JAMES 0. RICE
Historical narrative by Mara S. Scarbrough,
Georgetown, August 1, 1976

James 0. Rice, one of the founders and early citizens of Williamson County, was a member of ore of the first three Texas Ranger companies formed in Texas; served in the Texas Revolutionary War, and in the War with Mexico, in which he won particular distinction for his military leadership; was the 2nd postmaster in Williamson County and the namesake of the community where he lived.

On the 1848 petition to form Williamson County, Rice wrote his name as James 0. Rice. [1] He is Likewise listed in the records of the Texas Rangers, the U. S. Census of County for 1850 and 1860, in marriage, bounty, donation, and probate records, in land deeds and by early historians. The name was frequently abbreviated to Jas. 0. Rice. It occasionally appeared as James Rice, as In the U. S. Census of Travis County of 1870 and in the Republic of Texas Census of 1840. The form J. 0. Rice was infrequently used.

James 0. Rice apparently was born either Sept. 13, 14, 15, or 16, of 1815, as determined from U. S. Census records. He was listed as age 35 on Sept. 16, 1850; age 44, July 20, 1860, and age 54 on Sept. 12, 1870.

Two clues suggest that James C. Rice died in 1875: [1] The Colorado Citizen of Columbus, Texas, June 22, 1876, contained this item, "Enclosed I send you a list as reported at the Veteran [sic] Association at Austin on the 21st of April, of those who were reported as having died since ours last annual meeting. . .[including] James 0. Rice. . . ." [2] Frank Brown wrote in 1901; "James O. Rice. . . lived. In Travis and Williamson Counties from 1836, or earlier, to the time of his death, about twenty-five years ago." [2] He was buried in the Sneed Family Cemetery at Corral Buff, near Buff Springs, Austin. the grave is not marked by a headstone, but with a simple stone with Rice's initials carved upon it. [3]

Rice was connected to the Sneed family through his third daughter’s  marriage. She was Almeda  Melissa Rice, who married Newton Owen Sneed on Dec. 25, 1870. [4] (written Snead on the marriage license) Between 1870 and 1875, records indicate Rice was attempt­ing to put his financial affairs in order and that his health was failing. The last date on this group of records is July 15, 1874. The previous month, two Austin doctors examined Rice and stated in writing that he could not perform physical labor because of a double inguinal hernia. [5]

No obituary has been located in the files of the Austin Daily Democratic Statesman or of the Austin weekly Democratic Statesmen of 1875, or of the first four months of 1876.

Both the 1850 and 1870 U. S. Census records list Rice's native state  South Carolina; the 1860 Census gives Illinois. South Carolina is probably correct. (The 1790 census of South Carolina shows 25 heads of families named Rice, including two named James Rice. the Illinois census for 1810 lists only three heads of families carrying the Rice name. [6]

Janes 0. Rice and Nancy D. Gilliland were married on Nov. 5, 1846, in Travis County by an Austin Justice of the Peace. J. Hotchkiss. [7]  Nancy was the daughter of James and Diana Gilliland (the name is also spelled Gilleland), members of Austin's Colony. This means the Gilliland’s could have been in Texas by 1821, certainly by 1825, for Raney was 25 years old in 1850 and was born in Texas. [8]

The Gillilands were substantial people for that time. He was a Methodist minister, owned a large tract of land on the Colorado River between Webberville and; Hornshy's  Bend, and in 1840 also had land in Nacogdoches County, as well as 25 cattle and 7 horses. Diana Gilliland owned considerable real estate of her own and had two slaves and 30 cattle in the 1840 census of the Republic of Texas. [9] Gilliland and his family, alone with Josiah Wilbarger and the Barker and Burleson families, "first penetrated the 'Little Colony'" where the "Lost Pines" near present Bastrop provided "a hiding place against the Indians." [10] Gilliland preached at Bastrop and in the spring of 1835 organized a Methodist Church there, the first church in the settlement. In the spring of 1839, Rev. Gilliland was severely wounded in a battle with Lipan Indians, in what would become Willamson County. Several units in the battle were commanded by general Edward Burleson, Capt. Jesse Billingsley, Capt. Jacob "Jake" Burleson. Rev. Gilliland died ten days after the battle. [11]

Census records reveal this information about Rice and his family: census of Travis County Republic of Texas. 1840. lists "Jas. Rice"; no property listed; U. S. Census, Williamson County, Texas, Sept. 16, 1850.

