Located on the western edge of the Texas panhandle is a county with the unusual name of Deaf Smith. The county was created in 1876 although its population totaled only 38 people. Three large ranches — the T Anchor, the LS, and the XIT occupied significant amounts of the county’s land. With the arrival of the railroad, the population increased, particularly in the county seat of Hereford.
The county gets its name from an unsung hero of the Texas Revolution. Erastus Smith was born in New York state in 1787, but as a child moved with his family to Mississippi. A childhood disease left him hearing impaired, resulting in his nickname of “Deaf,” which stayed with him into his adult life. He came to Texas in 1824, settling first in Gonzales before he moved to San Antonio. There he married a Mexican widow and learned to speak Spanish fluently.
When hostilities arose between the Anglo Texans and the Mexican government led by Santa Anna in the 1830s, Smith joined the Texas fight for independence, rising to the rank of captain in the Texas army. Smith possessed extraordinary skills as a scout and spy, which he put to good use during the war. Governor Henry Smith described him as being well known to the army for his vigilance and meritorious acts, and praised his services as a spy as indispensable. William Barrett Travis called Smith the “bravest of the brave.”
Smith was especially valuable in the crucial battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. He captured a Mexican courier carrying important dispatches to San Antonio. He then destroyed Vince’s Bridge, the only means of escape for the Mexican troops from Buffalo Bayou. In reality the destruction of the bridge prevented both sides for escaping. In other words, with no way out, the only alternative was fight to the death. The Texans under the command of Sam Houston took the Mexican troops by surprise, resulting in a slaughter that lasted only 18 minutes. The victory secured Texas independence. In November 1836 the Texas Congress granted to Smith some property on the northeast corner of San Antonio’s military plaza to acknowledge his contributions to the war effort. He briefly commanded a company of Texas Rangers before he resigned that position and moved to Richmond, Texas, where he died in 1838. Upon receiving news of the death of his friend and comrade, Sam Houston commented, “A man more brave and more honest never lived.” A monument marking Smith’s grave was funded by the 41st Texas Legislature.
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Dr. Tommy Stringer is executive director of the Navarro College Foundation. His column appears on Sundays.
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STRINGER: Erastus ‘Deaf’ Smith — Texas hero
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