Henry Mordorff San Jacinto Veteran. (original) (raw)

��resting on a gently rising hillside,
�nestled inside an overgrowth of lush native flora.� -
from a Henry Mordorff Remembrance by David Herrington

Henry Mordorff was one of over a hundred men recruited from the docks of New Orleans by Lt. Amasa Turner in late 1835. As part of Turner�s Company of the First Regiment of Texas Volunteers, Mordorff participated in the Battle of San Jacinto, winning a grant of land in Bell County, but moving in 1851 to Bastrop County where he engaged in farming and horse trading. A lifelong bachelor, Mordorff was too old to participate in the Civil War, but did his share of work on the home front.

Henry Mordorff Centennial Marker
TE photo, 2010

From a remembrance of Henry Mordorff written by Smithville Historian David Herrington:
�He was buried on his farm just South of our town, resting on a gently rising hillside,�nestled inside an overgrowth of lush native flora. Pristine and undisturbed��are good descriptors for his gravesite.�A presence of Honor and Dignity greets the uninvited observer.��

Henry Mordorff came to America, alone, Henry lived in

Texas,�alone, and now Henry rests near Smithville, alone. But Henry,�you can rest assured,�that you and your contributions to Texasand Texans�are not forgotten here in Smithville, Texas.�

The 1936 Texas Commemorative Headstone reads: Henry Mordorff
A San Jacinto Veteran
Born 1817
Died March 20, 1870

Historian David Herrington, a Smithville native, has created The Gazley Bridge � a site devoted to remembering the unsung and nearly forgotten people of early Texas. It is our pleasure to call attention to such a worthy endeavor. Please visit http://thegazleybridge.blogspot.com/