James 0. Rice, 35, farmer, born S. C.; $15,000 taxable real estate. Nancy D. Rice, 25, housewife, born Texas.

Elizabeth Rice, 2, born Texas.

Mary E. Fox: 13, born in Germany, also in the household.

U. S. Census, Williamson County, Texas, July 20, 1860:
James O. Rice, 44, farmer, horn Illinois [sic]; $10,000 taxable real estate;$500 personal estate.
Elizabeth A. Rice, 12, born Texas.
Sarah F. Rice, 10, born Texas.
Ameallia [sic] M. Rice 6, born Texas. (Apparently the, name is correctly written or Almeda Melissa.)
Allies [sic] Rice, 4, born in Texas. (Correct name: Alice  D.)
U. S. Census, Austin (as opposed to Austin City listings), Travis County, Texas, Sept. 12, 1870:
James Rice, 54, farmer, born S. C. $1,000 taxable real estate; $100 personal estate.
Melissa Rice, 16, born Texas. "Keeping house."
Alice Rice, 14, born Texas. "At home."

Rice's wife, Nancy, died sometime prior to the April 1860 term of' Williamson County Probate Court, at which time James 0. Rice was present and petitioned Chief Justice J. E. King, to appoint Charles Sauls, James and Benjamin Allen (neighbors near Rice's Crossing) to appraise and value the community property belonging to him and his "late deceased wife." The inventory was submitted and signed by Rice on April 30, 1860, with the following common property and evaluations: 14 head horses, $80.85; 272 acres land on brushy Creek, $544, less 45 acres at $15 per acre; 472 acres land on Colorado River, Travis County, $645; 35 head stock cattle, $210; 30 head stock hogs, $60; 1 yoke oxen, $35. [12]

No record of marriages of the two older daughters, Elizabeth A. and Sarah F. have been located either in Williamson or Travis counties, but James 0. Rice stated that both were married prior to June 1871. [13] Almeda Melissa, the third eldest daughter, married  Newton Owen Sneed, Dec. 25, 1370.      John Henry Ziveley, a Presbyterian minister who lived near Bluff Springs, Austin, and who ministered to churches in central Texas, officiated. The Sneed family home at Comal Bluff was located near Bluff Springs. [14]

In September 1871, James 0. Rice and his attorneys petitioned the Travis County Probate Court for permission to sell 136 acres of land in Travis County belonging to his youngest daughter, Alice D., to pay for her education and maintenance. Rice stated that her education "is limited and very imperfect” and that he had no property of his own with which to support her. The Court allowed the sale. Carefully itemized

Bills were submitted during 1872, 1873 and 1874 for Alice's expenses. These included statements for board and tuition; dresses at 50 and 75 cents each; four chemises for $2; a "polonese" dress for $2; candy, ink paper, thread, fans, braid, ribbon, box of paint, pair of "hoes," muslin, pins and needles, starch gloves, lace collar, hotties extract, penholder and cap, sheeting, lawn, shoes, buttons and calico. On of the boarding statements was from Mrs.Marinda Sneed, for Alice's board from May 10 to August 1873, $30. The June 1874 District Court of Travis County declared that Alice D. Rice was no longer a minor, so her father's Guardianship was closed and a full accounting completed by July 8, 1874. [15]

Alice D. Rice and Francis W.. Crow were married on Nov. 10, 1875, by Avert Brown, Justice of the Peace, Precinct I, Austin. Mrs Alice D. Crow was buried Nov. 5, 1913, in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin. [16]

James C. Rice was in Texas at least by 1835. He was then 20 and a private in the Texas Revolutionary Army. He was in John J. Tumlinson's frontier ranger company, created in October-November 1835 by the Texas Provisional Government and authorized to build a fort near the headwaters of Brushy Creek. [17] Tumlinson and 60 seen, including Rice, went to Block House Creek early in January 1836 and built a log fort (south of present Leander). They remained there until they were recalled to Bastrop early in March to protect frontier families fleeing from Santa Anna and his Mexican forces who were marching into Texas. Tunlinson's unit was then ordered to San Jacinto, but arrived after the battle  was over. [18] Rice received bounties totaling 1230 acres of land for his service Oct. 12, 1836 to April 12, 1837.  He again served from June to December, 1837, participating in October in a fight with Indians at Stone House, 200 miles from the nearest settlement, and was awarded a bounty of 640 acres. [19]

