Francis Marion Evans was the eighth child of William George Evans, Senior and his wife, Susan James Owens. William George Evans, Senior and his wife had eleven sons and three daughters.

William George was the son of Jehu Evans, a Revolutionary War soldier, and Elizabeth McMurray. On March 1, 1827 in Newton County, Georgia, he married Susan James Owens, daughter of John Nicholson Owens and Elizabeth Lucy Childs. In 1836, William George served in the War with the Creek Indians in Florida, for which he later drew 40 acres of bounty land. Their tenth child was born in 1841 in Troup County, Georgia. By 1844 they were in Chambers County, Alabama where they lived for one year (Susan James Owens' parents, John Nicholson Owens and Elizabeth Lucy Childs Owens, and at least two sisters lived in Chambers County, Alabama), moved to Claibourne Parish, Louisiana for one year and then moved on to Smith County, Texas in 1846. William George Evans, Senior is found on the tax rolls in Smith County in 1848 and in the 1850 census records in Smith County, Texas. On August 31, 1857, William George Evans, Sr. was contracted to build the first courthouse of Palo Pinto County, Texas for $300.00. The family lived in Smith County, Denton County, Parker County and Palo Pinto County (near Graford). When the Civil War began, the United States withdrew its troops from Texas. The Indians began raiding and murdering settlers. When the Indian raids worsened, he moved his family back to Weatherford, Parker County. All eleven boys served in the Civil War and all returned without a scratch. William George was also on the survey crew who laid off the first road to Mesquiteville, the present town of Jacksboro. He lived the remainder of his life in Parker County, Texas.

Francis served in the Civil War as a Corporal in the 34th Texas Calvary, Company F (also known as the 2nd Partisan Rangers) as did his brother First Sgt. Green F. Evans and Sgt. James Wiley Peters (brother of Martha Jane Peters who married William George Evans, Junior, another of Francis' brothers).

Col. Almarine Alexander raised the 2nd Partisan Rangers, Texas State Troops at Sherman,Texas in the winter of 1861-1862 with recruits from Parker County to the west, to Lamar County to the east. In the spring of 1862, Alexander's 2nd Partisan Rangers moved north on the Texas Road to Tahlequah,Indian Territory and joined Col. Douglas Cooper and his Indian regiments where the 2nd Partisan Rangers were accepted into Confederate service as the 34th Texas Cavalry Regiment.

Col.Douglas Cooper's Brigade then moved northeast into southern Missouri where the brigade joined Col. John T. Coffee's 6th Missouri Cavalry, Stevens 22nd Texas Cavalry, and Hawpes 31st Texas Cavalry at Camp Coffee, six miles south of Newtonia, Missouri. In late September, 1862, Union forces advanced on Newtonia and were met by vicious Confederate fire and fled back to the north in disarray. After the battle of Newtonia, the 22nd and 34th Texas Cavalry were dismounted due to their unsuitable cavalry mounts. The 34th Texas Dismounted Cavalry marched south into Arkansas and joined Col.Thomas Coke Bass's 20th Texas Cavalry. On Dec. 7, 1862, the the 20th and 34th Texas Cavalry fought at Prairie Grove Arkansas and stopped the Union advance before they had to retire from the field after their ammunition was exhausted. In January 1863, the 34th Texas Dismounted Cavalry joined the 15th Texas Infantry and marched through deep snow to Texas, leaving the 20th Texas Cavalry in Indian Territory.

In the spring of 1863, the Col.Joseph Warren Speight's 15th Texas Infantry and the 34th Dismounted Cavalry were moved back to Louisiana where the 34th Texas Dismounted Cavalry was retrained as infantry. In the summer of 1863, the regiments engaged the Union forces at Stirling's Plantation and Bayou Bourbeau. In the fall of 1863, the 34th Texas Dismounted Cavalry joined Brig.Gen.Camille de Polgnac's Brigade and skirmished at Vidalia and Harrisonburg Louisiana. In early 1864, Polignac's Brigade fought at Mansfield and Yellow Bayou. They surrendered May 26, 1865.


On January 13, 1859 in Collin County Texas, Francis married Martha Webb Throckmorton of Fayetteville Town, Washington County, Arkansas (found in the 1850 census of Fayetteville Town, Washington County, Arkansas listed with her father William A.L. Throckmorton, her mother Eliza, and two sisters Mary and Caroline). On Martha's (Mattie) death certificate, it also states Martha was born in Arkansas and that her mother was Throckmorton, born in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

According to the 1880 census of Weston, Collin County, Texas, seven children were living with Francis and Martha:

1. Laura J. Evans, born November 24, 1859, died March 5, 1934, buried in Justin, Denton County, Texas.
2. Christiana Evans, born around 1862.
3. John M. Evans, born around 1865.
4. Dixie D. Evans, born around 1866.
5. Demaratta D. Evans, born around 1868.
6. Edward T. Evans, born around 1874.
7. James T. Evans, born November 23, 1876, died March 21, 1928, buried in Justin, Denton County. Texas.

Francis Marion Evans died in 1907 and is buried in the Mugg Cemetery,Weston, Collin County, Texas next to his wife, Martha Webb Throckmorton Evans, who died January 2, 1916.

above bio from findagrave contributor: Katrina Jenkins 47437162