USA > Texas > Tarrant County > Fort Worth > History of Texas : Fort Worth and the Texas northwest edition, Volume I > Part 11
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Moses Morrison was a true type of the frontiersmen-bold, fearless. kind and generous, and performed well his part in subduing the wilder- ness and driving back the savage. Captain Buckner was a true patriot and gallant soldier. He was killed in the battle of Velasco in 1832. Cap- tains A. C. Buckner and Robert Kuykendall were minute men in the true sense of the word, and rendered the first settlers of Austin's colony good service. Whenever the Carankawas made an inroad on the settlement. they collected such force as they could and gave pursuit, and woe to the marauders that they encountered.
This was the last fight the colonists had with the Carankawas. In the fall of the same year the colonists were greatly strengthened by immi- gration, and could muster a respectable force of fighting men. Colonel Austin determined to relieve his settlers from further raids of the Carankawas. Accordingly he raised a force of 100 men, of whom Col. Jared E. Groce, Sr., and thirty of his negroes formed a part. Austin was determined to exterminate or drive them beyond the American settle- ments.
When near Goliad he was met by the priest of that place, who repre- sented to Austin that the Indians had placed themselves in his charge and care ; and that they desired to treat with him for peace, the priest pledging himself for their good behavior. Austin accepted the proposi- tion, and concluded a treaty. By the terms of the treaty they were not
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to come east of the San Antonio River. Whether or not they observed the treaty to the letter, they never after entered Austin's colony.
These Indians occupied the coast country from Galveston to the San Antonio River. They lived principally on fish and oysters, and picked up such articles as were driven ashore from wrecked vessels
Although the colonists were comparatively strong, they were subject to frequent Indian raids. Indeed they had been so frequent that Colonel Austin ordered out two companies of militia, commanded by Captains Oliver Jones and Bartlet Sims, both subject to the orders of Captain Abner Kuykendall. At the same time, Colonel De Witt ordered out a company of his militia, under command of Captain Henry S. Brown, to unite and act in concert with Austin's troops.
The troops formed a junction at Gonzales, and marched for the river San Saba, where they were informed the Waco and Tehuacana Indians were encamped near its head. When near the point of destination, how- ever, they were discovered by Indian scouts, who immediately gave notice of the near approach of the Texans. The Indians made a precipitate retreat, leaving most of their camp equipage, dried meat, etc. Captain Sims, with his company, followed them, captured a number of their horses, but could not overtake the Indians. In this affair one Indian was killed and the camps destroyed.
About this time (summer of 1829) or soon thereafter, Don Gaspar Flores, of San Antonio de Bexar, raised a force of militia and marched upon the Waco and Tehuacana villages.
In the winter of 1828-29 Thomas Thompson, of Colorado, near Bas- trop, discovered Indians in his cornfield, which was some distance from his house, taking his corn. He hastily collected such of his neighbors as he could and pursued the Indians. They overtook and killed four of them ; the others made good their escape.
1829 .- In the spring of this year I went down to Bell's Landing on the Brazos, and took charge of a mercantile house established by White and Harris. Harris died during the summer of this year, and I was requested by White to assist him in closing up the business of the con- cern. While here I made the acquaintance of Captain John Austin, of Brazoria, who was engaged in merchandize and running a vessel in the New Orleans trade. I had made the acquaintance of Samuel M. Wil- liams, Esq., secretary of Austin's colony, of whom I shall speak more at length hereafter, also that of George B. Mckinstry. In December I received the appointment of deputy surveyor for one of the districts in Eastern Texas.
I should have before stated that I made the acquaintance of Hon. David G. Burnet, Col. Stephen F. Austin, James B. Austin, an only brother of the colonel's, Hon. Robert M. Williamson-three-legged Willie-Hon. Richard Ellis, in fine, most of the settlers of Austin's colony. During the summer of this year, Colonel Austin made a campaign against the Waco and Tehuacana Indians on the upper Brazos. The expedition resulted in the killing of a squaw by accident. the burning of their village. and the destruction of their crops. They had been very troublesome for some time and had made frequent raids on the settlements.
