A Guide to the William Evans Papers, 1815-1856
Born to Joseph and Margaret Evans in Davidson County, Tennessee, William F. Evans (1799-1865) enlisted in a brigade of the Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen in September 1814 at Fayetteville. Following five months of service as a private in the War of 1812, he was discharged. In 1822, Evans married Nancy W. Davidson, with whom he would have 14 children. Moving his family to Marshall, Texas, in 1842, Evans became the town's first doctor and established a drugstore and grocery business with Edward B. Griggs and Hobart Key. In 1851, he served a term in the Texas House of Representatives. Two years later, Evans chartered the Marshall Railroad Company, though no track was ever laid. Shortly after his death in 1865, Evans' family received word of his appointment as state tax commissioner by President Andrew Johnson.
Eckel, Jennifer. "Evans, William F." Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed May 31, 2011.
Photostats of letters, military records, and legal documents from the National Archives and Records Administration compose the William Evans Papers, 1815-1856, concerning his service in the war of 1812 and application for veteran's bounty lands. A military discharge verifies Evans' seven months of service with a brigade of Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunman, while correspondence and affadavits attest to the authenticity of Evans claims.