Jacob C. Darst (Immortal 32 Gonzales Ranger)

A member of the Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers, which entered the Alamo March 1, 1836.

Jacob C. Darst, 42, was a farmer born 22 Dec 1793 in Woodford County, KY, a Private in the Gonzales Rangers and son of David and Rosetta Holman Darst. David Darst was born in Shenandoah County, VA 18 Dec 1757 and died in St. Charles County, MO on 2 Dec 1826. Darst married Rosetta Holman, who was born in Maryland about 1763 on 4 Jan 1784. Rosetta Holman was the daughter of Henry Holman who was killed in Woodford County, KY by indians in 1789. They had 7 children, one of whom was Jacob Darst. Darst's Bottom in St. Charles County, MO was named for the family. Jacob Darst left Montgomery County, MO with two of their nine children Jacob and Abraham in 1830 and according to land records arrived in the DeWitt Colony 10 Jan 1831. Jacob Darst first married Elizabeth Bryan (1796-1820) on 25 Mar 1813 in Charles County, MO. Elizabeth Bryan’s father David Bryan (1757-1837) was a first cousin of Rebecca Bryan Boone (1739-1813), wife of Daniel Boone. Jacob and Elizabeth Bryan Darst had a daughter Nancy Darst. Nancy married Cyrus Crosby and they had a daughter Mary. Nancy and an infant child were captured by Comanches in their raid on the coast in 1840 and her baby's brains dashed out because it refused to stop crying. Nancy Darst Crosby was later killed by her captors during their defeat at the Battle of Plum Creek.

Jacob Darst married second Margaret C. Hughes 3 Oct 1820. On 24 Apr 1831 he received title to a league of land on the Guadalupe River north of Gonzales in current GuadalupeCo. His 24/25 sitio was on current Darst Creek which runs south seven miles to the Guadalupe River. His labor which was east of Hallettsville, south of Sweet Home, in LavacaCo was registered in Jul 1831. The Darst's had a residence at the corner of St. John and St. Lawrence Streets in inner Gonzales town when the town was burned after the Alamo defeat in 1836. Darst also owned property in the outer Gonzales town west. Darst was among the Old Eighteen who originally refused to give up the Gonzales cannon to the Mexicans in Sep 1835. Darst was involved in supplying the new Texas Republican army evidenced by an affidavit of 15 Dec 1836 signed by him in Gonzales:

   "I hereby certify that I went to the grist mill belonging to Joseph S. Martin of this place during the month of September last and that I delivered to the written and verbal order of Valentine Bennet Comisary for the use of the troops then at Gonzales twelve bushels of meal belonging to Joseph S. Martin from his mill."

Jacob C. Darst (signed). On the back Capt. William Patton wrote:

   "From my knowledge and the statement of Major Bennet I have no doubt the within acct is correct and the meal worth one dollar & 25 cts per bushel." W.H. Patton (signed).

Fifteen year old son David Sterling Hughes Darst (1821-1906) accompanied his father Jacob on a trip to Goliad sometime in 1836 and was a witness to many events of the period which he related into the early 1900's. David Darst was the son-in-law of DeWitt Colony pioneer "Red" Adam Zumwalt. The heirs of Jacob Darst received 960 acres in GuadalupeCo for his service in the Alamo (name Jacob Durst on warrant 9353) and an additional 640 acres in AtascosaCo.

Source: http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/gonzalesrangersa-e.htm

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(much of this is similar to what is cited by Bill Groneman, "DARST, JACOB C.," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fda88), accessed April 23, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

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From FindAGrave:

Alamo Defender. He was a farmer who left for Texas in 1830 with his family and arrived in DeWitt's Colony on January 10, 1831. He registered for twenty-four labores of land on the Guadalupe River above Gonzales and also for one labor on a small creek that empties into the Guadalupe. In September 1835, he was one of the original "Old Eighteen", defenders of the Gonzales cannon. On February 23, 1836, he was mustered into service in the Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers. He entered the Alamo garrison with this unit on March 1, 1836 and died five days later in the Battle of the Alamo.

(bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith) 

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http://alamoheroes.com/darst.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzales_Ranging_Company_of_Mounted_Vo...

GEDCOM Note

Jacob died at the Alamo fighting with Jim Bowie & Davey Crockett. His name is on a plaque at the Alamo Monument with all others who died there. This information comes from records at The Alamo Musuem, The daughters of the Republic of Texas Library and genealogical records from Gonzales Archives in Gonzales, TX which we visited in February 1997.