George Washington Cottle
Encyclopedia
George Washington Cottle (1811 – March 6, 1836) was a Republic of Texas
soldier
who died at the Battle of the Alamo
.
Cottle was born in Missouri
and arrived in Texas with his parents, Jonathan and Margaret Cottle, several siblings, and three cousins July 6, 1829 where he settled in DeWitt's Colony on the Lavaca River. Cottle received a league of land at the headwaters of the Lavaca River near Gonzales on September 12, 1832. He married his cousin Eliza Cottle (daughter of his uncle Isaac Cottle and Mary Ann Williams Cottle) on November 7, 1830. They had a daughter Melzenia in 1831 and divorced October 7, 1834. One source (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/fco81.html) says the marriage was annulled.
On June 21, 1835, at Gonzales, Texas, he married Nancy (Curtis) Oliver, widow of John Oliver. When Mexican troops arrived south of Gonzales in September 1835, Cottle was one of the messengers sent to gather reinforcements. He returned to fight in the Battle of Gonzales
on October 2, 1835. In February 1836 he lent a yoke of oxen to Capt. Mathew Caldwell
's company. He enlisted in the Gonzales Ranging Company under Lt. George C. Kimbell on February 24, 1836 and rode with thirty-two others to the Alamo on March 1, 1836. Cottle was killed on March 6, 1836, at the battle of the Alamo, alongside his brother-in-law, Thomas Jackson. His twin sons Thomas Jackson Cottle (named after George's brother-in-law who also died in the Alamo) and George Washington Cottle (Junior) were born March 31, 1836, just 25 days after their father died in the Battle of the Alamo. The twins died in infancy. Nancy Curtis Oliver Cottle later married again to John C. Cooksey.
Cottle County, Texas is named for him.
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
who died at the Battle of the Alamo
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...
.
Cottle was born in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and arrived in Texas with his parents, Jonathan and Margaret Cottle, several siblings, and three cousins July 6, 1829 where he settled in DeWitt's Colony on the Lavaca River. Cottle received a league of land at the headwaters of the Lavaca River near Gonzales on September 12, 1832. He married his cousin Eliza Cottle (daughter of his uncle Isaac Cottle and Mary Ann Williams Cottle) on November 7, 1830. They had a daughter Melzenia in 1831 and divorced October 7, 1834. One source (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/fco81.html) says the marriage was annulled.
On June 21, 1835, at Gonzales, Texas, he married Nancy (Curtis) Oliver, widow of John Oliver. When Mexican troops arrived south of Gonzales in September 1835, Cottle was one of the messengers sent to gather reinforcements. He returned to fight in the Battle of Gonzales
Battle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops....
on October 2, 1835. In February 1836 he lent a yoke of oxen to Capt. Mathew Caldwell
Mathew Caldwell
Mathew Caldwell, , also spelled Matthew Caldwell was a 19th century Texas settler, military figure, Captain of the Gonzales - Seguin Rangers and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
's company. He enlisted in the Gonzales Ranging Company under Lt. George C. Kimbell on February 24, 1836 and rode with thirty-two others to the Alamo on March 1, 1836. Cottle was killed on March 6, 1836, at the battle of the Alamo, alongside his brother-in-law, Thomas Jackson. His twin sons Thomas Jackson Cottle (named after George's brother-in-law who also died in the Alamo) and George Washington Cottle (Junior) were born March 31, 1836, just 25 days after their father died in the Battle of the Alamo. The twins died in infancy. Nancy Curtis Oliver Cottle later married again to John C. Cooksey.
Cottle County, Texas is named for him.