A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 11

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954

USA > Texas > Henderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 11
USA > Texas > Freestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 11
USA > Texas > Leon County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 11
USA > Texas > Anderson County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 11
USA > Texas > Limestone County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 11
USA > Texas > Navarro County > A memorial and biographical history of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties, Texas from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 11

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

where we lay all day long. In the morn- ing we could hear the Indians riding up and down looking for us. They knew our number, twenty-three, and seven had es- caped. They wished to kill all so that it could not be charged to their tribe.

" We started a tdusk for Tehuacana hill, some twenty-five mile distant. When I arose to my feet, after lying all day in the thicket, the agony from the splinters of bone in my leg was so severe that I fainted. When I recovered consciousness, and be- fore I opened my eyes, I heard Burton tell Henderson that they had best leave me, as I could not get on and would greatly encumber them. Henderson said we were friends and had slept on the same blanket together and he would stick to me to the last. I rose to my feet and cursed Burton, both loud and deep, telling him he was a white-livered plebeian, and in spite of his one hundred and fifty pounds I would lead him to the settlement, which I did. We traveled nearly all night, but next day got out of our course by following buffalo trails that we thought would lead us to water. The country was so dry that the earth was cracked open.

" On the third day after the fight we sighted Tehuacana hill. We got within six miles of it when Burton sat down and refused to go any farther, saying he would die there. We abused and sneered at him for having no grit, and finally got him to the spring. We luckily struck the water one hundred yards below the springs, where it crossed a weedy marsh and was warm. Just as we got in sight of the water, ten Indians rode up to us. I saw they were Kickapoos. They asked us what

LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

we were doing. I told them we had been out surveying, had a fight with tlie Ionies and got lost from our comrades, who had gone another way to the settlement. They wanted to talk longer, but I said, ' Water! water!' The chief said, 'There is water.' I made for it; pitched headforemost into tlie weeds and water on my face and drank till I could hold no more. Luckily for me the water was warm. If I had struck the spring above, the water would have killed me. Henderson and Burton were above me in the water. In a short time they called me. I heard them but would not answer. I was in the water covered by weeds and felt so happy and contented I would have neither moved nor spoken for any consideration. Henderson and Burton got uneasy about me, as I did not answer, and came down the bank to find me. An Indian saw me in the water and weeds, waded in and snaked me out. I asked the chief what he would take to carry me to a settlement on a horse. He looked at me (I was a forlorn-looking ob- ject from suffering hunger and want of water: my eyes were sunk nearly to the back of my head) and said, " May-be so you die to night!' I told him No, nnless he killed me. He replied, ' No kill.' He asked, ' Want eat?' We said, ' Yes.' He answered, ' May-be so; camp in two miles; come, go; squaws got something to eat.' He helped me on a horse and we went to camp. The woman saw our condition and would only give us a little at a time. They gave us each a wooden bowl of soup, composed of dried buffalo meat, corn and pumpkins, all boiled together. Green- turtle soup with all its spicy condiments,

dwindles into insipidity when compared with my recollection of that savory broth. When we handed back our bowls they said, ' Bime-by.' They waked us up twice during the night and gave us more. They understood our condition, knew that we were famished, and to give us all we wanted at one time would kill us. We slept till next morning, when we wished to start, knowing that at any moment a run- ner might come into camp and tell them that it was their tribe that had attacked ns, and as we were the only ones that could criminate them we must be killed. I traded a fine rifle of Henderson's for a pony and saddle, but when I started to mount him a squaw stopped me and said, ' No: my pony.' I appealed to the Indian who looked at me ruefully and said, 'Squaw's pony,' showing that petticoat government was known even by the Kickapoos.

" We started on foot, my leg paining me severely. We had gone about three miles, when six Indians galloped up to us on the prairie. I told my comrades onr time had come. We got behind two trees and determined to sell our lives dearly. They rode up, saying ' How d' ye? We want. to trade guns,'-showing an old dilapi- dated rifle to trade for our good one. We soon found out it was trade or fight, so we swapped, with the understanding that they would take us to Parker's Fort, abont twenty-five iniles, on a pony, which they agreed to. An Indian went with us, the balance going back and taking the rifle. We got near the fort in the morning, when Burton proposed to Henderson to shoot the Indian-who was unarmed -

HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

and I could ride to the settlement. Hen- derson indignantly refused, and I told Burton that rather than betray confidence, I would walk in on one leg. Five min- utes later I heard a gun fired to the right. We asked the Indian what it meant. He replied, 'Cosette, Kickapoo chief, camp there.' So, if we had shot the Indian, we would have brought down a hundred on us to see what the shot meant. He then told me, . May-be so you get down. Yonderis Parker's Fort. Me go to Cosette's camp.' I did so. We struck the Navasota be- low the fort, and waded down stream a mile, fearing the Indians would follow us. We crossed in the night and went out some three miles in the prairie and slept. The Indians that morning had given us so much dried buffalo meat as we could carry: so we had plenty to eat on our way. We traveled all next day and part of the night, having got on the trail that led to Frank- lin. We started the next morning before day. Going along the path, I in the lead, we were hailed, ordered to halt and tell who we were. I looked up and saw two men with their guns leveled on us, about forty yards off. I answered, ' We are friends; white men.' I didn't blame them much for the question, for I was in my shirt and drawers, with a handker- chief tied round my head, having lost my hat in the fight, and they thought we were Indians.

"They proved to be my old friends, William Love and Jackson, who had left our party some six days before for the settlements, to get us another compass. They were horrified when we told them of the massacre. They put us on their

horses and returned with us to Franklin, a distance of some fifteen miles. The news spread over the neighborhood like wild- fire. By the next morning fifty men were raised, and, piloted by Love, started for the scene of our disaster. I had been placed in comfortable quarters at Frank- lin, and kindly nursed and attended by sympathetic ladies. Henderson and Bur- ton bade me good bye and went to their respective homes.

" We told Love's party where we had left Violet with his thigh broken, and asked them to try and find him. The party got to Tehuacana Springs, and being very thirsty threw down their guns to get a drink. Violet, who had seen them com- ing across the prairie, thought they were Indians, and secreted himself in the brush close by; but when he heard them talk and found out they were white men, he gave a yell and hobbled out, saying, ' Boys, I'm mighty glad you have come.' He came near stampeding the whole party, they thinking it was an Indian ambuscade.

" Poor Violet, after we left him in Rich- land creek bottom, stayed there three days, subsisting on green haws and phms. Get- ting tired, he concluded to make for Tehuacana hills, as he knew the course. He splinted and bandaged his thigh as best he could, then struck out and got there after a day and a night's travel. Being nearly famished, he looked around for something to eat. In the spring, which was six feet across, he saw a big bullfrog swimming around. Failing to capture him, he concluded to shoot him. He pulled down on him with a holster pistol loaded with twelve buckshot and the pro-

LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

portional amount of powder. Having his back to the embankment down which the water ran, the pistol knocked him over it, senseless, breaking the ligature which bound his thigh. He remained insensible, he thought, about two hours. When he became conscious, he bandaged his leg as well as he could and crawled up to the spring to look for the frog. He found one hindquarter floating around: the balance had been blown to flinders. Being very hungry, he inade short work of that. In a few hours after that, Love's party came up and supplied him with all he wanted. They left him there until their return, they going up to the battle ground to bury the dead and see if they could find any more wounded.

" When they got there, they found the bones of all our killed, the fleshi having been stripped off by the wolves. And they also found, much to my satisfaction, eighty piles of green brush, in the lower part of the ravine, from where the Indians were firing at us during the day, and under each pile of brush a copious quantity of blood, which proved that we had not been fooling away our time during the day.

"The company returned to Franklin, bringing Violet with them, who recovered from his wound."

FIGHT AT BATTLE CREEK.

Fortunately that old surveyer-W. F. Henderson, who became a resident of Navarro afterward-described the matter to a favorite Texas historian during the '50s, and gave the names of the party, and the old Express published it. This account of the Battle Creek fight is from the

pen of Colonel John Henry Brown: " The fight of Bowie in 1831, on the San Saba, where nine men and two boys, for twelve hours heroically met, and finally repulsed, 160 Indians, has, ever since its wide-spread publication from Philadelphia in 1834, been acknowledged as one of the most chiv- alrous actions on record. The graphic ac- count then given to the public and written from the statement of R. P. Bowie, one of the party, has been reproduced so often that it is familiar to all who have sought an acquaintance with our history. This is as it should be. The heroic deeds of the noble, self-reliant pioneer, the John the Baptists of peace, civilization, and relig- ion, should be gathered into the historic garner of our country with the same fidelity as the memory of greater things. It is thus that a generous spirit of einula- tion may be fostered in those to come after us; it is thus and thus ouly that jus- tice may be done to the memory of those to whom American progress and civiliza- tion are to be greatly indebted for the marvelous advancement made by each. The story we are about to relate ranks in heroism with that of the ' Bowie fight,' __ displays a greater degree of desperation and presents a far sadder finale. Few persons, aside from those then on our northern border, even know that such an event belongs to our history. I obtained the facts, in faithful detail, from William F. Henderson, Esq., one of the survivors, now a lawyer in Corsicana, Texas (1860).

" In 1838, the highest settlements be- tween the Brazos and Trinity rivers, were the old towns of Franklin, Robertson county and Parker's Fort on the Navasota.

HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

All beyond was a vast wilderness, occupied by hostile Indians, or if not openly so their friendship was of a doubtful character. The country embraced in the counties of Limstone, Navarro, Ellis, McLennan, etc., was still the favorite home of several tribes-a country that was abandoned by them to the white men only at the point of the rifle and the bowie knife.

" In October, 1838, a surveying party was organized at Franklin, for the purpose of surveying lands in that section of the country, principally in the southwestern part of what now constitutes Navarro coull- ty. The party consisted of twenty-four men, whose names are as follows: William F. Henderson, surveyor; Walter P. Lane, major of Hays' regiment in Mexico, since in California; Samuel T. Allen, the father of the wife of Judge E. H Vontrees of Georgetown; Asa Mitchell, a boy named Baker, Jno. Baker, Sr., Violet, Euclid Cox, Ingramı, Neill, Jones, James Smitlı, Thomas Smith, Fikes (about eighty years old), Richard Davis, Hard, W. M. Love, William Jackson, William Tremier, Rod- ney Wheeler, McLaughlin, Thomas Barton, J. Button and Earle. There was no com- mander, but all went along as either chain- carriers or locators, for mutual aid or pro- tection.

" From Franklin, the company, mounted on horseback, passed up by Parker's Fort and thence by the Tehuacana Springs to the southwestern branches of Richland creek, the scene of their intended labors. On their way they met with a great inany Indians in small squads, some times half a dozen, sometimes twenty or thirty, all of whom professed to be friendly, but all be-

trayed by look or gesture a feeling of dis- satisfaction arising from their opposition to the survey of their favorite haunts.

" The first night in that vicinity was passed at the residence of Dr. George W. Hill. On the next morning the work was begun: several lines were run, partly in the prairie and partly in the timber, the neighborhood being divided into both, and the country very broken, with many deep ravines. The compass proved defective in the outset, and Henderson dispatched W. M. Love and William Jackson back to Par- ker's Fort for a magnet, reducing the company to twenty-two men. While the work was going on in the morning, squads of Indians were seen in every direction, some moving to and fro, others in appar- ent consultation. It is strange that such indications did not alarm the little party ; but it seems they had no idea of an attack up to that time.

" At 11 o'clock A. M. they struck fire and breakfasted on a spring branch. Abont fifty Kickapoos camped opposite to them for the same purpose. Some of the latter crossed over and told Henderson's party that they would be attacked that day by seventeen Ionies.

" When the survey was renewed, they first ran a mile into the prairie and while mak- ing a corner twelve Indians passed through them, one asking in English ' Is that one mile?' Another, pointing to the compass on the staff, said, ' That's God's eye,' but all looked displeased. The next line was being run parallel with a deep ravine at about eighty yards, the nearest timber be- ing a mile distant, when they were fired upon from the ravine, the enemy lying un-

LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

der the bank and also concealed by bushes. Without the least confusion, for this time the surveyors were convinced there was danger, they collected their instruments and formed, so as to fall back to the tim- ber. Before this movement began, how- ever, the Indians appeared in every direc- tion, and immediately surrounded them and poured bullets and arrows among them on all sides, yet at such a distance as to do little execution. The surveyors, fighting their way, bore for the nearest timber; but when a few hundred yards from it, they discovered that it was already occupied by about 200 of the enemy. They then bore off obliquely to a ravine in the prairie, and succeeded in making a lodgment, just be- fore the junction of two ravines skirted with small bushes. Immediately at the point of junction stood a cottonwood tree. About eighty yards below them there was water and several trees, but the enemy had made the position in advance of them. While on the retreat to this point, the party, in the midst of the bullets and arrows, held an elec- tion and chose Neill as their commander. It was now about 1 o'clock P. M. Twenty- two men in a small ravine in the open prairie, were surrounded by at least 300 Tehuacanas, Ionies, Wacos, Caddoes, and Kickapoos. Soon after reaching the posi- tion, Neill was wounded and disabled, and at his request Cox was made captain. A general fire was kept up on all sides, but the chief execution was done by Indians climbing the trees below, and getting fair view of our men. In this way, every lit- tle while some one was either killed or wounded. Cox was a resolnte man, and, seeing the necessity of dislodging the ene-