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In the summer of this year a Doctor Dayton, who had but recently arrived, produced considerable discontent by informing Austin's set- tlers that they were being imposed upon; that Austin was imposing a tax of twelve and a half cents per acre on all the lands that had been granted to them, without authority of law, and for the purpose of enriching himself. Unfounded and silly as this report was, there were those who were weak enough and wicked enough to believe it. En- couraged by those who lent him a willing ear and the excitement which the story created, he gave notice of a public meeting, to be held at San Felipe de Austin at a certain hour, for the purpose of investiga- tion and discussion. The people assembled at the appointed time, but to the astonishment of the doctor, he found but few who had listened to and pledged him their support. A committee was appointed by the meeting and directed to hear and decide upon the charges preferred, and to recommend such further, if any, action should be taken in the matter. After a full hearing and investigation the committee re- ported the charges unfounded and false; that they regarded Doctor Dayton as a disturber of the peace and quiet of the colony and un- worthy to be received as a colonist, and lastly, that he should be tarred, feathered, ridden on a rail through the town, and ordered to leave the colony on a day named, on pain of being turned over to the Mexican authorities. The recommendation was accepted and prompt- ly carried into execution, since which time nothing further has been heard of the doctor. Thus ended the Dayton excitement and the first trial, judgment and execution under Judge Lynch.
In the latter part of December I went to Nacogdoches, where I found the commissioner, Juan Antonio Padilla, and Thomas Jefferson Chambers, surveyor general, both of whom had established their offices in that old town. Empresario contracts covered most of this territory. Some had forfeited their contracts; others had sold to companies in the United States, who had done nothing to comply with the original contract. 'Settlements had been made at an early day from the Sabine to the Trinity River. Through the influence of Colonel Austin a commissioner was appointed by the state govern- ment to extend titles to these people. On reporting to the commis- sioner, I was assigned to the Ayish Bayou District. I found there Thomas H. and John P. Borden, B. Simms and several other sur- veyors ; the first three from Austin's colony. Here I became acquainted with Thomas F. Mckinney, of whom I shall speak here- after, John S. Roberts, Col. Frost Thorn, Charles H. Sims, Charles S. Taylor, Adolphus Sterne, George Pollitt, and many others of Nacog- doches. I also met William Moore of Kentucky, but then of Ayish Bayou, and Elisha Roberts, with whom Moore was living. Moore was anxious to engage in surveying, but wished to join some one who was a practical surveyor, as he had no practice other than that given at school. We formed a partnership and surveyed our district in part, but stopped work in consequence of the arrest and imprisonment of the commissioner on false charges. After months of confinement he was released without a trial. He was soon after made secretary of state. He was a man of talent, and devoted patriotism. Before leav-
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ing Nacogdoches Johnson met with George W. Smythe, who had just arrived in the country. Smythe soon after was appointed to survey the Neches district.
1830-After quitting work in the district, I returned to Nacog- doches. Moore remained to close up our business and make collec- tions of our fees. In July or August, accompanied by Charles S. Tay- lor, I returned to San Felipe de Austin, where a short time before our arrival a man had been killed-Holcomb, a lawyer of eminence, by H. H. League and Seth Ingram. Moore came to San Felipe in the fall, and soon after was made deputy sheriff. While I had been absent, William H. Jack, Esq., a prominent lawyer, had arrived. Luke Lesas- sier, another prominent lawyer, had arrived in 1829.
In the fall Thomas Barnett, alcalde of the jurisdiction, authorized Capt. Abner Kuykendall to raise a company for the purpose of break- ing up a lawless gang whose headquarters were supposed to be in Gonzales. Before leaving, however, I, having joined the company, was out in search of Hiram Friley, the reported leader, who had killed a man-Fielding Porter, my ship companion-but recently in Gon- zales, and was keeping out of the way of the law, and known to be in Austin's Colony. A man by the name of Little, after being severely "lynched," confessed that he had been harboring and feeding Friley. Eli Mitchel and myself visited Mrs. Little, who informed us that Friley was to meet her at their spring, some hundred or two yards distant, and that if we would secrete ourselves she would invite Friley to the house. At the time agreed on she went to the spring and Friley came up with her. As soon as we were discovered he halted, brought his gun to his shoulder. In the meantime I hoisted my gun and took aim, but she missed fire. I dropped my gun and reached back and told Mitchel to hand me his gun, which he did. I raised and fired, the load entering Friley's breast, and knocking off the hammer of his gun ; he ran some six or eight steps and fell dead on the porch. Hav- ing ordered Little out of the colony we then proceeded to Gonzales.
