USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 2 > Part 14
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The veteran, William Menefee, who was in the Consultation with General Houston, in 1835, when the " solemn pledges " were unanimously made to the Cherokees and their associate bands, and who was in opposition to this bill, presided in the Speaker's chair during the debate. ' General Houston very naturally referred to the coincidence; but in a spirit so void of bitterness or reproach, and so complimentary to the char- acter and patriotism of Mr. Menefee, as to call forth a burst of applause, both on the floor and in the lobby. When he concluded, the roll was called and the bill passed the house by a large majority. The legislation of this session, in other aspects, was advantageous to the country ; but nothing was done to supersede the continued issue of treasury notes, commonly called red-backs, already depreciated to a ruinous extent, and destined to still farther depreciation till it re- quired ten paper dollars to supply the place of one dollar in gold or silver.
General James Pinkney Henderson as commissioner to Great Britain and France entered into a convention with the former country in which the British government agreed to bring about if possible the acknowledgment of Texian independ- ence by Mexico, upon the accomplishment of which Texas would assume the payment of Mexico's debt to British bond- holders to the amount of about five millions of dollars. Mexico peremptorily refused to entertain any proposition which involved Texian independence and there the matter ended. Mr. Henderson returned to Texas during the winter of 1839-40, leaving George S. McIntosh, Secretary of Legation, in charge of the embassy.
In the meantime, under a law of the previous session Gen- eral James Hamilton had been appointed commissioner to England, France, Holland and Belgium, charged with securing a loan of five million dollars, Albert T. Burnley of Kentucky being associated with him. He returned to Texas during this session of Congress to report progress, in a secret session of
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which he explained the situation and asked such modifications in the law as he believed would enable him to effectuate the loan. The whole matter is without historic interest, because nothing was accomplished in a financial way. But General Hamilton, on his return to Europe, secured the acknowledg- ment of Texian independence by Great Britain, France and Belgium;, as will be seen a little later.
A number of persons were massacred by Indians within less than a mile of where Congress was in session, massacred at night by those wild barbarians who, secreted in the neigh- boring mountain cedar-brakes by day, stealthily went forth by night to commit murder and pillage.
1
CHAPTER XVII.
The Republic of the Rio Grande - Texian volunteers - Battle of Alcantra-
Visit of Mexican leaders to Texas - Betrayal of Texian volunteers by their Mexican Allies - Battle of Saltillo - Successful retreat of Jordan and his betrayed 107 - The New Republic dies in its birth - The bloody Council House fight with Comanches in San Antonio.
During the year of 1839 there arose in northern Mexico a new movement of the Federal party of that country. It culminated in the formation of the Republic of the Rio Grande, a diversion decidedly favorable to Texas. Before that step was taken, however, the leaders, through agents sent into Texas, appealed for aid in their cause against Santa Anna, Bustamente and the centralists, who had destroyed the constitution of 1824, and established what was in fact a military despotism. Volunteers to the number of about three hundred flocked to their standard, and organized with Colonel Reuben Ross, a soldier of '36, as their commander. Canales, a Mexican lawyer, was at the head of the movement. The Texians were united with a body of Mexicans commanded by Colonel Zapata, an impetuous and chivalrous border chief, the owner of a rancho on the east side of the Rio Grande. The combined force, on the 3d of October, 1839, at Alcantra, twelve miles beyond Mier, met and fought a superior centralist force, under Colonel Pabon. It was a long, fierce and bloody conflict, in which many were killed, and resulted in the defeat of Pabon with heavy losses.
A lull followed this battle and most of the Texians returned home- Colonel Ross soon to lose his life in a personal ren- contre.
It was a little later that the Republic of the Rio Grande was (172)
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formed, with Jose M. J. Cardenas as President and Licen- ciate A. Canales as chief of its military forces. Jose M. J. Carbajal, a son-in-law of Don Martin de Leon and a former citizen of Victoria, Texas, also held a position under the pro- posed government. These three, with their associates, visited Texas early in the spring of 1840, and had long interviews with President Lamar, seeking some sort of alliance with Texas against Mexico. President Lamar received and treated them with the greatest courtesy, feeling, as did all Texas, a deep interest in their success; but he declined to commit the government of Texas to their movement, for the very sufficient reason, if none other existed, that Texas was still seeking recognition of her independence by Mexico through the mediation of Great Britain, and besides had in contemplation a direct overture to Mexico herself. This overture was, in fact, soon afterwards attempted, but the messengers of peace were not even allowed to disembark at Vera Cruz. Santa Anna and his partisans it seems, beginning in 1834, had so influenced the popular mind of Mexico against the Americans of Texas, that no public man in that country, regardless of what might be his private convictions, dared favor reconcili- ation with Texas, except on the basis of submission to the control of Mexico.
