Hatch (Sylvanus) Collection, 1809-1885
Description
Sylvanus Hatch was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on 1788 June 1. In 1809, he relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where he became a Master Mason in Solomon's Lodge No. 1. Two years later, he settled in Louisiana. Enlisting in the army at the beginning of the War of 1812, Hatch served as Adjutant under General Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. Hatch first came to Texas in 1828 and settled in Austin's colony soon after, receiving a grant for land along the Lavaca River in Jackson County. Hatch later relocated to Chocolate Bayou in Victoria County (now Calhoun County) and built a large home known as Agua Dulce.
The Sylvanus Hatch collection contains letters, legal documents, financial documents and other personal and business items. Included are agreements between Sylvanus Hatch and several Louisiana residents in which Hatch agrees to pay their passage to Texas in exchange for a part of any land granted to them. Other items include a marriage record, genealogical notes on the family of Hatch's wife, and resolutions by two Masonic lodges upon his death.