USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 2 > Part 21
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Jim Second Eye, as commissioners in inducing all the wild tribes to meet the President and peace commissioners, at a point to be designated, for the purpose of making a treaty. Subsequent events went to show that the Delawares had im- bibed that idea; but President Houston finally decided to commission Captain Eldridge for that onerous and hazardous mission, to be accompanied by two or three white men of approved character, together with the Delawares and a few Indians of other tribes. Captain Eldridge eagerly applied to his young and bosom friend, Hamilton P. Bee, to accompany him. They had crossed the gulf together, on their first arrival in Texas in 1837 - Bee accompanying his mother from South Carolina to join his father, Colonel Barnard E. Bee, already in the service of Texas, and Eldridge coming from his native State, Connecticut. He selected also Thomas Torrey, already an Indian agent, and also a native of Connecticut.
The preparations being completed, the party left Washing- ton late in March, 1843, and consisted of Joseph C. Eldridge, commissioner, Thomas Torrey, Indian agent, the three Dela- wares as guides and interpreters, several other Delawares as hunters, helpers and traders, Acoquash, the Waco head chief, who was one of those who had been to see the President, and Hamilton P. Bee. There may have been a few other Indians. They had a small caravan of pack mules to transport their provisions and presents for the Indians. They also had with them, for delivery to their own people, two Comanche children about twelve years old, one a girl named Maria ( Ma-re-ah) and the other a boy who had taken the name of William Hockley, being two of the captives of the Council House fight, in San Antonio, on the 19th of March, 1840, elsewhere described in this work. They also had two young Waco women, previously taken as prisoners, but these were placed in charge of Acoquash.
They passed up the valley of the Brazos, passing Fort Milam, near the present town of Marlin, around which were
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the outside habitations of the white settlers. Further up on Tehuacano creek, six or seven miles southeast of the present city of Waco, they reached the newly established trading house of of the Torrey brothers, afterwards well-known as a resort for Indians and traders. Here they found a large party of Dela- wares.
The Delawares accompanying Eldridge also had mules freighted with goods for traffic with the wild tribes, and among other commodities, a goodly supply of that scourge of our race - whisky - doubtless intended for the Delawares found here, as expected by those with Eldridge, for at that time the wild tribes did not drink it.
On the arrival of the commissioner all became bustle and activity. The liquor was soon tapped and a merry time inaugurated, but soon after dark every Indian surrendered his knife and fire-arms to the chiefs, by whom they were secreted. Then loose rein was given to unarmed warriors, and through- out the night pandemonium prevailed, accompanied by screams, hideous yells, fisticuffs, scratching, biting and all manner of unarmed personal combat, causing wakefulness and some degree of apprehension among the white men. But no one was killed or seriously injured, and in due time, sheer exhaustion was followed by quiet slumber, the red man showing the same maudlin beastliness when crazed by mean whisky as, alas, characterizes his white brother in like condi- tion. It required two days to recover from the frolic, and then Eldridge resumed his march into the wilds beyond. His instructions were to visit as many of the wild tribes as possi- ble and the head chief of the Comanches - to deliver to them the words of friendship from the Great Father, the President, and invite them all to attend a grand council to be held at Bird's Fort, on the north side of the main or west fork of the Trinity, commencing on the 10th of August, 1843, where they would meet duly accredited commissioners and the President in person to treat with them. This fort was about twenty-
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two miles westerly from where Dallas was subsequently founded.
At a point above the three forks of the Trinity, probably in Wise or Jack County, the expedition halted for a few days and sent out Delaware messengers to invite any tribes found in the surrounding country to visit them. Delegations from eleven small tribes responded by coming in, among them being Wacos, Anadarcos, Tow-e-ashes, Caddos, Keechis, Tehuaca- nos, Delawares, Bedais, Boluxies, Ionies, and one or two others, constituting a large assemblage, the deliberations of which were duly opened by the solemnities of embracing, smoking and a wordy interchange of civilities. Captain Eld- ridge appeared in full uniform, and Bee 1 performed the duties of secretary. The council opened by an address from the Delaware interpreter, and the whole day was consumed in a series of dialogues between them and the wild chiefs, Captain Eldridge getting no opportunity to speak, and when desiring to do so was told by the Delawares that it was not yet time, as they had not talked enough to the wild men. So, at night, the council adjourned till next day, when Eldridge delivered his talk, which was interpreted to the different tribes by the Delawares. Finally Eldridge said, "Tell them I am the mouth-piece of the President and speak his words." Two of the Delawares interpreted the sentence, but Jim Shaw refused, saying it was a lie. The other two conveyed the language to
1 Hamilton P. Bee is a native of Charleston, South Corolina, favorably and intimately known to the writer for nearly half a century as an honor to his country in all that constitutes a true and patriotic citizen -a son of Hon. Barnard E. Bee, who early tendered his sword and services to strug- gling Texas, and a brother of General Barnard E. Bee, who fell at Manassas, the first general to yield his life to the Confederate cause. Hamilton P. Bee was secretary to the United States and Texas boundary commission in 1839-40, secretary of the first State senate in 1846, a gallant soldier in the Mexican war; eight years a member of the legislature from the Rio Grande, and Speaker of the house in 1855-56; a brigadier-general in the Confederate army, losing a handsome estate by the war, and now, at three-score and ten, after so honorable and useful career, still vigorous in intellect.
