James Martin "Mart" McGuire
James Martin McGuire was born August 15, 1833, in Iredell County, North Carolina. His parents were William Spencer McGuire and Sarah Burton. His great-grandfather was William Sharpe of Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina. William Sharpe was a member of the 2nd Continental Congress from 1779 to 1782.
Mart’s parents moved to Walker County, Georgia, in 1840. Both his parents died in 1841 from milk fever and the raising of the McGuire family fell on the shoulders of Mart’s brother, John A. McGuire. In 1850, James left for Texas with John A. McGuire, and his family and his brother, Daniel W. “Doc” McGuire. Traveling with them was the Henry Martin family. John A. McGuire’s wife’s mother, Ellender Dooley Martin, died in Arkansas during the travel. They arrived in Bell County, Texas, in the spring of 1851.
About 1853, John A., Mart, and Dock came to Comanche County with the Holmesly, Tuggle, Tunnell, and Mercer families. They helped Holmesly establish his property and home before John A. brought the rest of his family to Comanche County. James and Dock, being tired of always being on guard and fighting Indians, returned to Georgia in 1854.
In 1855, Mart and Dock headed back to Texas with their sister, Elizabeth Ann McGuire, who was married to M. O. Coker. After leaving M. O. Coker at the Mississippi River, Mart and Dock with C. H. Isham worked on steamboats down the Mississippi to Galveston, Texas. They then helped establish the first telegraph line in Texas and worked at laying the first railroad tracks of the Texas Central between Galveston and Houston.
Returning to Comanche County about 1858, Mart lived with M. O. Coker and served as a Frontier Texas Ranger. He was a member of the rangers commanded by Captain R. I. P. Ford and Lieutenant Sul Ross that fought with Chief Nacona and repatriated Cynthia Ann Parker. Back in Comanche County, Mart began his life as a farmer and stockman.
In 1861, he married Margaret Jane Barcroft, daughter of Elisha Barcroft and Margaret Hutchinson. During the Civil War, James Martin McGuire was a Sergeant in Company G, 30th Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army, under the command of Colonel Edward Gurley. He served in the Indian Territory, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana.
After the Civil War, Mart resumed his ranching and farming and driving freight wagons to Forts Griffin and Chadbourne. Mart and Margaret had eleven children: Synthia A. Victory; Eldona “Dona” married J. H. Bowman; James W.; John T. S.married Sallie C. Bruce; Daniel Asbury married Cora Tunnell; Mary Elizabeth married J. H. Bowman; William Burtonmarried Maud Seleta Bruce; Sarah Effie married Buren Lorenzo Carmichael; Lela Caroline married David Justin Gafford; Elisah Owens married (1) Lena Eppie Jones and (2) Julia Stimpson Atterbury; and Elizah.
James Martin “Mart” McGuire died March 24, 1907.
