USA > Texas > Border wars of Texas; being an authentic and popular account, in chronological order, of the long and bitter conflict waged between savage Indian tribes and the pioneer settlers of Texas > Part 8
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1. GEN'L WALTER P. LANE
3. HAYDEN EDWARDS
2. ELISHA ANGLIN 4. STERLING C. ROBERTSON
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1. COL. GREEN DE WITT.
3. JOEL W. ROBINSON.
2. JAS. A. SYLVESTER 4 ALEX S THOMSFON
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incursions of the Wacos, and other insignificant bands of savages, whom a well organized local government would soon subdue and exterminate."
But we must desist, lest this should assume the pro- portions of a disquisition, involving the reader in the laby- rinths of Mexican politics. Rather our purpose is to re- count the more stirring episodes of border warfare-horri- ble and atrocious as are the details in most instances.
SCALPING OF WILBARGER.
Many incidents in Texas history illustrate the verity of the saying that, "Truth is stranger than fiction," but none perhaps, so forcibly as the circumstances of the scalp- ing of Wilbarger-since their dramatic interest includes an occurrence as remarkable, if indeed not as mysterious, as any to be found within the range of spiritualistic and psy- chological literature.
Among the sturdy emigrants to Austin's Colony, was Josiah Wilbarger, a native of Bourbon county, Kentucky, who came with his young bride and his father-in-law, Le- man Baker, from Lincoln county, Missouri in 1828.
In March, 1830, after a couple of years spent in what is now Matagorda and Colorado counties, Wilbarger loca- ted his headright league ten miles above Bastrop on the Colorado, and with his wife, baby, and two or thice tran- sient young men, removed to that then extreme and great- ly exposed section, and erected his cabin. Here, for a time, he was the outside settler, but soon other fear- less pioneers located along the river, some below, others above-the elder Reuben Hornsby becoming, and for several years remaining, the outside sentinel of American civiliza- tion in that direction. "Mr. Wilbarger," says Brown, "lo- cated varicus lands for other parties in that section, it be- ing Austin's second grant above the old San Antonio and Nacogdoches road, which crossed at Bastrop."
Early in August, 1833, Wilbarger, in company with Christian, a surveyor, and three young men, Strother, Stand-
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ifer and Hanie, rode out from Horrsty's to look at the country and locate lands. On reaching a point near Walnut Creek, some five or six miles northwest of where the pres- ent capital city now stands, they discovered an Indian on a neighboring ridge, watching their movements. He was hailed with signs of friendship, but as the party approach- ed, the Indian rode away, pointing towards a smoke rising from a cedar brake to the west. After a short pursuit, fear- ing they were being decoyed into a large camp of hostile Indians, the whites halted, held a short consultation, and at once determined to return to Hornsby's. On Pecan Spring branch, some four miles east of Austin, and in sight of the present dirt road leading from Austin to Ma- nor, they stopped to refresh themselves and horses. "Wil- barger, Christian and Strother unsaddled and hoppled their horses, but Hanie and Standifer left their animals saddled and staked them to graze." While the men were eating, they were suddenly charged upon by about sixty savages, who had quietly stolen up afoot under cover of the brush and timber, leaving their horses in the rear, and out of sight. The trees near them were small and afforded but little protection. However, each man sprang behind one
and promptly returned the fire. Strother had been mortal- ly wounded at the first fire, and now Christian was struck with a ball, breaking his thigh bome. Wilbarger sprang to the side of Christian, set him up against his tree, primed his loaded gun, and jumped again behind his own tree- receiving in the operation a flesh wound in the thigh and an arrow through the calf of his leg; and scarcely had he regained the protection of his tree, when his other leg was pierced with an arrow. Meantime, the steady fire and dead- ly aim of the whites had telling effect, causing the Indians to withdraw some distance and out of range. Up to this time Hanie and Standifer had bravely helped to sustain the unequal contest, but now, seeing that Strother was dying, Christian perhaps mortally, and Wilbarger badly, wounded, they took advantage of the opportunity to secure and
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mount their horses. Wilbarger, seeing himself thus de- serted, and his horse having broke away and fled, im- plored the two men to stay with him and fight; but if they would not, to allow him to mount behind one of them. Just then, however, seeing the enemy again approaching, they fled at full speed, leaving Wilbarger to his fate. "The Indians," says Brown, "one having mounted Christian's horse, encircled him on all sides. He had seized the guns of the fallen men, and just as he was taking deliberate aim at the mounted warrior, a ball entered his neck, paralyz- ing him, so that he fell to the ground and was at the mercy of the wretches.
