Captain Charles Alexander "Alex" Earp (CSA)

Alex Earp was born to William Earp and Betsy Vaughn in Pinhook, Lawrence County, Alabama. He married his first wife, Ferbie Louisa "Lerula" Alexander on 11 Jun 1848 in Alabama. They soon after came to Texas, settling in Upshur County before 1850.

He and Lerula had two children, Elizabeth and James. They were visiting in Alabama when James was born. Lerula died shortly thereafter on December 1851 in Greenwood, Louisiana as the family made their way back to their home in Texas.

Alex then married a local Gilmer Texas girl, Mary Ethel Nations, the widow of Elijah Dexter. They had two children, John Benjamin and Aphra Viana, before Mary's death on 11 Aug 1858.

Alex was now father to four young children plus three of Mary and Elijah Decker's children that he raised as his own.

On 28 Aug 1859, Alex married the young Sarah Isetta "Etta" Merritt in her home in Henderson, Rusk County, Texas. At age 15 she became the mother of a household full of children. The oldest of the seven children was ten and the youngest less than two years old when she and Alex married. Although Etta and Alex were married for over 60 years, she had no children of her own.

Alex was a man of great accomplishment and leadership ability. He twice served as sheriff of Upshur County, in 1860 and in 1882. He served as Captain of Company D, 10th Regiment (Locke's) Texas Cavalry for one year under his brother, Colonel Cullin R. Earp. He then served as Captain of Company D, Crump's Regiment Texas Cavalry (Lane's regt Cav. 1 Partisan Rangers) until the end of the war.

As letters written to Etta during the war prove, he was also a loving and affectionate husband.