Heathcock Genealogy Database - Person Sheet
Heathcock Genealogy Database - Person Sheet
NameJoseph Goodbread 
, Half GGG Uncle
, Half GGG UncleBirthbef 1810, Rutherford Or Burke Co NC
Death1842, Shelbyville, Shelby Co TX Age: 32
FatherPhillip Goodbread (ca1786-1870)
Mother(Unknown)
Notes for Joseph Goodbread
In his book Ten Texas Feuds,744 Dr. C. L. Sonnichsenn relates the murder of Joseph Goodbread by Charley Jackson. "Charley Jackson was embittered after losing an election to Congress. Jackson blamed the faction headed by Sam Todd, who according to Jackson were involved in fake land certificates. Joseph Goodbread's wife was kin to Sam Todd and Goodbread wrote Jackson a letter, telling him he ought to mind his own business. Goaded on by Eph Dagget, Jackson said he would kill Goodbread. He marched into Shelbyville and found Joseph Goodbread sitting on a hitching rack. He pulled the letter out of his pocket, aimed his rifle at Goodbread, and said 'here's your reply.' Goodbread said he wasn't armed and that he had been angry when he wrote the letter, but Charley Jackson fired away. Jackson was indicted and the trial was set in Harrison County in July, 1841. Jackson came into Court with 150 of his band of Regulators. The judge adjourned Court and Jackson was never tried." The incident set off the War of the Regulators and Moderators.
Other accounts of the Shelby County War.745,746,747
Other accounts of the Shelby County War.745,746,747
Notes for Joseph Goodbread
JOSEPH GOODBREAD,57 believed to be son of Phillip Goodbread and his first wife, was born before 1810 in Rutherford or Burke Co., NC. After the move to Texas in 1834 he married, probably in Shelby County around 1837 Susan E. Todd. We have no record of the marriage as Shelby County records were destroyed by fire in 1882. Joseph Goodbread had received his Headright of a League and Labor of land 18 May 1838, showing he arrived in 1834. On the back of the Certificate Joseph assigned this headright to H. H. Hall just one month later in June 1838. (Bexar County File No. 1-417, State Land Office)
Joseph had worked as a teamster, hauling freight from the nearest railroad point. In J. Frank Dobie's book The Longhorns an amusing story is told of the time "Old Brindle" one of Joseph Goodbread's team of oxen, turned up missing when the empty wagons were ready to pull out to go pick up the freight. Joseph finally got another ox to take "Old Brindle's" place and proceeded about eight miles before stopping for a late dinner. After dinner Joseph said he needed to grease his wagons as his trailer was pulling as though it had a full load. He went to the wagon, lifted the wagon sheet and there was "Old Brindle", sleeping peacefully.
Joseph and Susan (Todd) Goodbread had a daughter Mary who was born about 1838, and no definite records have been found on her except that Mary Goodbread at age 12 was living with her mother and stepfather Alford M. Truitt in the 1850 census of Shelby County. Mary at that time had two half-brothers, James W. age 4, and John H. age 2, and a little half-sister Sary, age seven months. In 1860 Mary Goodbread is no longer with the family, although her mother has had three more Truitt children - Susan, Betty and a son A.M. Truitt. Also in this family is a three year old boy Dabney Henderson. Did Mary Goodbread marry a Henderson and this Dabney is her son? A Sarah Goodbread is buried in the Clardy Cemetery in Shelby County, beside John H. Truitt and wife Mary and is probably Sarah Todd, who was first married to Joseph Goodbread. (Source: 1850 Census Shelby County and J. B. Sanders' Our Dead Shelby County, Texas 1836 - 1964, p 273)
Joseph Goodbread was the first of Phillip Goodbread's children to die in Texas, for Joseph was kille4 in Shelbyville in the summer of 1840 by Charlie Jackson, setting off the War of the Regulators and the Moderators. Dr. C. L. Sonnichsen gives an account of this murder in his book “Ten Texas Feuds” and has given his permission for his material to be used in this book. According to Dr. Sonnichsen, Charlie Jackson was embittered after losing an electron to Congress. Jackson blamed the faction headed by Sam Todd, who according to Jackson was involved in fake land certificates. Joseph Goodbread's wife Susan was kin to Sam Todd and Joseph wrote Jackson a letter, telling him he ought to mind his own business. Goaded on by Eph Daggett, Jackson said he would kill Goodbread. Jackson marched into Shelbyville and finding Joseph Goodbread sitting on a hitching rack he pulled the letter out of his pocket, aimed his rifle at Goodbread and said here's your reply. Goodbread said he wasn't armed and that he had been angry when he wrote the letter, but Charley Jackson fired away and Joseph Goodbread lay dead on the street. Charlie Jackson was indicted for the murder, and the trial was finally set in Harrison County in July 1841. Jackson came into Court with 150 of his band of Regulators and the Judge adjourned Court and Jackson was never tried.
Joseph had worked as a teamster, hauling freight from the nearest railroad point. In J. Frank Dobie's book The Longhorns an amusing story is told of the time "Old Brindle" one of Joseph Goodbread's team of oxen, turned up missing when the empty wagons were ready to pull out to go pick up the freight. Joseph finally got another ox to take "Old Brindle's" place and proceeded about eight miles before stopping for a late dinner. After dinner Joseph said he needed to grease his wagons as his trailer was pulling as though it had a full load. He went to the wagon, lifted the wagon sheet and there was "Old Brindle", sleeping peacefully.
Joseph and Susan (Todd) Goodbread had a daughter Mary who was born about 1838, and no definite records have been found on her except that Mary Goodbread at age 12 was living with her mother and stepfather Alford M. Truitt in the 1850 census of Shelby County. Mary at that time had two half-brothers, James W. age 4, and John H. age 2, and a little half-sister Sary, age seven months. In 1860 Mary Goodbread is no longer with the family, although her mother has had three more Truitt children - Susan, Betty and a son A.M. Truitt. Also in this family is a three year old boy Dabney Henderson. Did Mary Goodbread marry a Henderson and this Dabney is her son? A Sarah Goodbread is buried in the Clardy Cemetery in Shelby County, beside John H. Truitt and wife Mary and is probably Sarah Todd, who was first married to Joseph Goodbread. (Source: 1850 Census Shelby County and J. B. Sanders' Our Dead Shelby County, Texas 1836 - 1964, p 273)
Joseph Goodbread was the first of Phillip Goodbread's children to die in Texas, for Joseph was kille4 in Shelbyville in the summer of 1840 by Charlie Jackson, setting off the War of the Regulators and the Moderators. Dr. C. L. Sonnichsen gives an account of this murder in his book “Ten Texas Feuds” and has given his permission for his material to be used in this book. According to Dr. Sonnichsen, Charlie Jackson was embittered after losing an electron to Congress. Jackson blamed the faction headed by Sam Todd, who according to Jackson was involved in fake land certificates. Joseph Goodbread's wife Susan was kin to Sam Todd and Joseph wrote Jackson a letter, telling him he ought to mind his own business. Goaded on by Eph Daggett, Jackson said he would kill Goodbread. Jackson marched into Shelbyville and finding Joseph Goodbread sitting on a hitching rack he pulled the letter out of his pocket, aimed his rifle at Goodbread and said here's your reply. Goodbread said he wasn't armed and that he had been angry when he wrote the letter, but Charley Jackson fired away and Joseph Goodbread lay dead on the street. Charlie Jackson was indicted for the murder, and the trial was finally set in Harrison County in July 1841. Jackson came into Court with 150 of his band of Regulators and the Judge adjourned Court and Jackson was never tried.