USA > Nebraska > Pioneer sketches, Nebraska and Texas > Part 2
USA > Texas > Pioneer sketches, Nebraska and Texas > Part 2
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We had the native yoke of cattle left, but they were old.
We put in our crop of corn and began to break out more land.
In the summer we could see he grasshoppers flying north, and they were so thick that a person could look at the sun at noonday without dazzling the eyes.
Our corn was a little late, and one afternoon about four o'clock the 'hoppers began to light in on us from the north, and in half an hour the yard was completely covered with them, as also was the corn. They made a roaring noise in eating the corn plants. The next day there wasn't a blade left. The garden was eaten up too-nothing but the holes where the turnips and onions were planted were lett.
We had no wheat that year; but those who did had a good crop.
We planted squash when we planted the corn, and the grasshoppers almost destroyed the vines, but after the 'hop- pers left we were blessed with several good rains, and the vines began to bloom nicely and finally made a good yield.
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We put the squashes away in a dug-out for winter; father also sold $25 worth at 10 cents each.
We did not have butter to put on our squash, as we had no feed to keep the cattle up. So father thought the cows would do butter to let them go through the winter without giving milk, and they were turned dry in the fall-conse- quently we had neither butter or milk. To our surprise the cattle kept fat all winter from running on the buffalo grass on the prairies. When there was no snow on the ground the stock would go out and pick the buffalo grass like it was summer-they would not eat nice bright hay when they could get the buffalo grass-and there was plenty of it, as the upland had very little of any other kind.
During the fall we had to butcher the two or three hogs we had to keep them from starving to death, and they were so poor that they did not contain grease enough to fry them- selves in.
Other states sent aid to this section during the winter. Our distributing point was Edgar. Father would go after a load early in the morning and make the trip in a day. He would start from Edgar with 2000 pounds of supplies, and by the time he reached home he had made a trip of about 40 miles, and they would set him out a 501b sack of corn meal for his day's work. We had to sift out the mouse nests from some of it before we could eat. We alway had plenty of such as it was to keep from starving, but it was corn- bread seven days in the week. We often had callers who who were as hungry as we to share the cornbread with, but had nothing with which to pay for what they ate, yet no one was turned away hungry or refused a night's lodging; ev- ery man was a brother whether we had ever seen him be- fore or not.
Father traded a neckyoke to a neighbor for a bushel of
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potatoes. Mother would boil one or two for the younger children, and the older ones would eat the pealings; this would make mother cry, but we did not know we were hurt- ing her feelings by potato pealings.
Sometime in the latter part of the winter or early spring father traded his oxen and wagon for a team of horses and and wagon-just changed drivers.
The nearest grist mill was at Hebron, thirty miles away.
We had no corn or oats with which to feed the horses, so we got some wheat through the "aid," which we boiled and gave to each animal a quart at a feed, and they did nicely on this ration. Today, what could we do with one small team for breaking prairie and raising a orop? Then, in a short time, we traded for a span of small mules, but they had been overheat and when warm weather came were not much force; these we traded for another team of horses, one of which was said to be balky, but we never saw him balk- these animals were small, in fact most all the horses here at that time were small; I do not remember seeing a team that would weigh over 1200.
The grasshoppers had laid their eggs in the sod in the fall, and during a warm spell of weather the following spring they hatched out, and then we had about three weeks of cold, chilly, rainy weather which caused the 'hoppers to perish. During that time father was setting back the sod, and the young 'hoppers would get into the furrow for shel- ter and by the time the team came around in plowing the 'hoppers were so thick they would cause the horses to slip. If they had been full grown they would have filled the fur- row. In the winter we placed a pod of the eggs on a fire- shovel and then poured boiling water on the eggs, and, in- stead of cooking them, in five minutes we had a full-formed 'hopper in each egg.
W. B. WRIGHT.
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During the first year we were here Indian relics were so common we did not take any notice of them. We found lots of arrow-heads and stones for grinding food; we also found brass rings, buckels, a canteen, arrow-points and empty cartridge hulls around the carcass' of the buffalo; in those days many deer and elk horns were quite plentiful, which today would be valuable as relics, but we never thought of saving them, and they lay around the house until lost or picked up by people visiting from other states.
