ENNIS – The Ennis Public Library received a gift of historical records from a local historical and genealogical organization.
At its March meeting in Ennis, the William Henry Parsons Camp #415 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans donated copies of original membership rolls of the Ennis United Confederate Veterans from the early 1900’s.
“These are copies of original records of local veterans who fought in the American Civil War for the Confederacy,” said Rob Jones who heads the Parsons Camp.
“Because these records list the names of members, the units in which the veterans served, and their residence locations,” he added, “they have historical and genealogical importance for descendants tracing their ancestry.”
He also noted that the documents contain dates and locations of death for some of the veterans.
Ennis Public Library director, Jessica Diaz welcomed the donation.
“These records are a valuable addition to our regional history collection, providing researchers and genealogists with primary source material that helps bridge the gap between the past and present, offering a deeper understanding of the individuals who shaped our community,” she said.
Calling the donated records “a who’s who list of local leaders of Ennis who labored to build the town in its formative years,” Jones mentioned some of the veterans by name.
“For example, Dr. J.C. Loggins was a prominent early physician and community leader and headed the Ennis UCV for many years. He was one of several men, nearly all Confederate veterans, responsible for Ennis winning the location of the railroad “roundhouse” and repair shops in 1891,” he explained.
“This is the one event responsible for the early growth of Ennis so that it didn’t become just a railroad stop like Garrett or Ferris.”
Other community leaders acknowledged by Jones as Confederate veterans included each of the first six men to be mayor and most of the other officials holding office during the initial 25 years of Ennis’s existence.
As he listed the names of these early mayors, he explained, “Capt. Charles Pannill, Capt. George G. Higginbotham, John B. Jones, Capt. M. W. Early, Fletcher Mulkey, and Dr. Loggins, and at least two served multiple non-consecutive terms.”
According to Jones, the UCV was a national veterans organization formed in 1889 by men who served in the armed services of the Confederacy and had local chapters called “Camps” located throughout the country.
“The local veterans camp was the James Longstreet Camp #1399 named for the corps commander under whom some of the local members had served in General Robert E. Lee’s army in Virginia,” he said.
“Our Sons of Confederate Veterans group, the Parsons Camp, wanted to make this donation at this time because the Texas Senate established the month of April as Confederate History Month many years ago,” he observed.
“We are dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of Confederate servicemen and their contributions to Texas and American history, particularly in the Ennis area,” Jones added.
“We are cataloging early records in our files, and I anticipate we may have additional documents to share with the library.”