Franklin Alexander–31 Jan 1846–married Mary Henrietta Vardell 26 Sep 1872 in Brenham, Texas. In the Civil War he joined under Chalmers–Nathan Bedford Forrest and was a messenger because he was an excellent horseman and owned a fine horse. The Harbisons had horses in Tennessee also. The story goes that after the war, Franklin returned to the plantation and built it up again, raised fine crops, but the prices were so bad, he was not making near as much as before. One day, a carpetbagger came to the plantation and tried to rape one of the women. Franklin got in a scuffle with him and shot the man dead. In those days, it was dangerous for plantation owners or any southern people to contend with the carpetbaggers. So, Franklin had to immediately leave or be prosecuted. He put his provisions on his horse and his mother brought out his quilt and he carried it with him always. (We still have that quilt!) The men from the masonic lodge got together and rode with Franklin to the boarder of Texas into the Sabine Pass, which was called a no-man’s land. Franklin went to Brehnam where other relatives were and began a new life as a Wells Fargo agent. Mary Henrietta had met him in Lowndesboro because their parents were Methodist elders together. She came to Brehnam, got off the stagecoach and Franklin was there to greet her. They were married about 3 months later!558