My name is Terry Lee Cochran, I've retired from IBM after 30 years. Also I have served with honor in the US Navy, US Air Force Reserves, Texas National Guard, and the Texas State Guard.

I'm a "Life Time Member" of the Williamson County Texas Genealogy Society, Associate member of the Newton County Texas Historical Commission, Son's Of The Republic of Texas and a member of the Texas State Genealogy Society.

I'm a Son Of The Republic of Texas having certified ancestors Col. Samuel S. Lewis and his wife Sarah "Sally" LeMaster, Joseph Sidney Cochran and his wife Elizabeth Lewis, Corp. Martin Baty Cochran and his wife Dr. Isabella Elizabeth West, as "First Families Of Texas" and as "Citizens Of The Republic of Texas".

My family tribute are these memorials on www.findagrave.com. To my family, please make copies of these memorial's and the one's that I have previously sent you on links that I created. Or if you have the family member name, then you can search for their respective memorial.

May God Bless my ancestor, Pvt. Robert E Cochran. You are honored for your bravery, as an Alamo Defender. As a member of The Son's Of The Republic of Texas and The Texas State Genealogy Society we honor you & all the brave men who died in The Alamo on 03 Mar 1836.

"I saw behind me those who had gone, and before me those who are to come. I looked back and saw my parents, their parents, and all my great grandparents, and in front I see my sons & daughters, and their sons & daughters, and the sons & daughters upon sons & daughters beyond. And their eyes were my eyes".

"Linger awhile and walk with me into the shadowy mist that was yesterday. Stroll across the faded pages of history and from our hardships learn the ways of a better life. Pass me not for I am the spirit of your ancestors. In your veins flow my blood and the blood of my fathers. Linger awhile, if only for a moment and through your thoughts I will know I am remembered."

My Core Values for Freedom

My core values come from my ancestors of Scotland (Sir William De Cochrane) & Ireland, and Germany (Peter Pontruff) . Many fought in the American Revolution (General Andrew H Lewis); my gggg Grandfather, COL Samuel S. Lewis fought in The War of 1812, The Republic of Texas at "The Siege of Bexar & The Battle of Nacogdoches" with Jim Bowie. While my distant cousin Pvt Robert E Cochran died at The Alamo, and many in my family of ancestor's fought in the Confederacy, WWI, WWII,& Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf War I & II. They fought for our American freedom, Confederate South, and for The State of Texas. Now we need to fight for our right to be free from terrorist world wide. In memory of our ancestors for whom our core values were received and now we pass on to our children and grandchildren.

My gggg Grandfather, COL Samuel S. Lewis and his son, Maj Martin Baty Lewis Sr. fought along side of COL James Bowie in the first battle of the Texas Revolution at the 1832 Battle Of Nacogdoches and also together at the Nov 1835 Siege At The Alamo. These were true Texas hero's. Martin became a founder member of the early Militia of Texas Ranger's called Plains Ranger's. Later on he moved to California in 1849 during the gold rush and later became the Adjutant to the Mariposa Battalion. He co-discovered Yosemite National Forest with Maj James Savage. He was the Adjutant General for The California Mariposa Battalion, Surveyor, District Judge, and ran for Gov. of California. Maj Lewis later married a Native American Princess after his wife's passing. See a book written by William R. Secrest, "When the Great Spirit Died" pgs 67, 105, 166, 228, 281, 282, 283,. Parts of the book are about Maj Martin Baty Lewis.

My gg Grandfather, Corp Martin Baty Cochran served in a Confederate Unit along with Frank and Jessie James. Later becoming a member of The Knights Of The Golden Circle in Brownwood, Texas serving with J Frank Dalton (aka. Jessie James). Martin is buried 30 - 60 miles from Brownwood in the Truett Cemetery in Winters (Runnels Cty Texas).

Col Samuel S. Lewis was my 4th Great Grandfather. His daughter Elizabeth Lewis married Joseph Sidney Cochran who's father was Amos Glass Cochran.

By Terry Lee Cochran

http://www.zianet.com/ynika/cochran2017/

https://www.williamsontxgenealogy.org/upload/files/Chisholm_Trail_Vol_38_No_2_Spring_2018_Final.pdf

Terry Lee Cochran

Past 2013 District #5 Representative

Current 2020 - 2021 District M Representative

Texas State Genealogy Society. Cochran's : A First Texas Family

Joseph Sidney Cochran: Republic Of Texas "First Texas Family" Source of information COCHRAN FAMILY RECORDS COPIED FROM MEMORANDA SET DOWN BY his son, John Lewis COCHRAN in JULY 1862, Lemaster and Margaret Herberger pub 1965 p 105, FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS OF TEXAS, GLYMPSES OF NEWTON CO HISTORY compiled by Newton Co Historical Commission, JOSEPH & HENRY COCHRAN FAMILY'S WERE EARLY NEWTON COUNTY SETTLERS newspaper article by Jasper Co Historical Commission, MY NEWTON COUNTY TEXAS ANCESTORS, SOME EARLY SOUTHEAST TEXAS FAMILIE'S by Thomas Wilson edited by Madalian Martin pp 112-116,and COCHRAN's PLACE 2010 Pedegree Chart,Terry Lee Cochran, ggg grandson, [email protected].