With exultant yells the Indians mow rushed upcm, and stripped him maked, and passing a knife entirely around his head, tore off the scalp. Though helpless and apparent- ly dead, the poor man was fully conscious of all that tran- spired, and afterwards, in recounting the thrilling experi- ence, said that while no pain was perceptible, the removing of his scalp sounded like the ominous roar and peal of dis- tant thunder. The three men were stripped, Christian and' Strother scalped and their throats cut, and all left for dead; after which the savages retired.
Wilbarger lay in a dreamy, semi-conscious condition till late in the evening, when the loss of blood finally aroused him. Crazed with the pains of his numerous wounds, and consumed by an intolerable thirst, he put forth the little remaining vitality in an endeavor to reach the spring near- by, which he at last accomplished, dragging himself into the water, where he lay for some time, till chilled and quite numb, he crawled out on dry land, and fell asleep. When he awoke he found the flow of blood from his wounds had ceased, but, horrors! exposed in the hot sun, the detestable "blow flies" had infested and literally covered his scalp and other wounds. Again slaking his thirst from the lim- pid little stream and partially appeasing his hunger with a few snails he chanced to find, he felt refreshed, and as night approached, determined to travel as far as he could in the direction of Hornsby's. But poor man, he did not re-
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alize his enfeebled condition from pain and loss of
blood. After many efforts he arose and staggered along for perhaps a quarter of a mile, when he sank to the earth thoroughly exhausted, and almost lifeless, at the foot of a large post oak tree. Here, naked and ex- posed to the chilling night air, he lay, suffering intensely from cold, and unable to move, till revived by the warm sunshine of the following day.
On arriving at Hornsby's, the two men, Standifer and Hanie, told how the Indians had attacked and killed all three of their companions; and how they had narrowly es- caped. A messenger was at once despatched to warn the settlers below, and also for aid, which however, could not be expected before the following day.
And now we will relate a 'most marvelous comcidence of circumstances-incidents at once so mysterious and super- matural as to excite credulity of belief, were it not for the high character and kmown veracity of those, who to their dying day, vouched for their truth:
During the night-that long and agonizing night-as Wilbarger lay under the old oak tree, "in a state of semi- consciousness, visions flitting through his mind bordering on the marvelous and the supernatural," he distinctly saw, standing before him, the spirit of his sister, Mrs. Margaret Clifton, who had died the day before in Florisant, St. Louis county, Missouri .* Speaking gently, she said :- "Brother Josiah, you are too weak to go in alone! Remain here and friends will come to aid you before the setting of another sun." And then moved off in the direction of the settlements, Wilbarger piteously calling, "Margaret! Stay with me." But the apparition vanished.
That night, and about the same hour-midnight-Mrs.
*John Henry Brown says: "Mrs. Clifton died the day before at Florisant, St. Louis county, Missouri. From the county post-office kept by my uncle, Capt. Wm. Kerr, I bore the letter, marked "In haste", written by Mr. Clifton to her father informing him of her death."
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Hornsby awoke from a most vivid and startling dream, in which she beheld Wilbarger, alive, scalped, bleeding and naked, at the foot of a tree. Her husband assuring her that dreams were always unreal; and the utter impossibility of this one being true, she again slumbered - till about three o'clock, when she again awoke, intensely excited, and arose saying, "I saw him again! Wilbarger is not dead! Go to the poor man at once;" and so confident was Mrs. Hornsby, she refused to retire again, but busied herself preparing an early breakfast, that there might be no delay in starting to Wilbarger's relief. As the nearest neighbors arrived in the morning, Mrs. Hornsby repeated to them her dual vision and urged them in a most serious manner, to go to Wilbar- ger in all haste. The relief party consisted of Reuben Hornsby, Joseph Rogers, John Walters, Webber, and others. After quite a search from the vague directions of the two excited men who had escaped from the scene, they finally found the bodies of Christian and Strother; and presently discovered a most ghastly object --- a mass of blood-causing them to hesitate and clutch their guns; whereupon the overjoyed man arose, beckoned, and finally managed to say -"Don't shoot, friends; it's Wilbarger, come on." As they approached he sank down and called out, "Water! Water!" and when revived, spoke of his sister who had visit- ed him during the night and so kindly had gone for help which he knew would come-firmly believing he had seen and conversed with her in reality. With the sheets provid- ed by Mrs. Hornsby for that purpose, the bodies of Stroth- er and Christian were wrapped and left till the following day, when the party again went out, and buried them. In another sheet Wilbarger was wrapped and placed on a horse in front of Mr. Hornsby, who, placing his arms around him, sustained him in the saddle and bore him to the hospitable home and tender cares of Mrs. Hornsby, that saintly moth- er and ministering angel of the frontier. His scalp wound was dressed in bear's oil, and after a few days of tender nursing, the great loss of blood preventing febrile tenden-
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cies, he was sufficiently recovered to be placed on a sled and conveyed to his own cabin.
