USA > Texas > Navarro County > History of Navarro County > Part 3
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
to charge them which we did and routed them out of the ravine when they fell back on a small skirt of timber fifty yards off from which sprang up one hundred and fifty In- dians and confronted us.
"We retreated back into the Prairie. The In- dians mounted their horses and surrounded us and went 'round us in a circle firing into us. We got to the head of the ravine in the Prairie and took shelter in it. The Indians put a force out of gun shot to watch us while their main force went below about eighty yards where the ravine widened and they had the advantage of the brush. They opened fire on us and shot all our horses except two which were be- hind a bush to make sure that none of us should escape.
"The Indians had no hostility towards us but knew we were surveying the land, that white people would soon settle there and break up their hunting grounds so they wanted to kill us for a double purpose-none would be left to tell on them and it would deter others from coming into that section of country sur- veying.
"Each commenced firing into the other up and down the ravine, we sheltered by nooks and they by brush on their part. Euclid Cook got behind the only tree on the bank firing at them. When exposing himself he was shot
48
INDIAN TROUBLES
through the spine. He fell away from the tree and called for some of us to come and pull him down into the ravine. I dropped my gun and ran up and pulled him down. He was mortally wounded and died in two hours.
"We fought all day without water waiting for night to make our escape but when night came also came the full moon making it al- most as bright as day. Up to this time we had several killed and some badly wounded. We waited till near twelve o'clock for the moon to cloud over but as it did not we determined to make a break for Richland Bottom. We put our four worst wounded men on the two re- maining horses. As we rose upon the bank the Indians raised a yell on the prairie and all rushed round us in a half circle pouring hot shot into us. We retreated in a walk wheel- ing and firing as we went and keeping them at bay.
"The four wounded men on horseback were shot off and we put other badly wounded ones in their places. We got within two hun- dred yards of the timber facing round and fir- ing when Captain Neil was shot through the hips. He called to me to help him on a horse behind a wounded man, which another man and I did. We had not gone ten steps further when Neil, the wounded man and the horse were all shot down together. I was shot
49
HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
through the calf of the leg splitting the bone and severing the leaders connected with my toes. I fell forward as I made a step but I could support myself on my heel. I hobbled on with the balance to the mouth of the ra- vine which was covered with brush into which four of us entered and the other three took the timber on the other side. We had gone about fifty yards down the ravine where it was dark and in the shade when I called to Henderson to stop and tie up my leg as I was bleeding to death. He did so-cut off the tip of my boot-and bandaged the wound. We saw about fifty Indians come to the mouth of the Ravine but they could not see us as we were in the shade as we went down the ra- vine. They followed and overtook our wound- ed comrade whom we had to leave and killed him. We heard him cry out when they shot him and knowing that they would overtake us we crawled on the bank of the ravine and lay down on our faces with our guns cocked ready to give them one parting salute if they discov- ered us. They passed so closely that I could have put my hand on any of their heads. They went down the ravine a short distance when a Conch shell was blown on the prairie as a signal for the Indians to come back.
"After they had passed us we went down to Richland Creek where we found a little pond of muddy water into which I pitched head for-
50
INDIAN TROUBLES
ward having suffered all day without water and also from loss of blood. We here left Violet, our wounded comrade. His thigh was broken and he could crawl no further then. He begged me to stay with him as I was bad- ly wounded and as he said could not reach the settlements, some ninety miles distant. I told him I was bound to make the connection so we bound up his thigh and left him near the water.
"We traveled down the creek 'til daylight, then 'cooned' over the dry creek on a log so as to leave no track in the sand to a little isl- and of brush where we lay all day long. In the morning we could hear the Indians riding up and down looking for us. They knew our number, twenty-three, and seven had escap- ed. They wished to kill all so that it could not be charged to their tribe.