my from the trees, took an exposed posi- tion on the bank, behind the lone cotton- wood. He was killed, and again the little band had no leader; but it was mutually agreed that all would hang together, and each man use his own discretion in the de- fense. When Cox fell, the Indians rang a shont of exultation, and the body mnade a charge. But they met such a deadly fire from both rifles and pistols, they fell back; yet again and again, amid hideous yells, they charged up, first on one bank then on the other, and as often were they driven back with killed and wounded. During this state of the engagement about fifty Indians on horseback made their appear- ance on a ridge some 250 yards distant, occasionally beckoning to the Americans and calling to them, 'Kickapoos good In- dians; come to Kickapoos! This was believed to be a ruse to decoy them, but the old man, Fikes, exhausted and unable to fight, determined to test their sincerity, saying that his days were few at best. He mounted and rode toward them, but was killed, whether by some others our men could not tell. Davis, being badly wounded, pursued the same course and shared the same fate.

"In this manner the fight continued till 11 o'clock at night, -- one charge after an- other, followed by a repulse,-many Indi- ans being killed and our party suffering considerable loss also. Twelve hours of intense and laborions excitement, the in- creasing number of the enemy, the suffer- ing for water, and the certainty of final an- nihilation in that position, had brought the gallant fellows to a state of despera- tion. A retreat of a mile through the

HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

prairie in bright moonlight, was the only alternative. Most of them must fall: possibly a few, probably none, may escape. Ingram, Jones, Violet, Thos. Smith and John Baker were wounded up to this time, in addition to the slain. They were monnted on horses and surrounded by the remainder on foot, and thus trusting to stout hearts and a soldier's God, they left the ravine, and surrounded by 300 Indi- ans, foot and horse, and the most deafen- ing and terrific yells, they advanced slowly but with the firm resolve of brave hearts, toward the nearest timber, which skirted another of those ravines peculiar to that region. One by one their number was reduced by death. Ingram, wounded be- fore the retreat, was shot in the head and fell from his horse. When they reached the timber but seven of the original number were alive. John Baker and James Smith escaped togetlier at this point, eluded pur- suit and got into the falls of the Bra- zos. McLauglilin, a youth, instead of leav- ing the ravine with his brave comrades, secreted himself in some bushes, and when the Indians pursued he fled down the stream, and finally reached the settlements on the Trinity, boasting of his shrewdness. " On reaching the timber, Henderson, Lane, Violet and Button, still clinging together, fell into the dry branchi, and were hidden from their pursners by continuous bushes. Here they lay in silence for an hour, during which time a portion of the enemy continned their yells around them, but finally retired and all was still as death. To remain until daylighit would be certain death. Violet was so badly wounded that he could only walk by the

aid of one man, one of his legs being pow- erless. By perseverance, they descended the branchi soule two miles, and in a thicket found water. Painful as it was, Violet was left there, with a solemn promise that if the others should get in, relief should be hastened to him. The other three-Hen- derson, Lane and Button-had but two guns, two pistols and one bowie knife left. They traveled till daylight, Lane resting an arm on each of his companions in their measured pace. They lay concealed all next day without water; on the second and third night, having become bewildered and their tongues parched, they traveled over hill and dale, they knew not whither, but no water was found. On the next day with swollen tongues and parched lips, almost sunk in despair, they suddenly came upon six Kickapoo Indians. In this time their clothes were torn into shreds, their emaciated bodies were covered with blood, and Lane could not articulate, while Henderson and Button were not much better. Five of those Indians looked upon them with frowns, and asked how they came in such a situation ; to which they replied, with some deception, that they had fought with the Ionies, Henderson discov- ered an expression of compassion from the other Kickapoo, and offered him his bowie knife to take them to water. The noble son of the forest looked compassionately upon him, and lighting his pipe handed it to Henderson, adding: ' Kickapoo good Indian; smoke with Kickapoo!' He then led them about 500 yards, and, imagine their joy at beliolding that luscious foun- tain of nature, the celebrated Tehuacana spring, that crystal fount now in the

