Capt. James Hughes Callahan, veteran of the Texas Revolution and an active Ranger, hired his neighbor's son, Calvin Blassingame to tend his farm while he was away fighting Indians in the Ranger Service. On Callahan's return, he heard rumors about his wife were being spread by Calvin's father, Woodson. Callahan and three friends confronted the Woodson's at their home where shots were exchanged. Callahan and his friend, W. S. "Mallheel" Johnson were killed and another friend, Clem Hinds was severely wounded. Later, while under house arrest, Woodson and his son, Calvin, were shot multiple times by a mob. All but two of the guards had abandoned their post and the remaining two were overpowered.
Blasingame Cabin
By Janelle Holmes
My husband and I visited the Blassingame cabin in Blanco this morning. It's been several years since I've been there and talked to the owner of the land, Betsy Dudley who had planned to restore it to original condition. Sadly, nothing has been done. So I guess she thought it would be too expensive. I was really hoping she would find someone local or in state that would do it at a reasonable price, but I guess not.
Anyway, I took several photos and learned some interesting things from my husband who had never been there before. he said that back then the 2 x 4 were actually 2 x 4 inches and you can see this in the floor frame. Many of the timbers are 2 x 4 while others are the smaller modern, and I would put quotes around modern, 2 x 4s. The original ones are also very rough hewn as you can see in the close up of one. The back door is "modern" as the notches cut for the door jambs are exactly modern width 2 x 4s. The front door is hard to tell, but there is a threshold and modern 2 x 4s but I imagine this is the original entrance to the cabin. The window also appears to be a more recent addition as there, too, are notches cut for modern 2 x 4s. I've also taken a "viewpoint photo" from where we think the Callahans and his friends were when the shooting started. There is a dropoff from the area around the house in a pretty straight line that my husband guesses is about where the fence stood and the gate to the yard. This would definitely be a "hollering" distance to the cabin. I don't think it would have been much further back. Another view of the cabin shows my husband, a descendant of the Blassingames through their daughter Frances who married William Kendrick Holmes, his great-grandfather. His name is Kenneth Holmes.
Sources
↑ 1.01.1 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240119669/woodson-blasingame: accessed 29 October 2023), memorial page for Woodson Blasingame (1798–14 Apr 1856), Find a Grave Memorial ID 240119669, citing Sauer Family Cemetery, Blanco, Blanco County, Texas, USA; Maintained by Bill Fikes Jr (contributor 46558315).
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Woodson by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Woodson: