In the book Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray by Maimie Yeary, Copyright 1902, he was listed among the Andersons for some reason. The following is his entry in its entirety as it was e-mailed to me from Warren Stricker of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library: "JOSEPH ANDERSON ALEXANDER, of Llano, Texas.--Was born Nov. 30, 1839, near Athens, Limestone County, Ala. Enlisted in the Confederate Army August, 1862, at College Hill, Miss., as private in Company D., Wilbourn's Battalion, Trans-Mississippi Department, with James Martin first Captain. Was changed from the above company to that of Gen. Gholson's Brigade because they wanted to conscript us and only accept us for our horses, so we formed a new company, elected new officers and marched to Gholson's Brigade, W. L. Lowery's Regiment. I was never wounded and was not in many regular battles, but was in a number of skirmishes. Our company was kept as guards most of the time, that is, we were kept on the different roads on out-post duty. I was never taken prisoner. Was promoted from private to Third Lieutenant in the fall or winter of 1863, but did not do much service. I was sent to the hospital and from there home. Was in the battles of Olive Branch, Memphis, Tenn., and Pontotoc, Miss. We started the enemy in the town and exchanged a few shots, then chased them nine miles to Cherry Creek, where we came upon them again and exchanged a few shots, and our ammunition gave out and we quit the race." In the 1850 census for Marshall Co of Mississippi, Southern Division he is found with his parents in household number 494. He is shown as 10 years old, and he had attended school during the preceding year. He was born in Alabama. In 1860 Census for Marshall Co., of Mississippi, page 273, Post Office Waterford, he is found with his parents in dwelling 349, family 334. He is shown as 20 or 21 (it is unclear which). He was born in Alabama, and he attended school the preceding year. The Daughters of the Confederacy gave him a medal for his Civil War service. He was postmaster of Republic, Texas (Morris Henderson) when it was reestablished 24 Feb 1903 (Postmasters & Post Offices of Llano County, Texas 1857-1930, Rootsweb.com/~txpost/llano.html, accessed 28 Feb 2003). He had a pet parrot who lived in a tree outside his home in Llano County. It was tame and would say, "Polly wants a cracker!" It would swoop out of the tree at his granddaughter Althea Henderson and scare her. He used to sit on a barrel type settee in the breezeway of his house and swat his grandkids with a fly swatter. This also scared Althea although it was done in fun. Joseph had to use dynamite to get through the hard rock when he dug the well. Althea Henderson Bush says that they used to wash their clothes at a pond that was some distance from the house because they did not get enough water from the well. In his old age he became a Christian Scientist. He would not even allow his daughters to wash his feet if he thought it was for "medicinal purposes." He had a horse once that had a wart. He had healing treatments for the horse without result. Finally two or three of his sons caught it and burned the wart off. He never said a word to anyone about it. He did not ask why they had done it or reprove them. The following information was sent from Carroll Osbourn by e-mail, June 8, 2000 at 6:42 PM: The 160 acres of land situated in Llano, County, Texas and known as the north half of of the west half of Section #2, Certificate 3/461, H.&G.N.R.R.Co. patented to J. A. Alexander assignee, by letter patent No. 107, Vol 7A, dated April 28, 1920, was preempted by said J. A. Alexander, in the year 1882 and was paid for prior to the death of Mattie Alexander, the first wife of said J. A. Alexander, and was owned at the death of said J. A. Alexander, and was owned at the death of the said J. A. Alexander on January 4, 1915, and for long years there to by the said J. A. Alexander and his said 10 children, being community property between the said J. A. Alexander and his first wife, and upon witch they resided during their married life from the time of it's purchase as aforesaid; That neather of the said 2nd. and 3rd. wifes of the said J. A. Alexander ever had any interest whatever in said land, and neither any heirs of them have any interest whatever there in and never have had any interest there in. J. E. Madden, & R. F. Redford 5 November 1924 ======== Book 56 Page 432 -- Llano County House Affidavit in proof of heirship, and ownership The said Mattie Alexander died in 1894, and the said J. A. Alexander was there after married again in the year 1897 to Henrietta Stanaland, from whom he was afterward divorced 18 November 1900 and there was no issue of said marriage. That the said J. A. Alexander was there after married again, in the year 1904, the third time, to Mary Flanagan, and that the said Mary Flanagan continued as his wife until the year 1907 when she died intestate and there was no issue of this marriage. The said J. A. Alexander died in the year 1915. Records from Llano County, book 56, pages 428-433 include the above references. The proof of heirship allowed for the sale of the land to G. E. and Alice Reagor for $3840. The heirs were the ten children who were listed in these court records. They were W. A. Alexander, of Stephens County, Texas, Lena Sansom (formerly Lena Alexander) and husband T. L. Sansom and Emma Gault (formerly Emma Alexander) and husband J. R. Gault, and Althea Alexander, a feme sole, of McCulloch County, Texas, J. A. Alexander and J. V. Alexander of Tarrant County, Texas, J. R. Alexander of Schleicher County, Texas, Modena Madden (formerly Modena Alexander) and husband J. E. Madeen, Sue Henderson (formerly Sue Alexander) and husband R. F. Redford. ============== Other information has come to light regarding