Rapidly Wilbarger recovered his usual health, and lived for eleven years, prospering, and accumulating a handsome estate. But his skull, bereft of the inner membrane and so long exposed to the sun, never entirely covered over, neces- sitating artifical covering, and eventually caused his death, hastened, as his physician, Dr. Anderson, thought, by acci- dentally striking his head against the upper portion of a low door frame of his gin house, causing the bone to exfoliate, exposing the brain and producing delirium. He died at his home in 1845, survived by his wife and five children. His widow, who afterward married Tolbert Chambers, was the second time bereft, and died a widow in Bastrop in 1896. The eldest son, John Wilbarger, a most gallant ranger un- der Col. "Rip" Ford, was killed by Indians in the Neuces River country, in 1847. Harvey Wilbarger, another son, lived to raise a large family. One married daughter lives at Georgetown, and another at Belton, Texas. Of the brothers and sisters of Josiah Wilbarger, who came to Texas in 1837, J. W. Wilbarger, (Author of "Indian Depre- dations in Texas") died near Round Rock in 1890, and "Aunt Sallie" Wilbarger, long resided at Georgetown, where she died several years since. Another sister who be- came the wife of Col. W. C. Dalrymple, died many years ago, and still another-Mrs. Lewis Jones, -- died on the way to 'Texas. Matthias, a brother, was a noted surveyor, and died of smallpox at Georgetown in 1853.
William Hornsby died in 1901, near Austin, and his par- ents many years before. The beautiful home and fertile Hornsby farm is still owned by surviving members of the family.
So far as we can ascertain, this was the first blood shed in that part of the State (in what is now Travis county), at the hands of the implacable savages, but it was "the be- ginning, however," says Wilbarger, "of a bloody era which
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was soon to dawn upon the people of the Colorado."*
"The vision," continues Wilbarger, "which impress- ed Mrs. Hornsby, was spoken of far and wide through the colony fifty years ago; her earnest manner and perfect confidence that Wilbarger was alive, in connection with her vision and its realization, made a profound impression on the men present, who spoke of it everywhere. There were no telegraphs in those days, and no means of know- ing that Margaret, the sister, had died seven hundred miles away, on the day before her brother was wounded. The story of her apparition, related before he knew that she was dead-her going in the direction of Hornsby's and Mrs. Hornsby's vision, recurring after slumber, presents a mystery that made then a deep impression ard created a feeling of awe, which, after the lapse of half a cenutry, it still inspires. No man who knew them ever questioned the veracity of either Wilbarger or the Hornsby's, and Mrs. Hornsby was loved and revered by all who knew her.
"We leave to those more versed in the occult the task of explaining this mystery. Surely such things are not ac- cidents; they tell as of a spirit world and of a God who 'moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.'"
Other incidents of border warfare occurring this year are of minor importance and without exact date or details: as the murder of Alexander, a trapper, near the Ledbetter- La Grange road on a small streamlet since called Alexander's Bramich in Fayette county; and the killing of one Earth- man on Long Prairie, near the present post-office hamlet of Nechanitz in the same county; the adventures of Tom Alley while out hunting horses in the Cummings' Creek community-unexpectedly riding into a camp of Indians, who fired upon and severely wounded him, as he put spurs to his steed and fled. Settlers followed these Indians to-
* Recalling the days of childhood," says John Henry Brown, in writing of Josiah Wil- barger and other worthy members of the family in Texas, "when the writer often sat upon his lap and received many evidences of his kindly nature, it is a pleasure to state that in 1858 he enjoyed and embraced the opportunity of naming the county of Wilbarger jointly for him and his brother. Mathias, a surveyor."
