Chambers County

ANCESTRAL STORIES, LETTERS AND BIOGRAPHIES

"1915 STORM"-Letter from Claude Jackson

1915 STORM
August 20-21, 1915

Letter from Claude Jackson to his mother, Mrs. James Jackson (nee Sarah White) Saturday night (Aug. 21, 1915)

Dear Mother:
I will try and write you a few lines; we have went through the worst storms this country has ever known, it was just awful. We left our house and set up all night in the woodhouse, expecting every moment to hear our house gone over. It was pretty badly wrenched, couldn't hardly open or shut the doors and my barns is almost gone and if it had it would have killed every mule I had. Your house is all o.k.. except windows and paper as everybody's house was about wet inside as out. I don't know how many cattle we have lost but I believe one-half to two-thirds all of our pasture fence is gone. Grass is dead. I was down as far as Smith Point yesterday. Water was about 12 to 15 feet deep there. All the drift is along the marsh in front of your house, It is so bad I can't tell how bad it Is. Wednesday Ed sent me word the negroes had found a dead man just out and beyond the windmill and to go out and have him buried. John and I went out and found it was Mr. Robert's (Claude C. Roberts) little boy (Benjamin Thomas Roberts). We picked him up and put him in a nice dry good box and buried him in John's lot and I went out and found poor Hugh Jackson. He was in a bad condition so I put him in the best coffin, came in and buried him just along side of Asa John (Robbins). There is 3 more drowned from Hugh's house but I have been unable to find them. Guess they are under the drift which is from two to four feet deep. A man and his daughter and a little boy, the mother and wife of man, was saved by catching on a tree. Mrs. Slade and her daughter was drowned. They got afraid the house was going and tried to make it over to Mitchells and all of them came near drowning. Elton saved them, the man on Moody's place lost his wife and we found her yesterday and buried her last night.

We have lost our rice crops entirely. Water was from eight to twelve feet deep all over it. Washed our warehouse away. Floated our living house up near the canal. Washed our pump out. Manson (Smith) and crew had a narrow escape but the house held together. Mr. Hilderbrandt came along in his boat, rescued them and brought them out to Bud Mosses. Hugh's two boats is on the ridge across marsh. Logs and drift everywhere. We have not had a paper since last Monday. Don't know how much damage done in other places but hear it is great. People here are badly in need. Everybody lost what they had and homes are badly wrecked.

Ed and Rodger (Jackson) started to town on Lotus and got her on a tree and sunk her. Red Standley's boat is across about Old River bottom side up in acorn patch. Buddy Standley's boat has not been found. Several other boats are in Anahuac prairie in the rice fields.

There is so many dead cattle right under our noses. Monte has not found but a few of our horses, about 12. There is 15 in our lot down about Pine Island. Cattle are found hanging in the trees in Pine Island. Ralph (Barrow) told me he cut three lives ones out today, and they are stuck in the drifts everywhere. Monte has been busy getting them out but is hard work and lots of cattle are still dying yet from being bruised. Nobody knows how much they have lost. Asa Robbins says he don't think he has over 50 head left. Nearly all of our calves are gone. Ed's (Jackson) old ranch house is badly wrecked as water is too deep to get over there. I am broke so badly I don't know what I will do. Will see my creditors and put it up to them. Guy (Jackson) had better come home as there is plenty to do. Our cattle are scattered all over the country.

Wallisville is a total wreck. Only two houses left, Middleton (A.D.) and Mrs. (J.J.) Mayes. They are taking care of from two to three hundred people. We can't get anything out of Galveston and Houston is badly torn up, don't know if we can get help from there or not. The Judge is over there trying to get help. People here will be badly in need in a few days. Frost and Mary Wolf have about lost all they had in their store. I near lost much in the store, water was 8 inches deep in my store. This was from tide water. I was told that the water passed between Liberty and Devers and reached the River. I don't know if this is so or not. Poor old Joe Richie was out at Elm Bayou in his shack. It was turned over, he cut a hole in it and got out and the man at Scott Ranch found him over about East Bay Bayou. He got him over to the hotel (Seabreeze Hotel) and when the train came down that far, sent him up to Stowell to Monroes (White). Mr. Stough, wife and baby had to go to the barn as water was three feet deep in the White's ranch and never had anything to eat until Wednesday. It has beat all the paint off of my house and also off of yours.

I haven't told you half and not half as bad as it was; to see it is the only way to know how bad it is. I will try and get this off as we have to send to Anahuac as the mail is not running.

With love and kisses to you all, I am
Your son,
Claude