CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY:  RUFUS C. BURLESON - McClennan County, TX

*****************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be 
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other 
organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use 
this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, 
or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the 
listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter 
has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file 
permanently for free access.http://www.usgwarchives.net/

Submitted by Peggy Brannon - peggybrannon@hotmail.com
02 November 2001
*****************************************************************

TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson

RUFUS C. BURLESON

Rufus C. Burleson, of Waco, was born near Decatur, Alabama, 
August 7, 1823. He was educated in Nashville University and in 
November 1840 was licensed by the First Baptist church of the 
Tennessee capital to preach, and in 1845 was ordained to the full 
ork of the gospel ministry. On June 10, 1847 he was graduated from 
the Western Baptist Theological Seminary at Covington, Kentucky, 
and the following year accepted the pastorate of the church in 
Houston Texas. His ministerial labors there continued until 1861, 
when he was elected President of Baylor University at Independence. 
This institution was in 1886 removed to Waco. In 1879 he was elected 
President Emeritus and retired from the active management of the 
institution. During the war between the States, he served as 
chaplain of the 15th Texas infantry regiment, C. S. A. with the 
rank of captain. Dr. Burleson was justly distinguished as a preacher 
and as an educator. Among the famous people converted under his 
preaching or baptised by him may be mentioned Mrs. Dickinson, 
survivor of the fall of the Alamo; Gen. Sam Houston; Judge A. S. 
Lipscomb, who was Secretary of State of the Republic of Texas; and 
include W. E. Donley, of the Texas Supreme Court.   Mrs. Dickinson 
was baptised while he was pastor of the church at Houston. The 
baptism of Gen. Houston occurred November 19, 1854, in the 
presence of a large concourse of people, in a little clear creek 
called Rocky, about one mile south of Independence. Dr. Burleson's 
first cousin, Gen. Edward Burleson, was one of the heroes of the 
battle of San Jacinto, and afterwards Commander-in-chief of the 
regular army of the Republic of Texas. On the 2nd day of January, 
1853, Dr. Burleson was married at Independence to Miss Georgia 
Jenkins. He died in Waco, May 14, 1901, and is survived by his 
widow and several children.