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all. The result was satisfactory, and the tribes present all agreed to attend the council at Bird's Fort. Returning to his tent, Captain Eldridge demanded of Shaw, who was the leader and more intelligent of the Delawares, the meaning of his strange conduct, to which he replied that the three Delawares considered themselves the commissioners, Eldridge being along only to write down whatever was done. He also charged that Eldridge had their commission, attested by seals and ribbons, with his baggage. This document being Eldridge's instructions as commissioner, was brought out, read and ex- plained by. Bee. Jim Shaw was greatly excited, and had evi- dently believed what he said ; but Eldridge bore himself with great composure and firmness. After the reading Jim Shaw said : " I beg your pardon, Joe, but I have been misled. I thought the Delawares were to make the treaties. We will go ยท no farther, but go to our own country, on the Missouri river - will start to-morrow, and will never return to Texas." Eld- ridge, alarmed at this unexpected phase of affairs, appealed to the trio to stay and guide him, as the President expected them to do; but they seemed inflexible. To proceed without them was madness, and in this dilemma Eldridge sent for Jose Maria, the noted chief of the Anadarcos, who had been so severely wounded in his victorious fight with the whites, in Bryant's defeat near Marlin, in January, 1839. He explained to him the facts just related, and asked him if he would escort him back into the settlements. Greatly pleased at such a mark of confidence- his keen black eyes giving full expression to his gratified pride - he promptly and solemnly promised to do so.
On the next morning, while Eldridge was packing and mounting for his homeward march, surrounded by his prom- ised escort of one hundred Anadarco warriors, well mounted and armed with bows and lances, with Jose Maria at their head, Jim Shaw sent word to Captain Eldridge that he had changed his mind and would continue the trip. An interview
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followed and a full understanding was entered into, acknowl- edging Captain Eldridge as the sole head of the expedition ; but after this the manner of the Delaware trio was formal and reserved, and their intercourse long confined to business matters.
Continuing the march, they next reached the principal village of the Wacos, whither they had been preceded by Acoquash, with the two released Waco girls, who greeted them warmly. During their stay he was their guest, and most of the time had his family on hand. It was a little odd but his friendship was too valuable to be sacrificed on a ques- tion of etiquette. Here the Delawares announced that it would be necessary to send out messengers to find the Comanches ; but this would require fifteen days, during which time the trio, Shaw, Connor and Second Eye, would take the peltries they had on hand to Warren's trading house down on Red River, for deposit or sale, and return within the time named. During the delay, Eldridge camped three miles from the village, but was daily surrounded and more or less annoyed by the Wacos, men, women and children. The wife of Acoquash became violently ill, and he requested his white brothers to exert their skill as medicine men. Mr. Bee administered to her jalap and rhubarb, which fortunately for them, as will be seen later, speedily relieved and restored her to health.
The runners returned on time with rather encouraging reports; but the essential trio, so indispensable to progress, were absent twenty-eight instead of fifteen days, causing a loss of precious time.
Their next move was for Wichita village, at or near the present site of Fort Sill. They were kindly received by this war-like tribe, who had heard of their mission and promised to attend the council at Bird's Fort.
They next bore westerly for the great prairies and plains in search of the Comanches, Acoquash and his wife being with
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them. It was now in June and all their provisions were ex- hausted, reducing them to an entire dependence on wild meat, which, however, was abundant, and they soon found the tallow of the buffalo, quite unlike that of the cow, a good substitute for bread. They carried in abundance strings of cooked meat on their pack mules.
After twenty days they found Indian signs in a plum thicket. They saw where Indians had been eating plums during the same day, and there they encamped. Pretty soon an Indian, splendidly mounted, approached, having a boy of six years before him. He proved to be blind - but a distin- guished chief of the Comanches - a man of remarkable phy- sique, over six feet in height, a model in proportions and his hair growing down over his face. He told the Delaware interpreter the locality in which they were, and that the town of Payhayuco, the great head chief of the Comanches, was only a few miles distant.
As soon as the blind chief's boy - a beautiful child, hand- somely dressed in ornamented buckskin - gathered a supply of plums, they mounted and returned to their town, accompanied by a few of the Delawares. In the afternoon a delegation of the Comanches visited Eldridge and invited him and his party to visit their town. Promptly saddling up and, escorted by about 500 Comanche warriors, in about two hours ride, they entered the town of the great chief, Payhayuco, and for the first time beheld the pride and glory of the wild tribes. With considerable ceremony they were conducted to the tent of Payhayuco, who was absent, but the honors were done by the chief of his seven wives, who caused the best tent to be vacated and placed at the disposal of her white guests. It was hot summer weather, and such crowds of Comanches, of all ages and sexes, pressed in and around the tent that it became so suffocating as to necessitate the erection of their own tent, which was open at both ends. First getting the consent of their hostess, this was done.
