William A. Droddy Diary

Collection

Identifier: A-0072

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Droddy’s diary begins on May 17th, 1846 at Little Cow Creek in Jasper (now Newton) County. From there, he goes to muster in Jasper, but having missed the company, fellows them to Bevilport. From there, they take a boat down the Neches River to Beaumont, and from there, they travel to Galveston, Port Isabel, then up the Rio Grande as far north as Camargo. It concludes September 2nd, 1846.

The diary relates mainly camp experiences: hunting, gambling, singing, drinking, election of officers. When the company pauses in various towns, Droddy attends church services od different denominations (including Baptist, Methodist, and Catholic). While in Mexico, he describes the farms, houses, and clothes of the Mexican people. Droddy’s company seems never to have faced direct combat. They encountered some wounded men, had fighting in camp among their own men, and lost a few horses in a Mexican raid. The men did suffer though from mosquitoes, sea sickness, and an epidemic of measles.

Names mentioned in the diary include: General Zachary Taylor, Albert Sidney Johnston, Ephraim McLean, and Ralph Gilchrist.

Dates

Creation: 1823-1891

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical / Historical

William A. Droddy was born on May 16, 1823 in Missouri. His family came to Texas as early as 1835, as they are listed on a census for that year for Bevil or Jasper. He was a farmer, preacher, and Mason, and seems to have lived all his life in the Jasper-Newton county area. He died on January 7, 1891.

Extent

0.10 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is described in two folders and is housed with four other collections in a clamshell box.

Related Materials

The Droddy Diary may also be found at The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History; The University of Texas at Austin (www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/02085/cah-02085.html).