Handy, Thomas James (b. 16 AUG 1843, d. 4 AUG 1927)

Note: Thomas James Handy was born in Dresden, Ohio to Chauncey Charles Handy and his wife, Emily Jackson Handy, both born in New York. Thomas, “came to the Rio Grande Valley as Union soldier during the Civil War. He had enlisted in the 4th Wisconsin Cavalry on June 14, 1861 when he was 18 years old. Sergeant Handy was discharged five years later on June 9, 1866. As a Union mail carrier stationed at Las Cuevas near Sullivan City, Handy traveled along the Rio Grande on Road. During the War, Courier stations were established at intervals of 20 miles, from Brownsville to Laredo, through which semi-weekly mails were transmitted. Besides these duties, the regiment was employed in enforcement of revenue laws, with frequent scouting expeditions against Indians and other marauders.
Handy was involved in the Battle of Resaca de Las Palmas, the last battle of the Civil War, fought a month after the war ended. He learned that the war was over from a newspaper thrown to the troops from a steamboat.” *

Thomas James Handy
Residence: East Troy, Wisconsin
Service Record:
Promoted to Full Sergeant
Enlisted as a Corporal on 14 June 1861
Enlisted in Company F, 4th Cavalry Regiment Wisconsin on 14 June 1861
Mustered out on 28 May 1866
Sources: Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers: War of the Rebellion.
(WI Roster) Published in 1886

Name of Regiment: 4th Cavalry Regiment Wisconsin
Date of Organization: 22 August 1863
Muster Date: 28 May 1866
Regiment Type: Cavalry

This regiment was organized at Racine in June, 1861, with a numerical strength of 1,047. It was mustered in July 2, and was first used in suppressing bank riots in Milwaukee and Watertown.

It left the state July 15 and on the refusal of the railroad company to transfer it from Corning, N. Y., to Elmira, it seized the train and ran it to Elmira. It went into headquarters at the Relay house, Md., and later joined the "Eastern Shore" expedition, going to Baltimore in December.

On Feb. 19, 1862, it left for Fortress Monroe to join the New Orleans expedition, but was sent to Ship Island, Miss., until April 16. On the 28th Cos. E and G were landed 10 miles from Forts Jackson and St. Philip, after rowing 5 miles and drawing 30 boats loaded with arms and ammunition a mile and a half, while wading in mud and water waist deep.

The regiment, with the 31st Mass., was first landed in New Orleans and took forcible possession of the custom house. The 4th Wis. was occupied in scouting duty in detachments until July 26, when it was sent to Baton Rouge, Col. Paine taking command of the troops there with orders to burn the city with the exception of the state library, paintings, statuary and charitable institutions.

This order was afterwards revoked on Col. Paine's representation to Gen. Butler that the town "would be useful to our army for further military operations." The town was fortified thoroughly by the regiment, which was later ordered to Carrollton, near New Orleans, Co. G being detached for service with the heavy artillery, and 40 men were also transferred to the 2nd U. S. artillery.

The winter and spring were devoted to picket duty and small expeditions through Mississippi. The regiment took a prominent part in the battle of Fort Bisland near Brashear City in April. It was then sent to Opelousas, where it met and defeated a large mounted force of the enemy.

By order of Gen. Banks the regiment was mounted and thereafter served as cavalry. It was in numerous skirmishes until ordered to Port Hudson in May as part of the investing force.
It took part in the first assault and reached the ditch surrounding the fortifications, having been temporarily dismounted. It was in the second assault on June 14, losing 140 of the 220 men engaged in the charge.

It returned to Baton Rouge July 25, and passed the following year in picketing, foraging and preserving the peace in that section, occasionally capturing or dispersing small bands of cavalry and guerillas. On Nov. 27, 1864, it formed part of a cavalry force to keep the enemy near Mobile from advancing toward Gen. Sherman.

The winter was passed at Baton Rouge and the regiment was sent to Mobile in April, 1865. After the surrender of the latter place, the 4th was sent on a 70-day expedition through Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. In July it was ordered to Texas and remained there until May, 1866, to prevent
smuggling, guard against the Indians and preserve the peace.

It was mustered out May 28, 1866. Its original strength was 1,047. Gain by recruits, 982; substitutes, 16; reenlistments, 260; total, 2,305. Loss by death, 350; missing, 23; desertion, 74; transfer, 2, discharge, 474; mustered out, 754.