Anticipating a few months in the order of events, it may be stated that late in the summer of 1840 there congregated on the Rio Grande about three hundred Texian allies of Gen. Canales. Colonel Wm. S. Fisher and Captains S. W. Jordan and Juan N. Seguin commanded these volunteers, under Canales as chief. Jordan with 112 men and a Mexican force under Juan Molano and another force were dispatched in advance to the interior. They passed by a circuitous route though Mier, Tula, Victoria, Linares and other places, exciting Jordan's suspicion of treachery, but still he followed the Mexican officers until near Saltillo, on the 23d of Octo- ber, 1840, they were confronted by over a thousand cen-
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tralists under Vasquez, with several pieces of artillery. As soon as lines of battle were formed Molano and the other officer, followed by a portion of their troops, deserted to Vasquez, shouting vivas to Mexico and death to the Texians- as craven and base an act of premeditated treachery as ever disgraced the character of men professing to be soldiers. The whole villainous scheme was understood in Saltillo, whose population had gone forth and occupied the surround- ing hills to witness the anticipated sport, the destruction of 112 Tejano-Americanos. But sad was their disappointment ; and, when night closed on the scene, they were unanimously of the opinion that they had been fighting not men but devils. Jordan promptly seized an invulnerable position, behind a stone wall, only approachable from one side. The Mexicans charged and charged again till, when night came, four hun- dred of their number lay dead or dying on the field. During the night Jordan ascended and crossed a mountain ordinarily deemed impassable, and thence retreated with one hundred and seven men, through mountains and valleys a distance of three hundred miles, to the Rio Grande, and crossed that stream. The enemy followed (often in plain view, and firing at long range) the whole distance, but the last of the one hundred and seven safely crossed the river. Jordan 1 had but five men killed and seven wounded, all of the latter being saved.
Soon after this, Canales, on the Rio Grande, capitulated to General Mariano Arista, stipulating for the safety of Colonel Fisher and the Texians with him, all of whom immediately returned to Texas. Thus died the so-called Republic of the Rio Grande.
As the Alamo to Thermopyla, so the retreat of Jordan and his little band, through an enemy's country, abounding in
1 Captain Jordan, a physician of high character, died in New Orleans in 1843, from the effects of an overdose of opium taken while suffering great pain.
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towns and villages and pursued by ten times their number, has been aptly and justly characterized as a modern parallel to the great retreat of Xenophon.
In San Antonio on the 19th of March, 1840, occurred a deadly fight between a party of sixty-five Comanches (chiefs, warriors, women and boys), and the Texas troops, commis- sioners and a few companions. The Indians, under a prior agreement, came in to make a treaty, and were to bring all the Texian prisoners they had, but only brought in one. The chiefs entered a council-house to confer with the Texian com- missioners, Colonels Hugh McLeod and Wm. G. Cooke. Two companies of regulars, under Lieutenant-Colonel Wm. S. Fisher, were at hand. Part of one of the companies was in the hall.1 Learning from the captive brought in by the Indians (Matilda Lockhart, an intelligent girl of fourteen, captured in October, 1838), that the Indians had numerous other prisoners and that their policy was to bring in one at a time and secure more rewards, the commissioners informed the twelve chiefs that they were prisoners and would be kept as hostages for the safety of captives then in their hands, and that they might send their young men to the tribe, and as soon as the captives were restored they should be liberated. I quote from the " Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas: "
Captain Howard posted sentinels at the doors and drew up his men across the room. " We," says the report of Colonel McLeod, " told the chiefs that the soldiers they saw were their guards, and descended from the platform. The chiefs immediately followed. One sprang to the back door and attempted to pass the sentinel, who presented his musket, when the chief drew his knife and stabbed him. A rush was then made to the door. Captain Howard collared one of them and received a severe stab from him in the side. He ordered the sentinel to fire upon him, which he immediately did and
1 This company was commanded by Captain George T. Howard.
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the Indian fell dead. They then all drew their knives and bows, and evidently resolved to fight to the last. Colonel Fisher ordered: 'Fire if they do not desist.' The Indians rushed on, attacked us desperately, and a general order to fire became necessary.
