Another Redus Hell Raiser - The Bluett Sanders Redus Update

This post on Bluett was originally published on Friday, May 29, 2009, and updated October 29, 2018.

I am deeply grateful to Reed Bender, son-in-law of the late Patrick Thompson, who was an old and respected Redus family researcher, for the information and photo presented below. Thank you again Reed for sharing this with the family and all your wife's cousins.

Update: Private Bluett Sanders Redus was my second cousin 4 times removed. In researching him and his family, I was fascinated in documenting one of his more notorious exploits mentioned below. Since my initial report on this event, I have found some additional newspaper accounts which fill in some more of the story. So read on Redus cousins about an adventure of Bleutt Sanders "Tex" Redus and the Ouray, Colorado murder of Dan McDonald.

Some of my Redus kin are quite frankly, interesting! Elsewhere on this blog I have the story of Roscoe Redus (see http://larry-family-history.blogspot.com/2009/05/life-and-times-of-roscoe-redus.html).

Now I have another story about a Redus cousin, Bluett Sanders Redus, who was born 3 May 1842 in Mississippi. Bluett was the son of Wesley Reed Redus and Elizabeth Craig Astin.

Blewitt served in the Civil War in the 14th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, Company C

14th Infantry Regiment [also called Beauregard Rifles] was organized at Jackson, Mississippi, in October 1861. The men were from the counties of Clarke, Oktibbeha, Lauderdale, Winston, Lowndes, Monroe, and Tishomingo. Sent to Kentucky then Tennessee, it was captured at Fort Donelson in February 1862. After being exchanged, it was attached to Tilghman's and Gregg's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The regiment saw action at Coffeeville and in various conflicts around Vicksburg . A detachment was captured when that city fell in July 1863. Later it was attached to J. Adams' and Lowrey's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The 14th was active in the Atlanta Campaign, Hood's Tennessee operations, and the fight at Bentonville. It was organized with 1,034 officers and men, had 650 effectives in February 1862, and had 24 officers and 287 men fit for duty in April 1863. The unit surrendered with no officers and 40 men. Its commanders were Colonels George W. Abert, William E. Baldwin, and Washington L. Doss, and Lieutenant Colonels Robert J. Lawrence and M.E. Norris.

He enlisted on 30 May 1861 in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi and served the entire war until he was paroled on 13 May 1865 in Sumter County, Alabama.

Here is his Civil War Timeline taken for his consolidated military file at the National Archives. He was listed on various muster rolls as Blewitt S. Redus, Bluit S. Redus, B.S. Readus, B.L. Redus

Served as a private in the 14th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Company C and age 19 on muster-in roll. Roll indicated that he had traveled 100 miles and was enlisted by A. J. Maxwell for 12 months.

May 30, 1861: Enlisted Corinth, MS
May 30-Jun 30, 1861: Company Muster Roll
July 1-Dec 31, 1861: Company Muster Roll - Present
Feb 16, 1862: Roll of Prisoner of War - Captured at Donelson
Sep 2, 1862: Roll of Prisoner of War - Sent from Camp Douglas IL to Vicksburg MS for exchange.
Sept 23, 1862: Company Muster Roll - Present and paid
Oct 31-Nov 30, 1862: Company Muster Roll - Absent, sent to general hospital in Jackson, dated Oct 31, 1862
Nov-Dec 1862: Company Muster Roll - Absent, sent to general hospital in Jackson, Dec 15, 1862
Jan-Feb 1863: Company Muster Roll - Present
Jan 1-Jul 1, 1863: Pay Voucher 6 months at $11 per month for $66.00 total, received on 10 Nov 1863 in Columbus, MS
May-Jun 1863: Company Muster Roll - Present
Jul-Aug 1863: Company Muster Roll - Absent, Wounded at Jackson, sent to general hospital July 11, 1863
Jul 1-Oct 31, 1863: Pay Voucher No. 221 for $44.00
Sep-Oct 1863: Company Muster Roll - Absent, on sick furlough for 20 days from 29 Oct 1863.
Nov-Dec 1863: Company Muster Roll - Absent, on sick furlough for 20 days from 20 oct 1863. By order of General Johnston.
Mar-Apr 1864: Company Muster Roll - Absent, detailed by Medical Board of examiners Demopolis, Ala April 4, 1864 to report at Westpoint, Miss.
April 1, 1864: Bounty Roll - Present
April 2, 1864: Medical Examiner Board he was found unfit for field duty due to a gunshot wound in the left wrist/hand. recommended that he be detailed to the Commissary Dept.
Jul-Aug 1864: Company Muster Roll - Absent, detailed in Q.M. Dept by order of Secy War.
May 13, 1865: Roll of Prisoner of War - Gainesville, Ala (unit surrender on May 4, 1865), Residence listed as Cedar Bluff, Mississippi



