Fate and a Flag
by Betty Dunn
In 1823 Edward Bradley and his family left their Kentucky home to join the 1st three hundred of Stephen F. Austin’s colony. They settled on the lower Brazos River between Richmond and Columbia. Three years later, in 1826, the Dodson family of North Carolina made Texas their home.
The Bradley’s had a daughter, Sarah, and the Dodson’s had a son, Archelaus. Fate had them meet, fall in love, and marry in May of 1835. Archelaus was among the early Texas volunteers when hostilities broke out
with the Mexicans in the fall of 1835. He joined Andrew Robinson in forming the Harrisburg Company of Texas volunteers.
Sarah designed and made a flag for the volunteers. The Harrisburg Company flew this tri-color Lone Star Flag on their march from Harrisburg to Gonzales to join John H. Moore’s small army. Shortly thereafter Stephen Austin assumed command and Sarah’s flag passed to him. The flag was in San Antonio for the December 1835 siege of that city.
During the following March 1836 two other Lone Star flags flew over the Alamo before its fall – the
Troutman Flag of the Georgians and the McGahey Flag of Independence. On April 21stof that year, Texas won its independence. During the days of the resultant Texas Republic, in 1844, with her family, Sarah
moved from Fort Bend County to the Bedias community in northern Grimes County.
Sarah died of pneumonia in 1848 and received internment on the Dodson’s property. Four years later her husband gave the acreage where she was buried to the community for a cemetery, church and school.
It is the Bethel Cemetery.
Though known as the “Betsey Ross of Texas,” Sarah’s grave went unmarked for 100 years until the Bedias
Community in 1935 organized a centennial for Sarah’s flag. At that time, descendants of her family and others placed a pink granite tombstone at her grave.
On 14 January 2002, the Grimes County Commissioner’s Court proclaimed the Dodson flag the official Grimes County Banner.
Betty Dunn may be reached at bduun@mssblue.net . The Dodson flag was one of those featured at the
Celebration of the First Republic of Texas Event, 2 April 2011, at the Horlock House, 1215 Washington Avenue, Navasota, TX.
In 1823 Edward Bradley and his family left their Kentucky home to join the 1st three hundred of Stephen F. Austin’s colony. They settled on the lower Brazos River between Richmond and Columbia. Three years later, in 1826, the Dodson family of North Carolina made Texas their home.
The Bradley’s had a daughter, Sarah, and the Dodson’s had a son, Archelaus. Fate had them meet, fall in love, and marry in May of 1835. Archelaus was among the early Texas volunteers when hostilities broke out
with the Mexicans in the fall of 1835. He joined Andrew Robinson in forming the Harrisburg Company of Texas volunteers.
Sarah designed and made a flag for the volunteers. The Harrisburg Company flew this tri-color Lone Star Flag on their march from Harrisburg to Gonzales to join John H. Moore’s small army. Shortly thereafter Stephen Austin assumed command and Sarah’s flag passed to him. The flag was in San Antonio for the December 1835 siege of that city.
During the following March 1836 two other Lone Star flags flew over the Alamo before its fall – the
Troutman Flag of the Georgians and the McGahey Flag of Independence. On April 21stof that year, Texas won its independence. During the days of the resultant Texas Republic, in 1844, with her family, Sarah
moved from Fort Bend County to the Bedias community in northern Grimes County.
Sarah died of pneumonia in 1848 and received internment on the Dodson’s property. Four years later her husband gave the acreage where she was buried to the community for a cemetery, church and school.
It is the Bethel Cemetery.
Though known as the “Betsey Ross of Texas,” Sarah’s grave went unmarked for 100 years until the Bedias
Community in 1935 organized a centennial for Sarah’s flag. At that time, descendants of her family and others placed a pink granite tombstone at her grave.
On 14 January 2002, the Grimes County Commissioner’s Court proclaimed the Dodson flag the official Grimes County Banner.
Betty Dunn may be reached at bduun@mssblue.net . The Dodson flag was one of those featured at the
Celebration of the First Republic of Texas Event, 2 April 2011, at the Horlock House, 1215 Washington Avenue, Navasota, TX.