Oury, William Sanders, 1817-1887

Pioneer Tucsonan, rancher and politician.

The oldest of nine children of Augustus Oury, William Sanders Oury (1817-1887) was born in Abingdon, Virginia. In 1833, he moved to Texas, after his family settled in Missouri. During the Texas Revolution, Oury rode to San Antonio with William Barret Travis and served in the Alamo garrison, leaving on a courier mission just before the battle of the Alamo began. He was also a courier for Sam Houston and fought in the battle of San Jacinto. In 1840, Oury joined the Texas Rangers in their battles against Comanche Indians at Plum Creek and Bandera Pass. A member of the 1842 Mier expedition, he survived an execution lottery by Mexican captors and returned to Texas to fight in the Mexican War, serving as an interpreter for General Zachary Taylor. Oury married Inez Garcìa of Durango, Mexico, in 1849, and the couple headed to California in pursuit of gold soon afterward. In 1856, the family moved to Tucson, Arizona, where Oury became a cattle rancher and was elected sheriff several times. Oury was also a leader in the April 1871 Camp Grant Massacre of Apache Indians.

Source:

Groneman, Bill. “ Oury, William Sanders .” Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed February 17, 2011.

The oldest of nine children of Augustus Oury, William Sanders Oury (1817-1887) was born in Abingdon, Virginia. In 1833, he moved to Texas, after his family settled in Missouri.

During the Texas Revolution, Oury rode to San Antonio with William Barret Travis and served in the Alamo garrison, leaving on a courier mission just before the battle of the Alamo began. He was also a courier for Sam Houston and fought in the battle of San Jacinto. In 1840, Oury joined the Texas Rangers in their battles against Comanche Indians at Plum Creek and Bandera Pass. A member of the 1842 Mier expedition, he survived an execution lottery by Mexican captors and returned to Texas to fight in the Mexican War, serving as an interpreter for General Zachary Taylor. Oury married Inez Garcìa of Durango, Mexico, in 1849, and the couple headed to California in pursuit of gold soon afterward. In 1856, the family moved to Tucson, Arizona, where Oury became a cattle rancher and was elected sheriff several times. Oury was also a leader in the April 1871 Camp Grant Massacre of Apache Indians.