G. H. Sayre
Confederate Veteran
Interment source: Marie Blucher, Librarian, La Retama Public Library, ca. 1940
As cited in: Marrow, Mary, Bay View Cemetery.
Corpus Christi: La Retama Public Library, 1962.
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
The early death records of Corpus Christi (page 72 #950) note the passing of "Geo. H. Sayre" on 21 November 1892. According to the record he was a native of Alabama and was 55 years, 2 months, and 12 days old at the time of his death. This would make his birth in Alabama on or about 9 September 1837. Genealogical records do contain information on such a person, born on 9 September 1837. This is George Hanners (sometimes written "Harmers") Sayre, the son of Theodore Sayre and Harriet Hanners (again sometimes written "Harmers" probably because of difficulty in reading the handwritten script in records). The public genealogical records say that George was born in Demopolis, Marengo County, Alabama. Marengo County was heavily settled initially by French exiles from the army of Napoleon, and the county is named to commemorate the battle fought by Napoleon against the Austrians at the village of Marengo on 14 June 1800. George's father Theodore Sayre is usually listed as a native of New York who was born on or about 26 December 1805, the son of Silas Sayre and Affia Abell. Theodore married Harriet 10 October 1836 and was a fairly wealthy farmer in Alabama when he died 21 November 1853 in Marengo County, Alabama. George's mother Harriet is usually listed as born in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts on 3 April 1809. In the 1850 census of Alabama the family is listed as living in Pickens County (1850 federal census of Alabama, page 69B), and George is the oldest child. As noted, Theodore died in 1853 (further reference is the last will of Theodore found in Marengo County Probate Records, volume A, page 331), and it appears that his widow probably moved back to her home area as she would later die in Massachusetts in May of 1874. However, in the 1860 federal census of Alabama (p. 367), the Sayre boys are still in Alabama. George H. Sayre is living with his brother Milton Sanford Sayre in Marengo County, in the township of Dayton (1860 federal census, Marengo County, AL page 367). The young men are both clerks, probably for the doctor and druggist who live near them as Milton later is found living in Texas as a druggist. In 1860 George is only 22 and Milton is 16 (born about 14 April 1844 according to other records), but the two are living on their own. Both apparently entered the Confederate Army at the start of the Civil War as George is listed as Confederate veteran in the Old Bayview Records. This is substantiated by later records regarding his brother Milton Sanford Sayre, who also migrated to Texas. Their brother Theodore Hebard Sayre who was reportedly born 10 February 1842 in Marengo remained in that County where he married after the war on 13 November 1867 to Mary Ellen Hartwell. Since their son Theodore Burt Sayre was born in Marengo County on 18 December 1874 it seems they remained near their home place. However, both George and his brother Milton moved to Texas and are found here by the 1880 census. George H. Sayre is found in Houston, Harris County, Texas (federal census page 134B). He is single working as a bookkeeper, living with Hy. F. Fisher who is a young lawyer from Texas whose father is from England and mother is from Wurtenburg (Wurttemberg). Wurttemberg). Milton Sanford Sayre is now living with his wife and family in Van Zandt County, in the township of Wills Point" where he works as a druggist. According to records of Civil War veterans in Van Zandt, Milton Sanford Sayre was born 14 April 1844 and enlisted in Co. D, 4th Alabama Infantry in 1861 in Winchester, Virginia. He served for a little more than three years. His records report that he had formerly resided in Dayton, Marengo County, Alabama and was a druggist. He married Winnie Springfield 12 September 1870 in Marengo County. Winnie was born 27 May 1848 in Dayton and would die 10 December 1915 in Van Zandt County. Milton died in 1912 and was buried in White Rose Cemetery in Van Zandt County. Both Milton and his widow did apply for a pension. It is possible that George H. Sayre also served with his brother Milton in the same company. At any rate his records in Old Bayview do report that he was a Confederate veteran. It is unclear when George made the move from Houston to Corpus Christi, but he was here by the early part of 1892 when he died because an article from the Caller-Times (6 March 1932, section 1, page 3, col. 1-3) on "Men and Events of 58 Years Ago" mentions his name. This article reportedly contains abstracts from an older Caller of May 1892 and reports, "Mr. George Sayre returns from a trip to the Indian Territory and reports that a great many of the cattle shipped there from this section have died; the result of the kind of green grass up there, he says". It was only months later that he died on 21 November 1892, and his remains were laid to rest in Old Bayview Cemetery.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell