1. William “Bill” Goyens, Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas
Dispelling the Myths

2. The marker once stood on Hwy 59 on the outskirts of Nacogdoches
Monument To A Black Man
Texas centennial marker was dedicated in 1936 in honor of William “Bill” Goyens, Jr.
The marker once stood on Hwy 59 on the outskirts of Nacogdoches
Historical Marker: One mile. This granite marker no longer stands. You can easily see the bullet holes from vandalism and that the marker was in general disrepair. The marker stated that Goyens was a runaway slave from South Carolina. It also states that he died in 1836, instead of This marker has been removed. After petitioning the East Texas Historical Society to replace the marker, I understand that there is finally a new and correct historical marker on this site. I was not notified of the new marker by either the Texas Historical Commission or the East Texas Historical Society, despite the amount of paperwork and correspondence I initiated, but I hope to visit Goyens’ Hill sometime in the near future and see the new historical marker.

3. Who Is William Goyens, Jr?
Daniel James Kubiak, now deceased, has written two books on William Goyens, Jr of Nacogdoches. The most recent biography of Will Goyens was published in 1998 by Nortex Press. Many readers who purchase this book may not recognize the photo on the front of the book as being fellow Texas Republic citizen Adolphus Sterne. Some even believe the picture is of Goyens himself. This is yet another example of how the publications on the shelf today mislead the public. Sadly, there is no known likeness of Goyens in existence.

4. Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a time in Moore County, North Carolina a man named William Goings Sr. settled in a rural area called Pocket Creek. His wife, Patsy Petty Goings had hopes of sustaining their rather large family on the land. William Sr. and John Petty had served in the revolutionary war together. Perhaps this is how William and Patsy met. Yet, for those who have visited Pocket Creek, there is one thing that immediately becomes obvious. The soil is plagued with huge deposits of rocks, making farming back breaking and nearly impossible work. William Goings Sr. lost his land because he was unable to pay his tax debts. The land was purchased by Duncan Murchison esquire. A rather large Murchison graveyard sits on the land now. The Scottish family graves enclosed in a protective, rock fence. There are indications of graves of some buried outside the fence – the final resting place of servants and slaves who lived and died there in Pocket Creek. Yet, there are no indications of Goings/Goins family members being buried there. Perhaps it is because William Goings Sr. moved from the land, leaving his children behind. There is a William Goings in 1828 in Hawkins County, TN. The thing about this William Goings is that he too served in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War. When I requested the service record for William Goings of Hawkins County, TN, I noted that John Petty attested to Senior’s service in Goings’ pension application. Have we perhaps found a connection between the Hawkins County Melungeons and the Moore County Lumbees and the famous Texan? I think more work needs to be done on this avenue of research, but it certainly is plausible.

5. Affidavit of Genealogy
Deed Records,
Book 47, pg 136
Randolph County, NC

6. John M Goings Affidavit of a free man of good character Moore Co NC
Cherokee/Rusk Counties, Texas
Deed Records of Cherokee County, TX Vol F Page 303#176
STATE of NORTH CAROLINA,
Be it remembered that heretofore to wit, at a Court of Please and Quarter Sessions Began and held for the County of Moore at the Court House in Carthage on the fourth Monday in July it being the 28th day of said Month in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty five . . .
The petition of John M Goings of said County, humbly complaining, sheweth unto your worships, that he was born and brough up in the Couty, and is now a citizen thereof of the age of twenty seven years (born 1818); that his grandfather William Goin was a respectable citizen of this County, not of altogether white complection, but also a free man and exercised the privileges while he lived; that his wife, the grandmother of your petitioner, was a free woman & their daughter Leah was the mother of your petitioner, he being her illegitimate son by a free white man. Your petitioner would show that he has it in contemplation to travel & remove westward and he prays your worships to hear evidence and to adjudge that he is a free man under the laws and constitution of North Carolina and that the same be entered of record. . .
It is therefore adjudged that the petitioner John M Goings is a free man and that he is of good character . . .

7. Genealogy Chart

8. Arrival in Texas Theories
Jean Lafitte and his band of pirates
Dr. Sibley and the Long Expedition of 1820
Some articles in the past have speculated that William Goyens Jr. joined up with Jean Lafitte and was part of his mix-blood band of pirates who disbanded in The timing surely coincides with Goyens’ arrival in Texas. But it is more likely that Goyens may have been encouraged to come to Texas by Dr. Sibley. Sibley was already an Indian Agent appointed during Thomas Jefferson’s administration, sending reports regarding the Louisiana and Texas Indian tribes. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Sibley lived in the Fayetteville District of Moore County, North Carolina. He ran a newspaper there and surely knew the residents of the county, because Moore was still a rural district with not that many citizens during this time. The notion that Goyens and Sibley knew each other is further corroborated by the fact that Goyens later married Sibley’s daughter-in-law, Mary Pate Sibley. This act alone indicates that the Goyens and Sibley families were well acquainted.

9. The Houston-Forbes Treaty
                                     
February 23, 1836 Goyens helped to negotiate the Forbes-Houston Treaty insuring Cherokee neutrality in the War.
The Texas Senate rejected the treaty with the Cherokees which initiated the Cherokee War of 1839.
Chief Big Mush and Chief Bowls died on July 16, 1839 and the Cherokee people were forced to abandon their lands.
It is interesting to note how Nacogdoches historians and artists portray the historical event. Even though, Goyens was an instrumental part in negotiating the treaty, they chose to have Sam Houston bringing the treaty to Chief Bowl as depicted here. This statue stands in the park adjacent to the Adolphus Sterne home.

10. The Lumbee Connection
Goyens was no stranger to Native American practices
This footstone in North Carolina is an example of the Native American culture from his homeland
Here rests a descendent of his niece, Rebecca Goins of Moore County, NC
One thing that is true among the mixed-blood families of the South and Southeast is the pride in their culture and the preservations of their traditions. Our ancestors leave us clues to who they were and how they lived. It is not always very obvious, and may take a great deal of digging at times, but there are signs to help us find our way. In this case, we traveled deep into the woods. It looks like a night picture doesn’t it? But it was taken in the middle of the afternoon, deep in the woods. On the footstone of this Goins grave is a carving of a person with three lines of various lengths supporting the body. This symbolizes that this Goins ancestor. A co-lineal descendant of Bill Goyen’s Jr. of Nacogdoches, was buried upright, in the tradition of the native practices of the area. These are the Goinses descended from Goyens’ niece Rebecca, daughter of Leah.

11. Rebecca Goins families
Reunion at Glover’s Church
Lower Left: Dewey Goins and his sister Violet.
Upper Right: Floyd And Beatrice Goins
Some of the family members who attended this reunion sit on the Lumbee Council. Champ Goins was in attendance and he is very active in the Lumbee political scene.
Chatham County, North Carolina

12. Daniel Goins Families of Randolph County, NC
Novie Jane Goins Yow
Columbus Asbury Goons of Randolph County, NC
Daniel
Leon and David Goins of Asheboro, NC

13. A Petition to protect Bill Goyens’ Grave in Nacogdoches
This marker no longer stands. It has been removed from the site on Goyens’ Hill which originally identified the final resting place of William Goyens’ Jr and his wife, Mary. If anyone here is interested in signing a letter, petitioning the East Texas Historical Society to research and protect the grave of this historic Texas Republic figure, I hope you will add your name and information to this letter.

14. It is one of those clues . . .
It is one of those clues that we were talking about earlier.. . Clues left for us to learn who our ancestors were and how they contribute to who we are now. May those clues never be destroyed. May our search for the answers be successful. Thank you everyone.