Willis Whitaker

     Willis Whitaker was born September 23, 1798 in the Kershaw District of
South Carolina to Sara Williams Whitaker and her husband, also named Willis.
The elder Willis served South Carolina as a Captain during the Revolution. 
He was captured and became a POW at Charleston.  He later served two terms in
the South Carolina Legislature.
     Marrying Sarah Harrison Moores on July 31, 1833, Willis applied himself
to building a family.  Between two wives, Willis produced eleven children.
     Events and conditions unknown stimulated Willis and his young family to
join a goup of friends, neighbors, and in-laws to migrate to Texas during the
period 1839-1841.  The Willis Whitaker family was amongst the very earilest
Anglo settlers in what is now Bowie and Cass Counties.  Alas!  At that time,
Bowie County was not a healthy place in which to live.  The newly designated
burial ground, a few miles north of the newly established Sulfur River port
of Mooresville saw frequent and regular use.  Much later that it was learned
that mosquitos bred and spread malaria from low river bottom areas such as
those around the Sulfur and Red rivers.
     Before 1845, five of the six children of Willis and Sarah were buried 
in Harrison Chapel Cemetery.  In September 1843, at the age of 32, Sarah also
died and was buried there.  Imagine Willis' position:  widowed after ten
years of marriage, age 45, with a ten year old son, and a soon-to-die infant
daughter.  How would you feel about a new productive, beautiful but harsh,
land that had taken most of your family?  Such is the lives of pioneers.
     But Willis persevered.  On July 27, 1844 in Mooresville, Willis married
his widowed sister-in-law, Elizabeth Harrison Moores Rosborough.  And most of
the tragedy was past.  Willis and Elizabeth raised to maturity five of their
own children as well as Willis' first son and Elizabeth's two children. 
Willis established a successful plantation, Cedar Grove, between Jefferson
and Linden.  He was able to send his eldest son, Willis Whitaker III, to
Princeton, becoming one of the earilest of the college educated from this
area.
     When Willis died, at Cedar Grove on March 19, 1867 at age 68, he had
just witnessed and suffered the physical and economic devastation of the
Civil War.  He saw his eldest son return a Lieutenant, after having enlisted
as a Private.   The son lost an arm and was captured at Gettysburg and
survived POW treatment.  Willis' body was carried many miles to reach its
final resting place in Harrison Chapel Cemetery.  He was buried beside his
first wife and five of their children.  Since that time, Harrison Chapel
Cemetery has been lovingly maintained by the descendants of the residents.

     The saga of this family continues.  But, I wish to leave it here and
come to my point.  Some time around December 7, 1998, Willis' grave was
desecrated; his monument was broken and the pieces scattered.  

     It is not possible for me at this time and place to adequately express
my view of this development or of those involved.  I assume that poor
education and poor parental supervision are root causes.  

     Willis was a pioneer of our area, well worthy of honor, reverance, and
respect.  One of the few, irreplaceable, tangible pieces of evidence of his
existance has been damaged despite the best efforts of many generations to
preserve and protect.  

     What are we doing wrong?  Must we hide our sacred burial grounds?  Must
we fortify them?  How can our society thrive when such evil is tolerated?

                              William Moores McKemie
                              Rt 2, Box 348
                              Dale, Texas 78616
                              email: mckemie@inetport.com