Rice was one of fifteen men who occupied Kenney's Fort when it was completed in the spring of 1833 at Brushy Cove on Brushy Creek where the Double File Trail crossed the stream. The Fort consisted of "four log cabins with port holes on the exposed sides, and was enclosed with a picket stockade of logs about eight feet high, with wide, strong- gates on the east and west. It fronted north on the bluff of Brushy Creek, and the east side was near the branch." Rice lived there until 1840, [20] according  to W. K. Makemson, but the following narratives suggest that he was away frequently.

One account describes a buffalo hunt on the Colorado River, or: organized by General Lamar, who had an escort of six rangers,  including James C. Rice, in the fall of 1837 or 1838. At the end of the hunt, the men assembled on a hill where the present State Capitol of Texas stands. Tamar looked out to the valley covered with wild rye, to the mountains up the river, and to "the charming, view to the south" and declared, "This should be the seat of future Empire. [21]

Rice's most notable military exploit and probably his greatest con­tribution to his adopted state took place in May 1839 when he "commanded the small company which captured crucial, revealing  documents telling of widespread plots against the Texans by Mexico and the Indians. Rice's role has been described in varying detail by respected historians who judged the encounter second only in importance to the Battle of San Jacinto in relation to Texas independence. [22]

The story began in 1836 when the Mexican government started  plans for ­a general war over all of Texas. Frontier Indians were to be incited to “to hang on to the border,  and harass the Texans, destroy their trade, break up their commerce, burn their, homes, and divide the spoils, accord­ing to Indian custom. [23] If groups of Texans gathered in large bodies, the Indians were instructed to hover close by and hold them together, while other bands plundered their settlements. [24] General Valantin Canalizo of Matamoros was in charge of the plot. Early in 1839, he wrote about the intrigue to Vicente Cordova who was directing the insurgents at Nacogdoches, and to the chiefs of the Seminoles and Caddoes, and to Big Mush and Bowles of the Cherokees. Cordova, in turn, wrote to Manuel Flores, a Mexican agent, that the Cherokees would cooperate. [25]  He Cordova returned to Mexico briefly, and in the spring  of 1839 he and Flores and their soldiers left for Texas. Settlers spotted their trail near the Colorado River, assumed they were Indians, and gathered a volunteer force in case they proved hostile. The volunteers included Col. Edward Burleson, James 0. Rice, Jesse Billingsley, and “Mike" Andrews. They trailed Cordova toward Seguin and in a skirmish March 28-30, killed 30 of the Mexican force and took several prisoners. Cordova escaped and returned to Mexico, and Flores and some of his men eluded the volunteers, moving farther into Texas. [26] Among the prisoners was a 200-pound French Negro named Raphael who was extremely antagonistic toward his captors, warning the Texans that he would never cooperate with them. He was court marshaled and sentenced to be shot. Andrews assigned six rangers to firing squad. Rice was not chosen, so he offered five dollars to any one of the six men who would give him his place. The trade was made, but Rice's gun failed on the signal to fire. Rice remarked, here my run snapped, for the first time in my life. [27]

Settlers along the Colorado River were averted that Flores was at large and ranging companies were forced to protect the settlements. One was headed by Capt. Mike Andrews and Lt. James G. Rice. About May 15, late in the afternoon, Rice and B. B. Castleberry went scouting on Onion Creek south of Austin, hunting deer for supper when they stumbled onto what proved to be Flores' trail, made by a large number of horses and leading north. Rice and Castleberry hurried to camp with the news. Andrews was convinced it was Flores' trail, was determined to follow. They found where the trail went under a "stooping tree," and could count 25 or 30 horses that had gone around the tree, indicating that they had riders, and that many more horses had gone under the low hanging limbs. They were somewhat uncertain of this estimate of the enemy