The Bolms of that place were known to be connected with the gang. After a strict and close examination of the old man and his son, without gaining any information, it was decided to subject the son to the ordeal of lynching. He confessed his and his father's complicity and said he would conduct us to the camp of the outlaws, some thirty or forty miles above Gonzales, on the Guadalupe River, where he said they had a con- siderable number of horses and mules. In the meantime Colonel Austin arrived, being on his way to Saltillo, the capital of the state, to attend the session of the state congress of which he was a delegate. The next morning we received the news of the killing of Roark and one or two others by Indians, near the landing on the San Antonio road. A party was sent out as an escort, with Colonel Austin, and to bury the dead. The next day Captain Kuydendall moved up the river, guided by young Bolm. We found a place where horses and mules had been kept either by Indians or white men, but they had been removed. We pursued our course north for some distance without making any discovery. We then turned to the eastward, to near the divide between the waters of Guada- lupe and Colorado rivers. Having stopped for breakfast and to kill
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game, one of our hunters returned and reported seeing two Indians below our camp. Thus things remained, and the men were engaged in cooking, when I suggested to Captain Kuykendall the necessity of sending out a party to ascertain the number and position of the Indians, and to order the horses caught and made ready for removal or use. He requested me to take such number of men as I thought necessary, and scan the country in the direction where the Indians had been seen. The Indians had evi- dently heard the reports of our guns, and had been sent out to discover our numbers and positions, but had returned when they saw our hunters. I selected five or six men for the purpose indicated. Before leaving, I requested Captain Kuykendall to keep his men in camp; telling him that if I discovered the Indians and could draw them out in pursuit of us, I would dispatch a man to him, and that he should have all the horses removed out of sight, and take position in a ravine near by, which ran down to a small creek not more than a hundred yards from our fires. I then moved forward, keeping down the small creek some three miles to a considerable bluff. which commanded a bottom prairie some half mile in width and running to the timber of another creek. Here we saw two or three Indians come out of the timber, and they were soon followed by others. They soon saw us, hallooed and beckoned us to them. Some twenty or twenty-five had got into the prairie ; all on foot except one, the chief, who was mounted on a horse. When they saw we would not advance they came forward at a run. When they had made about half the distance across the prairie they fired several shots, one of which struck one of our horses, and wounded him slightly. After being satis- fied that they would pursue us if we retreated slowly, I dispatched a man to Captain Kuykendall to inform him that we would bring the Indians into the ambush The Indians pursued, firing an occasional shot, and we retreated slowly before them. Unfortunately. the firing so ex- cited the men at camp that they set forward without regard to order, and came rushing to our assistance. We requested them to return to the camp, which they did, but not before they were seen by the Indians. The Indians, after this discovery, moved more slowly and cautiously, and when within a quarter of a mile of our camp, took position in a cedar thicket, with a small prairie intervening it and the post oaks. Seeing that they did not intend to advance further, and as they opened fire from the thicket, the main body of the men rushed forward and formed near the edge of the prairie in the post oaks. They were ordered not to fire with- out orders. Regardless of this order, several shots were fired, but with- out effect, as the Indians were some 300 yards distant. It was apparent that they could not be dislodged or driven from their position without exposing our men to a destructive fire, and a cost of many lives. The captain then asked what was best to be done. He was advised to draw off his force at a quick pace in the direction of our camp, the ravine in rear, and the creek on our right flank, hoping thus to draw the Indians from their cover, and attack them at advantage. They advanced slowly and cautiously under cover of the timber and brush of the creek and out of range of our guns. We then crossed the creek and took up a position from which we could observe their movements. Thus foiled by our own imprudence we lost an opportunity of chastising, if not destroying, this
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band of savage marauders. After manoeuvering to get advantage of these wily sons of the forest and prairies to no effect. we took up the line of march for Gonzales. The night of the day of our arrival, Indians entered the town and stole several horses, shot at some of the citizens. and attempted to lasso another. The next morning, it was discovered by their fire, and other signs, that the party did not consist of more than five or six Indians. Pursuit was useless.
