Dr. James Frederic Madden

11 September 1820 - 6 July 1896

First Generation in Texas Madden

Dr. Madden was listed in the 1860 census as living in Indianola, Texas. Dr. Madden was 35 years old and Eveline Bludworth Madden was 34 years old. They had been married on 31 December 1844 in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. In 1860 they lived with their six children, a girl M.E. 14 years old, James Henry 13, a boy Willian Hanna, 10, Franklin Poirtevant "Pierce" Madden 6, a girl I.F 5 and Flavilla Eveline 3. The parents had come to Texas from Rapides Parish, Louisiana. At the time the census listed him as a druggist, but census data later listed him as a physician.

"Dr. James Frederick Madden and Mary “Eveline” Bludworth (1826-1888) were married on December 31, 1844 in the newly established Sabine Parish, Louisiana. She went by the name of Eveline which has been carried on by many tens of grandchildren throughout the generations. They were probably married at Fort Jessup which served as the Sabine Parish Courthouse until the newly founded town of Many (pronounced Man-Ney), Louisiana could be built to serve as the Parish Seat.

Dr. Madden and Eveline spent their first year of marriage at Fort Jessup, Louisiana. He was serving in the U. S. Army during this time when Texas was in the process of being annexed into the United States of America. There was fear that Mexico would invade Texas and Fort Jessup was the most westerly US Military Installation at this time. The US Forces moved to the Texas Coastal Bend after Texas was annexed as the 28th US State on February 28, 1845 which gave birth to Indianola as the Mother of the US Southwest and the Texas Coastal Bend communities. After the War with Mexico in 1845, Dr. Madden and Eveline resided at Rapides (Pineville), Louisiana until 1859 when they moved to Indianola/Saluria Matagorda Island, Texas. All their children were born at Rapides, Louisiana, except for their last child Van Dorn Toutant Beauregard Madden (1861-1888). Dr. James F. Madden was a Druggist/Physician.

He would have got his license to practice medicine at Jackson Square in New Orleans. Prior to the US Civil War, Doctors thought of themselves as Druggist first and Physicians second." - John Phillips

In the 1870 census Dr. James Frederic and Eveline were listed as living at Saluria, Matagorda Island, Calhoun County. The children that lived with them were Franklin 15, Flavilla 12 and an 8 year old son, Van Dorn (My grandparents always called him "Uncle Van" but his real name was Vandorm Totoon Beauregard Madden - he was named after the famous confederate general Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, but the spelling was in phonetic English not French.)

By 1880 Dr. James Frederic was 59 and Eveline was 54. They were living in Jackson County with Flavilla 21 and Van Dorn 18.

Records indicate that Dr. James Frederic was born on 11 September 1820 in Louisiana. He was still living there in 1858. He enlisted at the rank of Pvt. in the Indianola Guards, Co. A, 24th Brig TST (6th Texas Infantry) on 27 June 1861 in Indianola. This home guard was mostly made of elder businessman. He is also listed as one of the signers of a petition in Indianola requesting secession from the union at the time of the Civil War.

After the fall of Fort Esperanza & Saluria on Matagorda Island during the Civil War, many of the residents took refuge in the inner bays and the young men were reorganized into other units followed General Gano to the Indian Territory.

"Dr. James F. Madden probably graduated from Saint Louis University, Missouri in 1838 with a Medical Degree. His brother in law, Poitevent Bludworth Jr (1820-1886) were best friends and about the same age and who graduated from St Louis University in 1837. This Jesuit Saint Louis University was the only the Medical School and University that served students from the Mississippi Drainage Area & Caribbean until the Jesuits started Loyola University at New Orleans in the 1840’s." - Jon Phillips

He died at the age of 76 on 6 July 1896 and is buried in the Lamar Cemetery, Aransas County, Texas. His parents are listed as Henry Madden and Mary Wiley.

"Dr. Madden died as a result of a tropical storm in late June of 1886. His son, Franklin Poirtevant Madden (1855-1875) died as a result of the First Hurricane of Indianola (September 14-17, 1875). His son, Van Dorn Toutant Bearegard Madden (1862-1886) died as a result of the Second Hurricane of Indianola (August 18-20, 1888) along with his two of his brother in laws, Poitevent Bludworth Jr. and William James Bludworth. William James Bludworth (1815-1886) was the father of Sea Captain Bernard Leonard Bludworth (1839-1919) of the Texas Coastal Bend Fame. His wife, Eveline died on April 17, 1888 at Cuero, Dewitt County, Texas probably due to a broken heart by losing her family member to the Indianola Hurricanes of 1875 and 1886. She lost her son, Franklin Poitevent Madden (1855-1875) in the First Indianola Hurricane of 1875. This Second Hurricane of Indianola of 1886 wiped out the Texas Deep Water Port of Indianola with thousands of drowned victims. These were tragic times for most of the Texas Coastal Bend families.

Dr. James Frederick Madden was born on September 11, 1820 in the Sabine Neutral Ground (near old Fort Jessup or the present Many, Louisiana) which the Spanish claimed as part of Texas and the United States claimed as part of the Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.

The Anglo American Children born in the Sabine Neutral Ground from 1806 to 1821 can truly be called the first Anglo American Texans. He was residing at Caranchua Village on Caranchua Bay (across Lavaca Bay from Port O'Connor, Texas) at the time of his death." - John Phillips

Children of Dr. James Frederic and Eveline Bludworth:

i. Mary E. Madden was born abt. 1844-5 in Louisiana. She married Therodouras "Thaddius" "Thomas" Allen Bunker. In 1880 they lived in Cuero, DeWiit County, Texas

Thadius was born about 1843 in New York.

"A whole book can be written on Thaddeus Bunker, a sailor from New York that jumped ship at Matagorda Island, Calvary soldier with Duff’s Partisan Rangers (33rd Regiment, Texas Calvary CSA), cattle drover, and gun smith. He was the stereotype of the Texas Cowboy legends that is imprinted into our American Culture. Mary’s brother James Henry Madden (1846-1935) and Thaddeus Bunker served all four years with the Duff’s Partisan Rangers which probably resulted with their introduction and marriage at Caranchua, Jackson County, Texas in 1865." - John Phillips

Children of Mary and Thadius were Charles, Martha "Mattie", Minnie, Margaret, Thomas and Thaddius Allen, Jr.

ii. James Henry MADDEN was born 20 DEC 1846 in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, and died 11 DEC 1935 in

Fulton,Texas. He married Elvira Amanda LOGAN 4 NOV 1869 in Coldspring, San Jacinto, Texas.

iii. William Hannah MADDEN was born 1849 in Louisiana, and died 14 NOV 1938. He married Margaret Wilkinson.

iv. Frank Poirtevant "Pierce" MADDEN was born about 1854-5 in Louisiana. He died as a result of the First Hurricane of Indianola in 1875 at Saluria, Matagorda Island.

v. Flavilla Eveline MADDEN was bom 9 APR 1858 in Louisiana, and died 18 AUG 1942.

vi. Vandon Totoon Beauregard MADDEN. - born in Texas in 1861; died 1888

"Van Dorn Toutant Beauregard Madden (1861-1888) died as a result of the Second Indianola Hurricane of 1888. He was named for Colonel Earl Van Dorn (1820-1863) and General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893) as a result of Colonel Van Dorn coming to Indianola during his birth to organize the Confederate States of America military forces for the Texas Coastal Bend." - John Phillips