Spicer C McClenahan was the youngest of nine children born to John Burns McClenahan, Sr. and Lydia (Burns). He farmed for his father and at age 19 procured a land patent for forty acres of his own. He married Sarah Carlisle in Sainte Genevieve, MO, on 13 Aug 1849. They had at least three known children:
- Frances S (1848-1865)
- John Penman (1855-1917)
- Wayne Harvey (1858-1883).
Around 1859, the family moved to Licke (now called Dodd City) in Fannin County, Texas. From the 1860 census onward, his family's surname appears with the spelling "McClanahan".
The Civil War began in 1861 and Texas declared secession from the United States on February 1, joining the newly-founded Confederate States of America on March 2 (Texas replaced its Governor, Sam Houston, when he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy). By 1862, Spicer had a commission in Company S, 23rd Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Gould's), and was listed as the Assistant Surgeon (it is unclear how, where or if he received formal medical training to warrant "doctor" status, but the title and nickname stuck). "Doc" McClanahan's unit fought in various conflicts in Louisiana and later took an active part in engagements at Mansfield (Sabine Cross-Roads) and Pleasant Hill. He mustered out of the Confederate Army in May, 1865, just prior to the entry of Federal troops in Texas. This military force arrived - to restore order in the state and enforce the new freedoms of former slaves - on 19 Jun 1865 (still known in Texas as "Juneteenth").
By 1870, Doc had moved to Bright Star (now called Sulphur Springs), in Hopkins County, and was farming. Records indicate that he and Sarah were no longer living together. The last record found for him is the 1880 U.S. census, still living in Sulphur Springs. It is presumed this is where Doc died, but the exact date and location are unknown.
Family lore says that Doc died before meeting any of his grandchildren. An interesting fact about those grands is that his older son, John, married the widow of his brother Wayne, which made their collective children both first cousins and half-siblings to each other.
Spicer C McClenahan was the youngest of nine children born to John Burns McClenahan, Sr. and Lydia (Burns). He farmed for his father and at age 19 procured a land patent for forty acres of his own. He married Sarah Carlisle in Sainte Genevieve, MO, on 13 Aug 1849. They had at least three known children:
- Frances S (1848-1865)
- John Penman (1855-1917)
- Wayne Harvey (1858-1883).
Around 1859, the family moved to Licke (now called Dodd City) in Fannin County, Texas. From the 1860 census onward, his family's surname appears with the spelling "McClanahan".
The Civil War began in 1861 and Texas declared secession from the United States on February 1, joining the newly-founded Confederate States of America on March 2 (Texas replaced its Governor, Sam Houston, when he refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy). By 1862, Spicer had a commission in Company S, 23rd Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Gould's), and was listed as the Assistant Surgeon (it is unclear how, where or if he received formal medical training to warrant "doctor" status, but the title and nickname stuck). "Doc" McClanahan's unit fought in various conflicts in Louisiana and later took an active part in engagements at Mansfield (Sabine Cross-Roads) and Pleasant Hill. He mustered out of the Confederate Army in May, 1865, just prior to the entry of Federal troops in Texas. This military force arrived - to restore order in the state and enforce the new freedoms of former slaves - on 19 Jun 1865 (still known in Texas as "Juneteenth").
By 1870, Doc had moved to Bright Star (now called Sulphur Springs), in Hopkins County, and was farming. Records indicate that he and Sarah were no longer living together. The last record found for him is the 1880 U.S. census, still living in Sulphur Springs. It is presumed this is where Doc died, but the exact date and location are unknown.
Family lore says that Doc died before meeting any of his grandchildren. An interesting fact about those grands is that his older son, John, married the widow of his brother Wayne, which made their collective children both first cousins and half-siblings to each other.
Family Members
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Records on Ancestry
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