Edward H. Tarrant

Edward H. Tarrant
Member of the Third Texas Legislature from the district
In office November 5, 1849 – November 3, 1851
Member of the Fourth Texas Legislature from the district
In office November 3, 1851 – November 7, 1853
Personal details
Born	1796 (1796) Bamberg County, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	August 2, 1858(1858-08-02) (aged 61–62) Parker County, Texas, U.S.
Resting place	Pioneer Rest Cemetery 32.76487°N 97.329434°W / 32.76487; -97.329434 (Pioneer Rest Cemetery)
Spouse	Mary Danforth
Occupation	Military officer, farmer, politician
Profession	Brigadier-general
Military service
Allegiance	United States Texas
Branch/service	Kentucky militia Tennessee militia 4th Brigade of N.E. Texas (militia)
Battles/wars	Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812) Texas-Indian wars Battle of Village Creek

Edward H. Tarrant (1796 – August 2, 1858) was an American politician and general. He served in the Texas House of Representatives during both periods. Tarrant County, whose county seat is Fort Worth, was named after him.

Early life and education

Edward was a young veteran of the War of 1812, taking part in the Battle of New Orleans (1814–15) at the age of 19, probably as a private in the Kentucky state militia. Having moved to Tennessee, he was elected a colonel of the Tennessee state militia, in the frontier environment. By 1827, Tarrant had become a sheriff of Henry County, Tennessee, but he moved to Texas by the early 1830s and established a ranch in Red River County. He became one of the most prosperous landowners, and he owned slaves.

Career

In September 1837, Tarrant was elected to represent Red River County in the House of Representatives of the Second Texan Congress; but after a few months, he resigned to serve the republic by directing ranger activities against the Indians in 1838. In 1838–39, he served as chief justice in Red River County and was elected Brigadier-general of a northeast Texas militia unit called the Fourth Brigade. Tarrant's Indian-fighting career culminated in the battle of Village Creek, east of present-day Fort Worth, in May 1841.

In 1843, Tarrant, along with George W. Terrell, negotiated the Treaty of Bird's Fort with nine tribes of Native Americans.

Tarrant served two terms in the state House of Representatives, between 1849 and 1853. In April 1851, he married Mary Danforth, a 19 year old at the time. The couple resided on Chambers Creek near Italy, Ellis County, Texas.

As fighting Indians had become his specialty, in 1857, Tarrant moved part of his household to Fort Belknap in present-day Young County. He led a "go-to" fighting force to protect settlers in that locale from frequent Indian uprisings.

Later life and death

In 1857, Tarrant began moving part of his household to Fort Belknap. On one of his journeys, General Tarrant fell ill and died on August 2, 1858, at the home of William Fondren, which is 10 miles from Weatherford, Texas, in Parker County. He was initially interred in the William Fondren family cemetery. On January 28, 1859, Tarrant's remains were moved to a grave on his Chambers Creek family farm in Ellis County, Texas. Tarrant's final resting place, effective March 3, 1928, is Pioneers Rest cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas, the seat of his namesake county.

His widow later married James Emerson Hawkins, settler of Midlothian, Texas.

Further reading

• Jones, Robert L.; Jones, Pauline H. (1966). "Edward H. Tarrant". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 69 (3): 300–323. JSTOR 30240930.

External links

• David R. Cheesman, Sen. (August 2, 1858). "Edward H. Tarrant". U.S. Military Figure. Find a Grave.