In 1869 he married Martha Glasscock (b. 1851 and d. 1881) in Perry County, Alabama. This couple has four children:

1. Romeo Reed Redus b. 12 Jul 1873, Grayson County, Texas (Find A Grave 16487453)
2. Juliett Melvina Redus b. 1874 Texas (Find A Grave 164975723)
3. Elgenna Eagon Redus b. 9 Jan 1876 Grayson County, Texas (Find A Grave 148385325)
4. Charles H. Redus b. Dec 1879 Denver County, Colorado (Find A Grave 19203828)

After his wife's death is where we pick up his claim to fame from The Western Gazette newspaper:

MURDER -- Donald McDonald Stabbed Unto Death by Blewett Redus --

Sunday morning about eight o'clock Ouray was shocked by the announcement that Dan McDonald had been stabbed by Blewett Redus. All over an argument as to whether McDonald was to join Blewett in a drink--at the latter's insistence. McDonald, feeling breakfast time was too early, refused. He was there upon put upon by Blewett who used his knife with effectiveness. Blewett Redus now rests in jail pending advisor and help from his lawyer, McDonald's in the morgue.

The moral here is, when in doubt, drink.

While one source listed this event as occurring in 1896, I know that Donald McDonald's estate was probated in Ouray County in 1885. I have also verified that Bluett did do hard-time in the Colorado state pen.

From the Colorado State Penitentiary Index 1871 - 1973
Redus, Buett -- Inmate number 1219

That inmate number was issued between 13 Jun 1871 to 3 Oct 1891. My best guess is this deed was done around 1885 and not in 1896 as implied in the Western Gazette.


A mountain view of the Colorado State Pen in 1905.

Bluett (there are several different spellings of his first name through the years) died 10 Aug 1915 in Sinton, San Patricio County, Texas and is buried there. (Find A Grave 40697124)

A Bluett Sanders Redus Update

After Reed Bender contacted me with new information he had received from the State of Colorado,  I started digging into newspapers of that era and here is what I found. As previously mentioned the first story of the incident cited above was from the Western Gazette in an article published in 1896, after Bluett was released from prison.

I now have two different accounts of the story from two different Colorado newspapers published shortly after the event.

From the Delta Chief newspaper published on 15 April 1885.

Well, we now know the weapon, who was killed and where. If this account is to be believed, McDonald was the aggressor.

From the Rocky Mountain News dated 15 April 1885.

We know learn that Bluett's nickname was "Tex," he was employed in Ouray as a freighter. The stabbing occurred on 5 April 1885 and McDonald died two days later on 7 April. He had been stabbed between two lower ribs. This account says the fracas grew out of a gambling game and resulted in a drunken brawl.

On May 13, 1885, Bluett was indicted for his crime by the grand jury in Ouray:

On June 11, 1885, a jury convicted Bluett of the crime of murder and sentenced him to 14 years in the Colorado State Penitentiary system.

There was at least one attempt that I could find in records to appeal his sentence in 1887, but that was denied in a Montrose County, Colorado District Court.

According to prison records, Bluett was released on 1 January 1892.

Here is a physical description of Bluett that was part of his Colorado State Penitentiary record that was sent to us by Reed Bender.

And finally, from Reed Bender, the mugshot he obtained of Bluett from the State of Colorado Prison archives.

Notice that his pen convict number (#1219) is written on the picture.

While I surely do not approve or endorse murder, I now may have enough doubt that maybe old Bluett might have been suffering from PTSD or may even have been provoked into the fight between him and Dan McDonald. Any way you cut it, Bluett was another Redus family hell raiser.

