Freestone County, Texas Biographies Biography of Gustavus Adolphus Sessions (1829-11 Nov 1902, buried at Mexia City Cemetery in Mexia, TX.) Book - Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas. Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1893. p. 403-405. " G. A. Sessions, one of the earliest settlers and leading men of Freestone county, Texas, was born in Lowdnes county, Alabama, in 1829, and he was the son of John and Elizabeth (May, nee Browning) Sessions, natives of South Carolina and Georgia. They came to Alabama just after marriage and engaged in farming, and later he engaged in the war of 1812. The Sessions family is an old one in this country, as it came from England to this country in 1630, coming over with Governor Dudley, of Massachusetts, and from this family have scattered representatives all over the country. The members of this family were among the patriots who engaged in the destruction of the tea in the Boston harbor, and many of them have taken part in political and national affairs, and also are well represented in the financial world. Francis D. Sessions, of Cincinnati, has written a history of the family since its advent into the country, as far as he has been able to collect facts. The father of our subject died when the latter was only four years of age, consequently his knowledge of the family is more limited than that of many others in the older Sates. The family was well represented in the war of independence, also in the war of 1812, and also in the war of the Rebellion, in both armies. The parents of our subject had only two children, and G. A. was the only one who grew to maturity. His father was twice married and by his wife he had two boys and three girls: James J., who became a minister of some note in the Missionary Baptist Church, mostly in Mobile, and his death occurred in Monroe county, Alabama, in 18--; Jarrett W. became a farmer and lived in Wilcox county, Alabama, where he died in 1891; Ellen married Thomas Watts, and later married John Watts, of Alabama; and Sarah, who died in early life. Mrs. Sessions' first husband was the Rev. William S. May, of South Carolina, a prominent minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. He died in Alabama, but to this marriage seven children were born, namely: Nancy married Eli Harrison, of Alabama; John, a farmer; Asa died in this State; William S., deceased, became an active politician and represented Lowndes county in the legislature; he also filled other important offices in the county; Carrie is deceased; David F. died in this State in 1890, and Nathan was killed in the battle of the Wilderness in Virginia. Mr. Sessions died in Alabama, July 8, 1835, and Mrs. Sessions was left with a family of two small children. She remained in Alabama until 1849, and came by way of Galveston to Polk county, this State, in 1850, where she remained one year. On the way to this State, and while in the city of New Orleans, the family encountered cholera, which was raging at that time, and from the effects of coming through the infected district Mrs. Sessions and her son by a former marriage died, soon after landing in Polk county. Thus our subject was left by himself as far as relatives were concerned. G. A. Sessions received a common school education. He had some slaves, with which he farmed in Polk county, on rented land for one year. The first year he worked Judge Jones' farm on Trinity river. The next year he purchased, and in 1853, made his last crop in Polk county, selling his property, and then, coming to this county, he located close to where Bonner now stands. He purchased 1,000 acres of land became a farmer and raised stock, and remained there until the breaking out of the late war. In 1862, he joined Captain Bradley's company of Wall's [actuallly Waul's] Legion and immediately went to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and participated in the siege of Fort Pemberton and then in the siege of Vicksburg. During the latter siege he was captured, but was paroled, July 4, 1863, returned home and after being exchanged he went to Velasco, and was on the coast under Colonel A. Smith. After the war was over he returned home and immediately resumed those occupations he had laid down previous to entering the army. For many years Mr. Sessions was the largest farmer in Freestone county, and was also the largest land-owner, who made agricultural pursuits his occupation, and was by far the largest cotton planter. Mr. Sessions still owns over 1,000 acres of land after giving his children homes. He has under cultivation, at this time, some 600 or 700 acres of land in this county. In 1875, Mr. Sessions was elected to the Constitutional Convention from this county to form the present constitution of the State of Texas. Mr. Sessions was married in 1857 to Miss Martha Carter, of Alabama, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Luckey) Carter, natives of Georgia. Mr. Carter came to this county, in 1853, although he had brought some negroes here in 1852, and made some corn for support of his family and stock. He erected the palatial residence in which our subject now resides, and from which residence he was married, in 1857. Mr. Carter died in 1857, and his wife survived him until 1864. They were the parents of six children, namely: William F., deceased, left one daughter, who is now the wife of Judge Kirven, of Fairfield; Permelia, deceased, was the wife of Thomas Jefferson, and left a large family; Margaret, deceased, was the wife of Thomas Carter, and she left one daughter, who is now the wife of A. H. Carter, of this county; Martha, deceased, was the wife of our subject; W. D. deceased, left one son, W. D., of this county, and two daughters died in Alabama, previously to coming to this State. To Mr. and Mrs. Sessions four children were born: Elizabeth, wife of W.E. Bonner, of this county; Zora, wife of T.J. Parker, of this county; Fannie, wife of John L. Wortham, of Mexia; and Carter, of this county. Mrs. Sessions died in 1885, at the age of forty-five, a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, in which he is a Deacon.