James Thomas Clements Sr (1843 - 1897)

Born 30 May 1843 in Liberty, Republic of Texas

Ancestors

Husband of Anna Caroline (Tennille) Clements — married 11 Jan 1872 in Gonzales County, Texas, United States

Descendants

Died 22 May 1897 at age 53 in DeWitt, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: James Davis [send private message] and Shelby Clements [send private message]

Biography

Birth: 30 MAY 1843, Liberty,Co,Texas

Death: 22 MAY 1897, DeWitt Co,Texas

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16334642/james-thomas-clements: accessed 03 August 2022), memorial page for James Thomas Clements Sr. (30 May 1843–22 May 1897), Find a Grave Memorial ID 16334642, ; Maintained by clyde fluitt (contributor 46635221)Burial Details Unknown, who reports a Buried in an unmarked grave..

Was with the herd to Abilene, KS with John Wesley Hardin. Near Newton, KS, was in a gun battle against 6 Mexican trail drivers with John Wesley Hardin. John Wesley killed 5 and Jim Clements killed 1. Jim enlisted in the Confederate Army, Company E., Elmore's Regiment, 20th Texas Infantry on July 27, 1862 at Polk County, Texas. He probably did not see much action, due to being on sick leave for most of the time, according to records. The Clements brothers and John Wesley Hardin threw in with the Taylors in the Taylor-Sutton fued. Jim Clements did sign the truce document to the Taylor-Sutton fued. In deed records of Kimble County, Texas, was found this entry concerning Jim: on 13 January 1891, he purchased 23 and 28/100 acres out of survey 35 from W.T. and Martha J. Welch, husband and wife. The purchase price was 0, of which 0 was paid on delivery of deed and 0 paid on or before 1 June 1891, at a rate of 10% interest until paid. Jim was reportedly killed by his brother-in-law, Tom, due to mistreatment of his wife and family. This was never confirmed, but his body was never located either. Anne testified at a trial regarding his (Jim;s) obvious disappearance, and stated that she did not know his whereabouts or whether he was alive or not.

Jim Clements was murdered by his brother-in-law and family members for mistreating/beating his wife. The body was buried at Four coners and a pile of rocks was laid over his grave as an example to other men in the family who raised a hand to their wife. I was aware of Jim Clements being buried there for all of my life, within my memory, as my grandfather, August Blanton Hartman's brother, Monty Hartman married Annie Griffin, who was a Tennille descendant. My first memory of seeing where Jim Clements was buried was in my Uncle Monty's pickup with my grandfather. We came to a stop on the way to Griffin Cemetery and Uncle Monty asked if he should check on the rocks covering Jim's grave. They agreed to check it and I was carried along through the brush. They noticed that an animal had been digging around the area and moved a few rocks back in place. It was very curious to me of why there was no marker on his grave. After all, our outing was to check on the graves at several family cemeteries. I asked why Jim Clements was buried under the pile of rocks and Uncle Monty told me that Tom Tennille had killed Jim for beating Annie, his wife. I asked why there was not a tombstone and they said that men such as Jim Clements were not worthy of a marker but that his grave stood as a reminder to other men in the family, if they were prone to domestic violence. Much later in my life, after I had married Ronald Mauldin, and he had beaten me up, my grandfather and Uncle Monty told me that they wanted to take Mauldin out to "visit" Jim and they did so. Mauldin managed to remember about Jim until my grandfather's death.

ANN CAROLINE "ANNIE" TENNILLE

B) 11 Nov. 1858, Dewitt Co., Texas

D) 11 Oct. 1936, San Antonio, TX.

MD) 11 Jan. 1872, Gonzales, TX.

Spouse: James Thomas Clements, SR.

B) 30 May 1843, TX.

D) 22 May 1897 Gonzales, TX.

MIL RECORD: Company E 20th Texas Infantry

Enlisted: 27 July 1863, Polk County, TX

Mustered Out- after Feb. 1865

Rank: Private

(Killed by Thomas Tennille)

Buried in an unmarked grave near the Mounds Creek School Road, Karnes Co., TX

On January 8, 1872 James and Annie filed for a marriage license in Gonzales County, Texas. They were married three days later on January 11, 1872, in Gonzales. Annie grew up in Mounds Creek, Karnes County, Texas. Her parents George and Amanda Tennille had owned a large ranch there. Annie was just fourteen years old when she and Jim Clements were married. James and Annie had ten children but the marriage was not a happy one.

