Sgt. Doc Bockius (CSA)

James Monroe's Bockius ancestry is unclear, he supposedly was born in Ohio and came to Texas in the 1850's.

For a few months preceding the Civil War, James was a member of the Mounted Rangers, Rio Grande Regiment. He enlisted in the C.S.A. on February 23, 1861 at Banquette, Nueces Co., TX; and was mustered into service on March 14, 1861 at Brownsville for a one year period. His discharge papers list him as 'Bockins', James M, age 30, Sgt, 2nd Cav Co G, Texas State Troops, C.S.A.

After the War, James was involved in ranching or in some ways involved in the cattle business. He was a trail boss for cattle drives.

Doc Bockius was loosely connected with the Taylor-Sutton Feud in Gonzales County, TX, and with the Texas outlaw, John Wesley Hardin. He had been placed under arrest to prevent him from assisting Hardin after the May 1874 shootout. Doc was nearly lynched, but was saved by a friend who was a particularly large man. He placed Doc, who was small, on the back of his horse, hidden under his slicker, and rode out of town.

Source: "Doc Bockius Survived Civil War, Texas Feud" by Chuck Parson. 'Newsletter of the National Association and Center for the Study of Outlaw and Lawman History'. Vol II, #4 (Spring, 1977), p. 9-10; San Antonio Daily Express, 6/19/1874.

On May 10, 1884 James Monroe married Amanda Jane Billings, the widow of George Tennille, another person associated with the Sutton-Taylor Feud and with John Wesley Hardin. Doc was eventually able to put his reputation with the Feud and with Hardin behind him, becoming a law-abiding citizen. In 1890 James became Postmaster in Sedan, Gonzales County TX. He and Amanda lived in the old Tennille home in Sedan with the Post Office in a small room on the porch of their house. Mail was received and distributed three times a week.

Doc was not a licensed medical doctor. However, while living in Sedan TX, he was known as a community medical consultant, especially for doctoring and delivering babies, hence his nickname of 'Doc'.

Photographs of Doc Bockius show a small, skinny, balding man with a heavy, dark, walrus-style mustache.

His tombstone inscription reads: Bockius, James M, Texas Sgt., Texas State Troops, C.S.A. 1830-1909 (TX military marker)

Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=31270306