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 9
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An attempt to change the seat of governmnt of Coa- huila and Texas from Saltillo to Monclova, led to commo- tions that resulted in rival governors and legislatures being installed at the two places, and the Mexican part of the State being divided into two factions. These difficulties were referred to Santa Anna in December, who decided that the capital should remain at Monclova, and ordered new elections.
There were two parties in Mexico-the centralist and republican, the latter not being completely crushed. There were also two in Texas-one favoring immediate and deter- mined action for separate state government and co-opera- tion with the patriot republicans of Mexico; the other fa- voring acquiescence in the existing status, at least until Austin's release and return to Texas, and until it should definitely appear what Santa Anna's policy was to be. The latter party in Texas prevailed for the time being.
This year did not pass away without the usual out- rages by Indians. No historical record has been preserved of many of these events, but ample evidence has been left that proves the Indians annoyed the colonists more or less. Speaking of the Comanches and alluding incidentally to other tribes, Kenney says: "During 1833 and 1834 their name does not appear in the hostilities ascribed to known tribes; but Indian hostilities in general would blacken many pages."
Pioneer Dewees, in his "Letters from 'Texas," writing under date, "Colorado River, Texas. Oct. 31, 1834," says : "The first storm of Mexican wrath is lulled; but the In- dians, who have ever been our enemies, still continue to an- noy us. They will fall upon small parties of men, and kill them, and also steal our horses and cattle. Indeed such a thing as being free from the molestations of the Indians has never been known in the history of Texas, and doubt- less, will not be known for many years to come."*
* Decree No. 278 of Coahuila and Texas, enacted April 19, 1834, authorizes the gover- nor to organize and employ militia against hostile Indians, places 400 sitos of land at his
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While the records supply materials for accounts of thril- ling incidents that transpired within the limits of Austin's and De Witt's Colonies, little reliable data is obtainable that relates to Indian troubles in the early settlement of Red River county, and the northeastern part of the State.
" Although dim vistas appear," says John Henry Brown, "of inroads by Indians-robbers and occasional murders by Cooshatties, Tehua canas, Wacos, and other tribes -it is lamentable that not one of those early settlers ever wrote, or caused to write, an account of such events until age impaired the memory. Hence the narrative 'we gather, lacks that certainty and definiteness, so desirable in such matters."
These observations are emphasized by the confused and conflicting stories that have been preserved concern- ing the killing of Judge Gabriel N. Martin and the capture of his little son in May or June, 1834.
MURDER OF JUDGE GABRIEL N. MARTIN-CAPTIVI- TY AND RECOVERY OF HIS LITTLE SON- SOME CORRECTED HISTORY.
'The accounts published by Thrall, Wilbarger and Sow- ell, mention only one expedition for the recovery of the boy, and place it in the year 1834. They differ as to what officer commanded the United States military force, some saying Leavenworth, and later Dean, and others, Col. (in after years Gen.) Dodge. Radical discrepancies exist with regard to the circumstances attending the killing of Judge Martin, and whether a negro was captured with the boy. One version is that the hunting party had mounted the rise of a hill and while watching a herd of buffalo, was charged upon by the Indians; and that Judge Martin and son fell behind and the Judge was killed, and the boy and negro man were made prisoners.
disposal for distribution to militiamen as remuneration for their services on such terms as he might establish, and appropriates $20,000.00 to further aid in the accomplishment of the ends proposed.
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Others give a wholly different recital-one saying the Indians were Pawnees and that Judge Martin and a negro man were killed in camp. Careful sifting of the evi- dence, renders it certain that there were two expeditions for the recovery of the boy-one in 1834 and the other in 1836, and that the United States dragoons in the first year were commanded by Dean, and in the latter year by Dodge. Sowell possibly confuses and blends together as happening in 1834, events that occurred in both years.
That Martin was killed in May cr June, 1834, and that the boy was recovered in 1836, mainly through the instru- mentality of Col. Dodge, are the main points, and about which there is little or no doubt.
Fortunately, through access to the official itinerary of Col. Keny Dodge, in command of the United States cavalry, or "mounted rangers, " and then on an observation and treaty-making tour among the "wild Indians of the far west;" supplemented and corroborated by the "notes" of Catlin, the artist, who accompanied this expedition, we are enabled to give the reader an elaborate and reliable narra- tive of this notable affair.
