Battle of the Brazos: A Texas Football Rivalry, a Riot, and a Murder

by T. G. Webb

Overview

During halftime of the October 30, 1926, football game between Baylor University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, a massive riot erupted between the two student bodies that resulted in the death of Texas A&M senior cadet Charles Sessums. Though various newspaper articles have chronicled this infamous “cold case” over the last ninety years, none has placed the riot in its proper context, nor has any official determination ever identified the person responsible for Sessums’s death.

T. G. Webb has pored over related historic documents, including contemporary newspaper accounts, records in the library archives of both universities, personal correspondence of the victim’s family, and the original report of the Pinkerton detective hired by Texas A&M to investigate the incident.

In Battle of the Brazos, Webb examines and explains the riot, its origins, and its aftermath, untangling many enduring myths that grew up around the event over the years to establish the definitive record. He allows readers to witness the heart-breaking arrival of Cadet Sessums’s parents at the Waco train station as they came to receive the body of their deceased son, and he places readers amid the swirl of charges, recriminations, and allegations that clouded the atmosphere at both Texas A&M and Baylor. Most significantly, Webb provides previously unpublished indications of a cover-up designed to shield the killer’s identity from public knowledge.

This “historical whodunit” is a must-read for sports fans and historians, devotees of “leather-helmet” football, local history buffs, and Texas football enthusiasts alike.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623496616
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date:	07/30/2018
Series:	Swaim-Paup Sports Series, sponsored by James C. '74 & Debra Parchman Swaim and T. Edgar '74 & Nancy Paup
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	1,153,664
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

T. G. WEBB is an avid college football fan and local historian. He lives and works in Waco.

Table of Contents

Foreword John A. Adams Jr. ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: The Battle of the Brazos 1

Part I The Rivalry 5

Chapter 1 The Most Tragic Event 7

Chapter 2 Brazos Bottom 12

Chapter 3 Friendly Enemies 24

Chapter 4 A Perfect Day 43

Part II The Riot 59

Chapter 5 All Hades Broke Loose 61

Chapter 6 Hard for Wisdom to Find Its Way 74

Chapter 7 Through! 91

Chapter 8 There Shall Be No Regrets 97

Part III The Murder 105

Chapter 9 The Baylor Incident 107

Chapter 10 "The City with a Soul" 116

Chapter 11 "He Is Just Away" 126

Epilogue: Taps 135

Appendix A Announcement of the Cancellation of Athletic Contracts between the A&M College of Texas and Baylor University 137

Appendix B A Letter from Samuel Palmer Brooks to the Parents of Charlie Sessums 139

Appendix C Account of Charles M. Sessums' Death following A&M-Baylor Football Game, October 30, 1926, and the Later Death of His Assailant 141

Notes 145

Bibliography 161

Index 165

Editorial Reviews

As a fan of Texas history in general and Texas sports in particular, I loved the research and story told by T.G. Webb in Battle of the Brazos. I've researched the story myself and written about it twice, if that tells you anything. Webb did a better job of digging, and I enjoyed the results immensely.” —Kevin Sherrington, Sports columnist, Dallas Morning News

Kevin Sherrigton

"This excellent short book should be part of any course on southern history, the history of Texas, or the history of sport. Given some of the unpleasant events that take place during rivalry week each autumn, it is also a warning about letting our sporting passions get the better of us."—The Journal of Southern History

The Journal of Southern History

The football rivalry between Baylor and Texas A&M goes back a long, long way. It has always been intense on both sides, but most of the time, the two schools confined the actual hitting to the two teams on the field. One time, with dreadful consequences, passions overflowed and a tragedy occurred. T. G. Webb has done a masterful job of tracing the history of this powerful event, separating fiction from fact and telling parts of the story that have never seen the light of day until now. Whether your favorite color combination is maroon and white, green and gold, or something else, you need to read this book.”—Grant Teaff, head coach, Baylor football, 1972–1992

Grant Teaff

"A fascinating mix of sports history and true crime mystery."—Galveston County Daily News

Galveston County Daily News