Richard was the son of William Sparks and Mary Polly Fielder. He was born near Athens, Franklin Co., GA. When his Grandfather Matthew Sparks was killed by Indians while hunting outside Fort Sparks in 1793, the year he was born, the Spark families moved on from Georgia into the Mississippi Territory. Richard Sparks married Elizabeth May Cooper on July 7, 1812 in Silver Creek, Marion, MS. She was the daughter of Rev. William Cooper Sr. and Elizabeth Scott of Sampson Co., NC.

 

Richard became a member of the Silver Creek Baptist Church in Lawrence Co., MS. He served as Representative in the State Legislature in 1828, 1829, and 1831. He became sheriff of Lawrence Co., MS. The family moved through several counties, living for a short time in Copiah Co. MS before removing to the Empire of Mexico, which would become the Republic of Texas in 1836.

 

Richard Sparks was in the War of 1812. (SPARKS, Richard 13 REGT (Nixon's) Mississippi Militia Ensign Roll Box 196 Extraction # 602) Mississippi Territory in the War of 1812, Roll of Mississippi Commands in the War of 1812-13th Regt. (Nixon's) Mississippi Militia includes RICHARD SPARKS/Ensign.

 

Richard moved his family to the Empire of Mexico circa 1833; his Application for Citizenship was dated Jan. 24, 1835. He became a land surveyor and had acquired some 50,000 acres of land at the time of his death. He was appointed the last Alcalde of Nacogdoches, Old Mexico, by Adolphus Sterne a few months prior to the outbreak of the War with Mexico. He and Capt. Robert W. Smith owned the Neches Saline Trading Post on the Saline River where Indians came to trade for salt. Richard was appointed along with James Bradshaw, Thomas J. Rusk, and Sam Houston, to deal with the Cherokee Indians of that area. He and Cherokee Chief Bowl/Bowles and Chief Egg signed a treaty for goods on February 1837.

 

The family first moved to San Augustine County, and then on to land North of Nacogdoches, TX. Richard Sparks was killed by Indians on Pin Oak Creek, in what is now Navarro Co, TX in April, 1838 while leading a surveying party. His body was never recovered but surveying equipment was later found at the site.

 

Mother of Col. Richard Sparks was Mary Polly Fielder who m. William Sparks. Her parents were William L. Fielder (died Revolutionary War, Valley Forge, Yellow Springs Hospital, smallpox, monthly muster roster) and Elizabeth "Betsey" Nall (d/o Martin Nathan Nall).

 

Nancy Beinhorn descended thru his daughter Elizabeth Cooper Sparks and Samuel Everett Rogers who was scalped by Indians on 3 May 1863, Hamilton Co., Texas. Wife Elizabeth appears to have passed shortly after birth of last child, a daughter named Mary Ann, who also does not appear in existing records. The Rogers broke apart for a time after mother's death, living in Erath County. Samuel is shown living on the household of son a James Carroll Rogers, b. 1835, Nacogdoches, TX and wife Nancy Elizabeth Howard, known as Eliza. This couple were my gggrandparents.

Contributor: Nancy Beinhorn (46998769) • nbeinhorn@sbcglobal.net

 

The story of this ancient yet still active cemetery begins with the story of two pioneers of Anderson County in 1835. This area was then designated as part of the Nacogdoches District. Joseph Jordan, one of David C. Burnett's first colonists, and William S. McDonald, a surveyor, donated some 500 acres for the town of Houston. There is also an early map of the townsite in existence which shows various donations and which includes an area designated as a "Public Burying Ground." The townsite was located in the curve of Town Creek approximately two miles west of present-day Palestine, Texas, on Farm Road #1990. The Public Burying Ground, now known as Fort Houston Cemetery, is on a hill to the southwest. It is approximately one and one-half miles west of Loop #256, on Harcrow Road, but was only one-half to three-fourths a mile from the townsite.

 

As the town lived and died, so did its people who were buried in the Public Burying Ground.

 

After the fort, built in the town square was abandoned from lack of use, the town became knows as Fort Houston, then later when it disappeared, the home of Judge Reagan it was called "Fort Houston," probably because it was part of the original land.

 

Colonel Richard Sparks who lived near the fort was killed down near the Trinity River and scalped. He is buried in the soldiers' plot.

 

The soldiers' plot (about 70' x 16') is a double-row plot and marked with cement corner benches. The large native boulder with its granite marker inscribed "The Soldiers of the Republic of Texas buried therein" is in the center of the plot.