So here is a six-gun salute to Cousin Bluett Sanders Redus, another true hell raising Texan.

John Redus - One of the Orignal Texas Trail Drivers

From the book, Trail Drivers of Texas, pages 811-813, courtesy of the University of Texas Press.

JOHN REDUS

Memories of Mrs. Sallie McLamore Redus



John Redus was born in Athens, Alabama, December 25, 1833, and moved to Mississippi when a boy. He lived there until he was about twenty-two years old, when his health failed and he got in with a party coming to Texas. His father furnished him with a buggy and negro driver, and on the way he was so sick he had to be helped in and out of the buggy.

When they reached Austin, there was a big crowd from San Antonio to hear General Sam Houston speak, and he met up with some people from his home town, Aberdeen, Mississippi. My father and some others from Mississippi had bought land and settled on Hondo Creek, ten milers west of Castroville, then the county seat of Medina county. I don't know how he ever found us, but he did, and came right out and joined us.

This being a stock country, he soon got in with the stock men, and his health improved so rapidly that he decided to stay and go into the stock business. His father sent money with which to buy land and cattle, and he purchased land from the Adams brothers, who had a big ranch on the Hondo, thirteen miles south of us.

John Redus was soon joined in his undertaking by his brothers, William and George Redus, and they started business on a small scale. I was the first girl Mr. Redus got acquainted with in Medina county and naturally we had to be sweethearts, and on December 11, 1859, my twentieth birthday, we were married, and the next day we went to our new home as happy as any couple could be, although I knew I did not have a neighbor nearer than four miles.



The Indians came in every light moon and stole horses, killed a man occasionally, and were very troublesome, but all went well with us. We were prosperous until the Civil War came on, and all the white men joined the army, and the negroes and I had to go back to my father's place near the German settlements.

When the war was over the men came home and we went back to our ranch and began anew. The men had to be out on the range for weeks at a time to round up the stock, which had had but little attention during the period of the war, only our nephew, Tallie Burnett, and the negro boys would go once a week to put out salt and look around. But all hands had to hustle. The Indians were bad for a long time, and we always had to keep guns handy, although luckily we never had to use them. Notwithstanding these troublous times, we prospered.



Mr. Redus would buy more cattle every year and locate more land, and finally he bought the Adams brothers' land when they went west to get larger holdings. About this time the drives to Kansas started. Mr. Redus was one of the first to engage in trail driving and one of the last to stop. He was successful for awhile, but got to speculating, buying remnants of herds wintered in Kansas, and when the great panic of 1873 came on, and so many banks failed, he had to sell for less than he gave, and we went broke.

I made one trip with Mr. Redus to Kansas, taking along my baby boy, Robert. I have always regretted that I did not go every year, for I could have gone if I had known it. At that time the railroad came only as far as Luling, and we had to go there by stage from San Antonio.

In looking back it seems a long time, and many changes are noticeable, but really I believe we had better times and were happier then than now. Everybody was your friend, and were glad to entertain you.

In reading the first volume of the old Trail Drivers' book I find many familiar names, people I knew personally, and many who did business with my husband, but most of them have passed on, and some, like us, had lost everything they had accumulated. Mr. Redus died July 25, 1895, of the same disease he had left Mississippi to escape lung trouble.



I am now eighty-two years old, am in good health, keep house and do all my work. I have written this by request of my friend, Mr. W. B. Hardeman.

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During the Civil War John was a private in the 33rd Texas Calvary (Texas Partisan Rangers), Company A (Captain Duff's Company)

John Redus Civil War Timeline

May 4, 1862 Company Muster-in Roll Enlisted in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, terms of enlistment 3 yrs or war.

May-Jun 1862 Company Muster Roll - Present

Jul-Aug 1862 Company Muster Roll - last paid Jun 30 1862, value of horse $150, equipment $50

Sep-Oct 1862 Company Muster Roll - last paid Aug 31, 1862, value of horse $150, equipment $50

Nov-Dec 1862 Company Muster Roll - last paid Oct 31, 1862, value of horse $150, equipment $50

Mar-Apr 1863 Company Muster Roll - last paid Dec 31, 1862, value of horse $150, equipment $50, sick furlough based on surgeon certificate.