After ordering the Bolms out of the colony, the company returned to San Felipe. This little expedition had the effect of breaking up the out- laws, and giving quiet to the Austin and De Witt colonies. In the mean- time, an election had been ordered for alcalde and members of the ayun- tamiento of the municipality of Austin. My name was offered for the office of alcalde. I was elected by a large majority over my competitor. qualified, and entered upon the duties of the office. This is an impor- tant and responsible office, with jurisdiction in all civil and criminal proceedings.
In 1831, the state congress passed a decree requiring all merchants and traders to take out and pay a license tax. The national government. during the same period, established three additional posts in Texas-one at Tenoxtitlan, upper Brazos, Col. Francisco Ruiz, commander ; one at the mouth of the Brazos, commanded by Colonel Ugartechea, and one near the mouth of the Trinity, Anahuac, commanded by Col. Juan Davis Bradburn. The declared object for establishing the military posts was to give protection to the frontier, and to insure the better collection of custom duties, but the real object was to hold in check if not overawe the colonists, of whom they were both jealous and afraid. A kindred meas- ure more insulting and unjust and calculated to effect the colony disas- trously was the decree of the 6th of April, 1830, by which all North Americans were prohibited from coming to and settling in Texas.
In the early part of Johnson's administration complaint was entered by Colonel Ruiz against a Mr. Millican, whom he charged with seizing and whipping one of his soldiers. This Millican denied, and charged that he found the soldier with one of his beeves. To avoid turning Mil- lican over to the Mexican authorities as long as possible, the case was submitted to the political chief at Bexar, and a correspondence at once took place between the alcalde and chief, which was continued until near the end of his official term, and for once beating them with their own weapons. For this success the alcalde was indebted to Samuel M. Wil- liams, Esq., colonial secretary, and also of the ayuntamiento of Austin who conducted the correspondence. But our troubles were not to end with the Millican affair. Col. Martin Parmer, a prominent actor in the Fredonian affair, who had left the country in consequence, returned, and as if to beard the lion in his den. in company with Col. James Bowie visited San Antonio. Popular as Bowie was at that time with the Mex- icans. he could not disabuse them of the jealousy and fears of Parmer. Parmer, finding his situation unpleasant if not dangerous, soon returned. An order was immediately directed to the alcalde asking the arrest of Parmer. Accompanying this was a subaltern officer and file of men. who reported themselves to the alcalde and held themselves subject to his order. Without unnecessary delay, yet sufficient to enable Parmer's
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friends to give him notice of the unfriendly intention of the Mexican authorities, the necessary writ for the arrest of Parmer was placed in the hands of the deputy sheriff, Captain Francis Adams, friend and associate of Parmer. Accompanied by the officer and his squad of men Adams proceeded to make diligent search for Parmer, but the bird had flown, the search was unsuccessful, the party returned and reported, much dis- appointed, and the officer somewhat chopfallen. Thus, again, were the colonists relieved of another unpleasant affair. Small as these things were in themselves, they were fair and true instances of the feelings indulged toward the Anglo-Americans by the Mexican authority. They first took alarm at the rising at Nacogdoches in 1826 under the lead of Edwards, which may be said to be the germ seed of their subsequent troubles, and the war of independence.
In the early part of '31 Francisco Madero, accompanied by J. M. Carbajal, arrived at San Felipe de Austin, on his way to the lower Trinity in Eastern Texas. Madero had been appointed commissioner for the purpose of extending titles to the settlers in that region and to establish and organize a jurisdiction and cause to be elected an alcalde and other municipal officers. After spending a few days at San Felipe, the com- missioner, with his surveyor, Carbajal, proceeded to Liberty, on the Trinity, and entered upon his duties with promptness and efficiency ; organized a municipality, and ordered an election for the necessary officers, who were duly installed and immediately entered upon their several duties.
