| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
From the Author's Statement of Intent:
Captain Jesse Billingsley (1810-1880) was born in Tennessee and came to Texas in 1834.
Known as a fearless fighter and friend of David Crocket, Billingsley was elected Captain of the
Mina Volunteers, Company C, of the Republic of Texas Army.
Captain Billingsley is described as “The Old Rock” of San Jacinto and credited with being the
first to yell, “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!” in an emotional speech to his men the
night before the battle. At the Battle of San Jacinto, Billingsley and his Rangers were the first
into Santa Anna’s camp and suffered the most casualties of all the frontiersmen. Despite being
crippled in his left hand from a gunshot wound during the fight at San Jacinto, Billingsley
continued to participate in almost every major skirmish on the Texas frontier and was awarded a
league of land for his valor under fire.
Captain Billingsley went on to serve as a representative of Bastrop County in the First and
Second Congress and as a senator in the Fifth and Eighth Legislatures of Texas. Captain
Billingsley sacrificed his public career by taking a stand against secession from the Union and by
becoming an advocate for the literacy of slaves.
S.B. 2055 honors this Texas hero by designating State Highway Loop 223 in McDade, Bastrop
County, the Captain Jesse Billingsley Memorial Highway