" After a short but desperate struggle every one of the twelve chiefs and captains in the council house lay dead upon the floor, but not until, in the hand-to-hand struggle, they" had wounded a number of persons.
" The indoor work being finished, Captain Howard's com- pany was formed in front to prevent retreat in that direction ; but, in consequence of the severity of the wound, he was relieved by Captain Gillen, who commanded the company till the close of the action.
" Captain Redd, whose company was formed in the rear of the council-house, was attacked in the yard by warriors, who fought like wild beasts. The Indians took refuge in some stone houses, from which they kept up a galling fire with bows and arrows and a few rifles. Their arrows, wherever they struck one of our men, were driven to the feather. A small party escaped across the river, but were pursued by Major Lysander Wells with a few mounted men, and all killed. The only one of the whole band who escaped was a renegade Mexican among them, who slipped away unobserved. A single warrior took refuge in a stone house, refusing every overture, sent him by squaws, and killing and wounding sev- eral till after nightfall, when a ball of rags soaked in turpen- tine and ignited, was dropped through the smoke escape in the roof onto his head. Thus, in a blaze of fire, he sprang through the door and was riddled with bullets.
" In such an action - so unexpected, so sudden and terrific it was impossible at times to distinguish between the sexes, and three squaws were killed. The short struggle was fruitful in blood. Our losses were :
" Killed : Judge Hood of San Antonio; Judge Thompson
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of Houston ; Mr. - Casey of Matagorda County; Lieuten- ant W. M. Dunnington, First Infantry ; Privates Kaminske and Whitney, and a Mexican - 7.
" Wounded : Captain George T. Howard, Lieutenant Edward A. Thompson and Private Kelley, severely ; Captain Mathew Caldwell, Judge James W. Robinson, Messrs. Higgenbottom, Morgan and Carson - 8.
" The Indian loss was : Thirty chiefs and warriors, three women and two children killed ; total, 35.
" Prisoners taken: Twenty seven women and children and two old men ; total, 29.
" Escaped, the renegade Mexican - 1.
" Over a hundred horses and a large quantity of buffalo robes and peltries remained to the victors.
" By request of the prisoners, one squaw was released, mounted, provisioned and allowed to go to her people and say that the prisoners would be released whenever the Texas prisoners held by the Indians were brought in.
"A short time afterwards a party of Comanches displayed a white flag on a hill some distance from town, evidently afraid to come nearer. When a flag was sent out, it was found that they had brought in several white children to exchange for their people. Their mission was successful and they hurried away."
General Canalizo took advantage of this occurrence to in- flame anew the hostility of the Indians towards the Texians, and the first result of his appeals to the worst passions of these wild and brutal savages, will be seen in their descent. upon Victoria and Linnville, which was followed by their- overthrow at Plum Creek.
12
CHAPTER XVIII.
The great raid of August, 1840 - Over a thousand Comanches, with rene- gade Mexicans and other Indians, march down the country - Attack Victoria, kill numerous persons - Capture about 2,000 horses - Rob and burn Linnville, on Lavaca Bay - Retreat and defy 125 men at Casa Blanca and continue to retreat with savage demonstrations of joy, but are attacked and overwhelmingly defeated near the mountains, August 12th, 1840 - Col. Moore's defeat on the San Saba - His victory on the Colorado - The United States boundary run - Texas independence acknowledged by Great Britain, France and Belgium.
Following the events just narrated, about the last of May, 1840, the government received information that as a result of the intrigues of General Canalizo at Matamoros, there was about to be a general Indian invasion of the settlements. Dr. Archer, the Secretary of War, issued a warning to the country and ordered out the militia in the southwest to meet the apprehended danger. Numerous companies responded and repaired to the frontier; but, in a stay of two or three weeks, no indications of the enemy were discovered, and the volunteers, for such they were, returned to their homes, derisively characterizing the campaign as the Archer war. But they were premature in adopting burlesque as the mode of expressing their disappointment.