James Clements was the fourth son of Emanuel and Martha Balch Hardin Clements. His brothers were Mannen Clements, Joseph Hardin Clements, and Gyp Clements. Mannen was probably the best known of the four brothers as he had a reputation of being a gunfighter. If you noticed the Hardin name, it is because the famed outlaw John Wesley Hardin was their 1st cousin. James, Gyp and Mannen all rode with Hardin as well as Joe and James' father-in-law-George Tennille, Jr. All of them aligned themselves on the Taylor side during the worst feud in Texas History: The Taylor-Sutton Feud.

James was constantly on the run from the law and Sutton's allies. On August 12, 1873 Jim along with forty-one others of the Taylor faction signed a treaty calling for peace in the feud. The treaty did not last long as killing on both sides broke the pact. Annie's father, George Tennille, was one of those killed in the feud.

Jim and Annie spent the next eighteen years Annie and Jim in Kimble County, Texas ranching and watching over their growing family. In 1891 Jim made a 0.00 down payment on a twenty-three acre ranch in Kimble County. On January 13, 1891 Jim agreed to pay W. T and Martha Welch. a total of 0.00, at ten percent interest until the loan was paid in full. By May of 1897 Jim and Annie were living in Brady, McCulloch County, Texas.

According to family lore Annie had written her siblings that she was not happy in her marriage to Jim Clements. He apparently had been abusing her and the children and she wanted help in moving back to Mounds Creek. Tom Tennille, accompanied by Coke Griffin and Frank Caffall answered the call for help and made the hundred and fifty mile ride over to Brady, Texas to bring Annie and her children home. When they got there, the men found Jim had nearly beaten to Annie death. Apparently Annie was beaten so severely that she later lost sight in one eye.

Infuriated at the sight of his sister, Tom Tennille rode into Brady and confronted his brother-in-law. Tom warned Jim not to follow Annie and the children back to Mounds Creek and that if Jim showed his face in Karnes County then Tom would shoot him on sight. Soon after the group returned to Mounds Creek, it was decided that Tom Tennille, Wilson Elkins, Fred Caffall, and others would take turns staying in Annie's barn at night to keep a watchful eye out for Clements in case he did try to see Annie again. On May 22, 1897 Jim boldly showed up on the front door step of Annie's new home wanting her and the children back.

At the first sight of his father making his way to the porch, Jim. Jr. sneaked out the back and rode to the near by Tennille place for help. Tom Tennille, and his brother-in-laws, Frank Caffall, Fred Duderstadt, and Coke Griffin soon rode up and again confronted Jim. The men tried unsuccessfully to persuade Jim to leave Mounds Creek and not to try to take Annie or the children back to Brady. But Jim refused and also vowed the continued mistreatment of his family. Jim's last statement combined with his unwillingness to leave infuriated the men even more. A gun battle between Jim and Tom soon took place, leaving Jim dead in Franks Caffall's pasture. Afterwards Jim Clements' body was hidden in an unmarked grave near the school and covered over by some near by boulders, The body was never found by the authorities.

The unclaimed Clements' wagon, used to transport Annie and their children from Brady to Mounds Creek, was the first clue that led the investigation into Jim's disappearance. Jim Jr. had driven the wagon part way back to Brady and left it at a livery stable for his father to pick it up. Several weeks went by and Jim never went by to pick up the wagon. Rumors began to fly that Jim Clements had been killed in Karnes County.

Sheriff posses from Gonzales and Karnes Counties searched for a week and a half for clues to what might of happened to Jim Clements. Several neighbors that were interviewed by the deputies said they heard shots coming from the direction of the Caffall's pasture. The Gonzales Inquirer reported the following on the posse's investigation:

September 10, 1897--Tom Tennille, Coke Griffin, and Frank Caffall went to Brady in May to retrieve their sister and sister-in-law, Mrs. Annie Clements. Mrs Clements is the wife of Jim Clements who supposedly been reported to have been murdered in early May of this year. A short time later Mr. Clements was seen in the Karnes area and then suddenly disappeared and has not been seen since. Sheriff deputies led by Sheriff Morris of Karnes and Sheriff J. W. Glover of Gonzales who have been investigating the case have turned up Clements' horse and saddle. The deputies continued their search at Caffall's pasture where the murder supposedly took place. They have gathered enough evidence to put not only Caffall in jail but also arrested Tom Gary and Wilson Elkins for the murder of James Clements. The trial will take Monday at which time it is hoped more evidence will come to light as to what really happened to Mr. Clements.

Tom Tennille was never charged for the crime and the other three men were acquitted of the murder for lack of evidence. In the eyes of the law, the disappearance of Jim Clements remains a mystery. Annie never remarried.