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ward the head of Cummings' Creek, where the trail was lost in consequence of the grass being burned to elude further pursuit.
In the spring of this year a band of Keechi Indians raided the Cummings' Creek settlements, in Fayette county, committing various depredations. Hastily collecting a com- Fany of twenty settlers, Captain John York pursued, at- tacked and killed eight or ten of them, dispersing the others. This was, so far as known, their last, and perhaps only really hostile demonstration against the settlers. The Keechis were comparatively a small, insignificant band, of beggarly and thieving propensities, and early lost their tri- bal existence, affiliating with other tribes.
During the same year a traveller named Reed, stopped at Tenoxtitlan, Falls of the Brazos, now in the lower part of Falls county. At that time a small party of friendly Tonkawa Indians were camped nearby, and with one of whom Reed "swapped" horses, and it is said, drove a shrewd bargain, which he refused to rue. A few days later, as the stranger left the vicinity on his return to the United States, he was waylaid and murdered by the exas- perated Tonkawas, who appropriated his horse and equip- ments and fled. The old Caddo chief, Canoma, who was about the settlements a good deal, and them at the "Falls," with some of his warriors, went in pursuit and cin the eighth day, returned with seven "'Tonk" scalps, Reed's horse and other trophies-receiving the substantial commen- dation of the settlers. The sad fate of Canoma at the hands of the whites to whom he was ever friendly and faithful, some two years later, will be related in the order of its occurrence .*
"Other matters of interest," says John Henry Brown, "occurred in and about 1833. The colony of De Leon had
*The Tonkawas ever professed friendship to the whites, and being hereditary ene- mies of the Comanches, often joined the settlers and rangers in expeditions against this tribe, rendering valuable and valiant services. Kenney says, "This is the solitary instance of hostility by the Tonkawas in their long and trying experience of more than fifty years contact with the white people from the first settlement of Texas."
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increased considerably by the incoming of a good class of Mexicans and quite a number of Americans, including sev- eral Irishmen and their families from the United States, the younger members being natives of that country, and among whom were the following: John McHenry (a settler since 1826), John Linn, and his sons, John J., Charles, Henry and Edward, and two daughters, (subsequently the wives of Maj. James Kerr and James A. Moody), who came in 1830-31; Mrs. Margaret Bobo, afterwards Wright, (who came, in 1825), Joseph Ware and others. From about 1829 to 1833-34, the colonists of Power and Howitsom, with head- quarters at the Mission of Refugio, and McMullen and Me- Gloin, of which San Patricio was the capital, received val- uable additions in a worthy, sober, industrious class of peo- ple, chiefly from Ireland, a few of Irish extraction, born in the United States, and others who wore Americans They were more exposed to Mexican oppression than the ccdomists farther east and equally so to hostile Indians."*
Glancing at the history of colonial Texas about this period, one can but wonder at the signs of substantial and permanent growth, despite all restrictions anl obstacles. The spirit of colonization was abroad, and fearless emi- grants were constantly arriving overland by the various highways **- menaced though they were by lurking savages, who often lay in ambush to pounce upon the new-comers. "In 1833," says Pease, "the tide; of emmigration from the United States, which had been interrupted during the ad-
*It is of interest to note that 26 of these colonists signed the Goliad Declaration of In- dependence, Dec. 20, 1835, and four of them signed the regular Declaration of Texas Inde- pendence, March 2, 1836.
* * The late venerable pioneer, I. D. Parker, says: "My father's family came to Texas in 1833. At that time the San Antonio road was the only highway running through Texas, It led from Nachedoches, in Louisiana, to San Antonio, and thence to the Rio Grande-via Nacogdoches, Tenoxtitlan on the Brazos, Mina (now Bastrop) on the Colorado, and thence to San Antonio, crossing the San Marcos near the mouth of the Blanco. James Gaines kept a ferry on the Sabine River, Joseph Durst on the Angeline, Leonard Williams on the Neches, Nathaniel Robbins on the Trinity, Jeremiah Timson on the Navasota, and Wm. Boren om the Brazos. The La Bahia (Goliad) road left the San Antonio road three miles west of the Trinity River, crossing the Brazos at the site of the present town of Washington, where Jack Hall kept a ferry, and thence to Goliad."-Unpublished "Reminiscences of Pioneer Life in Texas." MS. p. 1.
