John W. Parsons
John W. Parsons
Born
March 26, 1851
Died
April 26,1882
None knew him but to love him
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Military Record
One tombstone for this gentleman is a marker provided by the government for a veteran and appears to go with the other stone (probably provided by the family) which reads "John W. Parsons" and indicates his birth as 26 March 1851 and his death as 26 April 1882. The government stone marks the grave of a J. W Parsons who was a member of Co. O of the 4th U. S. Cavalry. The military records of a "J. W. Parsons" who was a member of "Co. O of the 4th U. S. Cavalry" state that his name was John W. Parsons. He was born in Perry County of Pennsylvania and was by occupation a Machinist prior to entering the service. He enlisted at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as a volunteer on 10 May 1871 to serve for a period of five years. At that time he stated that he was 21 years and two months old (thus born about March 1850 rather than March 1851 as stated on the family stone). In the register of enlistments he is recorded as having blue eyes, light hair, light complexion, and standing 5' 10" tall. He was discharged on May 1876 at the termination of his five years, and at that time was stationed at Fr. Sill and is described as "of good character". Fort Sill had been staked out in 1869 by General Sheridan, and troops assigned there included also a distinguished group of black "buffalo soldiers" who constructed many of the stone buildings still surrounding the old post quadrangle. In June of 1874 the Comanches, Kiowas, and southern Cheyennes went on the warpath, and this resulted in the Red River Campaign which lasted a year. Since J. W. Parsons was discharged from this fort, it may be that he had a part in that campaign. Quanah Parker and his Quohada Comanches were the last to abandon the struggle and their arrival at Fort Sill in June of 1875 marked the end of Indian warfare on the south Plains. There are a number of John W. Parsons from Pennsylvania who might be this same individual. It is unclear, for instance, if this John W. Parsons is the same as the John W. Parsons who subsequent to 1876 married Hannah Bentley. While the 1880 census of Delaware County, Pennsylvania reports this John W. Parsons to be a school teacher, born about 1844 (rather than 1851 as listed on the tombstone) in Pennsylvania (p. 259B), his descendent lists him as born about 1851 in Pennsylvania (see Ancestral file from LDS website). In this record his full name is given as John Wesley Parsons. The descendent submitting this record does not know of the marriage date or death date of John Wesley Parsons nor those dates for his spouse. This John W. Parsons is listed with children and his wife's father and brother in the 1880 census. He is working as a school teacher. If this is the same person whose remains are buried in Old Bayview, it is unclear how he happened to come to Corpus Christi. Another possible candidate for identification of the J. W. Parsons buried in Old Bayview Cemetery is the "John Parsons" who is the son of Isaac and Priscilla Parsons in the 1880 census. This John Parsons is listed in the 1880 census as residing with his parents in North Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania (page 242C). His age would indicate a birth about 1855, and he is single at the time of the census. However, the most pertinent fact given is that he is listed as a "machinest". In J. W. Parsons' oath of enlistment in military records, he too is listed as a "machinist" at the time of his enlistment so this may be the veteran buried in the Old Bayview Cemetery. Again, if this is the person, it is unclear what brought him to south Texas prior to his death in 1882. However, the quality of the tombstone that was most likely put up by family members does indicate that he is a person who would be from a family who dearly loved him and wanted to express that affection in a beautiful stone featuring clasped hands (that would seem to mean he was married at the time) and the words "None knew him but to love him".
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell (October 2006)