The first five years, from '73 to '78, were the trying times. We never heard a sermon for four years, and had no Bible schools until years after. You look at this country now and see the wealth and everything civilization brings, but you can never realize the cost of it all to the pioneer. I feel like taking off my hat when I meet these old men of courage who had hearts of steel, and who always gave a warm welcome to the stranger in need of food or shelter. In these men and women still is found the greatest hospitality today. There are very few exceptions to these principles of the pioneer life. We cannot show to high appreciation for what they have done for us.
JAMES PARKERSON
DEATH OF JAMES PARKERSON, AGED 118 YEARS.'
W E are called upon this week to chronicle an event which very seldom falls to the lot of the average editor-publish the obituary of a citizen who has lived one full century and in part of two others; but such is our duty today. The town was shock. ed when word went out that the oldest citizen of the city had "crossed over the river," and the news was received with much regret.
James Parkerson was born in the State of Tennessee, October 22, 1793, and died in Hico, Texas, November 17, 1911, at the advance age of 118 years, 1 month and 26 days. His faithful companion, who is past 92 years of age, was with him at the time his spirit took its departure.
The funeral was conducted at the residence at 1 o'clock Saturday afternoon, Rev. Britton Ross, pastor of the Bap- tist church, performing the last sad rites. Interment was made in the Hico cemetery.
We deem it a privilege to have known a man who had such vitality and vim to master Old Father Time as did this man, but regret that we have not taken the opportui- ties to learn some of his interesting history. However, through the kindness of Mr. G. Fisk, editor of the Cisco Round-Up, we are permitted to reprint the following sketch which appeared in a special edition of that excellent
1 Reprinted from The Hico (Texas) News-Review, date of November 24. 1911.
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paper issued some two years ago, at which time Mr. Park- erson was a resident of Cisco:
James Parkerson, living near Cisco, is said to be the oldest man living. He was born on the 22nd day of Octo- ber, 1793, in the State of Tennessee. He has lived in three centuries, and has fought in every one of our country's wars since 1812. As shown by government and veteran pension rolls he served in the Black Hawk war. Mexican war and the Texas Independence war, and draws a pen- sion, $16.00 per month, from the Black Hawk war. He was with Hickory Jackson in his wars and in the New Orleans battle. He lived in Eastland county before the war, on the Leon. Being a Confederate soldier he attends the Eastland county reunion, and is sure from year to year that he will attend the next meeting. He is the father of eight children, has thirty grand-children living, and he does not know how many great-grand-children. His sec- ond wife, now ninety years old, is still living. Two of his sisters, each over one hundred years old, Jive in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It is remarkable to say he has never worn glasses, can read without them. Having used tobac- co for about twenty years, he is not a slave to it. Over fif- ty years ago he joined the Baptist church and has lived the consistant life of a christian ever since. Very few of his teeth have been given to the dentist, and his hair is on- ly medium grey. Has a heavy beard, is quite erect in fig- ure, walks with a cane, and it takes a young man to keep apace with him. In conversation with him as to how he had fared through life, he said he had been hungry many times, living on pop corn for a week at a time, but at the hard intervals in life he gave very little thought to some- thing for himself, it was always for others. After a con- versation with him it should make the young of today take on new aspirations, and strive to live as long as this old man has, and at his extreme age be as active.
THE FAMOUS DOVE CREEK FIGHT.1
T HROUGH the courtesy of some of the few surviv- ors of the famous Dove Creek fight, we give be- low a sketch of the marches and history of the fight from the time march was taken up until it ended.
Mr. George Scrutchfield of Clifton has furn- ished us with data taken from the diary of his father, the late Judge Scrutchfield, who was a member of the party. Judge Scrutchfield kept tab on the dates and many inter- esting incidents that the students of today have not heard of, and which are not only a part of the history of Texas, but are interesting to read.
There are only six survivors of this fight that are now living in Comanche county, these being Jack Wright, John Anderson, George Jaynes, Aaron Cunningham, Dave Cun- ningham, Dick Cunningham.