In Glimpeses of Newton Co it says that JS Cochran was one of the first county commissioners. This group is the general governing body of the Co. The same book says, "In the year 1827 three Cochran brothers, together with Col Lewis' family came down the Ohio River from Evansville, Indiana where the Cochran family had settled after migrating from Mass. They entered the Mississippi River at Cairo, Ill and thence on to Baton Rouge, La and settled in Ouachita, La. Then in 1831 they went overland to Salem, Tx, already an important settlement on the Sabine River to settle in the Bevil District. Henry Cochran was single, but his two brothers, Nathaniel and Joseph, were companied by their families. Joseph Sidney Cochran was married to Elizabeth Lewis, one of Col Samuel S. Lewis' daughters. Col Lewis settled in Zavalla, Tx, but the 3 Cochran's each preempted a league of land (4,428 acres)in what was then a part of the Mexican Province of Texas and later became Newton Co." On 1850 census Joseph's occupation is farmer and he owns property worth $2000.

Joseph's wife Elizabeth Lewis was the daughter of Col. Samuel S. Lewis and she was the great great granddaughter of General Andrew Lewis of the Revolutionary War.

Newton County Texas has seen a number of JAILS since becoming the county seat. The first official jailhouse was a log structure built in 1857 by J. S. Cochran for $780. It was located across the square on the west side where the Phillips 66 gas station now stands. It was unique in that it had three log walls. The inner and outer walls were horizontal dovetailed logs while the center wall had logs running vertically. In 1874 a two-story framed jail was erected on the square's east side near the present Newton County Historical Marker. In 1898 a brick jail with a hangman's gallows in the center of its stairwell was built in the area between the existing courthouse and the water tower. Sheriff Dave Humphreys was killed in it in 1932. That jail was razed in 1935 and replaced by a jail attached to the courthouse. -From newton county historical marker at the jail........

{Biography by: Terry Lee Cochran}

Newton County was originally part of the Spanish"Atascosito District" and under Mexican rule it became "Liberty District." In 1835, the present county was part of what was known as "Municipality of Bevil" or Bevil's District. After Texas's independence, the district was divided into Liberty, Jefferson and Jasper counties. At that time Jasper county included the land between the Neches and the Sabine rivers, but in 1846 Jasper county was cut in half, and Newton county was created from the eastern half.

Children of JOSEPH COCHRAN and ELIZABETH LEWIS are:

JOHN LEWIS COCHRAN, b. 1828, Ouachita Parish., Louisiana; d. September 05, 1888, Newton Co, Texas. Buried in the Old Belgrade Cemetery.

MARTIN BATY COCHRAN, b. September 04, 1831,in the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas; d. March 09, 1907, Truitt, Runnels, Texas. Served in Confederate States Army. He was named after his uncle, Martin Baty Lewis.

SAMUEL COCHRAN, b. 1837, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana; d. Newton Co, Texas.

WILLIAM ALFRED "Stiff Leg" COCHRAN, b. October 20, 1839, the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas; d. March 11, 1923, Bivens, Beauregard, La.. Served in Confederate States Army.

FRANCIS M. COCHRAN, b. abt 1842,the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas, Republic Of Texas.

ELIZABETH COCHRAN, SAXON b. abt 1845, Republic Of Texas, the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas; m. BENJAMIN B. SAXON, 1865, Beauregard Co, La.. Married to Benjamin B. Saxon.

JOSEPH SIDNEY COCHRAN, Jr., b. November 08, 1847, Newton Co, Texas; d. Beauregard Co, La.; m. DULCINIA PARALEO PEAREE, July 28, 1872; d. December 03, 1899.

JAMES HARPER COCHRAN, FOSTER b. abt 1854, Newton Co, Texas. Died aft 1873.

JULIA A.P. COCHRAN, b. 1854, Newton Co, Texas; d. 1873; m. JOSEPH ALEXANDER FOSTER, November 30, 1871, Newton Co, Texas.

Children of JOSEPH COCHRAN and NANCY WATSON are:

MARTHA J. COCHRAN, b. 1862, Newton Co, Texas; m. ALFRED MURICK, June 23, 1881, Orange Co, Texas.

CORNELIA COCHRAN, b. 1864, Newton Co, Texas; m. WILLIAM H. POINTER, February 26, 1880, Orange Co, Texas

Joseph and Elizabeth's grave site.

The Old Belgrade Cemetery is located near the league of land that Joseph received from the Mexican Government. This cemetery was found in very bad condition and was reclaimed from the wild undergrowth in the area (The Big Thicket). Their oldest son, John Lewis Cochran is also buried in the Old Belgrade Cemetery

"First Texas Family"

Terry Lee Cochran great-great-great grandson's submission of Joseph Sidney Cochran and his wife Elizabeth (Lewis) Cochran, daughter of Col. Samuel S. Lewis to the Texas State Genealogy Society, has documented them a founding family of The Republic Of Texas, and a "First Texas Family,

as certified by Texas State Genealogy Society,24 July 2009.

His biography and certified TxSGS application will be kept at the University Of Texas, History Dept for viewing by researcher's of the founding families of Texas. i.e. Cochran's a founding Texas family.

Joseph Sidney Cochran and his wife Elizabeth Lewis were also certified, as "Citizen's Of The Republic of Texas" by the Son's Of The Republic of Texas" on 10 August, 2010.

Submitted by Terry Lee Cochran, ggg Grandson.

(bio by: Terry Lee Cochran )

17 Feb 2011, TSGS files and records including the First Family of Texas have been moved to the East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin Universiy at Nacogdoches. Our Family Focus feature comes from one of our lifetime

members, who shares a beautifully written summary of the

Joseph Sidney Cochran Family, part of the First Families of Texas

— a wonderful example of how documenting and preserving our

stories keeps history alive for future generation