The Beginning:

Thomas Jefferson Gazley’s life began on August 13, 1798, near the Clinton - LaGrange area of Duchess County, New York. This location was not too unlike LaGrange, Fayette County, Texas, or Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas. Each of these locations had easy access to broad waterways (the Hudson River and the Colorado River respectively); and each contained ample fresh water, abundant wildlife, and rolling country rich in minerals and agricultural resources. Those assets were sufficient to offer opportunities for sustained settlement and trade with the outside world. It was into this type of environment that Thomas Jefferson Gazley began his life, and in which he established his new frontier home upon his arrival in “Tejas”.

(Birth Date Note: Multiple data sources have been studied. Six of those indicate that Gazley was born on January 8, 1801; and, six other sources indicate that he was born in 1798, with two specific as to August 13, 1798. Clarifying information will be both beneficial and appreciated.)