We are pleased to be able to give our readers an ac- count of this expedition, which was the biggest Indian fight that ever took place in Texas, and while not written in the Texas histories, it was a turning point in her his- tory. Without the Dove Creek fight Texas' history would no doubt have been different from what has been recorded. The following is taken from the diary of Judge Scrutch- field:
"Friday, Dec. 16, 1864. Order came for the militia to
1 Reprinted from The Comanche (Texas) Chief, date of November 25, 1911.
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meet at Meridian on the 18th. Capt. Gillintine had dis covered a camp and trail of Indians on the Clear Fork of the Brazos, 35 miles above Fort Phantom Hill. Capt. Tot- ton and I started to Waco in the evening and rode until late in the night.
"Dec. 17. We got to Waco, bought 6,000 caps, got four Tonks for trailers. Captain left that night for home. I stayed.
"Dec. 18. Came home with the Indians.
"Dec. 19. Reached Meridian at 9 o'clock in the night in the rain.
"Dec. 20. Reached Wiley's store in the snow.
"Dec. 21. Reached Stephenville. Snow deep.
"Dec. 22. Camped 6 miles above Stephenville.
"Dec. 23. Marched to Jamison's Peak and camped, horses stampeded in the night.
"Dec. 24. Stayed in camp all day. Huntea horses.
"Dec. 25. Marched all day; camped above Flanigan's ranch.
"Dec. 26. Reached Camp Salmon. Company organiz- ed. Whole strength, 500 men.
"Dec. 27. Marched all day and camped at night in mesquite flat on Hubbard's Creek.
"Dec. 28. Left camp in the evening and marched five miles and camped.
"Dec. 29. Marched three miles and camped.
"Dec. 30. March all day. Camp on the Clear Fork. No grass. Very cold.
"Dec. 31. March half day to grass. Kill several buf- faloes.
"Jan. 1, 1865. Marched to Elm Creek, close to Indian trail. Camped and killed several buffaloes in the evening.
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"Jan. 2. Marched to Little Elm Creek on the trail. Went out in the evening and killed a buffalo. Saw the Double Mountains, high topped hills on the head of the Brazos.
"Jan. 3. March on trail to head of Elm Creek and camp in a flat.
"Jan. 4. March on trail to Oak Creek.
"Jan. 5. Reached the Colorado.
"Jan. 6. (Manuscript to dim to decipher.)
"Jan. 7. Camped on the Concho. At 9 o'clock express came from Capt. Fossett that the Indians' camp was dis- covered 35 miles distant. In saddle in ten minutes. March until 2 o'clock. Halt, form a line and issue caps. March on until day the 8th, dismount, load guns, mount and ride on across Spring Creek. Join Fossett with 200 men. Made the attack. Got whipped. Twenty men killed and 25 wounded. Fell back 6 miles to Spring Creek, a running creek.
"Jan. 9. Stayed in camp; snow 15 inches deep.
"Jan. 10. Marched down the Concho carrying the wounded on litters-snow deep-starvation in the camp. Camped on the Concho.
"Jan. 11. March all day.
"Jan. 12. Stayed in camp and sold the Indian horses. Two men dead; still carrying corpses on litters.
"Jan. 13. March all day and camp at night in the bed of a creek.
"Jan. 14. Reach settlement on the Concho.
"Jan. 15. Bury the dead and cross Colorado River and camp on Elm Creek.
"Jan. 16. Camp on Muke Water.
"Jan. 17. Cross Pecan Bayou.
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"Jan. 18. Cross the mountains.
"Jan. 19. Cross the Leon.
"Jan. 20. Reach Mills Creek.
"Jan. 21. Reach home."
The following was told to us by Uncle John Anderson, who is well known to the people of Comanche, and who has displayed his wonderful memory in giving the sketch as he has, which follows:
"James H. Mabry and Capt. Gillintine are buried one mile above the mouth of the Concho, at Bruce McCain's. After the battle was over we marched to the mouth of the Concho, where we pitched camp. I was acquainted with Bruce McCain, and I went to him and asked if he would let us have some lumber to make coffins for our comrades; he stated that he would let us have the lumber, but that he would have to take it from the walls of his house, which he did. He tore a petition from the house to furnish us the lumber to bury the two dead.
"Gillintine was killed in the Dove Creek fight. He, Capt. Cunningham and myself were behind a second bank, side by side loading our guns, and Gillintine walked be- hind us and said he was going to get upon the bank and said he was going to get a shot at the Indians. We tried to get him not to do it, that he would get killed, and he said he was going to try one shot. He got up there and walked about one step and his gun fired. He turned and handed his gun to me, and I asked him if he was hurt, and he said: 'John, I am a dead man.' I let him down. I took his gun and let the hammer down and started with him and
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met some of his men and turned him over to them, and I went back to where Capt. Cunningham was, and he had moved, and they all commenced falling back into the val- ley.
