Charles Francis Delmas, the son of Mary Horner Watters born in Maryland and Francis Aime Delmas born in the West Indies, was born 14 August 1810 in Harford County, Maryland.  Named for his maternal grandfather Charles Watters and for his own father, Charles was baptized 14 October 1816 at Old St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral in Baltimore, Maryland with paternal uncle and aunt Louis Victor Alexis Andre/Amede Delmas and Victorine Marie Francoise Louise Delmas as sponsors.

Charles was received into the Milam Municipality of Robertson's Colony (Texas) on 22 February 1836. That year he served as a private in Captain Dexter's Comapny from the 10 May to 10 August, then from the 10 August to 10 November in the 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade, Texas Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Edwin Morehouse.  Even though he received bounty warrants #2869 and #2870 for a total of 640 acres, the land in San Patricio County, Texas was not actually patented until 1874.

Among the first settlers of the Republic of Texas, Charles was listed as an 1840 citizen of Texas living in Victoria County, where he held a second class headright certificate.  He was granted 1,480 acres of land in the Victoria District, lying in that portion which in 1846 became DeWitt and Lavaca Counties.  This land was patented in 1847.  While in the area, he boarded "off and on" in a home in what was then known as Victoria Guadalupe, and later Victoria.

Charles lived in Texas only from 1836 to 1840 when he and another man made their way to San Carlos, State of Tamaulipas, Mexico to buy silver or gold mines.  They believed that the north-east portion of Mexico would become part of Texas.  No mines being available, Charles purchased acreage instead, naming his property La Reforma Ranch; he became a rancher and shopkeeper or merchant.  Charles owned enough cattle to stretch all the way to the Texas border, and beyond; there were rumors of smuggling.  Listed as Carlos Francisco in Mexican records, Charles died 14 October 1896, in San Carlos.  Although he lived out his life in a Spanish-speaking country, he never learned to speak the language.

Three generations were born in and grew up in the family home on La Reforma Ranch.  In the Mexican Revolution of 1910 this ranch was confiscated by the government.  The only thing left to the family was the house with a small amount of surrounding property on which to keep some animals.

In Mexico Charles was married first, before 1848, to Simona Soto, who passed away in 1856; they were blessed with three sons.  Records confirm that two were Francisco (named after his paternal grandfather) and Juan Teodoro (named after a paternal uncle and a great-uncle).  It is possible that the oldest son was Victor (named after a paternal great-great grandfather, Victor Hanot).

Charles married second between 1857 and 1859, Aquilina de la Garza; she passed away before 4 April 1888.  They were blessed with two children, a fact confirmed in civil records: Maria Luisa (named Maria after her grandmother Mary Horner Watters Delmas and Luisa after her great-aunt Victorine Marie Francoise Louise Delmas) and Emilio Charles (named after his father)

Although his service to the Republic of Texas, as well as his presence in the Republic, was brief, both qualify the female descendants of Charles Francis Delmas for membership in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.  God bless Texas and the USA!

Suzy Burt, Descendant