Robert William Cunningham

CUNNINGHAM, ROBERT W. (1804?–1836). Robert W. Cunningham, Alamo defender, the oldest of seven children of David and Anna (Jennison) Cunningham, was born in Ontario County, New York, on October 18, 1804 or 1806. He lived with his family in Indiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas before he came to Texas. In 1832 he worked as a cargo flatboatman on the Mississippi River to New Orleans. From New Orleans he wrote to his family informing them that he would be staying there. By March 4, 1833, however, he had moved to Texas, where he received title to a league of land on Skull Creek in Austin's colony. In 1836 Cunningham wrote to his family to inform them that he had joined the Texas army. He took part in the siege of Bexar as a sergeant and second gunner in Capt. T. L. F. Parrottqv's artillery company. He remained in Bexar after the battle as a private in Capt. W. R. Carey's artillery company. Cunningham was a single man. He died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

from: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fcu61

GEDCOM Note

CUNNINGHAM, ROBERT W. (1804-1836). Robert W. Cunningham, Alamo defender, the oldest of seven children of David and Anna (Jennison) Cunningham, was born in Ontario County, New York, on October 18, 1804 or 1806. He lived with his family in Indiana and Kentucky, before he came to Arkansas and then Texas. In 1832 he worked as a cargo flatboatman on the Mississippi River to New Orleans. From New Orleans he wrote to his family informing them that he would be staying there. By March 4, 1833, however, he had moved to Texas, where he received title to a league of land on Skull Creek in Austin's colony. In 1836 Cunningham wrote to his family to inform them that he had joined the Texas army. He took part in the siege of Bexar as a sergeant and second gunner in Capt. T. L. F. Parrott's artillery company. He remained in Bexar after the battle as a private in Capt. W. R. Carey's artillery company. Cunningham was a single man. He died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Daughters of the American Revolution, The Alamo Heroes and Their Revolutionary Ancestors (San Antonio, 1976). Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Muster Rolls of the Texas Revolution (Austin, 1986). Bill Groneman, Alamo Defenders (Austin: Eakin, 1990). Phil Rosenthal and Bill Groneman, Roll Call at the Alamo (Fort Collins, Colorado: Old Army, 1985).

Information concerning possible marriage of Robert W. Cunningham to Louisa C. Hunt is as follows:

Name Robert Cunningham Marriage Date 23 Feb 1833 Marriage Place Austin, Texas Spouse Louisa C. Hunt Source County Court Records - FHL microfilm # 0109273

1/3 of a League or 1,400 acres, was granted as a gift in 1854 to Robert Cunningham’s heirs for his service and sacrifice at The Alamo. So, who was this defender of the Alamo who has a Killeen street, Cunningham Road, named for him?

The Texas State Historical Association’s “The Handbook of Texas” stated Robert William Cunningham was born Oct. 18, 1804, in Ontario County, N.Y., and was the oldest of seven children of David Cunningham and Anna (Jennison) Cunningham. The family lived in southern Indiana, northern Kentucky and Arkansas.

In 1832, he worked as a cargo flatboatman on the Mississippi River to New Orleans, where he lived for about a year. Cunningham left New Orleans and registered in Stephen F. Austin’s colony in 1833 for the land grant receiving title to a league of land, about 4,400 acres, on Skull Creek in Colorado County. He settled there, cleared his land and began to farm.

Genealogy and historical information found on wikitree.com showed Cunningham married Louisa C. Hunt in 1833 and their daughter, Mary Ellen Cunningham Clapp, was born in 1834. Then hostilities arose and the colonists began forming forces to protect their property and lives. In 1835, Robert Cunningham volunteered to serve as a sergeant and a 2nd gunner in Captain T.L.F. Parrott’s Artillery Company in the Siege of Bexar.

In early 1836, he joined the Texas Army and was reassigned to Captain William R. Carey’s artillery company as a private. Additional historical data from wikitree.com stated Capt. Carey was the first Texas commander at the Alamo, and his artillery company was dubbed “The Invincibles.” His troops were assigned to artillery HQ at the SW corner of the Alamo. At dawn on March 6, 1836, the Mexican forces attacked and slaughtered the Texas soldiers who bravely fought to the end.

Subdivisions The abstract shows Anna Cunningham, Robert’s mother and heir, sold the property to Silas A. Kingsbury in 1855. He was her son-in-law and married Lucinda Cunningham, one of Robert’s siblings, in 1835 and the family had come to the Belton area about 1854, where Luninda died.

The grant area starts in the north in the runway of Skylark Field Airport in Killeen and the eastern border ends near the Stagecoach Road and Mountain Lion Road transition that marks the border of Killeen and Harker Heights.

The southern border is easily identifiable as East Stagecoach Road until it meets East Trimmier Road. The western border runs northwest from the junction of Stagecoach and Trimmier in a line that roughly parallels Teal Drive, Shumard Drive and Oak Valley Drive and ends at the sharp bend on Little Nolan Road.