Jesse Sutton (Sut) Harris*

First Generation

1.  Jesse Sutton (Sut) Harris was born in 1829 in Davidson CO, North Carolina. He died on 14 Mar 1861, Killed by J Anderson in Brown CO, Texas. He was buried in Connell Cemetery, Brown Co, Texas.

Appointed Sheriff 3/14/1861 by Judge

Jesse Sut HARRIS was appointed on March 2, 1861, and served until June 6, 1861, when he was killed. Contributed by Patsy Johnson in Brownwood at ikesis2@iuno.com

Sheriff Harris, in the line of duty, had previously had some difficulty with the brother of the former sheriff, Burl Roberts. The two men came to blows at which time Sheriff Harris gave his opponent a beating. Burl Roberts became so angry over what he considered the bad treatment of his brother that he sent word to Harris that he would 'get him' before sundown the next day. He warned that he was coming for the current sheriff with a 'brace of colts.'

Court was in session at the time. (This would have been in the second courthouse on the Connell farm.) The next morning Sheriff Harris carried a double-barreled shotgun and a six-shooter with him when he went to the courthouse. Just as he leaned the shotgun against a wall in the corner of the courtroom, he glanced out the window and saw Roberts approaching.

Harris picked up the shotgun and, stepping out of the courtroom, placed himself at the entrance of the building. Roberts, the former sheriff, came within ten feet of him and then halted. Harris told Roberts to go on about his business, that there was no reason for their having trouble. Roberts reached for his six-shooter and as he did, Harris raised his shotgun and pressed both triggers. (One account of this story said that Roberts was only wounded. Others stated that he was killed. The latter seems more believable. A quotation from C.V. Harris, nephew of Sutton, substantiated this view. "Roberts replied by reaching for his gun in no uncertain manner. My uncle let him have both barrels of the shotgun, blowing the man's breast entirely away.) (The Nice and the Nasty in Brown County, A collection of Stories by Ruth Griffin Spence; Banner Printing Co, Brownwood, Texas; pg 22)

Killed by J Anderson, a school teacher and friend of Burrell Roberts, after Harris killed Roberts in a gun battle.

Death: 1861 in Brown Co., TX Burial: Connell Cemetery, Brown Co., TX
Note: The Life and Lives of Brown Co., People Vol. 2 by the Brown co., Hist. Soc. pg. 48.

Jesse Sutton Harris migrated to Brown Co., TX in 1857 with his brother Thomas D. Harris and neighbors Moses and Samuel Coggins.
He was appointed Sheriff by Judge and was involved in the first gunfight of Brown Co., TX killing a man named (Burrell) Roberts in self defense. Robert's friend J Anderson a
schoolteacher gunned down Jesse Sutton Harris in 1861 and left the state never to be heard from again. Jesse Sutton Harris is buried in the Connell Cemetery in Brown Co., TX. 1820 and 1830 Census of Davidson Co., NC.

Arrived in Brown County in 1857.
Fought with Texas Rangers against Indians under Brooks Lee.

1860 US census of Brown Co., TX pg. 103-living in the household of Ichabod Adams. His wife was living with her parents along with J Anderson the schoolteacher who killed him.

Jesse married Louiza Jane Chandler daughter of Welcome Williams Chandler and Sarah Brown in Brown Co, Texas. Louiza was born about 1837.

1860 US census - Brown Co Texas living with Parents WW Chandler and siblings.

*There are some discrepancies in the spelling of the name “Harris”. Some spellings are Hariss, Harriss, Harris. For purposes of consistency in this book we will use the spelling Harris, which seems to be the spelling most often used.

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