Judge Martin was one of the early and prominent citi- zens of Pecan Point, in Red River county, Texas, and a son- in-law of that still earlier and staunch pioneer, Claiborne Wright, who landed at Pecan Point after a most hazardous keel-boat voyage of six months down the Cumberland, the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers, to the mouth of Red River, and thence up that stream, arriving at his destina- tion on the 5th. day of September, 1816.
Martin was of a bold and fearless nature, fond of hunt- ing and outdoor life. In the latter days of May or first part of June, with a small partv composed of himself, his little son, Matthew W., a negro playmate of the lat- ter, Daniel Davis, James and Robert Gamble, Zack Bottom, (a negro servant who had been partly raised among the In- dians), and a few other companies, west out on a hunt- ing and pleasure trip, higher up Red River, pitching camp on a small stream-Sowell says Glass Creek-presumably
SCALPING OF WILBARGER
THE CHEROKEE'S REVENGE FOR HIS SLAIN BOY-PAGE 69
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*
in the upper portion of what is now Graysom county.
They had been here several weeks undisturbed, when they became careless and scattered, as each saw fit, from day to day, to hunt. On such an occasion, when none but the elder Martin, the little negro, and Bottom, the servant, were in camp, a party of Indians suddenly attacked them, killed the Judge and negro boy-"because he fought so desperately and screamed so loud"-plundered the camp and retreated. Zack Bottom, the old servant, escaped, barefooted, and eventually, after much suffering and almost famished, reached the settlements.
The other members of the party, including Martin's son, it appears, discovered the Indians after the killing and, as they' were retreating, in this way: while on the prairie- divide between the Washita and Red Rivers, they noticed a herd of excited buffalo coming over the ridge and at once sus- pected they were disturbed by Indians. As they reached the top of the ridge the Indians were in full view and not far away. Cutting loose their buffalo meat and game, they ran at full speed for Red River, and all effected their escape and made their way to the settlements-all save young Mar- tin, who became separated and was soon overtaken and cap- tured.
Writing from the mouth of False Washita, July, 1834, Catlin, the artist, says :- "The cruel fate of Judge Martin and family has been published in the papers, and it belongs to the regiment of dragoons to demand the surrender of the murderers and get for the information of the world, some authentic account of the mode in which this horrible out- rage was committed.
"Judge Martin was a very respectable and independent man, living on the lower part of Red River, and in the habit of taking his children, and one or two servants with him, and a tent to live in, every summer, into the wild re- gions, where he pitched his tent upon the prairie and spent several months in ki ling buffalo and other wild game for his own private amusement. The news came to Fort Gibson, but a few weeks before we started, that he had been set
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upon by a party of Indians, and destroyed. A detachment of troops was speedily sent to the spot, where they found his body horribly mangled, and also one of his negroes; and it is supposed that his son, a fine boy of nine years of age, had been taken home to their villages by them, where they still retain him, and where it is our hope to recover him.
"Camp Washita, July 4, 1834. Gen. Leavenworth de- clares his intention of sending Col. Dodge with 250 men to the Pawnee village.
"Under the protection of the United States dragoons, I arrived at this place three days since on my way again in search of the 'Far West.' How far I may this time fol- low the flying phantom, is uncertain. I am already again in the land of the buffalos and the fleet bounding ante- lopes. We are at this place on the banks of Red River, having Texas under our eye on the opposite bank. We are encamped on the ground on which Judge Martin and servant were butchered, and his son kidnapped by the Pawnees or Comanches, but a few weeks since; and the moment they discover us in a large body, they will presume that we are relentlessly seeking for revenge, and they will probably be very shy of our approach. We are over the Washita-the 'Rubicon is passed'-we are invaders of a sacred soil. We are carrying the war in our front,, and 'we shall soon see what we shall see.'