On the 5th of August a band of a thousand, composed chiefly of Comanches and Kiowas, but including also many lawless Mexicans and Indians from some of the more civilized tribes, passed down the country fifteen miles east of Gonzales. directly en route to Victoria, committing depredations on the way. On the afternoon of the 6th, without previous warning, they suddenly appeared in the vicinity of Victoria, killing a number of persons three miles distant and then making a feint upon the town, killing a number of others and capturing that
(178)
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afternoon and the next day about two thousand horses. The people quickly " forted-up " in houses best suited for that purpose. The Indians encamped for the night on Spring Creek, only three miles away, and re-appeared next day, kill- ing one or two persons and robbing deserted houses in the outer portions of the town. About 2 p. m. they continued nine miles down the valley, captured a lady and child (Mrs. Crosby, a granddaughter of Daniel Boone) then bore down obliquely across in the direction of Linnville (two and a half miles above the present town of Lavaca), the only town on the west side of Matagorda Bay. On the way, during the night, they killed one or two persons, and at sunrise next morning, near the town, killed a white man and two negroes. The people of the town were astounded and without a gun for defense. They rushed through shallow water to a number of small boats two hundred yards from shore, in doing which Mr. Watts was killed and his wife and a negro woman and a son of the latter captured. The warehouse contained a large amount of goods, chiefly for the Mexican trade. The Indians spent the day in placing these goods and whatever else pleased their fancy on pack horses and mules, and then, in full view of the citizens in the boats, moored in deep water, set fire to the whole town. A single house at the water's edge escaped destruction. This was the 8th of August. The triumphant raiders then took up the line of march on their return, following a course which passed sixteen miles east of Victoria and intersected their downward trail about twenty-five miles north of that place. About 11 a. m. on the 9th they encountered about one hundred and twenty-five hastily collected volunteers sixteen miles from Victoria, commanded by Captains John J. Tum- linson, Ben McCulloch and Adam Zumwalt. An immediate skirmish ensued in which only one white man and one Indian were killed. About two hours were passed without results, in which time the enemy had gotten their pack animals and
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herd of horses well in advance and then the warriors moved off. A measure of demoralization, caused by the hesitation of a few men, prevailed - enough to prevent such a bold attack as the others urged. A spiritless pursuit followed and was kept up till the Colorado road, east of Gonzales, was reached, when most of those who had been in the skirmish returned home. A Texana company, however, who had joined them, here fell in with Colonel John H. Moore with over a hundred men from the Colorado and continued on the trail. Captain McCulloch, in much chagrin, with three companions left the force when his views in favor of a charge failed of adoption and hurried up the country, via Gonzales, hoping to fall in with the others and still be in a decisive action, and in this he succeeded. His companions were, Barney Randall, Arch Gipson and Alsey S. Miller.
In the meantime, by a set of fortuitous circumstances, 21 men from Jackson County ( of whom the author of this work, was the youngest ), 37 from Gonzales and Seguin, and 29 from Gonzales (including McCulloch and his three friends ), united on Plum Creek, near the trail of the Indians, at 11 o'clock on the night of August 11th. These squads were commanded by Captains Ward, Matthew Caldwell and James Bird. General Felix Huston, the Major-General of militia, arrived from Austin at the same hour. Early next morning they were. joined by Colonel Edward Burleson, with 87 volunteers and 13 Toncahua Indians from Bastrop County. By courtesy, General Huston was invited to take chief command. The. Indians passed from the timber on Plum Creek into full view in the prairie, two or three miles southwest of where Lock- hart stands, and about a mile from where this junction of forces occurred. An advance upon the enemy was made in a gallop in two columns, under Burleson and Caldwell. The Indians sent their packs and loose animals ahead and prepared for a stubborn defense, part dismounting and half their num- ber fighting on horseback. Huston dismounted his men with-
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in gun-shot of the enemy and for half an hour or more a con- stant firing was kept up, the Indians, with their long range Mexican guns, having the advantage, and wounding a number of the whites and killing or wounding quite a number of horses. Yielding to the judgment of such experienced men as Burleson, Caldwell and McCulloch, General Huston ordered a charge, which was grandly made into the midst of the Indians in and near the oaks. They fled rapidly, scatter- ing in groups, and were pursued by the whites in the same way. All order was lost and men pursued and fought in clusters as chance threw them together. Portions of the enemy frequently wheeled, stood their ground for a little while and then fled. Thus the pursuit was continued for ten or twelve miles. The defeat was complete, the enemy abandoning their captured animals and goods. Many of the horses stampeded to the right or left and were not recovered ; still, about nine hundred were secured and a great many goods. The Indians lost 86 in killed and many wounded. The whites had none killed but a considerable number wounded. Mrs. Crosby, one of the captured ladies, was killed by the retreating Indians as the child had been previously. The other prisoners were recovered - Mrs. Watts and the negro woman severely wounded, the negro boy unhurt.
