McReynolds
McReynolds
James Monroe McReynolds was born in 1820 in Tennessee and died May 18, 1864 near Tyler, Texas. He came to Collin County in 1844 and headrighted 640 acres in the Peters Colony. He was married to Elizabeth Artemisia Pace, daughter of Twitty Pace of Arkansas. His mother, Mary Standifer, also received 640 acres. Both settled in the area of Fannin County that became Collin County with statehood in 1846. He joined Captain Andrew Stapp's Company of Texas Mounted Volunteers in the Mexican War in 1846.
McReynolds was appointed as one of the 5 commissioners to select the site for the County Seat of Collin County. He was elected Chief Justice of Collin County from 1849 - 1851.
In the Civil War McReynolds enlisted in the 13th Brigade, A. J. Witt, B. G. T. M. on May 8, 1861. The unit was disbanded after service in Oklahoma.
In January 1864 Collin County Sheriff James L. Read, along with his cousin and former chief justice of Collin County, J. M. McReynolds, and Joseph E. Holcomb, rode into McKinney from the southwest with a posse of twenty-six men to find the killers of a man named Lackey, who lived in Millwood. Sixteen men supposedly of Quantrill’s army were on the porch of the Tucker Hotel, which was on the northeast corner of the McKinney square.
At that time there was no courthouse on the square. The old wooden courthouse had been moved to a side street around 1862. Great piles of stone had been heaped in the square for the new courthouse. The war started before the construction began. A gun battle ensued across piles of rock and stone in the square.
The sheriff’s posse was armed with shotguns while Quantrill’s men had long range rifles. Read’s men retreated to an old mill a few blocks down the street and barricaded themselves inside. During the night Sheriff Read, McReynolds, Holcomb, and Davis left for East Texas. They sought protection with the civil authorities in Tyler. Instead, they were turned over to Quantrill’s men and a mob.
After a kangaroo court, Sheriff James Read, J. M. McReynolds and Joseph E. Holcomb were ordered to be hanged for being Confederate deserters or “Union sympathizers.” Sheriff Read and J. M. McReynolds had served in the Confederacy but they were considered a deserters anyway.
The mob had only one rope with which to hang the four prisoners. Sheriff Read was hanged first, cursing Quantrill to his last breath. McReynolds was second. Holcomb was third. Before Davis could be hanged, some of his relatives intervened on his behalf.
James Monroe McReynolds was born in 1820 in Tennessee and died May 18, 1864 near Tyler, Texas. He came to Collin County in 1844 and headrighted 640 acres in the Peters Colony. He was married to Elizabeth Artemisia Pace, daughter of Twitty Pace of Arkansas. His mother, Mary Standifer, also received 640 acres. Both settled in the area of Fannin County that became Collin County with statehood in 1846. He joined Captain Andrew Stapp's Company of Texas Mounted Volunteers in the Mexican War in 1846.
McReynolds was appointed as one of the 5 commissioners to select the site for the County Seat of Collin County. He was elected Chief Justice of Collin County from 1849 - 1851.
In the Civil War McReynolds enlisted in the 13th Brigade, A. J. Witt, B. G. T. M. on May 8, 1861. The unit was disbanded after service in Oklahoma.
In January 1864 Collin County Sheriff James L. Read, along with his cousin and former chief justice of Collin County, J. M. McReynolds, and Joseph E. Holcomb, rode into McKinney from the southwest with a posse of twenty-six men to find the killers of a man named Lackey, who lived in Millwood. Sixteen men supposedly of Quantrill’s army were on the porch of the Tucker Hotel, which was on the northeast corner of the McKinney square.
At that time there was no courthouse on the square. The old wooden courthouse had been moved to a side street around 1862. Great piles of stone had been heaped in the square for the new courthouse. The war started before the construction began. A gun battle ensued across piles of rock and stone in the square.
The sheriff’s posse was armed with shotguns while Quantrill’s men had long range rifles. Read’s men retreated to an old mill a few blocks down the street and barricaded themselves inside. During the night Sheriff Read, McReynolds, Holcomb, and Davis left for East Texas. They sought protection with the civil authorities in Tyler. Instead, they were turned over to Quantrill’s men and a mob.
After a kangaroo court, Sheriff James Read, J. M. McReynolds and Joseph E. Holcomb were ordered to be hanged for being Confederate deserters or “Union sympathizers.” Sheriff Read and J. M. McReynolds had served in the Confederacy but they were considered a deserters anyway.
The mob had only one rope with which to hang the four prisoners. Sheriff Read was hanged first, cursing Quantrill to his last breath. McReynolds was second. Holcomb was third. Before Davis could be hanged, some of his relatives intervened on his behalf.