"Jully 22 .- At the Toyash village, Col. Dodge and sev- eral of his officers met, agreeably to previous notice , the Toyash chiefs and warriors in council. Council being in or- der, Col. Dodge proceeded to speak as follows :- 'We are the first American officers who have ever come to see the Pawnees; we meet you as friends, not as enemies, to make peace with you, to shake hands with you. The great Amer. ican captain is at peace with all the white men in the world; he wishes to be at peace with all the red men in the world; we have been sent to view this country, and to invite you to go to Washington, where the great American chief lives, to make a treaty with him, that you may learn how he wishes
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to send among you traders, who will bring you guns and blankets, and everything that you want.'
"As the council proceeded Dodge referred to the foul killing of Judge Martin, and the capture of his little son- also the capture of one Abbe, a ranger, the previous year. Evading reply as to the killing of Martin, the chief, Wa- ter-ra-shah-ro, a very dignified warrior of more than sev- enty years, replied that he had learned 'the Indians who lived near St. Antonio,' in Mexico (Texas), captured Abbe, and that they killed him on Red River; the white boy is here.' To which Col. Dodge replied: 'I wish the boy brought to me,' at the same time informing the chiefs that, as an evidence of his friendly intentions towards them, he had on starting, purchased at a very great price, from their enemies, the Osages, two Pawnee and one Kiowa, girls, which had been held by them some time as prisoners; and which he had there ready to deliver to their friends and relatives, in exchange for white prisoners held by the Paw- nees. The little boy was now brought in from the middle of a corn field where they had hid him. The little fellow was entirely naked, except the scant dress worn by the children of the tribe. He was a very bright and intelligent lad of eight or nine summers. His appearance caused considerable excitement and commotion in the council room, and as the little fellow gazed around in great surprise, he exclaimed, 'What; are there white mem here?' to which Col. Dodge re- plied by asking him his name-'Matthew Wright Martin'- was the prompt reply. He was then received into the arms of Col. Dodge, and the captive Indian girls brought in and soon recogized by their overjoyed friends and relatives, who embraced them with the most extravagant expressions of joy. From this moment the council, which before had been a very grave and uncertain one, took a pleasing and friendly turn. The heart of the venerable old chief was melted at the evi- dence of the white man's friendship. He at once embraced Col. Dodge and each of the officers in turn, with tears streaming down his cheeks."
Further quoting Catlin : "August 13th.
* reached the
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settlements at the north fork of the Canadian * * * informed by a citizen, that the mother of little Martin has recently of- fered $2,000 for his recovery; she will soon be made happy by his restoration, without ransom or reward.
"The little boy of whom I have spoken, was brought in, the whole distance to Fort Gibson, in the arms of the dra- goons, who took turns in carrying him; and after the com- mand reached there, he was transmitted to the Red River settlements by an officer, who had the enviable satisfaction of delivering him into the arms of his disconsolate and half- distracted mother."*
Thus we have the true version of Judge Martin's death and the rescue of his little som from captivity - homoring those to whom honor is due. Other matters corincident with' and forming a part of the sad story, though without concert of acticm or knowledge of results, have not been noticed. We refer to an expedition or party of neighbors and settlers lead by Captain Stiles, and which left for the scene of the tragedy, and in search of the captured son, soon after the sad mews reached the settlement. Brief knowledge of the movements of this fearless little party of setters, boldly penetrating far into the country of numerous hostile bands amd tribes, is obtained from an unpublished narrative pre- pared by John Henry Brown from data supplied by Geo. W. Wright, one of the party, afterward a prominent citizen and representative, and a brother of Mrs. Martin, the account, however, all too brief and lacking dates and details:
"On learning of the murder of Judge Martin and the'
*Judge Martin left a widow, who afterwards married a Dr. Bason, and two sons, Matthew W. and William, and one daughter, Louisiana. Both the sons made good citizens, and the daughter a most estimable lady.
Among the traditions of the Wright family, is a story that while residing at Pecan Point, to avoid night attacks from the Indians, the family would move across the river each night and secrete themselves until morning, when they would all return to the cabin. The ferry consisted of drift logs lashed together as a raft. The mother and daughter (after- wards wife of Judge Martin) and a negro girl were placed upon the raft, which was then towed across the river by the older brother and father swimming by the side of it and pull- ing it along with them, while the two smaller boys, Travis G., and George W., (afterwards prominent citizens of Paris, Texas) swam along behind the raft, holding on to it. To pre- vent the children talking and attracting the attention of the Indians, they were always kept separated in the cane .- "Encyclopedia of the New West," p. 372.
