Bigfoot Wallace
William Alexander Anderson "Bigfoot" Wallace
contributed by Joanne Truman. Joanne's g. g.f. John Randolph Clinton, and her gr. uncle Albert Stewart were pall bearers for Bigfoot's funeral.
Heroic "Bigfoot" Wallace Dead
End Came Quietly near Devine Yesterday
His Passing Away Closed One of the Most Remarkable Careers of Modern Times - Biographical Sketch
One of the most noted men of Texas, one who figured in history along with a Houston, a Travis, a Bowie or a Crockett, is dead. His name was a household word. This many of renown who passed away yesterday was no less a personage than Alexander Anderson Wallace. Everybody knew him, however as "Bigfoot" Wallace. He was one of the most familiar figures hereabouts for more than three quarters of a century and visited this city very frequently. H was here by a short time ago and no one here was apprised of his illness until the tidings of his death came. It came in a telephone message from Devine to The Express yesterday morning sent by his warm personal friend J. A. Whitfield, who stated that the valiant veteran passed from mortality at 10 o'clock yesterday morning at the ranch of the deceased near Devine. The cause of death was pneumonia, contracted about a week ago. When the end came, the old hero who usually lived the life of a hermit, was surrounded by his old friends and some former comrades in arms in some of the many martial services in which he was engaged. He died amid scenes he loved, but far from his kith and kin, his nearest male relative being his brother, Alexander Wallace, whose home is Lexington, VA.He had several comrades here, but the only survivor who was with him when they drew the white bean at Mier is Nick Ladner.
Col. J. C. (Locomotive) Carr, himself a veteran who came to Texas from Tennessee in January 1845, speaking of the death of Wallace said: "I have known Bigfoot Wallace since 1837. We met in the road the first time I ever saw him and "nooned" together. That was on the Leona, in Frio County. Wallace was generally known at that time as "Bigfoot" and had considerable reputation as an Indian fighter and interesting type of frontiersman. He was a big hearted generous man, who always received travelers with a wholesome and unaffected hospitality when they drifted in on him at his cabin on the Chicon, where he lived for many years.
The following brief special tells all known here of his closing hours:
Devine, Tex., Jan 7 - (Special) - Capt. "Bigfoot" Wallace died this morning at 10 O'clock after an illness of about one week. The immediate cause of his death was pneumonia. Capt. Wallace was a pioneer of this State, coming to Texas in 1837 for the express purpose of avenging the death of his brother, who was captured and slain by the Mexicans in 1836. His native home was Lexington, VA, where his only living brother and other relatives now live. The captain was 82 years old when he died and was a Mexican War prisoner.
It is not known where or when the interment will take place.