Robert M. Coleman (July 1, 1837) was a Republic of Texas politician, soldier, and an early commander of the Texas Rangers. A signatory of the Texas Declaration of Independence, he served as an aide-de-camp to Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. His later career was marked by a public feud with Houston, leading to his dismissal from the army and the publication of the critical pamphlet Houston Displayed. He is the namesake of Coleman County, Texas.
Coleman was appointed one of the first Texas Rangers. His outpost, Coleman's Fort, was later named Fort Colorado.Fort Colorado in the Handbook of Texas Online Handbook of Texas Online, Thomas W. Cutrer, "Fort Colorado," accessed April 30, 2016, https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qcf01. Last Known Retrieval April 30, 2016. Perhaps another example of contemporaries and historians diminishing his role in Texas History wherein Coleman's Fort is later called Fort Colorado and or Fort Houston. Early writers on Coleman include Noah Smithwick, a contemporary frontiersman who was stationed at Coleman's Fort. Coleman is referenced in Smithwick's book Recollections of Old Texas Days.
On February 1, 1858, he became the posthumous namesake of Coleman County, Texas. This led to Coleman City, Coleman Lake, and many other features, places, businesses, and identifiers in Coleman County also bearing his name.
Suspicious drowning Coleman died in 1837 at Brazos River. He supposedly drowned, though there are suspicions of foul play.Robert Morris Coleman, Texas Patriot Online version of Sherrianne Coleman Nicol's writing found within lineal notes of pages maintained as Mobjack Bay Colemans, privately published on the website Ancestry dot com at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mobjackbaycolemans/g05robtmorris.htm Last Known Retrieval April 27, 2016.
See also Coleman County, Texas Battle of Concepción Texas Declaration of Independence Constitution of the Republic of Texas Texas Revolution Texas Republic Timeline of the Republic of Texas Old Three Hundred land transfers Spain land grants and caretakers
References
Bibliography The Texas Revolution; Brinkley, William; Texas A&M Press: . Sword of San Jacinto, Marshall DeBruhl; Random House: . The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston; James, Marquis; University of Texas Press: . The Eagle and the Raven; Michener, James A.; State House Press: .
External links Biography of Robert M. Coleman in the Texas Handbook Online published by the Texas State Historical Association. Fort Colorado historical marker of Texas Texas Historical Commission site database regarding Marker Number 14229, Atlas Number 5507014229 Description of Fort Coleman aka Fort Colorado Texas State Historical Association handbook online article about Coleman's Fort.