Source: The Union Army, Vol. 4
Battles Fought by Company F:

Fought at Jackson, LA.
Fought on 28 July 1861 at Relay House, MD.
Fought on 09 July 1862 at Vicksburg, MS.
Fought on 15 July 1862 at On Gunboat "Tyler".
Fought on 15 July 1862 at Yazoo River, MS.
Fought on 21 July 1862 at Vicksburg, MS.
Fought on 13 April 1863 at Bisland, LA.
Fought on 28 April 1863 at Vermillion, LA.
Fought on 27 May 1863 at Port Hudson, LA.
Fought on 28 May 1863 at Port Hudson, LA.
Fought on 29 May 1863 at Port Hudson, LA.
Fought on 03 June 1863 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 14 June 1863 at Port Hudson, LA.
Fought on 20 June 1863 at Jackson, LA.
Fought on 04 July 1863 at Port Hudson, LA.
Fought on 06 July 1863 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 08 September 1863 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 29 September 1863 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 05 October 1863 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 23 October 1863 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 08 November 1863.
Fought on 11 January 1864 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 01 February 1864 at New River, LA.
Fought on 08 February 1864 at Doyle's Plantation, LA.
Fought on 08 February 1864 at New River Landing, LA.
Fought on 09 February 1864.
Fought on 15 February 1864 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 08 March 1864 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 14 March 1864 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 01 April 1864 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 02 April 1864 at Baton Rouge, LA.
Fought on 03 May 1864 at Comite River, LA.
Fought on 11 June 1864 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 03 July 1864 at Rosedale, LA.
Fought on 06 August 1864 at Plaquemine, LA.
Fought on 25 August 1864 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 28 August 1864 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 05 October 1864 at Comite River, LA.
Fought on 10 October 1864.
Fought on 10 October 1864 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 08 November 1864.
Fought on 15 November 1864.
Fought on 15 November 1864 at Camp Beauregard, LA.
Fought on 17 November 1864 at Liberty, MS.
Fought on 03 March 1865 at Olive Branch, LA.
Fought on 05 March 1865 at Olive Branch, LA.
Fought on 07 March 1865 at Clinton, LA.
Fought on 27 May 1865 at Port Hudson, LA.
Fought on 02 June 1865.
Fought on 04 February 1866 at Brownsville, TX.


“On April 25, 1866, Handy married Angelita Cavazos of Azadores Ranch at present-day Run on the Military Highway; south of Donna. She was the daughter of Salvador Cavazos Sr. and San Juanita Anzaldua. He took his bride to Wisconsin for a time, but returned to live in the Rio Grande Valley.
Their seven children were Albert (married Melchora Yarritu), George (married second Elena Cantu), Chauncey (married Eduvijes Trevino), Thomas Milton(married Lucia Molina), lda(married Robert Lee Campbell), Edward(unmarried), and Eloisa(1880-1939, married Daniel Munoz 1877-1960). In 1876, Handy bought a strip of land, which was originally 3330 acres, extending from the river to north of the present city of Alamo. Price was 50 cents an acre. Here he engaged in stock-raising, with cattle, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, and chickens. Some land near the river was used for cultivation of watermelons, pink beans, corn, and Mexican pumpkins. He also hunted deer in the brush for food.

A day at the ranch began at 4:30 am, when the cows and goats had to milked. Then the sheep and goats were taken to pasture.
The ranch was self-sufficient. A 60-foot well provided water for man and animals. They made their own soap, cheese, butter, and sheared wool from the sheep. Thomas kept bee hives under a row of elm, hackberry, and tepeguage trees. Honey combs were placed in cheesecloth. Two people, one at each end of the cloth, would squeeze out the honey. The honey was deposited in glass jars, and then poured into two barrels of about 50-gallon capacity.

He kept a horse-drawn carriage at the ranch, probably brought over by ship. He used it to go to Donna, the six-hour trip to Brownsville, and the surrounding countryside. His son-in-law Daniel Munoz often drove it to Sal del Rey, to get salt for cooking, or for tanning hides. These hides were sold, and sent to tanners in Chicago.

During the Mexican Revolution border raids of 1913-1915, Thomas allowed a regiment of US soldiers to be stationed at the ranch. No one could go out at night, because they might have been taken as Mexican spies. The Soldiers were very friendly; Thomas James Handy's grand daughter. Mrs. Victoria Munoz Graza remembers the troops gave her a birthday cake they had made for her fifth birthday.

Oblate priests used to go on horseback between the ranches. When Daniel Munoz married Maria Eloisa Handy on June 16, 1903. The priest arrived the night before the wedding, and performed the ceremony around 5 am. There was a big celebration starting the night before the wedding, and lasted almost all night, with a dance, and much food: Cabrito, barbecue beef, salads, cakes, and pan de polvo cookies.