LIMESTONE, FREESTONE AND LEON COUNTIES.

yard of a refined and hospitable American gentleman, Mr. Boyd, of Limestone county ! After indulging in this beverage and some meat prepared by the Indians, Henderson offered him his gun-all he had left -- if he would allow Lane to ride his horse and pilot them to Parker's Fort. He prompt- ly accepted the offer and faithfully per- formed the engagement. They got in the next morning.

" With the fate of poor Violet, this sketch, already too long, shall close. A party was immediately dispatched in search of the poor fellow, and fortu- nately they touched at Tehuacana Spring also, when what must have been the surprise and joy also, to find the sufferer there. Incredible as it may appear, he had crawled on his 'all fours' -- his hands and feet-twenty miles, and by a mysteri- ous providence he had just reached the spring when his deliverers arrived. He was taken in and finally recovered.

"The little stream at the extreme head of which this bloody tragedy oc- curred, has been made to perpetuate it through its significant name, 'Battle Creek."

It will be seen that there is a slight variation in the spelling of certain names, of bothı men and Indians, not only in these but other writers quoted in this vol- umne. That is an early Texan privilege.

FURTHER INDIAN DEPREDATIONS.

The transits and the gun were about equal in importance in a survey that year. The following incident, as well as the pre- ceding one, will illustrate it: " During the year 1838, says a writer in Indian Depre-

dations in Texas, "three men, Sparks, Barry and Holland, were killed by the In- dians on the south side of Richland creek, about twelve miles from where the town of Corsicana now stands. These three men belonged to a surveying party and were killed by Indians who had placed themselves in ambush near the line they were running. The rest of the party es- caped by flight. William F. Sparks was a well known land locator from the town of Nacogdoches, and his name as surveyor is attached to a great number of land titles in that region of country. These three men were never buried, as there were no friendly hands near to administer the last sad rites of interinent. Some of the sur- veying instruments of this party were found twelve or thirteen years afterward about four miles south of Corsicana.

"About one year after this occurrence there was a battle fought by Captain Chandler and Lieutenant William M. Love at the head of about forty Texans, with a large body of Comanche Indians. This was a running fight and was continued about ten miles. A number of the In- dians were killed while the Texans lost only one man. At the commencement of the eugagement the Indians began to re- treat and ran to their encampment, which was stormed by the Texans, where nearly four thousand dollars worth of property was captured. The gallant Colonel C. M. Winkler, late of Corsicana, who so nobly won lionors under General Lee, of Vir- ginia, participated in this fight." (Rich- ard Sparks, instead of W. F., is said to liave been the one referred to.)

HISTORY OF NAVARRO, HENDERSON, ANDERSON,

These incidents serve to show the sever- ity of the efforts of those old pioneers in winning these lands from savage control. The old Burnet colony never gathered its remnants together again, and the Indians made a hard fight.

THE MERCER COLONY.

It was not until 1844 that the coloniza- tion in this region was put on anything like an effectnal footing, although this was not conspicuous for its success. On Janu- ary 29, 1844, President Sam Honston made a colony contract, covering Navarro county, with Charles Fenton Mercer and associates. The part of the south boundary pertinent to Navarro county only is given here. Beginning on the Red river oppo- site the mouth of the False Washita, "and running thence due south sixty-five miles; thence by a straight course to a point on the Rio Trinidad, or river Trinity, on the bank thereof, opposite the lower or south- ern bank of Cedar creek, where the said creek unites with the river Brazos," and north to the boundaries of the Peters colony. Then settlers came in-but very slowly, just how slowly, it will be inter- esting to learn from the pen of one of them. Captain C. Fonty, near Re postoffice, came in October, 1845, and is probably the oldest one now living of so early an arrival. He says in a recent letter: "I was not the first settler of Navarro county. The first settlements were inade in the spring of 1845. I came in October of that year. About twenty families were here when I arrived. They were D. R. Mitchell, Owen Humphrey, - Morrell, Ethan Melton, "Bill" McCabe, John

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Author: Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 954

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 954