Returning to the point of attack, camp was pitched about 3 p. m., August 12. Colonel John H. Moore and about 150 men came up before sunset, having followed the Indian· trail. His men were largely from Fayette County. Part of them (under Captain Clark L. Owen) were, however, from Jackson County, and a few from Colorado County. Some writers have fallen into the error of crediting these men with the victory at Plum Creek. It is simply untrue. Not one of them was in the battle, nor on the ground for some hours after its conclusion. But they did all in their power to be there and were entitled to as much credit as if they had succeeded.
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These notes were taken on the ground, after the battle was over. With Colonel Burleson were Colonel Henry Jones, of the militia, Major Thomas M. Hardeman, Captains Billingsly and Wallace, Dr. David F. Brown, Owen B. Hardeman, Hurch Reed, Wm. H. Magill and other noted privates. With Captain Caldwell from Gonzales were: Dr. Caleb S. Brown, surgeon, Judge Edmund Bellinger, Captain Andrew Neill, Captain Alonzo B. Sweitzer, Ben and Henry E. McCulloch, Christopher C. De Witt, Archibald Gipson, and a number of other privates well known as gallant men.
On the 12th of February, 1839, Colonel John H. Moore, at the head of fifty-five Texians, forty Lipan and twelve Ton- cahua Indians - a total of 109 - made a daylight attack on a large Comanche encampment, on the San Saba river. He killed a large number, while the Lipans stampeded and drove in a thousand or more Comanche horses, safely reaching the set- tlements. But after a contest of an hour Colonel Moore found himself surrounded by such an overwhelming force, drawn from the villages extending five or six miles up the river, that retreat became a necessity, which he effected with great cool- ness and caution. His horses having been left a short dis- tance in the rear, were all captured by the enemy. Six of his men (wounded ) had to be borne in on litters. After fighting long on the defensive, the retreat was begun, and at- tended by much suffering, their route passing a hundred miles through mountains. They, however, safely reached the set- tlements.
John H. Moore was not a man to forget such a repulse. In the great invasion of August, 1840, it has been shown that he lost, by several hours, an opportunity to balance. accounts with the Comanches. But he was resolved that the balance should be made. To this end, about the first of October, he left Austin with two companies of citizen volunteers, commanded by Capts. Thomas J. Rabb and Nicholas Dawson, both of Fayette County, with an aggre-
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gate force of ninety men, besides twelve Lipans under their principal chief, Col. Castro. He bore directly up the Colo- rado about three hundred miles, to the region where now stands Colorado City. The Lipans, as scouts, discovered in advance a considerable Comanche village, in a small bend on the east bank of the river, opposite a bluff on the west bank. Sending thirty men, under Lieutenant Clark L. Owen, to occupy the bluff across the river, he made an attack as soon as daylight fully appeared, charging directly into the camp. Though surprised, warriors and squaws fought with despera- tion. Only two warriors escaped, on the only two horses im- mediately at hand. A hundred and thirty Indians were left dead on the field. Thirty-four squaws and children and several hundred horses were brought in. A few old men and women were released on the ground. Among the trophies were goods taken from Linnville. Quite a number of Moore's men were wounded, but none killed. Col. Moore doubtless felt that his ill-success on the San Saba was counterbalanced by the terrible punishment inflicted by him on the Colorado.
During the year 1840 many murders and robberies were committed along the entire zigzag frontier, from Red River to San Antonio and Goliad. During the year, the work of running and marking the boundary line between Texas and the United States was begun by a joint commission of the two countries, in the spring, continued in the autumn and winter after a considerable summer recess, and completed in the month of December from latitude thirty-two on the Sabine River, due north to Red River ; from that point to the gulf the Sabine was the boundary, and from the point of intersection on Red River that stream was the boundary to longitude one hundred. Thence, the boundary, to this day not fully deter- mined, was to follow that longitude due north to the Arkansas River.1
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