After Thomas James Handy passed away in 1927, his son Thomas Milton Handy tended to the land.
Eventually, the land was divided among Handy heirs. By the 1960's, the families had moved to town, and most of the land had been sold, much of it to the city of Alamo. Only a few Handy descendants remained on the ranch. Jose Handy, a grandson of Thomas J. Handy, was one of the last people to live out there. He had tended the cemetery until his death in 1977." **
**Farming information from from'Hidaglo County Farms and Ranches' book, passage written by Mary Reyna.


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Household Record 1880 United States Census

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Household in 1880:

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Thomas HANDY Self M Male W 36 WI WI WI
Angelita Handy Wife M Female W 32 MEX Keeping House MEX MEX
Chance Handy Son S Male W 13 TX At Home WI MEX
Thomas Handy Son S Male W 10 TX At Home WI MEX
Edward Handy Son S Male W 8 TX At Home WI MEX
George Handy Son S Male W 6 TX At Home WI MEX
Albert Handy Son S Male W 5 TX At Home WI MEX
Ida Handy Dau S Female W 1 TX At Home WI MEX
Dolores Cavazo Sister W Female W 28 MEX Keeping House MEX MEX
Teresa Cavazo Niece S Female W 6 TX At Home MEX MEX
Carolina Cavazo Niece S Female W 4 TX At Home MEX MEX

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Source Information:
Census Place Precinct 3, Cameron, Texas

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After the amry, Thomas became a U.S. Customs Inspector, some of his exploits were mentioned in the book, ‘I’d Rather Sleep in Texas’:
"Fifty-nine-year-old E.B.Barton, who managed the Sata Rosa ranch, and served as its magistrate, or encargado, for Hale and Parker Company and Cornelius Stillman, supported John McAllen's claim. He blamed the government for leaving the country "practically entirely unprotected by the State authorities, and ... troops of the United States and that the robbers, and soldiers of Mexico roam over it at will."
To support the claims further, Thomas J. Handy, a United States Customs Inspector at Santa Maria, testified to the committee that he and other inspectores had frequently caught Mexican bandits crossing cattle at various points along the river. On March 6, 1870, he said they saw men running stock on the Mexican side of the river after having crossed from the north bank. He said, head of Texan cattle on the Mexican bank. A few were mired down on the Texan side. Just above herd there were seventy to eighty armed Mexicans, having Spencer and Winchester rifles, sabers and revolvers... some were in uniform, some wearing Mexican uniform caps and dressed in a similar uniform... We saw some engaged in taking the hides off some cattle, which had mired and were drowned near the Mexican bank... We were powerless to do anything. I was too far off. I was informed they would shoot us if we went near them.

Handy said he found a group in 1871, who had stopped on the Mexican side, just having crossed some cattle. He exchanged gunfire on a few dates and captured some them. He recognized John McAllen's and W.G. Gamble's cattle brands.

He continued by describing how the bandits peeled the hides from the cattle, leaving their carcasses to rot. Rip Ford's Brownsville Sentinel in February 1873 reported that thieves would sometimes not wait for the animals to die, as the stealing of live cattle. Because peeling was carried on by a large number of men, and in more clandestine settings than rustling, the government had a difficult time tallying the actual number of cattle killed this way. It seems that in Mexico, the hides were more valuable then a live animal. Where each hid two and one-half cents to one dollars. In Texas, cattle prices had declined since the late 1860's, but still remained about six dollars a head in 1870, according to John McAllen."

Soure Book: 'I Would Rather Sleep in Texas'

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Memories of Victoria Handy Munoz (Thomas’ granddaughter) as recorded by her daughter Victoria E. Garza

“Grandmother Angelita inherited her portion of Cavazos land from Asadores Ranch in Runn, Texas which belonged to her father Salvador Gallegos Cavazos, ‘originally part of the La Blanca Land Grant’. After her marriage to Thomas J. Handy, she sold it, and pooled their money together to buy 3,300 acres at .50 cents an acre from Juan Jose Trevino, owner of the Agostadero del Gato Grant. Handy called his new ranch, La Eperanza (Hope).

By 1880 there holding, land, live stock, etc. was worth close to $6,000. That same year his father, Chauncey Charles died in Brownsville, Texas (by record found in the Brownsville City Cemetery). He took it hard, becoming ill himself, never quite recovering, leave him with a long term illness. During that time, until his death, most of the land was lost. Stories were told to explain the what happen.

"I never realized that my grandfather Thomas James Handy has lost some land until my Uncle Albert had gone back to court to try to get grandfather's land. Uncle Albert had trouble finding local lawyers to take the case because they were not willing to go against Hidalgo County in court. He found lawyers in Laredo, Texas.