          There were 27 in the Texas group. [28] One of the civilians, Wayne Barton Wayne, believed the Mexicans vastly outnumbered Andrews, warned they might all be slaughtered. Flores had moved into a cedar brake. Captain decided to turn his men toward home. A. J. "Ad" Adkisson wanted to pursue Flores, however, and after riding about three miles toward hone, he asked permission of the Captain to do so, alone with any others who wished to join him. Andrews assented, saying that he would join in the search, but he released those who did not care to continue the pursuit. Six men continued toward home, leaving 21 Texans to hunt Flores. Andrews turned west on the trail, made camp that night north of the Colorado River "near the mountains." They went into the mountains at a rapid gait next morning. [29]

But a hard rain the previous night soon made the trail larder to find in what was already difficult terrain. To compound the problem, Captain Andrews' horse became lame. Andrews weighed about 200 pounds and there was nothing for him to do but turn hack. Two other men with disabled horses joined him and the three headed for home. This left Lt. Rice in command, with seventeen other men in his force. The company moved as best they could, considering all their horses were tired and many lame from the long chase. The trail finally led onto the prairies and they reached the South an Gabriel River, southeast of present liberty Hill, about 2 p. m., May 17. The Mexicans had camped near a good spring on the river the previous night, had "nooned and cut down a bee tree." The Texas had not settled when the rangers came along so they knew the Mexicans were not far ahead. Flores had left only four camp fires, suggesting a relatively small number in his company. Rice hurried the pursuit. Two of his men went ahead to scout and soon signaled for the others to dismount and cut switches, for the Mexicans were just over the hill a quarter of a mile away. As the Texans approached, Flores tried to maneuver and lose the enemy, but Rice and his men charged ahead until Flores was caught at a steep bluff on the south bank of the North San Gabriel River. The bluff was too steep to descend. Flores and his men were cornered. Flores charged and fired, but William Wallace, the first Texan ready for action, fired and Flores fell from his horse. He was shot through the heart. Two other Mexicans were killed. The remainder of their small party fled, abandoning their extra horses; mules, baggage, arms, and supplies.       The rangers collected about 114 horses and mules, 300 pounds of powder, shot, balls and bar lead, and ether items. the "other items" proved by far the most significant, for they included numerous official documents and letters detailing the plot between general Canalizo, Cordova, and various Indian tribes of sexes against the Republic of Texas. Not until this point did the Texans realize the extent and danger of this widespread plan." [30]

Flores' companions apparently fled to a crossing they had located on the North Gabriel and on toward the mountains beyond. The rangers were exhausted and their horses in poor condition, so did not follow. The eighteen weary Texans rode five or six miles to their recent crossing on the South Gabriel to make camp for the night, where Flores had teen the night before. There they met Capt. James P. Owensby and 30 rangers sent as reinforcements for Rice. Owensby’s men asked for their share of the spoils, but Rice's men declined since they had done all the fighting.

Owensby’s company refused to share their food and guard with Rice's soldiers. Next day, Rice and company moved on toward Austin, meeting Col. Edward Burleson and another party of men, who offered provisions without asking for a share of the booty. Rice and company stopped long enough to eat, and then continued to Austin. [31]

In describing the affair, Walter Prescott Webb, the historian, states that this is probably one of the most important fights that ever took place in Texas. Col. Burleson's official report stated, "This Lt. Rice and his seventeen gallant men deserve the highest esteem." [32]

James O. Rice's name is on the "Muster Rolls of Certain Select Frontier Forces, 1839 to 1841" under Col. Edward Burleson; "Muster Roll, Capt. Micah Andrews' Rangers, March 10-June 10, 1839"; the "First Texas Ranger" list, under Capt. Nelson Merrell; was with the Bastrop Rangers June 10 to Sept. 10, 1839; and "Spies for Travis County" under Capt C. N. Dolson, April 8 to May 20, 1841. [33]

Rice was with Somarvell's troops slated to invade Mexico in 1842, and remained with the men who entered Mier, Mexico. He fought Dec. 25-26 in the battle of Mier, was wounded, captured, and hospitalized, but managed to escape two days later. In an application for pension filed by Rice October 10, 1870, he further described the Mier events. He was in Capt.M. Pierson's Company under Fisher's command. His wound caused by a ball fired by a Mexican, was about two inches and to the left of the right nipple, the wound penetrating to the hollow. The wounded prisoners were confined in a church of Mier "for two Sundays," after which Rice and seven others bribed their guard and escaped to Texas. On Sept. 29, he was paid $40 for Mier services Oct. 17, 1842, to Feb. 17, 1843; and on Oct. 15, 1850, an additional sum for 24 months' service on the Mier Expedition. [34]