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capture of little Matthew Wright Mantim, thirty brave men; assembled, chose Captain Richard Stiles as their leader, and guided by Hardy, the colored' man, repaired to the camp; buried Judge Mantin amd the little colored boy, and then followed on the trail of the Indians how far and under what circumstances, does not clear'y appear. It is certain, however, that north of Red River and west of the Washita, they encountered a large party of Indians and were com- pel ed to fight heavy odds, in which they defended' themselves with the loss of one man and one horse killed, and one man had a thigh broken. Though more or less an- noyed by the enemy they retreated to, and crossed the Washita, near which they fell in with Capt. Dean in com- mand of a company of United States dragoons, with whom they camped for several days, and then returned home.
"The wounded man was taken in charge by the U. S. surgeon, conveyed to Fort Gibson and recovered; but Mr. Wright failed to give either his name, that of the man killed, or of any other of the thirty one men, excepting Capt. Stiles and himself. In my view of pioneer life each of those men was a hero and entitled to be so remembered.' Doubtless some of their children and grandchildren are im the country now and ignorant of these things. Such is fate. Aggregate achievements and deeds of the many, as too much professed history goes, are awarded to a lucky few. Not,' truly, by design, but by a carelessness almost criminal, in not giving, after so great a lapse of time, the names of the men composing such daring parties in those early days. Mr. Wright wrote in '74 of this daring expedition in '34, in which he participated; yet he failed to name a single com- rade, fix a single date, the number of days occupied in any portion or all of the expedition, or to definitely fix a single locality that could be identified. Had he written ear- lier, his narrative would have supplied these omissions, for he was a clear headed, just man, personally familiar with the settlement of that country from its inception onward. From Mr. Robert E. Frazier, I have learned that 'Hardy,' the brave old Indian-trained negro, was the guide, and that
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Zack Bottom, who escaped when Martin was killed, was in it, as I am quite sure the ever faithful Henry Stout was."
FRONTIER TROUBLES. !
We cannot better close the marration of events of border warfare in 1834, than by the introduction of a highly interest- ing letter penned by one of the early pioneers - John T. Townsend, and addressed to the old ranger chief, Capt. John S. Ford. The letter is quite reminiscent, and sheds much light on the frontier history of Texas at that early day-anticipating briefly, as it does, some of the thrilling events that will be narrated in detail, in the order of their occurrence. But to the letter:
ยท Eagle Plass, Taxas, Jan. 20, 1893.
Col. John S. Ford: Dear Sir :-
Remembering your request for something in regard to events of olden times in Texas; and being somewhat in a rem- iniscent mood after meeting and conversing with some of the descendants here of the oldest settlers of Texas, I write you a short statement of some inctable incidents that I have never known published in amy Texas history.
. Im 1834 or 1835, I am almost sure the latter, the Com- anches came down. They passed our settlement on Cum- mings' Creek on their way down. In Austin county, on Mill Creek, they stole some horses. The Americans collect- ed to follow them. My father, Stephen Townsend, and his brothers accompanied them in the pursuit. They left my
mother, a sister of mine, who is now the wife of Hon. James C.Gaither of Falls county, myself, a negro woman and her little scm, two or three years old. The Americans had left my grandfather's, John G. Robinson's, three or four miles distant from us, a few days previously, and we were at the' Robinson place. My mother and grandmother, feeling as- sured that the Texans were between us and all danger from the Indians, sent the negro woman to our place for some clothes. She carried her little boy with her. On her return the Indians met her on the road, killed her, amd carried off the negro boy as a prisoner. Thev opened the bundle she
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was carrying but took nothing from it. This occurred ex- actly on the spot where the town of Round Top, Fayette county, now stands. The bones of the negro woman lie un- der an oak tree near the center of the town. This occurred previous to 1836.
The Rev. Mr. Thrall in his history of Texas, gives a very short account of my grandfather and his brother, Wal- ter Robinson, being killed in the spring of 1837. Judge Sam Lucky, who died in your city, San Antonio, was once chief justice of that county, and also represented it in the congress of the Texas Republic. He came from Georgia with Walter Robinson, and was at my grand father's house when the killing took place.