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ministration of Bustamente, began again to flow into the country."
"The history of frontier expansion in the United States" says Thrall, "shows that it is no easy task. In Texas the difficulties were very great. It was remote from other settlements-in a foreign country, with a government and institutions entirely different from those of the North; and the country was pre-occupied by Indians. Consider- ing all these circumstances, the success of Austin and others in introducing Anglo-American colonists, was won- derful. If we inquire into the grounds of this success, we shall find it in the character of the men. They were brave, hardy, industrious men, self-helpful and self-reliant. They asked no favors of the Government, and that Government let them severely alone. Their stout arms cultivated their farms and protected their homes from the incursions of the savages. Volumes might be written, detailing instances of individual bravery-of hardships cheerfully endured by old and young, male and female colonists."*
THE MADDEN MASSACRE.
The Madden family came to Texas in 1832, locating near the Trinity in Houston county. To better secure themselves in case of an attack from Indians, some three or four neighboring families, as was frequently the case in those days, had joined together and built a strong double log cabin with entry between, and where they all resided, opening and cultivating small fields near by.
The awful, bloody and heart-rending tragedy we must now relate-the ome of only two such instances on record in which the fair name and courage of Texas pioneers has been disgraced with cowardice-occurred in the fall of the year, and during the moonlight nights, the time usually se- fected by the red men for making their raids.
On the fatal night, four men, eight women and several
* "Pictorial History of Texas," pp. 171-2.
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children were occupying the house. For a time all were in one room, but the men, leaving their guns, went into the adjoining room, and kindling a fire, busied themselves molding bullets. Meantime the lurking savages, a party of Caddos, had crept up and around the buildings, cauti- ously peering in and ascertaining the defenseless situation of the unsuspecting inmates. As the full orbed moon arose, casting its soft and tranquil flood of light upon the scene, the stillness of the night was suddenly rent by war whoops and yells fiendish enough to chill the strongest heart, and indeed strike terror to helpless women and children; at the same time forms, hidecus as those of the under world, arose from brush and covert and rushed from every direction into the hallway, and most of them, in upon the terrified women and children, one powerful and hideous demon, guarding the doorway by spreading his arms and legs from side to side and grasping the lintels with his hands, all the while yelling and gloating rapturously over the bloody, sickening scene of death wrought within. Mrs. Madden was first attacked and soon fell apparently life- less, but regaining consciousness crawled under a bed fol- lowed by one of her little sons. Another lady was toma- hawked and fell dead into the fireplace, her life's blood flowing so profusely as to extinguish the flames, and leave the fiends to complete the slaughter in semi-darkness. Tak- ing advantage of this, and the engrossed attention of the door guard, Mrs. Madden with her little son succeeded in crawling out of the room, and making her way to an unoc- cupied negro cabin a short distance away, where she secret- ed herself and child and thus escaped. Meanwhile, with tom- ahawk and scalping knife the savages completed their dia- bolical work, killing in all seven women and children.
As to the four men-we only refer to them through necessity of completing the narrative-it is said that as soon as the dying groans of their wives and children reached their ears, they dashed out of the room and escaped.
Securing the guns of the whites, the Indians now set
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fire to the building, which consumed it, with the bodies of their victims. Nearby they threw down their own in- ferior guns and left the settlement without pursuit.
After a long and doubtful illness, Mrs. Madden recov- ered and lived several years.
CHAPTER VII.
T
HE year 1834 we are told, was ushered in by a "freezing" norther-fitting precur- sor of the cold indifference with which the Mexican nation looked upon their Ameri- can colonists in Texas. Political events had assumed a still worse complexion in Texas at this date.
Santa Anna, having received the support of the army and church, went over to the centralist party, dissolved the constitution- al congress, convened one composed of his creatures, and became virtually the dictator of Mexico.
In the spring Santa Anna assembled a council, com- posed of Stephen F. Austin, Lorenzo Zavala, three members of the congress of Coahuila and Texas, and seven Mexican officials, to consider affairs in Texas. Austin made a strong plea in favor of the memorial of the Texas conven- tion of 1833. The three members of congress, all of whom were from Coahuila, opposed it. Santa Anna announced his decision to be that Texas should have a separate government, and that four thousand troops should be stationed at San Antonio for the protection of the country-to which Austin strenuously objected, but without effect. This opposition on the part of Austin, doubtless had much to do with the continuance of his imprisonment.
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