From late April to early August 1843, Rice was guide for an expedition led by Col. Jacob Snively, who planned to intercept and attack a caravan of goods heading for Mexico. [35]

By 1846, Rice must have decided to lead a more settled life, for he began collecting his land bounties and to acquire additional property. He and Nance D. Gilliland were married in Travis County on Nov. 5, 1846, and settled at Blue hill on Brushy Creek South after.

Among Rice's land acquisitions were 640 acres for $200, Aug. 3, 1846; 370 acres, Aug. 6, 1846; 640 acres for $100, Sept. 1, 1846--most of the foregoing being along Brushy Greek; 5 acres for $100, Dec. 27, 1856, located at Round Rock; 40 acres for $400 (Confederate money) Jan. 1, 1863, located between the two forks of the San Gabriel River, near where the present Georgetown Country Club stands; 640 acres for $1,600 (Confederate bills) Nov. 5, 1863, on Berry's Greek. [36] Rice's 1850 census listing of 415,000 in real estate was the fourth largest in the county at that time. [36]

James 0. Rice chose for his home site a place on the north bank of Brushy Creek, then known as Blue hill for the bluish shale or soapstone banks south of the creek ---- it was in the heart of blacklands, and south of present Taylor. A few decades later, the community was renamed Rice's Crossing in honor of Rice and it still goes by that name. Among Rice's neighbors up and down Brushy Creek were other pioneer families including Bartlett Simms, Avery, Daniel Kimbro, David F. Knight, Zara Stearns, Joseph Kuykendall, Matthias Wilbarger, and Calvin Barker. [37]

Early in 1848, Rice and Washington Anderson, who lived on Brushy Creek east of present Round Rock, circulated a petition to form a new county, which would become Williamson County. They had identical documents for signatures except that one suggested the county be named "Clear Water" and the other suggested "San Gabriel." Rice signed "James 0. Rice" on one of the sheets. Dated Feb. 2, 1348, .the petition may have been worded by Rice and Anderson. One is written in Anderson's distinctive hand: the other, in a different hand, may have been written by Rice. The State Legislature approved creation of the new county on March 13, 1348, and in the same act appointed J. 0. Rice and five other commissioners to select the county seat. The six men met in May 1848 under a large live oak tree a mile south of the confluence of the two forks of the San Gabriel. They were offered free land if that site were chosen and the town named Georgetown for one of the donors. The offer was accepted and the site determined. [38]

The first civil suit of the county, C. Hamilton vs. James 0. Rice, was considered in October 1848 District court, also held under the live oak tree where the county seat was selected. The case was "trespass to try title" and not settled until nearly two decades later. [39]

Droves of wild cattle lived along Brushy creek and most of the pioneer residents of that area became leading cattlemen of the county. Nancy D. Rice registered her own cattle brand with the County Clerk on March 29, 1849. J. W. and J. 0. Rice listed their brand, "J 0," in the same book, but no date is given for the registration. No other mention has been found in Williamson County records of J. W. Rice and he was not in the 1850 census of the county. After Nancy D. Rice's death in 1860, the list of community property included 35 head of stock cattle. [40]

James C. Rice became postmaster of a new post office, established Nov. 12, 1849, at Blue Hill, the second post office in the county. (It is believed that Rice was running his small store by the time the post office opened).   Mann, who did some research on Rice in the 1930s, stated that Rice operated a tavern at Blue Hill. [41] Rice continued his postmastership until the office was discontinued on April 10, 1857. [42]

Note:
Early Spanish expeditions crossed central Texas near Blue Hill, as did the Comanche did to east Texas via Fort Tenoxtitlán or Nashville on the Brazos. The Austin mail route 6188 went through Blue Hill. A much used Cattle Trial 9 used the Colorado at Webberville, Brushy Creek at Rice’s crossing and intersected the Western Trail at near Georgetown. The site was about 1 mile west of the present Rice’s Crossing Store.

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