JW Rabb Biographical Notes - Online Archive of Terry's Texas Rangers

No portrait located.

John Wesley Rabb

February 14, 1833 - April 10, 1885

Born February 14, 1833, probably at Rabbs Prairie above La Grange, Fayette County, TX.
Family was forced to flee in 1836.
Possibly resided at Fayette County, TX.

Mustered into Company F at Houston, TX on September 7, 1861.
Elected 4th Corporal.
Promoted to 2nd Corporal by August 1862.
Promoted to 5th Sergeant by April 1863.
Left behind enemy lines during Tullahoma campaign.
Regained regiment by October 1863.
Received severe gunshot wounds to lower abdomen and left chest near Rockford, TN in November 1863, while pressing horses with S. H. Grover, Co. F., and left behind.
Regained regiment by February 1864, walking over 200 miles to do so.
Present in January 1865.
Member of Terry Lodge, Regimental Masonic Chapter.

Committed suicide when in poor health at San Antonio, TX in 1885.
Buried in Old City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette County, TX.

Also Identified As:
	J. W. Rabb
Family Members & Researcher Contacts:
	- website
Parents:
	John Rabb b. December 31, 1708 d. June 5, 1861 at Austin, Travis County, TX buried at Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, TX Mary Polly Crownover (daughter of John Crawford Crownover & Mary Elizabeth Chesney) b. April 8, 1805 at Buncombe County, NC m. John Rabb October 2, 1821at Johnsborough, Miller County, AR d. October 15, 1882 buried beside John Rabb at Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, TX
Siblings:
	Zebulon Montgomery P. Rabb b. October 7, 1822 d. 1894 George Washington Rabb b. December 4, 1824 d. 1851 Melissa Crownover Rabb b. May 26, 1827 d. 1867 Marion Rabb b. December 21, 1829 d. 1839 Lorenzo Dow Rabb b. March 1835 d. May 22, 1836 Virgil Sullivan Rabb b. February 15, 1839 Served as captain of Company I, George M. Flournoy's regiment, Walker's TX Division d. 1885 Mary Elizabeth Rabb b. 1843 in Rutersville, TX m. David Porter Croft, Co. F on November 16, 1865 d. February 15, 1929 Gail Borden Rabb b. 1847 d. 1929
Spouse(s):
	Catherine Moore b. ~1847 m. JW Rabb December 24, 1867 at Fayette County, TX d.
Children:
	Minnie Rabb b. m. W. C. Wright d. Mina "Cisilye" Rabb b. 1868 at TX d. 1878 at TX Jarmon W. Rabb b. 1870 at TX d. 1901 at TX Edward W. Rabb b. 1875 at TX d. 1890 at TX John Clay Rabb b. 1878 at TX m. Mary Emma Giles d. 1947 at TX Stoney P. Rabb b. 1880 at TX d. 1912 at TX Kathryn Rabb b. 1883 m. Watts Henry Vaughan in 1871 d. Wesley Rabb b. 1885 at TX d. 1886 at TX
Gravesite:
	Old City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette County, TX JOHN W. RABB BORN Fayette County Texas FEB. 14. 1833: DIED APRIL 10. 1885 The hearts keen anguish only these can tell Who've bid the dearest and best farewell The parting with our treasure, once our pride More prized and honored than the world beside.

1840 Census - TX
	Head of Houshold

1850 Census - TX, Fayett County, Page 205B, Dwelling 238, Family 238, (34/69)
	Name	Age.	Sex	Color	Occupation	Real Estate	Nativity	Student?	Illiterate?
	John Rabb	52	M		Farmer	$10,000	PA
	Mary Rabb	45	F				NC
	Montgomery Rabb	26	M		Farmer		TX
	George Rabb	24	M		[illegible]		TX
	John Rabb	16	M		Student		TX	Y
	Virgil Rabb	11	M				TX	Y
	Mary Rabb	7	F				TX	Y
	Gail Rabb	3	M				TX	Y
	Leona [illegible]	14	F				TX	Y

1860 Census - TX, Fayette County, Town, Page 349, Dwelling 1855, Family 1385-1857, (image)
	Name	Age.	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real Estate	Personal Estate	Nativity	Student?	Literate?
	John Rabb	61	M		Miller	25,110	8,450	Penn
	Mary Rabb	56	F					NC
	Mary E. Rabb	16	F					Texas
	[???] Rabb	13	M					Texas
	Wesley Rabb	26	M			5300	500	Texas
	Virgil Rabb	21	M			6300	2260	Texas
	Malissa Rabb	32	F			6630	1000	Texas

1870 Census - TX, Fayette County, West of Caldwell Road, page 479, Dwelling, Family, (image 352)
	Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real Estate	Personal Estate	Nativity	Parentage	Student?	Literate?
	Rabb J. W.	35	M	W	Farmer			Texas
	Rabb Kittie	22	F	W
	Rabb Mina	1	F	W
	Rabb Wm J	1/12	M	W

1880 Census - TX, Fayette County, Winchester, ED 57, Page 78C, Dwelling 337, Family 342

Name

Race

Sex

Age

Rel.

Mar. St.

Occupation

Health

Education

Nativity

Father's Nativity

Mother's Nativity

Rabb J. Wesley

Farmer

Texas

Penn

Rabb Catherine

wife

Keeping House

Miss

Rabb W. J.

son

attending school

Texas

Miss

Rabb Mary M.

daughter

Texas

Miss

Rabb Ed W.

son

Texas

Miss

Rabb J. Clayborn

son

Texas

Miss

Related Links:
	Letters of J. W. Rabb "Muster Roll of Company F, Eighth Texas," Confederate Veteran, December 1911, p. 574 (offsite) Descendants of Wolphert Gerretse Van Kouwenhoven, Person Page 426 (offsite) Descendants of Wolphert Gerretse Van Kouwenhoven, Person Page 427 (offsite) Human Family Project July 12, 2001, John Wesley Rabb & Catherine Moore
Sources:
	Claiborne, John M. Muster Roll of Terry's Texas Rangers; With Historical Remarks. Galveston: Self Published, 1882. Jones, Andrew M. Annotated Roster of Terry's Texas Rangers, the 8th Texas Cavalry. Unpublished Research. Rabb, J. W., "We are Stern and Resolved: The Civil War Letters of John Wesley Rabb", ed. by Thomas W. Cutrer, The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, 1987, pp. 185-226. Scott, Paul R. Eighth Texas Cavalry, CSA. Arlington: The University of Texas at Arlington, July 1977. Unpublished MA Thesis.
Research Links:
	(offsite) RootsWeb Message Boards (surname: Rabb) (offsite) Genealogy.com Genealogy Forum (surname: Rabb) (offsite) TXGenWeb Project (Fayette County, TX) (offsite) RootsWeb Message Boards (Fayette County, TX) (offsite) Genealogy.com Genealogy Forum (Fayette County, TX)

This page contains our biographical notes. These notes are continually updated as new or more reliable information becomes available. It should not be assumed that our notes are wholly complete or accurate. They are shared here in order to provide a starting place from which to begin researching a specific individual. If you have additional or conflicting information we urge you to contact us that this resource may continue to grow and develop.