DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker tells this story, and I'm going to do it justice. Now, Bastrop, Texas has seen its share of history roll through — but few stories that started here traveled quite as far, or came back quite as battered, as the one belonging to Joseph D. Sayers.
He was born in Mississippi. Came to Texas in 1851. And when the war came, he enlisted right here — not as an officer, not with rank or ceremony — just as a private.
That's where this story begins, and that alone ought to tell you something about the man. He was sent west with the 5th Texas Cavalry, adjutant on a campaign stretching through Arizona and New Mexico. The goal, if you can picture it: make the Confederacy an ocean-to-ocean nation.
That was the dream riding with them across the desert. And out in that desert, at a place called Valverde, Sayers was twenty years old when they decided to make him a captain — for gallantry in the battle there. Twenty years old.
Then he turned around and organized what became the Valverde Battery, built from the very cannons captured in that fight. You couldn't write it any grander if you tried. He commanded that battery in the Red River Campaign of 1863 — the fight to prevent the capture of the Mississippi.
Then came Camp Brisland, Louisiana, where he was wounded and promoted to Major in the same violent breath. He came back on crutches. Not to rest — to serve as chief-of-staff to General Tom Green in the 1864 Red River Campaign, this time to prevent an invasion of Texas itself.
And then Mansfield, Louisiana. Wounded again. He returned to service, the marker says, as soon as he could ride a horse.
That's the whole sentence. That's all it needed to say. After General Green's death, Sayers was placed on the staff of General Richard Taylor.
He was still there in 1865, in Alabama, serving with what would become the last Confederate command to surrender east of the Mississippi River. The very last. And when it was all over, Joseph D.
Sayers made his way back to Bastrop. On crutches. Now here is where the story takes a turn that Bastrop, I suspect, never stopped being proud of.
Because this man, who had crossed deserts and survived two wounds and outlasted nearly every Confederate command still standing — he wasn't done. He became a State Senator in 1873. Lieutenant Governor from 1879 to 1880.
Then a United States Congressman from 1884 all the way to 1898, during which time he helped secure long-overdue pay for Texas Rangers who had served on the frontier. And then — Texas Governor, 1899 to 1903. Now his tenure as governor, let me tell you, did not lack for events.
He worked to expand agriculture and industry across the state. But history had its own plans for those years. The Huntsville State Prison burned.
The Brazos River flooded wide in 1899. And in 1900, the great Galveston Storm came — one of the worst disasters this state has ever known. Sayers governed through all of it.
And on the other end of the ledger, Spindletop came in — the gusher that the marker calls the start of the modern petroleum industry in Texas. That happened on his watch too. When it was done, Joseph D.
Sayers was buried at Fairview Cemetery. Private to captain to major. Crutches to the capitol.
Valverde to Galveston. This marker, erected by the State of Texas in 1963, calls Bastrop his hometown. After everything that man carried back here, twice on crutches, the least the town can do is claim him.
What the marker says
Born Mississippi, came to Texas 1851. Enlisted here as private 1861. Adjutant 5th Texas Cavalry in Arizona-New Mexico Campaign to make Confederacy an ocean to ocean nation. At age 20 made captain for gallantry in Battle of Valverde. Organized Valverde Battery from cannons captured there. Commanded battery in Red River Campaign 1863 to prevent capture of the Mississippi. Promoted to Major after Camp Brisland, La. battle in which wounded. Returned on crutches as chief-of-staff to General Tom Green, serving in 1864 Red River Campaign to prevent invasion of Texas. Wounded Battle Mansfield, La. returning to service as soon as he could ride a horse. After Green's death, placed on staff of General Richard Taylor, participating in 1865 Alabama actions. This was the last command to surrender east of Mississippi. Reached Bastrop on crutches. State Senator 1873. Lieutenant Governor 1879-80. U.S. Congressman 1884-98. Helped to secure long-overdue pay for Texas Ranger services on the frontier. Texas Governor 1899-1903. He worked to expand agriculture, industry. Tenure marked by Spindletop gusher, the start of modern petroleum industry in Texas, and by disasters of Huntsville State Prison burning, 1899 widespread Brazos River floods, great Galveston Storm 1900. Buried Fairview Cemetery A Memorial to Texans Who Served the Confederacy Erected by the State of Texas 1963