"We started at dusk for Tehuacana Hills twenty-five miles away. When I rose 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 recover- ed consciousness and before 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 blan- ket together and he would not leave me. He would stick to me to the last. I rose to my
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
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 hills. We got within six miles of it when Burton sat down and refused to go any further saying he would die there. We abused him and sneered at him for having no grit and finally got him to the spring. We luckily struck the water one hun- dred yards below the spring 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 ask- ed us what we were doing and I told them we had been out surveying but had a fight with the 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 and pitched head foremost into the 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. Hen-
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INDIAN TROUBLES
derson and Burton were above me in the wa- ter. In a short time they called me. I heard them but would not answer. I was in the wa- ter covered by weeds and felt so happy and contented I would not have answered for any consideration. Henderson and Burton got un- easy about me as I did not answer and came down the bank to find me. An Indian saw me in the water and weeds and 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 ob- ject suffering from hunger and want of water. my eyes were sunk nearly to the back of my head) and said 'Maybe so you die tonight'. I told him 'No' unless he killed me. He replied 'No kill'. He asked 'Want eat?' We said
'Yes'. He answered 'Maybe so. Camp in two miles. Come go. Squaws got something to eat'. He helped me on a horse and we went to camp. The women saw our condition and would give us only a little at a time. They gave us a wooden bowl of soup composed of dried Buffalo meat, corn and pumpkins all to- gether. Green turtle soup with all its spicy condiments dwindles into insignificance when compared to my recollection of that savory broth. When we handed back our bowls for more they said 'Bimeby'. They waked us up twice during the night and gave us more. They understood our condition, knew that we
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
were famished and to have given us all we wanted at one time would have killed us. We slept till next morning when we wished to start, knowing that at any moment a runner might come into camp and tell them that it was their tribe that had attacked us and as we were the only ones that could incriminate 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 Gov- ernment" was known even by the Kickapoos.
"We started on foot, my leg paining me se- verely. We had gone about three miles when six Indians galloped up to us on the prairie. I told my comrade our time had come. We got behind two trees determined to sell our lives dearly. They rode up saying 'Howd'y? 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 swap- ped with the understanding that they would take us to Parker's Fort, about twenty-five miles, on pony, which they agreed to do. 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 In- dian who was unarmed and I could ride to the
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INDIAN TROUBLES
settlement. Henderson indignantly refused and I told Burton that rather than betray confidence I would walk on one leg. Five minutes later I heard a gun fired to the right. We asked the Indian what it meant. He re- plied 'Cosette, Kickapoo Chief, camp here.' So if we had shot the Indian we would have brought down a hundred to see what it meant. He then told me 'Maybe so you get down, yonder is 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 cross- ed in the night and went out some three miles in the prairie and slept. The Indians that morning had given us as 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 Franklin. 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 ques- tion for I was in my shirt and drawers, with a handkerchief 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
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
left our party some six days before for the settlement to get us another compass. They were horrified when we told them of the mas- sacre. They put us on their horses and re- turned with us to Franklin, a distance of some fifteen miles. The news spread over the neigh- borhood like wildfire. By the next morning fif- ty men were raised and, piloted by Love, start- ed for the scene of our disaster. I had been placed in comfortable quarters at Franklin and kindly nursed and attended by sympathetic la- dies. Henderson and Burton 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 to find him. The party got to Tehua- cana Springs and being very thirsty threw down their guns to get a drink. Violet who had seen them coming across the prairie thought they were Indians and secreted him- self in the brush close by but when he heard them talk and found that they were white men he gave a yell and hobbled out saying, 'Boys, I'm mighty glad you've come!' He came near stampeding the whole party they thinking it was an Indian ambuscade. Poor Violet after we left him in Richland Creek bottom stayed there three days subsisting on green haws and plums. Getting tired he decided to make for Tehuacana Hills as he knew the course. He splinted and bandaged his thigh as best he
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INDIAN TROUBLES
could and then struck out. He got there after a day and night's travel. Being nearly fa- mished 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 decided to shoot him. He pulled down on him with a holster pistol loaded with twelve buckshot and the proportional amount of powder. Having his back to the embankment, down which the wa- ter ran, the pistol knocked him over senseless breaking the ligature which bound his thigh. He remained insensible, he thought, about two hours. When he became conscious he bandag- ed his leg again as well as he could and crawl- ed up to the spring to look for the frog. He found one hind quarter floating around, the balance having been blown to flinders. Being very hungry he made 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 flesh having been stripped off by the wolves. They also found, much to my satisfaction, eighty piles of green brush in the lower part of the ravine from which the Indians were firing at us during the day and under each pile of brush was a copious quantity
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
of blood which proved that we had not been fooling our time away during the day.
"The company returned to Franklin bring- ing Violet with them. He recovered from his wound."
The grave had been marked by stones and for many years was a sacred spot and kept in memory by those who were citizens in Navarro and the story was kept in the minds of the young by frequent repetition but time passed swiftly by, each one busy with the affairs of life, and the memories of those brave men grew dim until the son of one of the men who had not forgotten erected a monument to the men buried there. This was John P. Cox who at that time, fifty years after the tragedy, was County Clerk of Navarro County. The names of the dead buried there are on the stone. The grave is in a field just a mile or so out Northwest of Dawson.
It was a tragic chapter in the history of the county and was a part of the price paid for this present pros- perous and happy country.
