Son of John B Teagarden and Rosanna McGuire; husband of Mehitable Baker; Father of 11 including Joseph Oswin Teagarden.
Oswin was apprenticed to a boootmaker in Hebron, Ohio at an early age and for four years, experienced ill treatment. He did not follow this trade but engaged in the livestock business and drove herds as far east as Philadelphia. He then entered the mercantile business, first settling in Martinsburg, West Virginia. After their marriage, Oswin and his father-in-law, Artemas Baker (member of Congress from Ohio in 1825) ordered a flat-boat constructed in one of the boat yards on the Ohio River. They loaded on their families, a number of friends, their possessions and proceeded down the Mississippi River to New Orleans where they sold the boat. Then up the Red River by steamboat to Shreveport, Louisiana where Oswin spent the next three years as a merchant.

Artemas Baker and family continued overland to Dallas County, Texas and Oswin followed later to settle at Rusk in Cherokee County. His wanderings were in 3 year cycles and he next went to Dayton in Polk County. These trips were by wagon and eventually they moved to Sumpter in Trinity County where he had a large general store with a drug department.

As a druggist and homeopathic physician, Oswin was assigned as a Medical Purchasing Agent by the Confederate States of America for the Army of the Mississippi. He often made trips to New Orleans disguised as a Dutch peddler. On one occasion when he had $4000 in gold on his person (his own money) intending to buy scarce goods for his store, he was arrested but a squad of Federal soldiers. Realizing he would be searched and his money taken, he clamored to be sent to General Butler. The squad agreed to take him to the General but Oswin managed to lose himself in the crowded street. He had four years of service in the Army.

Early in the war between the states, two companies of volunteers were orgainzed in Trintiy county for the Confederate Army and Charles(Oswin's son) enlisted in one of them. Although over the conscription age, his father (Oswin) enlisted and took his sons place; as a druggist, the son would be exempt and with the help of clerks could conduct their large store. - Teagarden Book

Joseph Teagarden's memories of his father writen 1953 when he (Joe) was in his 70's.
"I have said very little about my father and I shall try to record what I can remember of the best man I ever knew. A man who had no enemies and like my mother was revered by all in the little town.
He was an indulgent father, never even scolded me but once, which I deserved. I am unable to place the time on the all these few memories of my patents, but one occasion, I think it was during the war, he came home during the Christmas Holidays and on horseback and in riding by the house on the way to the stables in the rear, he tapped on the windows of the dinning room with his riding whip. The house being built on a corner lot and to the property line, had no fence on the front and sides. He rode along the side of the house on which the dinning room windows opened. So when he tapped on the window the larger children cried out that there was Dad and all was excitement.
Another time some years later, possibly 1870, in the spring, when all six of us sons of the family and my father went fishing. Walking to Piney Creek nearly two miles away, when the older ones, impatient at our progress were walking too fast for me. My father called a halt saying they were walking too fast for him. Which surprised me as I was the littlest one and hadn't thought he was getting tired.
I remember I caught the second best string of fish, Sam beating me by one or two.
Another time when only four of us boys with Mother and Father went to the same creek bottom to gather backberries, where they were in great profusion in the cane brakes. On this occasion we went in conveyances, possibly the old folks and myself in a buggy and the others on horseback.
Another vivid memory was when my father had taken a long trip to Austin attending the legislature lobbying for some northern capitalists seeking charter for two railroads - He succeeded in securing both charters, but on his way home he was taken sick and for some time, possibly two or three weeks we had no word from him. Mother becoming alarmed wrote to several prominent masons in that section. Soon after this he returned home barely able to travel. I rememeber that he was very sick for some time. One reason for my mother's uneasiness was the fact that at the time there were many murders and robberies on the roads and my father was driving a very beautiful span of matched bay horses, very valuable ar the time."
From Joe Teagardens "Life of an Ordinary Man"