History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 412

412

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

tieth Judicial Distrit, and when the office of
CounAty Health Officer was created by the
Twenty-first Legislature, he was appointed
by County Judge E. Y. Terral to the position,
which lie still holds. He is a member of the
State Medical Association and is generally
interested in all matters pertaining to the
welfare of his profession and the community
in which he lives.
July 25, 1882, the Doctor married Maggie
C. McCown, a daughter of J. W. McCown
of Milam county, an extended notice of whom
appears in the biographical department of
.this work. To this union six children have
been born, five of whom-Emaline, Alice,
Roger Q., Volney E. H., and Wilson McCown-are
living, the second, Martha Atlas,
having died in infancy. Both the Doctor
and his wife are members of the Methodist
Church and he is a member of the Masonic
fraternity, the Knights of Honor and the
Knights of Pythias.
G ALHOON SAMS, one of the pioneer
and leading citizens of Taylor, was
born in South Carolina, January 12,
1838, a son of L. R. Sams, a native of Beaufort,
that State. The latter's father, L. R.
Sams, was also a native of South Carolina,
as was his father, L. R. Sams. The latter
was a soldier in the war of Independence.
The Sams family in this country are descended
from five brothers who came from
England, and located in different States and
Territories of the United States. The father
of our subject was a planter and prominent
slave-owner on the coast of South Carolina,
and was also a physician of considerable9 distinction.
He graduated with first hbor at
the South Carolina Medical college. His

wife, nee Sarah Graham, was a native of
Beaufort, South Carolina, and of Scotch parentage.
Her father, Rev. James Graham,
came from Scotland to America, and was
pastor of the only Baptist Church in Beaufort
at that time. Mr. Sams died in 1889,
at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife
still survives, aged eighty years. Both were
members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Sams had eleven children, ten
of whom grew to years of maturity, namely:
Sarah J., wife of Dr. R. R. Sams, of Beau.
fort; Calhoon, our subject; James G., of
Vernon, Texas; Mary E., wife of R. B.
Swann, also of Vernon; Martha P., wife of
Rev. J. M. McFarland, of Beard, Kentucky;
Elizabeth H., widow of a Mr. Noyes, and a
resident of Galveston; Eugenia E.; L. R., of
Greer county, Texas; Floriday, deceased,
was the wife of John Cole; James E., deceased.

Calhoon Sams, the subject of this memoir,
attended the Furman University at Greenville,
South Carolina. At the age of twenty
years he began the study of medicine, entering,
in the fall of 1858, the Charleston Medical
college, where he graduated in'the class
of 1860. After practicing his profession for
a short time he joined the Confederate
army; was appointed Assistant Surgeon in
the Army of Northern- Virginia; in 1862
was transferred to the hospitals of Virginia,
and just prior to Lee's march into Pennsylvania
was returned to field service, also promoted
as surgeon of his regiment. They
were attached to General Hampton's Cavalry,
and took part in the battle of Gettysburg,
where, although Dr. Sams was fortunate
enough not tg be wounded, a shell from
the enemy's guns burst near where he stood,
and many men near him were killed or
wounded. The Doctor was sick in Stuait's