"He was a gentleman of ability and undoubted courage. He was one of Colonel Jack Hays' company of rangers. When Col. Hays was sent forward to bring on an engage- ment with the Mexicans under General Woll, Judge Lucky was shot through the body. He lived a number of years afterwards, but never recovered from the effects of the wound. The Authoress of "Beulah" and other works, Mrs. Augusta J. Evans, was his niece. She was one time a res- ident of San Antonio.
Joel W. Robinson was one of the party which captured General Santa Anna the day after the battle of San Jacin- to and delivered him to General Sam Houston. He lived to a good, ripe old age. He was respected by all classes of Texas citizens.
Another matter happened not far from the time mem- tioned above. There lived about sixty miles below La Grange, a man named Ross. He traded with the Tonka- way Indians for horses they stole from the Comanche In- dians. This was the cause of trouble between the white set- tlers and the Comanches, and was considered the cause of those Indians becoming hostile. Ross paid very little for a horse. He carried them to the United States and sold them. He came back with goods and sold them at immense profits to the Tonkaways. In their war with the Com- anches they had not been successful, and had been so weak-
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ened by losses that they came inside the Texas settlements for protection from their enemies. They had a permanent camp near Ross' place. A crowd of from thirty to eighty men was raised. They intended to drive away the Tonka- ways, and to notify them to stop the theft of Comanche horses for the reasons already set forth. Ross was drink- ing when they approached his house. He was a reckless, desperate man. He began firing on the Americans as they came within rifle distance. He continued to do so until shot down. My father and grandfather were with the company of Americans, but took no hand in killing Ross. This af- fair occurred in 1834. Desperate as the remedy was, it failed to cure the disease. The Comanches had become so incensed that they proceeded at cmce to stealing horses and killing men and women wherever they found them unpro- tected. Up to this time they had been friendly with the whites or at least inoffensive. This state of things continued until long after the annexation of Texas to the United States. In fact, until Texas become sufficiently settled by Almericams to enable them to protect themselves.
One of the movements detering the Indians from semd- ing expeditions into Texas was the killing off of the numer- ous herds of buffalo grazing upon the staked plains. When the outside world became conscious that the slaughtering of buffalo was going forward, amd was perpetrated only for the skins, the bodies being left untouched to become food for the wolves or to rot, the conductors of newspapers denounc- ed the proceeding as cruel and inhuman. The writer look- ed at results from a different standpoint. The Comanches had been enabled to use the buffalo in their robbing expedi- tions upon the people of Texas. If these animals were
some distance from a settlement, they wener drivem dowm the country a proper distance and left to graze. The red gentlemen could tell pretty well where the drove could be found in a given number of days. They would visit the set- tlements, murder and rob. When they returned, they travel- ed at great speed until the herd of buffalo was reached. At that point they would eat, sleep and recruit. After the ani-
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mals had been slaughtered, the Comanches had no commis- sariat. The journey to a settlement was long and tedious with but little to eat on the way. After the advent of the cattlemen it was a hazardous undertaking. Brave men with repeating rifles and pistols stood in the way. The destruc- tion of the vast herds of buffalo effected as much for the security of Texas as a large standing army across the country from the Red River to the Rio Grande, could have done.
For many years we confidently expected the Comanches to come among us every full mocm, in consequence of which, every man who had any patriotism, prepared himself and was ready at a moments warning to go after them.
There was a small remannt of a tribe led and controlled by a very sensible Indian, named Canoma, who always held himself ready to serve the whites as guide and spy. He was not to be found on one occasion, when the Americans were going out on a campaign against the Comanches. Af- ter they had gone some distance they found Canoma with some horses that had been stolen. He declared that he had taken them from the Comanches and intended to return them to their owners. He insisted that if the Americans would give him a chance he would take them to the Com- anches and thus demonstrate his innocence. As is often the case, some of the Americans were so incensed that they killed Canoma. Some of the men on the spot-my father and John Rabb-were among those who opposed the killing. When they found it impossible to prevent it they left the company rather than witness what they deemed murder. I have often heard them speak of it when I was a boy with the deepest regret. John T. Townsend.
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