Woodford H. Mabry

{{short description|19th adjutant general of Texas, namesake of Camp Mabry}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Woodford H. Mabry

| image = Woodford H. Mabry.jpg

| order = 19th

| office = Adjutant General of Texas

| term_start = January 23, 1891

| term_end = May 5, 1898

| governor = Jim Hogg
Charles A. Culberson

| predecessor = Wilburn Hill King

| successor = Alfred Prior Wozencraft

| birth_date = {{birth date|1856|09|03}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1899|01|04|1819|05|01}}

| birth_place = Jefferson, Texas, U.S.

| death_place = San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

| resting_place = Oakwood Cemetery
Jefferson, Texas, U.S.

| allegiance =

| branch =

| branch_label =

| serviceyears =

| rank = Captain
Brigadier-General

| battles = *Spanish–American War

| spouse = Lucy Allen

| children = 7

| alma_mater = Virginia Military Institute

| relations = Hinche Parham Mabry (father)

}}

Woodford H. Mabry (September 3, 1856 – January 4, 1899) was a career military officer who served as the 19th adjutant general of Texas from 1891 until 1898. He is the namesake of Camp Mabry.{{Cite web |title=A brief history of Camp Mabry |url=http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/mabry.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509150528/http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/mabry.htm |archive-date=9 May 2015 |access-date=4 July 2017 |website=Texas Military Forces Museum}}

Early life and education

Mabry was born in Jefferson, Texas on September 3, 1856, the son of Confederate Colonel Hinche Parham Mabry and Abbie Haywood Mabry. He attended Virginia Military Institute before entering the wholesaling business.{{Cite web |title=Brigadier General Woodford H. Mabry |url=https://texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/hallofhonor/mabry.htm |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org}} He was married to Lucy Allen, and they had seven children.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Mabry, Woodford Haywood |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mabry-woodford-haywood |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}

Military career

File:Txrangers3.jpg in 1896. Mabry is at the front row on the far left.]]

In January 1891, Mabry was appointed Adjutant General of Texas by Governor of Texas Jim Hogg.{{Cite book |last=Weiss, Jr. |first=Harold J. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Yours_to_Command/WPDcokNyDWgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&pg=PA131-IA2&printsec=frontcover |title=Yours to Command: The Life and Legend of Texas Ranger Captain Bill McDonald |date=2009 |publisher=University of North Texas Press |isbn=978-1-57441-260-4 |language=en}} The following year, in 1892, Mabry urged Austin citizens to donate more than 85 acres for the purposes of providing training space for members of the Texas Volunteer Guard.{{Cite web |title=Camp Mabry Continues History of Community Involvement - Texas Military Department |url=https://tmd.texas.gov/camp-mabry-continues-history-of-community-involvement |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=tmd.texas.gov |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=Michael |title=Dipping into Camp Mabry’s military past |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/local/2013/01/20/dipping-into-camp-mabrys-military-past/10182972007/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en-US}}{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historic_Photos_of_Austin/PIruEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&pg=RA1-PT20&printsec=frontcover |title=Historic Photos of Austin |date=2006-10-01 |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |isbn=978-1-61858-601-8 |language=en}}

During his tenure as Adjutant General, Mabry was recognized for raising the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers and the Texas Volunteer Guard to high standards of operations and efficiency.{{Cite book |last=Utley |first=Robert M. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lone_Star_Justice/YVKJesvTyNIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&pg=PA242-IA11&printsec=frontcover |title=Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers |date=2002-05-16 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-802932-8 |language=en}} He also led activities to prevent mob violence in Texas, oppress the revolutionary activities of Catarino Garza, and attempt to stop the illegal Maher–Fitzsimmons fight.{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Thomas Ty |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Garza_War_in_South_Texas/iWS2EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&pg=PR32&printsec=frontcover |title=The Garza War in South Texas: A Military History, 1890–1893 |date=2023-11-30 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn=978-0-8061-9361-8 |language=en}}

= Spanish–American War =

With the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Mabry resigned his post as Adjutant General in May 1898 and took command, as a colonel, of the 1st Texas Volunteer Infantry.

In 1898, shortly before his death, Mabry was recommended for a commission as a Major by Brigadier General Lloyd Wheaton and major general of volunteers J. Warren Keifer.{{Cite news |date=January 7, 1899 |title=Colonel Mabry Dead |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r79RAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA4&dq=Colonel+Mabry&article_id=985,34273&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjz6uawu7-LAxVcFlkFHbhAJgYQ6AF6BAgEEAM#v=onepage&q=Colonel%20Mabry&f=false |work=The Victoria Advocate |pages=4}}

Death

General Mabry died of malaria on January 4, 1899 at Camp Columbia.{{Cite book |last=Brager |first=Bruce |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Texas_36th_Division_A_History/C2HBEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&pg=PT44&printsec=frontcover |title=The Texas 36th Division — A History |date=2023-05-29 |publisher=Eakin Press |isbn=978-1-68179-325-2 |language=en}} In recognition of his service, the United States Congress granted a life pension to his widow of fifty dollars per month.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Statutes_at_Large_the_United_States/eKiX_NuTV3EC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&pg=PA309&printsec=frontcover |title=The Statutes at Large of the United States Congress |date=1901 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |language=en}}

Awards and honors

Fort Mabry was named in his honor in 1892 by vote of the companies of the Texas Volunteer Guard.{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Texas_Military_History/eYZ2RDkWZKAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&dq=%22Woodford+H.+Mabry%22&printsec=frontcover |title=Texas Military History |date=1961 |publisher=National Guard Association of Texas |language=en}}

In 1988, Mabry was posthumously inducted to the Texas Hall of Honor in 1988.{{Cite web |title=Hall of Honor: By Year of Induction |url=https://texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/hallofhonor/chronological.htm |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org}}{{Cite web |title=Brigadier General Woodford H. Mabry |url=https://hallofhonors.frb.io/inductees/brigadier-general-woodford-h-mabry |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=hallofhonors.frb.io}} His uniform is on display at the Texas Military Forces Museum.{{Cite web |title=Museum Virtual Tour – The Texas Military Forces Museum |url=https://texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/?page_id=4790 |access-date=2025-02-13 |language=en-US}}