About a year after this, a battle with the Indians was fought with Captain Chandler and Lieutenant William Love heading about forty Texans. This was a running fight and was continued for about ten miles. A number of the Indians were killed while the Texans lost only one man. At the beginning of the engage- ment the Indians began to retreat and ran to their en- campment which was stormed by the Texans. Nearly four thousand dollars worth of property was re-captur- ed.
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CHAPTER III
ORGANIZATION
A S soon as Texas achieved independence the citizens began to talk of and advance arguments in favor of annexation to the United States. On any subject so important, however, it was natural that differences of opinion existed and many acrimonious debates and much impassioned oratory were expended both in Tex- as and in various parts of the country on the subject of annexation of Texas to the United States of Amer- ica. Mexico continued to claim title to Texas and, since the United States had signed a treaty of friend- ship with Mexico, it was natural they hesitated to vio- late these covenants or make the initial step toward annexing a part of the country which was so embroil- ed in political dissension, particularly when this meant saddling onto the United States government the debt owed by the Republic of Texas. The question of slav- ery also entered into the discussion and there was much argument as to whether or not Texas would en- ter the Union as a free state or a slave state. There is no doubt but that a majority of the inhabitants in the Republic of Texas were in favor of annexation, but lack of means of travel and poor facilities of exchang- ing mail meant that, with the inexperienced diplomats and lack of coordinated management, this sentiment
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
could not readily crystalize. Lecturers and spell-binders were sent into different states and popular sentiment was aroused to the point where James K. Polk was elected President on the platform which included a fa- vorable attitude toward the annexation of Texas. George M. Dallas was elected Vice President and his name is indelibly written in the annals of Texas by having one of the chief cities of the State named in his honor.
On April 12, 1844, the Treaty of Annexation was signed and on the 4th of June, the following year, the President of Texas, Anson Jones, issued a proclama- tion calling attention to the fact that inhabitants of Texas now had the choice of remaining as an inde- pendent Republic since Mexico had recognized the in- dependence of Texas on June 2, of that year; or the in- habitants might vote in favor of annexing to the Uni- ted States as one of the members of the great Ameri- can Union. A convention was assembled at Austin on July 4. Terms of annexation were ratified, a constitu- tion for the new State was formed and the assembly was adjourned on August 22. Under this constitution, an election was held on the third Monday in December of 1845 to name a Governor, Lieutenant Governor and members of the Legislature.
One of the first acts of the First Legislature was to create new counties in order to establish a more com- pact form of government and to take into considera- tion the rapid increase in population and at this first meeting, on April 25, 1846, the following law was enacted :
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ORGANIZATION
"That all that portion of the County of Rob- ertson included within the following bounds be, and the same is hereby erected into a new County, to be called and known by the name of Navarro, to-wit: beginning on the East bank of the Brazos River, at the Northwest corner of Limestone County, and thence, with the line of said County to the Trinity River; thence up said River to the line of Dallas County ; thence, West to the corner thereof; thence, North with the line of said Dallas County to the old Southern boundary of Fannin County ; thence West to the Brazos River, and thence down River to the place of beginning.
"Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, that said County of Navarro, as to the right of repre- sentation, shall be considered as a part of the County of Robertson, until entitled by num- bers, to the right of separate representation.
"Sec. 3. Be it further enacted that until the seat of justice shall be permanently estab- lished, as hereafter provided by law, the tem- porary seat of justice shall be at the residence of W. R. Howe and all courts shall be held thereat.
Organization of Navarro County was forwarded by a commit- tee composed of C. M. Winkler, Thos. I. Smith, D. R. Mitchell, J. C. Neil, E. H. Tarrant, Jacob Eliot and William Love. This committee received much assistance from Jose Antonio Navarro and recognized it by naming the county in his honor. In addi- tion, the county seat was named in honor of the home of his parents-Corsica.
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
"Sec. 4. Be it further enacted that this Act take effect and shall be in full force from and after its passage."
(*Approved April 25, A. D., 1846).
Navarro County was so called in honor of Jose An- tonio Navarro, a loyal Texan, who played a prominent part in the struggle with Mexico and who, by honesty and faithfulness, won the lasting respect of all true Texans.
Senor Navarro was born in San Antonio in 1795, and therefore would have been about forty years of age, when Texas independence was declared. Don Angel Navarro, the father of Jose Antonio Navarro, was born in Corsica in 1739. He came to America to settle in what is now San Antonio, and engaged in the mer- cantile business at that place for many years. Jose An- tonio was given as good an education as pioneer schools afforded. He became a lawyer and was respect- ed by all of his friends, among whom he numbered Stephen F. Austin.
Senor Navarro married Margarita De La Garza in 1825, and of their several children, two sons were of- ficers in the Confederate Army.
