Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 

Memorial and biographical history of Ellis county, Texas; Page: 418 

HOPSON BURLESON, a successful farmer of Ellis county, was born in Marion county, 
Alabama, February 27, 1846, a son. of Benjamin and Kaziah (Matthews) Burleson. 
The father, a native of Georgia, served as Justice of the Peace of Leon county, 
Texas, was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser and a good citizen. He bought, 
improved and sold eleven farms in Texas, and died in Lamar county, December 21, 
1867. Mr. and Mrs. Burleson had thirteen children, seven of whom still survive:
John F., who died at the age of six years; David W., a farmer and blacksmith of 
Edwards county; Kaziah J., the wife of Isaac M. Mayberry; Oliver W., a farmer of 
Freestone county; H. M., our subject, James E.,a farmer of Edwards county; and 
Sarah A., the widow of A. Bushares, formerly a farmer of Leon county. The wife 
and mother died in 1854, and the father was married a second time, and after his 
death the heirs received twenty-five acres each.

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Hopson, the subject of this sketch, came with his parents at the age of nine 
months to Texas, in 1846, settling in Leon county, where he was reared to farm 
life, and received five months schooling. He left home at the age of eighteen 
years, and was employed as a farm hand several years. During the war he served 
in the militia three months and was detailed to hunt deserters. In 1867 Mr. 
Burleson rented land farmed on shares, and in 1870 he bought a pre-emption right
which he improved, and afterward received a title from the Government for 160 
acres of land in Leon county. In 1874 he sold this land and bought a tract of 
213 acres, which he also sold in 1880, and one year later he came to Ellis 
county, and purchased 125 acres, and afterward sold that and bought the 20 acres 
where he now lives. He has since purchased eighty-seven acres more, and he now
has about 180 acres in cultivation, raising principally cotton and corn. For 
five years his cotton has averaged one-half bale to the acre.
  Mr. Burleson was married in 1870 to Miss Nancy Dupru, who was born in Houston
county, October 6, 1853, a daughter of Starlin and Rebecca (Chandler) Dupru, 
natives of North Carolina. The parents came to Texas at a very early date, where 
the mother died in 1860, and the father was killed at the siege of Yicksburg, in 
1863. Mr. and Mrs. Bnrleson have had twelve children, viz.: Elizabeth, brrn 
February 6, 1871, married J. E. Rowe, a farmer of Ellis county; Mary F., born 
November 15, 1872, is at home; Ellen born March 9, 1874; William T. and Robert,

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born December 14, 1876; Macon T. and James 0., October 8, 1878; Luther F., 
November 16, 1880; David W., November 12, 1882; Ruth A., October 17, 1884; Liddy 
L., June 28, 1887; Rufus E., November 27, 1889. Mr. Burleson is identified with 
the Democratic party, and has held the office of school director and school 
trustee. Socially he is a member of the F. & A. M., and religously, the family 
are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Burleson has been blessed with excellent 
health, since he can remember not having suffered from a single day's illness.