Dón Antonio Gil Ibarvo (1729-1809)

Antonio Gil Ibarvo (Y'barbo), Spanish lieutenant governor and commander of the militia in Nacogdoches in the late eighteenth century, the son of Mathieu Antonio and Juana (Hernández) Ibarvo, was born at Los Adaes, Louisiana (then the province of Texas), in 1729. His parents were colonists sent by the Spanish government from the province of Andalusia, Spain, to the province of Texas in 1725. The family name, variously given as Ybarvo, y'Barbo, and y Barvo, is now commonly spelled Ybarbo, even by members of the family. Antonio Ibarvo married Maria Padilla; the couple settled on Lobanillo Creek in an area that is now in Sabine County and called their place Rancho Lobanillo.

After the Marqués de Rubí recommended the abandonment of the presidios and missions of East Texas, Ibarvo became the leader of the "displaced persons" of that area who were given their choice of settling at San Antonio or on the Rio Grande. In 1773 Ibarvo began presenting petitions to the Spanish authorities praying for the return of the settlers to their former homes. In 1774 they were permitted to return as far east as the Trinity River, where they founded the town of Bucareli at the Santo Tomás Crossing just below the mouth of Bedias Creek in the area of present Madison County. In 1779 the settlement of Bucareli was abandoned, and Ibarvo rebuilt the town of Nacogdoches.

The Spanish government bestowed the titles of lieutenant governor and civil and military captain of militia upon Ibarvo and appointed him judge of contraband. Persons who were tried for smuggling contraband made repeated complaints against Ibarvo until he tendered his resignation as civil governor in 1790. In 1791 he was accused of smuggling contraband goods into Nacogdoches and of trading with the Indians for horses stolen from the Spanish; he was cleared of the charges against him but was forbidden to return to Nacogdoches. He pleaded that he was a native of Louisiana, and an order of January 19, 1802, allowed him to live in that territory.

After the death of his first wife on September 24, 1794, Ibarvo married Marie Guadalupe de Herrera in San Antonio de Béxar on January 25, 1796. As a result of lawsuits between children of the two marriages and the default of an official for whom he was surety, Ibarvo lost most of his property. With the tacit consent of the Spanish authorities, he returned to Nacogdoches after a few years' residence in Louisiana. In 1809 he died at his home, Rancho La Lucana, on the west bank of the Attoyac River. His descendants still lived in the area in the 1990s. Source

Note: In 1911, the Old Spanish Cemetery was razed in order to build the first Nacogdoches County courthouse (shown below is the second county courthouse, built on the same grounds as the first in 1958). It is not recorded that any of those at rest here were exhumed and/or moved; in fact, it is specifically stated on the historical marker located on site that Antonio Gil I'barvo is still buried here, as are others.

Old Spanish Cemetery (Defunct)
Nacogdoches

31° 36.227, -094° 39.391

Cornelius E. Devore (1820-1885)

Cornelius E. Devore, soldier at the battle of San Jacinto, son of Polly (Black) and Jesse Devore, was born in Louisiana in 1820. The Devore family moved to the Atascosito District of Texas in 1828. In 1836 Cornelius Devore served in Capt. William M. Logan's company of the Second Regiment of Texas Volunteers at the decisive battle of San Jacinto. He was subsequently awarded 320 acres of land for his service from March 6 to June 6, 1836, and 640 acres for participating at San Jacinto. After the Texas Revolution he became a prominent farmer and rancher in Liberty County. By 1862 his total estate, valued at almost $11,000, included 615 acres, three Liberty town lots, seven slaves, fifteen horses, forty cattle, and sixty sheep. Although a slaveowner himself, Devore reportedly lent assistance to a group of runaway slaves who organized a Baptist church in 1864 and called him Neil Devore. He later gave two acres for a church and school near Liberty. He was a Mason, and he apparently never married. He died on July 29, 1885. Source


City Cemetery
Liberty

30° 03.797, -094° 48.169

Milton Arthur Lee (1949-1970)

Milton A. Lee, Medal of Honor recipient, was born on February 28, 1949, at Shreveport, Louisiana, to Mr. and Mrs. George Lee. He attended Harlandale High School in San Antonio, Texas, then enlisted in the army there. Lee arrived in Vietnam in January 1968. At the time of his death he was a member of Company B, Second Battalion, 502nd Infantry, First Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army. On April 26, 1968, near Phu Bai, South Vietnam, Private First Class Lee was serving as radio-telephone operator for the Third Platoon when the unit came under intense fire from North Vietnamese regulars. Lee's platoon suffered casualties of 50 percent and maneuvered to a position of cover to regroup and tend to the wounded. Lee rendered lifesaving first aid while under heavy enemy fire. During a subsequent assault on the enemy position he observed four enemy soldiers, armed with automatic weapons and a rocket launcher, lying in wait for the lead element of the platoon. He passed his radio to another soldier and with disregard for his safety charged through the heavy fire. He overran the enemy position, killed all the occupants, and captured their weapons. He continued his assault on a second enemy position. Grievously wounded, he delivered accurate covering fire until the platoon destroyed the enemy position. Only then did he succumb to his wounds. His heroic action saved the lives of the lead element and was instrumental in the destruction of the key position of the enemy defense. The Medal of Honor was presented to his grandmother and guardian, Mrs. Frank B. Campion, by President Richard M. Nixon at the White House, on April 7, 1970. Lee is buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at San Antonio, Texas. Source

CITATION

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Lee distinguished himself near the city of Phu Bai in the province of Thua Thien. Pfc. Lee was serving as the radio telephone operator with the 3d platoon, Company B. As lead element for the company, the 3d platoon received intense surprise hostile fire from a force of North Vietnamese Army regulars in well-concealed bunkers. With 50 percent casualties, the platoon maneuvered to a position of cover to treat their wounded and reorganize, while Pfc. Lee moved through the heavy enemy fire giving lifesaving first aid to his wounded comrades. During the subsequent assault on the enemy defensive positions, Pfc. Lee continuously kept close radio contact with the company commander, relaying precise and understandable orders to his platoon leader. While advancing with the front rank toward the objective, Pfc. Lee observed 4 North Vietnamese soldiers with automatic weapons and a rocket launcher Lying in wait for the lead element of the platoon. As the element moved forward, unaware of the concealed danger, Pfc. Lee immediately and with utter disregard for his own personal safety, passed his radio to another soldier and charged through the murderous fire. Without hesitation he continued his assault, overrunning the enemy position, killing all occupants and capturing 4 automatic weapons and a rocket launcher. Pfc. Lee continued his 1-man assault on the second position through a heavy barrage of enemy automatic weapons fire. Grievously wounded, he continued to press the attack, crawling forward into a firing position and delivering accurate covering fire to enable his platoon to maneuver and destroy the position. Not until the position was overrun did Pfc. Lee falter in his steady volume of fire and succumb to his wounds. Pfc. Lee's heroic actions saved the lives of the lead element and were instrumental in the destruction of the key position of the enemy defense. Pfc. Lee's gallantry at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, the 502d Infantry, and the U.S. Army.

Section X
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
San Antonio

29° 28.669, -098° 25.773