Rev. Thomas Cahahill “Crockett” Capell was born Aug. 11, 1834 5 miles Southwest of Brownsville, Tennessee in Haywood County. His nickname was Crockett. He was the youngest of 5 children born to Louis Capell and Mary (Tyus) Capell. Both of his parents died around 1844 from Tuberculosis. Crockett was raised by his Uncle Tom Tyus near his home. As a young adult, he attended school for a 2 year apprenticeship in carpentry.
Crockett moved to Arkansas around 1855 where he met Mary Jane Barbee (1838-1906). They were married in January 1857 in Searcy, Arkansas. They then moved to Texas in June 1857 to Restless Creek near Wilson in Comanche County. They had 11 children (6 boys and 5 girls) of which 10 reached adulthood. Crockett was a private with Captain John Salmon “Rip” Ford’s Texas Rangers from Jan. 10,1858 to July 10, 1858. Comanche and Kiowa Indian raids were getting so bad that Texas Governor Hardin R. Runnels personally contacted Rip Ford and asked him to put together a force of 102 Rangers and get them trained at Fort Belknap. The Rangers were trained in Comanche Indian Warfare tactics to include shooting rifles and pistols from horseback.
On May 12th, 1858. Crockett bravely fought in the Battle of Little Robe Creek in Antelope Hills. He was discharged after being wounded in the hip or leg in a battle with Comanche Indians at Dove Creek in July 1858.
Crockett signed up for a 3-year period with the Confederate army July 14, 1862, in Dublin. He was assigned to Company G of the 30th Texas Calvary (Gurley’s). He participated in several battles across Texas, Arkansas, and Indian Territory which is currently Oklahoma. He was a bugler and achieved the rank of Sergeant. He was severely wounded Sept. 19, 1864, during the Second Battle of Cabin Creek, Indian Territory when a Yankee mini ball struck him in the leg. He returned home, and in 1872 moved the family to Edna Hill, Erath County. He is recognized on a Confederate monument dedicated in Stephenville in 2001. A public memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 14, 2023, at Barbee Cemetery in Dublin, Texas.
Some descendant’s names of the Capell Family: Capell, Barbee, Bradley, Chambers, Colbaugh, Corbitt, Davis, Dorris, Elder, Fischer, Gilbert, Helton, Henderson, Hulsey, Jones, Knox, Newby, Roberson, Salyer, Southerland, Stephen, Stracener, Tackett, Thweatt, West, Williamson.