"We were then right in range of the Indians, and I told Scrutchfield that there was no use for us to sit there in line as targets for those Indians. They had long range guns and overshot us was all that saved us. He said: 'I won't move without Capt. Cunningham moves.' I said: 'I will see the Captain,' and I went and told him how the thing was. He said: 'Totton will rally the men, I never will.' And some of the men spoke up and said: 'We had better get away from here;' and Ike Richardson came along and said: 'John, I want a drink,' and I said: 'I do, too.' I sent my canteen to Mabry and we started up the creek, and I cast my eyes into the thicket to our left and told Ike to look into that thicket. When he did, he turned to me and said: 'Ha! ha! I don't want any water either.' And we didn't go on after the water. We went on up on the hill and there were eight or ten boys stopped, and it was right from there that I killed two Indians, and I think I killed the one that had killed Noah Bibles.
"Capt. Gillintine died Monday evening just as the sun went down. Sam Burnes was left in the thicket. They went back later and got him and buried him. A number were sent back to the battle field the next day to bury the dead that he had left. Among these I remember, Ike Richardson, who afterward died at Hamilton; Dave Smith, who was once sheriff of Hamilton, and who died there; Bill Poole of Falls county and Jim McCabe, Capt. Totten, probably Sam Powers, and several others I cannot recall. I met them as they reaclied the top of the hill, and Totten
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asked me if I wanted to go with them. I told him I would if there was no more running, and he stated there would positively be no running this time. And I went. The dead were buried on the Concho river just about one mile above where it runs into the Colorado river.
"George Jaynes, who now resides in Comanche, was cut off from the crowd by the Indians, and left on the bat- tle field, though not wounded. I met John Jaynes going back to hunt him that evening, and I told him that George was not killed. He slipped into camp after dark that night. He said the Indians were packing up to leave when he left there.
"Some have the mistaken idea that Capt. Totten was a stranger in this county at the time of this expedition, and that he was a coward. I was with him during the march and in the battle, and no braver man has ever faced the enemy upon any battle field. I had known Capt. Totten several years before this time, he having been one of the boys of this country. He did not know the meaning of the word surrender, and, in fact, was too determined in the fight. While he was a modest man and had plenty of friends, he believed that he was fighting for his friends and his country, and was a stayer all the way through. After the war he went to Brazil, and I understand that since that time he came back and went to Illinois. I do not know whether he is still living."
Uncle Dave Cunningham, who needs no introduction to you, shows a remarkable recollection in the following his- tory of this fight; his account parallels the two preceeding, and is as follows:
"In December, 1864, Capt. Gillintine, Erath county,
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with a scout of rangers, while on the upper Brazos discov- ered a large Indian trail leading off in a southwesterly di- rection. He followed the trail until he satisfied himself that they were too strong for his small force, and also that their presence in the country, he believed, meant disturb- ance and trouble. He immediately gave the alarm throughout the settlements, and all the available force in the counties of Erath, Johnson, Bosque, Coryell, Hamilton, Comanche, Brown and Coleman were mustered with orders to meet at Camp Selman on Deep Creek, now in Stephens county.
"When Capt. Gillintine returned home he dispatched word to Capt. Barry, who at the time was on the frontier with troops. Barry forthwith sent a squad of his men in- to the Colorado country to watch the movement of the In- dians until Gillentine could get his force ready, which took several days. We started from Comanche on the 21st of December with forty men under command of James Cun- ningham, with Lieut. J. A. Wright and Jessie Greene, and succeeded in reaching Camp Selman three or four days later, where reinforcements from the several counties be- fore mentioned rallied. Our force numbered about four hundred strong. With Capt. Totten in command, we re- sumed our march, We struck the trail on the Clear Fork of the Brazos. It lead in a southwesterly direction and crossed the Colorado about where Colorado City is now located, thence to the North Concho.