Madero, by his independence and manly course, soon drew upon him- self and the surveyor the prejudice, distrust, and jealously of Bradburn. the military commander of the post of Anahuac. Under one pretext and another, Bradburn caused Madero and Carbajal to be arrested and confined, thereby suspending their official functions.
The gross illegality of this act is too manifest to require argument or comment. Madero was acting under the authority of the state govern- ment, and in strict conformity to both the decree and the laws of the State of Coahuila and Texas. Not satisfied, however, Bradburn abol- ished the municipality, and established one at Anahuac, without the sanction or knowledge of the state government.
As if not satisfied with these acts of lawlessness and violence, he next arrested and imprisoned a number of citizens in the fort, under one pretext or another. Of those arrested and imprisoned William Barrett Travis, Patrick C. Jack, Samuel P. Allen and Monroe Edwards were of the number. These arrests and imprisonments were made in the latter part of the spring of 1832. In the meantime, the constituted authorities of Liberty continued to exercise their several offices, not- withstanding the orders and threats made by Bradburn.
Having served out my term of office, I was succeeded by Horatio Chriesman, as first, and John Austin, as second alcalde, in 1832.
In the fall of 1832 I was appointed principal surveyor of Austin's Colony. In the latter part of the fall, in company with my friend and partner, William Moore, I proceeded to Tenoxtitlan on the upper Brazos, and commenced work in what was known as the Nashville
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Grant, or Robertson Colony, where we continued to work until the early part of July, 1833.
This year marks two remarkable occurrences-the great overflow' and cholera. Moore was engaged on the Upper Brazos and I on San Andres, or Little River. Tenoxtitlan was the highest settlement on the Brazos, except a trading post established by Francis Smith at the falls of the Brazos. In the spring of this year I found myself and party one morning surrounded by Indians. We had noticed fresh "signs" the evening before. However, as our position was a secure one and the Indians perceived us prepared to defend ourselves, they declared themselves friends; held a talk and departed, apparently well satisfied. They were a hunting party, and encamped on a creek some two miles distant, where they remained some time, but gave us no trouble. They were quite a strong party, numbering some hundred and fifty. In the latter part of June, while engaged making surveys on the San Antonio road, the road being the line between the lower and upper colony, I, with a boy whom I had with me, and a Mr. Con- nell, was meandering the road and establishing the courses of various tracts, and Thomas A. Graves, with the main party, was running the extension line, we fell in with a small party of Tonkawa Indians. Con- nell and the boy had made a miscount in measuring the last line, and. Connell being in bad health, the boy and myself went back to the last station to correct the distance. I saw that the boy was excited. alarmed, and assured him that there was nothing to fear from the Indians, that I knew them to be friendly. While we were measuring the line Connell sat down, and on turning around we could not see him ; this greatly alarmed the boy, but I reassured him, and we started back. How far he followed me I do not know, but on arriving where I had left Connell and the Indians. Connell asked me where the boy was ; not seeing him. I hallooed several times, but received no answer. We concluded that in his fright he had run to our camp, which was on the road. The Indians made us understand that they wished to go to Tenoxtitlan ; we accompanied them to our camp, then gave them something to eat, and a letter to the citizens of that place, and cau- tioned them in approaching the place to hold up something in token of friendship. as the hostile Indians made occasional raids on the ttlement. As soon as the Indians departed, we went in search of the boy. the only trace of whom was his track in a deep ravine. According to his own account. which he gave later, he kept in ravines and thickets most of the day but all the time making his way towards Tenoxtitlan, where he arrived the next morning. and reported us killed by the Indians. This produced great excitement and alarm ; an ex- press was immediately sent to the lower settlements to request aid, in the meantime keeping up a strict watch. The call was responded to promptly, and on the fourth day some fifty men arrived at my camp to perform the last act of sepulture. You may well imagine their sur- prise and iov at finding us not only alive. but ready for our allowance and daily labor. They spent the day with us in a manner highly satis- factory to all. They departed. after receiving our hearty and heartfelt thanks, to their several homes. Soon after. I was joined by my friend
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