Slave Narrative of Jeff Hamilton
One of Walker County’s most notable African American citizens, Jeff Hamilton, was born into slavery on April 16, 1840, on Singleton Gibson’s Plantation in Shelby County, Kentucky. When Gibson died, his widow, Mary “Polly” Gibson, remarried James McKell. In 1843, the McKells moved to Texas with Hamilton, his mother, Kitty McKell, and three sisters. As a child, Hamilton lived on several Texas plantations, moving from Fort Bend County to Moscow, then Greenville, and finally Sumpter, the first county seat of Trinity County. [1]
Hamilton disliked James McKell, whom he described as unkind and often drunk. McKell’s brutality created a very unstable life for Hamilton, his mother, and his siblings. In 1852, McKell sold Hamilton to General Sam Houston in Trinity County for $450 to cover a whiskey debt. Separated from his family, Hamilton sank into a deep depression. In a minor gesture, Houston bought Hamilton a “new straw hat with a feather on the side” that the young boy would treasure throughout his life. Hamilton would later recall that Houston treated his enslaved blacks more humanely than McKell, for instance, teaching them to read, write, and do math, giving them regular clothing, and not making them work in harsh weather. [2]
Houston purchased Hamilton in 1853 while serving as a U.S. Senator. Two years later, Houston became the governor of Texas. During this time, Hamilton worked many jobs for Houston, including herding sheep, driving carriages during political campaigns, working as an office assistant, and even serving as a personal bodyguard after Houston became governor [3].
In 1862, at the height of the Civil War and three years before emancipation, Houston freed Hamilton. However, Hamilton stayed with Houston until the old General died in 1864. He then continued to work for Houston’s widow, Margaret, until she died in 1867. Given the limited economic opportunities for African American men in the postwar South, Hamilton’s loyalty to the Houston family represented both an act of devotion and pragmatic survival. Hamilton’s continued dedication to the Houstons also reflected broader post-war social currents in which newly emancipated individuals navigated the complex landscapes of independence and allegiance. [4]
After the Civil War, Hamilton reunited with his mother. According to family legend, she recognized him by a burn scar on his left leg. Using notes in a Bible that Kitty’s mistress had given her, Hamilton learned his birth date and his father’s name [1]. From 1886 to 1889, Hamilton worked as a janitor at Baylor College. [2] In 1936, Lenoir Hunt from the Texas Centennial Association interviewed Hamilton in Belton. Texas. Four years later, Hunt published My Master: The Inside Story of Sam Houston and His Times, which included Hamilton's memoirs about his life with Sam Houston. Throughout his life, Hamilton met many historical figures and spoke at public events about his connection to the Houston family. He died on April 3, 1941, at age 100, and was buried at East Belton Cemetery. In 1976, the Texas Historical Commission erected Historical Marker Number 2744 on the site of Hamilton’s grave to honor his memory. [5]
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