Burnam's Ferry Exploration Trip - Postponed due to River Conditions

by Bob Arthur

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Notice:

Regrettably, the trip will have to be postponed. Its too wet in the river bottom and since both the put-in and take-out are on private property with unpaved pasture roads, they are now impassable to highway vehicles. We'll try again soon, tentatively April 19-20. Hopefully it'll be drier then.

On March 15-16, 2003 a group of paddlers and avocational historians will undertake an exploratory canoe trip to attempt to locate the site of Burnam's farm and ferry, which is located somewhere in the area of the Colorado river near the Fayette/Colorado County line. The site was an important strategic location during the Texas Revolution. Here's a little background.

As nearly as can be determined, J. B. Callicoatte arrived in Texas from Mississippi in the fall of 1835. He was at the Siege of Bexar from late Nov. to early Dec.1835 and was in the Texas army as it began its retreat from Gonzales on Sunday evening, March 13th, 1836, a few days after the fall of the Alamo. The army camped for two days at Burnam's Ferry, Thursday and Friday, March 16th and 17th burning Jesse Burnam's home and store and sinking his ferry, so that they couldn't be used by Santa Anna's army. Burnam never forgave Sam Houston as he felt that his property was "off the beaten path", actually located on the San Felipe branch of the La Bahia Road, which went to a crossing near present day LaGrange. They marched to Beeson's Ferry (or Dewees Ferry near present day Columbus, TX) and from there to San Felipe de Austin, then to Jared Groce's farm on the Brazos River near Hempstead before turning toward Harrisburg (part of present day Houston) and on to San Jacinto. John Bayless (J.B.) Callicoatte was my great, great, great grandfather.

A map exists of the original land grant plats showing Burnam's property and a possible location for the ferry area, but it is also possible that the river has changed course in the intervening decades. Topographical maps of the area show two old oxbows, but nothing is presently known about how old they are or when the river may have changed course.

So during the March 15-16th canoe trip, which is, coincidentally, exactly 167 years after the event, we'll try to locate the actual site of Burnam's Farm and Ferry. We'll set up a base camp [a full moon weekend, by the way] in the vicinity of the river and Burnam's Ferry Rd. in what has come to be known as Santa Anna Bottom. A day trip will be planned either to or from that base camp.

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