April 1864 Regimental Return - Absent, sick at home, surgeons certificate

May 1864 Regimental Return - Absent, sick at home, surgeons certificate

Jun 1864 Regimental Return - Absent, sick at home, surgeons certificate

There are several other miscellaneous documents in this compiled record including a letter to a Mr. George M. Redus in Laredo dated 2 July 1953 from the Adjutant General regarding John's service.

Making Progress on my Law Family Research

I have finally made some headway in my Law family research. Here are some of the latest, and maybe one of you will recognize something to help me with the British portion of my research.

My 3rd great grandmother is Margareta Law (b. 2 Apr 1840, Howard Co, MO and d. 3 Jun 1918, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA)

She married my 3rd great grandfather Thaddeus Damascus Van Horn (b. 20 Oct 1820, Claiborne Co, MS and d. 5 Apr 1905, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA) on 12 Aug 1856, in St. Paul's Church, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA.

I have a complete history on this couple (including a picture of Margareta) on this blog at
http://larry-family-history.blogspot.com/2009/03/sketch-of-old-citizen-thaddeus-d-van.html

Margareta's brother was George H. Law. I have complete details on his life and family at http://larry-family-history.blogspot.com/2008/07/family-profile-george-h-law-sr.html

Now the for the new stuff.

Margareta and George's mother is Mary Ann Simmonds. Until about a month ago, not only could I not confirm that, but I never knew much at all about her.

I believe Mary Ann Simmonds married Richard Horton Law, sometime around the middle 1830s somewhere in the UK. I believe Richard was born in the UK around 1793, parents unknown. He appeared to disappear, probably passed away c. 1846 in Howard Co, MO, based on the best evidence we have right now. I have an IGI marriage records Richard Law m Ann Simms 21 Apr 1834, Saint Martin, Birmingham, Warwick, England. Not sure if this is them or what.

I next see Mary Ann on the US 1850 census in New Orleans with her children in New Orleans running a boarding house at 12 Carandolet.

On 6 March 1854, she married William D. Leland, in New Orleans. She signed as mother for her 16 years old daughter Margareta to marry in 1856. She then disappeared completely after that life event, until recently.

While working family obits at GenealogyBank recently I found the great golden nugget below.

New Orleans Times, 3-7-1875, Page 4

Died

BURLINGSON-Of chronic bronchitis, February 7, 1875, at her residence, No. 5 Vernon Place, Bloomsbury Square, London, Mrs. Ann Simmonds Burlingson (mother of Mr. George H. Law and Mrs. T.D. Van Horn) aged 65 years. and a resident of this city for many years.

New York City, Missouri, and Texas papers please copy.

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So sometime after 1856 she returned to the UK, apparently married a man named Burlingson (I find no marriage record at this point over here so I assume she married in the UK), and died in London.

I have no information on her parents, info on her last marriage, when she returned to the UK, or where she is buried. Can anybody in the UK tell me where she is buried and if a tombstone pic is available? I don't have a clue where to check on London cemetery transcipts and pics.

Any help in filling in these last few holes of her life would be sincerely appreciated.

Sketch of an Old Citizen - Thaddeus D. Van Horn

Thaddeus Damascus Van Horn is my third great grandfather and one of my favorite ancestors to research. TD was married twice and had 15 children between the two wifes. Contrary to family legend and written accounts, his first wife Mary Ann Faust did not die in 1853. In reality they divorced. We have discovered a previously undocumented child that was conceived at the end of that marriage. I have posted a complete family group sheet for his family on our website.




SKETCH OF AN OLD CITIZEN
The Extended Career of - Mr. T.D. Van Horn

[Copied from an article which appeared in an old New Orleans Newspaper (New Orleans States)]

Who would imagine that the fine old looking gentleman, with the long grey beard, who has been the bookkeeper of the STATES since 1887, has over stepped the biblical three score and ten years by nearly twelve months. It is a fact, for Mr. Van Horn, who keeps so steadily and sturdily at work on his books, day in and day out, and on Saturdays until nearly midnight, first saw the light of day on October 20th, 1820.