the original purchase of the land. The Texas General Land office provided other information. There was an Application and Affidavit to Purchase as an Actual Settler the north 1/2 of the west 1/2 of Section 2, certificate 3/461, grantee H&G. N. R. R. Co. for 158 1/2 acres of dry grazing (classification) land. The land was about nine miles (give course) n. west from County site (situated in Llano County, Texas). It was signed by W. A. Alexander, applicant, on the 10th day of September, 1898 and witnessed by a notary public in Llano County, Texas. In it, he swored that he wanted to purchase the said land for a home, and that he had settled in good faith theron, and that he was not at that time either as assignee or original purchaser, the owner of any other land purchased from teh state. He further swore that he was not acting in collusion with others for the purpose fo buying the land for any other person or corporation, and taht no other person or corporation is interested in this purchase save himself. He was over eighteen yars of age, and his address was Valley Springs in Llano County, State of Texas. He agreed to pay $158.50 for the land, with interest. The land was purchased under an act of May 19, 1897 which allowed the sale of "school land." A warranty deed was signed in Tom Green County 14 Jan 1907 in which W. A. Alexander and L. S. Alexander conveyed the property to J. A. Alexander for the sum of $500. It was not filed until 8 Sep 1919 in Llano County. Statements were made to the land office regarding the purchase of the land. First, the land was purchased by W. A. Alexander in Llano County, Texas, September 12, 1898, as an actual settler. Second, that at the time the application for the purchase of the land was made, he occupied and lived on the said land, and it was the only home he had. Third, prior to January 1st, 1898, the affiant lived upon the land, and the same was his home from the said last mentioned date until about the first of January 1899, and he used and cultivated the same. That there were upon the said land at that time a dwelling house, a well, a barn, and 70 acres in cultivation, both on the first of January 1898 and at all times subsequently thereto, of which improvements affiant as such actual setller for valuable consideration became the purchaser. Fourth, he lived on the land and made it his home from the time his application was filed for the purchase of the land as an actual settler until about the first of January, 1899, at which time he sold the tract of land to his father, J. A. Alexander, who immediately moved onto the land and occupied it as his home until his death in 1912 (sic). The property as had been described had been occupied by each purchaser as his home during each's occupancy, and and the previously stated improvements were sufficient for the occupants and their respective family members, and did accomodate such as a comfortable home. Fifth, the transfer of the property to his father was done in good faith and for valuable consideration about the first of January, 1899. That W. A. Alexander had failed to execute and deliver to his father a written deed to the land until about the 14th day of January 1907 because of neglect and the fact that he had moved to Concho and Schleicher Counties. Three men, I. W. Williams, J. N. Madden, and John W. Henderson all were witnesses to the document, stating that he had lived in Llano County near the land described in the affidavit of W. A. alexander attached to their statement during all the years 1898 through 1901, and that each was acquainted with said lands during said time. The facts stated by W. A. Alexander were well known to each of them. This is the same land that he paid taxes on in 1884, 1885, and 1886 (at least). It was abstract number 1099. Mary E. (Flanagan) Alexander is buried in Salem Cemetery. Martha (Henderson) Alexander, the mother of J. A. Alexander is also buried in Salem Cemetery. Census: 1860, he was living with his parents. 1870, Township Range 2, Marshall, Waterford PO, Mississippi, Series: M593 Roll: 740 Page: 473 Alexander, J. A., 30, m, w, Farmer, 500, 200, AL Martha, 26, F, w, housekeeper, MS J. A., 1, f, w, MS He is living either next door to his parents or in the same household. The families and households are not numbered on this census page. 1880, District No. 146, Prec. No. 6, Robertson, Texas, Series: T9 Roll: 1324 Page: 549 448/461, Alexander, J. A., w, m, 40, farmer, AL, TN, AL Martha E. w, f, 36, wife, keeping house, MS, SC, MS Josa A., w, f, 17, Daughter, at home, MS, AL, MS Wm. A., w, f, 9, son, MS, AL, MS Jas A., w, m, 7, son, MS, AL, MS Moda A., w, f, 5, daughter, MS, AL, MS Martha S., w, f, 3, daughter, MS, AL, MS Mary E., w, f, 1, TX, AL, MS 1900, TEXAS , LLANO, 4 J-PCT, Series: T623 Roll: 1655 Page: 177 48/49, Alexander, Joe A., head, w, m, Nov, 1839, 60, m, 3, AL, TN, AL, farmer, home owned free ----, Modena A., Daughter, w, f, Nov., 1874, 25, s, MS, AL, MS ----, Cora A., Daughter, w, f, Apr, 1884, 16, s, TX, AL, MS, at school ----, Joseph R., Son, w, m, m, 1886, 14, s, TX, AL, MS, farm Laborer ----, Grover, daughter, w, f, July, 1888, 11, S, TX, AL, MS, at school ----, Martha M., Mother, w, f, May, 1818, 82, wd, 12 children, 3 living, AL, SC, SC ----, Wm. J., Nephew, w, m, Jan, 1876, 24, s, MS, MS, GA, farmer Modena, Cora, and Joseph had all attended school for 5 months. Although he was still married to Henrietta, she apparently had left the home by census time. Who is William Joseph, the nephew? 1910, Llano county, Texas, prec. 4, enum. dist. 185, sheet 6B (last family on last page of precinct 4) 113/114, Alexander, J. A. head, m, w, 70, w, AL, TN, AL, farmer, from home, OA ----, Cora Althea, daughter, f, w, 25, s, TX, AL, MS, school teacher ----, Riley, son, m, w, 23, s, TX, AL, MS, farmer ----, Grover, daughter, f, w, 21, s, TX, AL, MS, none