"After several days travel, and when in camp on North Concho, one night about 9 o'clock a courier rode in from Barry's men who were under command of Barry's men who were under command of Capt. Fossett, and reported that the Indians were encamped on Dove Creek about forty
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miles distance. Orders were given to saddle at once. A detail was ordered to take care of the pack mules and to follow on the next morning. Fossett sent word for us to be there two hours by sun or we would be too late for the fight. A forced march all night, facing the coldest south wind that mortal man ever experienced, brought us to the place where Barry's men were camped about 8 o'clock on the morning of January 8, 1865.
"On our arrival we found Fossett's command located and secreted in a clump of timber, within a mile and a half of the Indians' camp. A war council was held by our of- ficers and the plan of attack quickly agreed upon. The In- dian encampment was on a creek and was about three quarters of a mile in extent. The plan agreed upon was that Fossett should attack on the west or upper encamp- ment, and Totten the lower or eastern division. All things in readiness, with about five hundred men, the at- tack was made, and Fossett captured between six hundred and a thousand horses upon his first charge into the Indi- ans' camp, and detailed a few of his men to hold them in the valley until the fight was over. But the fight was not over as soon as the captain supposed it would be, for in his first charge he lost several men, killed and wounded, together with several horses. In fact, the fight was so hot that Capt. Fossett had to retreat. He took a position on a hill, but the Indians soon made him leave. All this time Capt. Totten's men were fighting down the creek, but to little purpose, as the Indians being well fortified in a dense thicket, we had to dismount and leave our horses some distance north of the Indians' encampment and wade Dove Creek, which was from knee to waist deep, to get at the Indians. This we did several times, and in conse-
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quence suffered great loss, as we were laboring under great disadvantages.
"On account of this the men bceame very much dis- couraged and a stampede was imminent.
"Capt. Fossett was completely cut off from us. We had lost heavily. The Indians had recaptured their horses. It was thought best to retreat, which we did. But it was a hard matter to make us do so in order, Capt. Cunning- ham's company bring up the rear of the retreat.
"Dr. Bateman took position on a little mountain north of the Indians' encampment so he could receive and care for the wounded men as they fell back to the rear, which he did with promptness. He said he fought five hours and thirty minutes before the retreat commenced. While we were retreating, the Indians flanked us on both sides and came up in the rear. They used long range guns and kill- ed several of our men on the retreat. After traveling about one mile, we halted and made another fight, and drove the Indians back to their camp, this being the last attack made by Totten's men.
"All this time Capt. Fossett was fighting on the creek above (or west) of us. We then moved north to Spring Creek, carrying our wounded on blankets and horses as best we could. We struck camp about sunset. Capt. Fos- sett fought in self defense nearly all day. He was cut off from Totten's command early in the engagement and never saw any chance to join us during the day. Fossett came into our camp between sundown and dark, with his men terribly cut up. They had fought like demons all day.
"After we were all in camp, an examination showed that we had lost and left twenty-six killed on the battle- ground, and sixty wounded, of which several died after-
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wards. We lost sixty or seventy horses killed and disabl- ed in the fight.
"Just after dark it set in to snowing and snowed all night. The following morning the ground was covered from a depth of one to three feet with the fleecy covering. Our pack mules were completely cut off from us by the storm. We were out of provisions and started to travel, but the snow was so deep we could not, so we had to re- turn to our camp-fires and await the melting of the snow. We had nothing to subsist on but horse meat. Our pack had some provisions, but were completely hemmed in by storm some thirty miles distant. After the snow had melt- ed a little, we moved down the Concho as best we could, carrying our wounded on litters made of two poles strap- ped to two mules or horses. About the third day we inter- cepted our pack mules. They had enough provisions to give us a fine supper.
"While we were in the Colorado country it was thought best to have some beeves, and a detail was made to go to the nearest cattle and follow on. Rev. S. H. Powers was put in command of the detail for that purpose. He went and procured the beeves and followed on until the snow storm, which obliterated our trail until he too, as the pack mules did, had to take his own course. But luck was on our side. The beef men struck our trail after the snow storm and followed on until they overtook us, which was about three days. They secured eighteen or twenty beeves which were killed, and the most of them eaten that night.
"The next day we marched on down the Concho, reach- ing Chism ranch about two days later. There we obtained some provisions and camped that night.
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"The following day Capt. Totten with about fifty men went back to the battle-grounds, gathered up the dead and buried them the best they could.
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