According to my mother, grandfather had 3,330 acres of land, and lost it before she was born to the county of Hidalgo. It was after "Tatta", Thomas J. Handy, died that Uncle Albert began to reclaim the lost land. He lost his land by mortgaging it for $25 Mexican pesos in order to bail out a Mexican worker that had gotten thrown in jail for a offense, stealing a horse. He needed his help to gather his crops. They think he ran back to Mexico, but could only speculate. Grandfather got sick, and forgot about the small debt, which later came back to take away his land.

Uncle Albert did get $50 per acre, but at least half went to the lawyers in Laredo. The county did offer us properties in Alamo, but her father, Daniel Munoz was getting old, and felt he needed money. He was afraid to lose the properties to taxes id he accepted the offer. Thomas J. Handy, "Tatta", died broken hearted, and too ill to fight. He found his land was purchased by the Swallow Land Company. He was losing it daily to people who were buying the land. By the time he died at age 84, he felt all was lost.
Grandpa's 200 acres were then divided among Grandma Eloisa's brothers, George, Thomas, Chauncey, Albert, and Ida her only sister after he died. Uncle Thomas exchanged land sites with my mother Eloisa, and the others received the land site designated at the time. Thomas has his homestead on Eloisa's portion so it was logical for Uncle Thomas to stay there. Each brother and sister received 33.3 acres as a final settlement. Our Land later gave us 7 acres accretion (land as the Rio Grande River meandered by the river current).”
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But what the record show is that Chauncey Charles came to Texas in early months of 1880, and died in Brownsville, Texas on March 13, 1880 per Browsnvile City Cemetery Record of Interments. His death hit Thomas James hard, as he was taken ill shortly after. The illness became a long term illness. At this time the Handy’s holding, property, live stock, money, etc. were valued at nearly $6000 per probate records, a rather wealthy family for those days.

Probate from the Hidalgo County Court House states due to his long term illness, the family decided to ask a niece of Angelita’s, Gertrude Hines Davila, daughter of Delores Cavazos Hines, to be guardian to Thomas James’ estate. All dealing for the estate would be watched and approve by the court. Gertrude seemed at the start to be doing what she could for the family. But the questions remain about land sales, and checks that were written by the guardian. Just 2 some examples:

On August 27, 1926, Gertrude entered into an agreement to sell 61acres at $50 an acre to C.D. Crow , total $3050, but on August 2, 1926 the 61 acres were sold for only $100 for all 61 acres. This as the paper state, “ it further appearing upon examination that the said sale was fairly made, and in conformity with law, and the said land bought for a fair price..”. I think NOT, some could put blame on Gertrude, and I can’t say they’re wrong, but the court had to approve the sale, A. W. Cameron, County Judge, Hidalgo County, Texas, or did the Judge change the terms on the contract forcing Gertrude and the family into added hardship.



Thomas also owned lots #1, 2, 7, and 8 in block # 376 of the Western Division of the City of Laredo in Webb County. In September 1926, Gertrude sued the City of Laredo to recover the lots for the Handy Estate. Record show there was no money to help pay for legal fee’s. An offer was made bye the defendant, Ricardo Chavana to compromise the case by agreed judgment under which Ricardo Chavana would take title to the property in consideration of $1,800, paid and to be paid as follows: $600 in cash to be paid the plaintiff, and two notes for $600 each, one to be paid to Alfred Lissner, and R.L. Bobbitt each being the owner of and undivided 1/3 interest in the claim, and the cause of action. The note will be vendor’s lien notes executed by defendant, Ricardo Chavan, due one and two years after date with 8 26800796nterest per annum from date, the notes to be dated the 22nd day of March 1927, and providing that failure to pay one will at the election of the holder of either note mature them both, and said notes to provide the usual 10attorney’s fee clause. Thomas died on August 04, 1927, never seeing the money.

After his death, Gertrude was released as guardian; Chauncey S. Handy, Thomas’ eldest son, became the executer of what was left of the estate. Per probate records, he fairly distributed the land, and money to the surviving family members.

The major portion of the land is no longer in the family’s hands, but no matter who owns the land, in the Rio Grande Valley that same group of acres will always be call the Handy Land Tact, as recorded by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, so the legacy lives on to this day.





By Samuel Handy Ybarra

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Note: Edward, a single man at a dance, was seen dancing with a woman that was separated from her husband. Later that evening he was shoot riding his horse home from a dance by an unknown aslant, who was never found.

Source: Victora Handy Munoz Garza

Per Handy Family Bible: Edward William Handy died September 25, 1898 at Rancho del Sanez, Hidalgo County, Texas at sundown.

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