A biographical sketch of Mr. Van Horn, printed at the request of his comrades of the Confederacy, fell under the notice of the States, and it contains interesting information about the well filled career of Thaddeus Damascus Van Horn. The preliminary notes state that the Van Horn family came from Amsterdam in 1740 and located in one of the New England states and fought gallantly for the Union during the Revolutionary War. They removed to Baltimore. One of the Van Horn's (James), left Baltimore and settled in Port Gibson, Mississippi where he married Pamela Hutchinson, a daughter of the Rev. James Hutchinson. They had one child, Thaddeus Damascus. Mrs. Van Horn died soon after the birth of her son. Three years later, Mr. Van Horn remarried. His second wife was Lucinda Abby, a sister of the Rev. Richard Abby of Yazoo City. Mr. Van Horn removed to Tallahassee, Florida where he was shot and killed, in 1840 by runaway negroes who he was trying to arrest.

Thaddeus Damascus followed mercantile pursuits in Tallahassee, Florida from 1835 to 1848. In 1843 he married Mary Ann Faust. They had four children, of whom two are now living, Mary Pamela, wife of Issac R. Harley of New York and James Faust of Dallas, Texas.

In 1848, Mr. Van Horn removed to Henderson, Texas. Two years later, he came to New Orleans for surgical treatment, having been shot during a personal encounter. He remained here permanently after having been under successful treatment by Dr. Warren Stone. During his first year in New Orleans, he traded between that city and Mexico.

In 1851 he entered the office of the Crescent, as mail clerk. In a few years he rose to be bookkeeper and business manager, and per pro of the establishment.

The Crescent being a strong Whig paper and advocate of secession, was suppressed by General Butler, during his occupancy of New Orleans. Mr. Van Horn sturdily withstood all threats, offers and promises made to induce him to foreswear his allegiance to the Confederacy. He was forced to quit New Orleans with his family and removed to Lincoln, Talledage County, Alabama. Mr. Van Horn joined the Confederate forces as aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen. John S. Scott, commanding the First Louisiana Cavalry, and later in the same company on the staff of General J. Wheeler. He served with considerable distinction until after the siege of Knoxville, when he obtained a leave of absence to look after his family. He remained at Talledage until after the close of the war, serving as assistant adjutant of the post, and acting provost marshal.

After the war, Mr. Van Horn returned to New Orleans and found that within one week after he left the Federals had seized his house, sold his effects and divided the spoils among themselves, his dwelling in possession of Mr. Flanders as abandoned property and occupied by quite a number of families of the lowest order; it was six months before he recovered his house, and in a terrible dilapidated condition. He aided Colonel Nixon to re-establish the Crescent, of which he was business manager until its close in 1869.

In 1870, Mr. Van Horn organized the Bank of Lafayette, with a capital of $100,000.00 personally obtaining all the subscriptions to its stock. He was elected cashier and remained with the bank during the first year of its existence, establishing it upon a firm basis.

Disagreeing with the President, Mr. Van Horn retired in May 1871 upon the election of officers for the second year and in September 1871, accepted the position of cashier of the Metropolitan Bank with which institution he remained sixteen year and five months and then resigned; since then, he has been engaged as bookkeeper of the New Orleans Daily States.

Mr. Van Horn remarried in 1856. His second wife was Margaretta Law, whose parents came over from England and settled in Missouri. Ten children were born to them. All are living as follows:



Dr. William Law Van Horn, Columbia, Louisiana; Addie Blonde, wife of A.B. Hundley, clerk of the district court, Colombia, La; Belle Randolph, First Assistant Teacher, McDonough School No. 18, New Orleans; Anna Gertrude, wife of Robert Lee Cooney, Atlanta, Georgia; Margaretta Pearl, wife of William H. Davis, St. Louis, Missouri; Thaddeus Dreux Van Horn, druggist and student of medicine, Columbia, Louisiana; Oliver Herbert, collector and student of mechanical engineering, Coleman's Foundry, New Orleans, Louisiana; Albert Cornelius, clerk for Branch K. Miller, Attorney at Law; Elmore Russell, clerk, Baldwin and Carter, Commission Merchants, New Orleans; and Mignonette Rutledge, at school.