Western Figure. Born in Lexington, Virginia, he was dubbed "Bigfoot Wallace" and was noted for being a frontier Texas folk hero. In 1836, he relocated to Texas, when he heard that his older brother and a cousin had been killed in the Goliad Massacre. He settled in LaGrange, tried his hand at farming and soon joined the Texas Rangers. In 1840, he moved to Austin and helped layout the new town. He participated in the Battle of Plum Creek and in the Spring of 1842, fought against Mexican General Adrian Woll's invasion Texas. Later that year, he volunteered for the Somervell Raid across the Rio Grande River and joined a group that was called the Mier Expedition, to further penetrate and fight into Mexico. After several skirmishes, his group was surrounded and captured by a large force of Mexicans. Forced into central Mexico, the men were able to escape, he returned to Texas and was with the Texas Rangers in the Mexican War. In the 1850s, as a Captain, he commanded a ranger company, fighting border bandits, Indians and was so expert at trailing that he was frequently called upon to track down runaway slaves trying to get to Mexico. During the Civil War, he helped guard the frontier against the Comanche Indians and led scouting details. In his later years, he drove a mail hack from San Antonio to El Paso and had a little ranch on the Medina River on land granted him by the State of Texas. He died at age 81 in the town of Bigfoot, named for him and was buried at Longview Cemetery. Shortly thereafter the Texas Legislature appropriated money for moving his body to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. The Big Foot Wallace Museum in Bigfoot, was dedicated to him in 1954. He also was a descendant of the 14th Century Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace and Highlanders leader Robert Bruce.
Western Figure. Born in Lexington, Virginia, he was dubbed "Bigfoot Wallace" and was noted for being a frontier Texas folk hero. In 1836, he relocated to Texas, when he heard that his older brother and a cousin had been killed in the Goliad Massacre. He settled in LaGrange, tried his hand at farming and soon joined the Texas Rangers. In 1840, he moved to Austin and helped layout the new town. He participated in the Battle of Plum Creek and in the Spring of 1842, fought against Mexican General Adrian Woll's invasion Texas. Later that year, he volunteered for the Somervell Raid across the Rio Grande River and joined a group that was called the Mier Expedition, to further penetrate and fight into Mexico. After several skirmishes, his group was surrounded and captured by a large force of Mexicans. Forced into central Mexico, the men were able to escape, he returned to Texas and was with the Texas Rangers in the Mexican War. In the 1850s, as a Captain, he commanded a ranger company, fighting border bandits, Indians and was so expert at trailing that he was frequently called upon to track down runaway slaves trying to get to Mexico. During the Civil War, he helped guard the frontier against the Comanche Indians and led scouting details. In his later years, he drove a mail hack from San Antonio to El Paso and had a little ranch on the Medina River on land granted him by the State of Texas. He died at age 81 in the town of Bigfoot, named for him and was buried at Longview Cemetery. Shortly thereafter the Texas Legislature appropriated money for moving his body to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. The Big Foot Wallace Museum in Bigfoot, was dedicated to him in 1954. He also was a descendant of the 14th Century Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace and Highlanders leader Robert Bruce.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
Family Members
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Records on Ancestry
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