Williams, Leonard Goyen

Leonard Goyen Williams was born 1802 in Tennessee. Williams served in the revolutionary army at the Siege of Béxar, where he lost the sight in one eye. He was a sergeant in Benton’s Regiment of Regular Rangers and enrolled on March 31, 1836, for three months extra duty at Williams Crossing on the Neches River. He served with Thomas J. Rusk and William Goyens during the suppression of the Córdova Rebellion. On February 3, 1840, Williams was appointed as a commissioner to inspect the land office in Houston County. He was given the title of colonel by Sam Houston, who in 1842 appointed him one of four commissioners to deal or “treat” with the Indians. He participated in the Tehuacana Creek Councils and was an Indian agent at Torrey’s Trading Post No. 2. During a trade trip as Indian agent for Houston, Williams came across Cynthia Ann Parker, captive of the noted attack on Fort Parker by the Comanche Indians. He was later sent as United States agent to try and ransom her. Although Williams used an X to sign various documents, he was considered an intelligent man with knowledge of seven or eight Indian dialects. He died in April 1854. Williams was recognized for his service to Texas in the United States Congressional Record on April 8, 1965, and by the Texas legislature in May 1965.

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