Jose Antonio Navarro served in the Congress of Coa- huila, and in that of the Republic of Texas. After Texas became a State in the Union he was again elect- ed to a place of honor.
*Gammel's Laws of Texas.
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N
RIO ROXO
or
Mercers Colony
COOKE CO.
DENTON CO.
COLLIN CO.
DALLAS CO. pallas
KAUFMAN CO.
Trinity
HENDERSON CO.
River
New County Seat!
Jose Marie
5 River
CORSICANA O
chambers CA
Barette crossing
cer's Colony
NAVARRO CO.
Richland CE
Mer
Towast Village
Battle Cr .
Oak.
Boundary Of
MILAM CO.
Tehuacana Mts.
Magnolia Ferry
Waco Village
Toney's Trading Post
Springfield LIMESTONE CO.
Buck Snart
o Old Franklin
cials at Austin on July 6, 1848.
J. de Cordova's map of Texas. This map was accepted by state offi- The map of Navarro County, as first organized in 1846, copied from
-Courtesy of Dr. Dienst of Temple, Texas.
San Antonio Village
NO ...
ahachie Er.
Taos
Buffalo
Trinity City
-
Brazos River
o Palestine ยท Fort Houston
River
-
Red RI
ORGANIZATION
At one time during the revolution, he was captured and imprisoned for several years but even under this trying ordeal he maintained a dignity which endeared him to all who knew him. He died at the age of seven- ty. Navarro County was named in his honor parti- cularly due to the kind assistance which he gave to the committee engaged in forming the county, and to fur- ther eulogize him the county seat was called Corsicana, in honor of the native land of his ancestors-Corsica.
The picture of Senor Navarro is a copy from a photo- graph from which a life size portrait was painted by a distinguished artist, and which was presented to Na- varro County by Hon. Richard Mays, a prominent Cor- sicana lawyer.
The painting hangs in the Navarro County district court room.
The first election of county officers in Navarro County was in July, 1846, at which time Dr. John A. Young was chosen as Chief Justice, as a county judge was then called: James A. Johnson, sheriff, with Wm. A. Ladd, Isaac Hartzell, Wm. Browning, bondsmen; Eleas Rogers, assessor and tax collector; Ethan Mel- ton, treasurer; W. B. M. Nicholson, (did not serve long), district clerk; R. N. White, county clerk; Isaac Cline, constable beat No. 2; Thos. A. Ward, land com- missioner at Austin.
Dr. John Young died soon after, and Gen. E. H. Tar- rant, filled that place, and Col. Riggs was district clerk.
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HISTORY OF NAVARRO COUNTY
By Act of the Second Legislature, a committee com- posed of Thos. I. Smith, Wm. F. Henderson, Ethan Melton, James Johnson, and James M. Riggs, was ap- pointed to select a spot near the "old Richardson Set- tlement" on which to locate a seat of justice. There were several log houses, all of them empty, scattered along from the present site of the Orphans Home (where John Richardson lived at that time) to the present site of the square. Hampton Mckinney had already moved into one of the houses but when it was chosen he lifted his headright and took his land at an- other place.
In 1848, when the Richardson Settlement was chos- en many, under the leadership of Gen. Tarrant,* ob-
*General Tarrant was born either in Tennessee or North Caro- lina, and while still a youth joined frontier forces of Andrew Jackson to fight Indians. He was an outstanding figure in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, fought after peace already had been declared in America's second war with England.
He came to Texas in 1835, but little is known of his life dur- ing the intervening years. He joined the forces warring against Mexico and later the Texas rangers. He became commander of the Northwestern Texas frontier region, battling hostile savages and outlaws. In 1838 he was elected to represent the Red River district in the Congress of the Texas Republic, but soon resigned to take up his command of the rangers. Three years later he led a small detachment in a bloody skirmish with a band of pil- fering Indians on Village Creek, near where the Fort Worth- Dallas pike crosses the stream. The fight, in which the white men were victorious, broke the Indians' power in this section of the Southwest.
As he grew older and no longer could endure the hardships of the trail and saddle, General Tarrant again became a lawmaker, serving several terms in the State Legislature after Texas was admitted to the Union. He died in 1828 at old Fort Belknap and was buried in Ellis County, from which place his body was re- moved to Ft. Worth in 1928.
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ORGANIZATION
jected because it was not nearer their settlement and in a few months seceded, and Ellis County was formed.
Following is the report of the Commissioners for the August, 1849 term of court as recorded in the "Day Book", with S. C. Cross, Chief Justice.
The commissioners were Archibald M. Sloan, F. R. Kendall, Wm. J. Stokes, Sheriff, R. N. White, County Clerk.
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