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Finding that the chief would be absent a week yet to come, and their business being with him, they could only patiently await his arrival. They were ceaseless curiosities to all the younger Comanches, who had never seen a white man, and who continued to crowd around and inspect them : rolling up their sleeves to show their white arms to the children, etc. While thus delayed the Comanches twice moved their town and our people were astonished at the regularity with which each new location was laid off into streets and the precision with which each family took its position in each new place. Mr. Bee accompanied the warriors on two or three buffalo hunts, and was surprised at their wonderful dexterity.
Payhayuco arrived on the afternoon of August 8th (1843), and occupied the tent adjoining the whites. They were soon informally presented to him and courteously received, but no clue was obtained as to the state of his mind. At sunrise next morning (9th), about a hundred warriors met in council in a large tent, sitting on the ground in a series of circles diminishing from circumference to center, wherein Payhayuco sat. Eldridge and his white companions, not being invited, took brief glances at them and retired to their own tent, leav- ing the case with the Delawares, who attended the council. About ten a. m. a sort of committee from the council waited on them to say that a report had come from the Waco village, where they had tarried so long, charging that they were bad men and had given poison to the Wacos, and wanted to know what they had to say about it. This was supremely preposterous, but it was also gravely suggestive of danger. They repelled the charge and referred to the old Waco chief, Acoquash, then present, their companion on the whole voyage, and whose wife they had cured. What a hazard they had passed! Had that poor squaw died instead of recovering under Bee's treat- ment, their fate would have been sealed. A Choctaw negro, who understood but little Comanche, told them the council was deliberating on their lives and talking savagely. They sent for
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the Delawares and told them of this. The Delawares denied it, and re-assured them, but half an hour later their favorite Delaware hunter, the only one in whose friendship they fully confided, informed them that the Comanches were going to kill them. They were, of course, very much alarmed by this second warning, and, again summoning the trio, told Jim Shaw they were not children, but men, and demanded to know the truth. Shaw replied that he had desired to conceal their peril from them as long as possible, and for that reason had told them a lie; but in truth the council was clamorous and unanimous for their death; that all the chiefs who had a right to speak had done so, and all were against them ; that they (Shaw and Conner) had done all they could for them ; had told the council they would die with them, as they had prom- ised the White Father they would take care of them and never return without them ; and that Acoquash had been equally true to them. They added that old Payhayuco was yet to speak, but even should he take the opposite side they did not believe that he had influence enough to save their lives.
I now quote the language of General Bee on this incident : "Next came into our tent, our dear old friend Acoquash, where we three white men were sitting, betraying the most intense feeling, shaking all over and great tears rolling from his eyes, and as best he could told us that we would soon be put to death. He said he had told them his father was once a great chief, the head of a nation who were lords of the prairie, but had always been the friend of the Comanches, who always listened to the councils of his father, for it was always good, and he had begged them to listen to him as their fathers had listened to his father, when he told them that we (Eldridge, Bee and Torrey ), were messengers of peace ; that we had the " white flag," and that the vengeance of the Great Spirit would be turned against them if they killed such messengers ; but he said it was of no avail. We had to die and he would die with us, for he loved us as his own children. Poor old
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Indian. My heart yearns to him yet after the lapse of many years." 1
" Acoquash then returned to the council. Our friends, of course, agonized as brave men may who are to die as dogs, but they soon recovered composure and resolved on their course. Each had two pistols. When the party should come to take them out for death, each would kill an Indian with one, and then, to escape slow torture, empty the other into his own brain. From twelve till four o'clock not a word was spoken in that council. All sat in silence awaiting the voice of Pay- hayuco. At four o'clock his voice was heard, but no one reported to the doomed men. Then other voices were heard, and occasionally those of the Delawares. A little later con- fusion seemed to prevail, and many voices were heard. Bee said to Eldridge : " See the setting sun, old fellow. It is the last we shall ever see on earth." At the same instant ap- proaching footsteps were heard. Each of the three sprang to his feet, a pistol in each hand, when " dear old Acoquash " burst into the tent and threw himself into the arms of Eldridge. Bee and Torrey thought the old Spartan had come to redeem his pledge and die with them, but in a moment realized that his convulsive action was the fruit of uncontrollable joy. The next moment the Delawares rushed in exclaiming, " Saved ! saved !"
" Oh, God, can I ever forget that moment," says General Bee, " To the earth from which we came, we fell as if we had been shot, communing with Him who reigns over all - a scene which might be portrayed on canvas, but not described. Prostrate on the earth lay the white man and the red man, creatures of a common brotherhood, typified and made evident that day in the wilderness; not a word spoken; each bowed to the earth, brothers in danger and brothers in the holy electric spark which caused each in his way to thank God for deliver- ance."
1 Gen. Bee to his children.
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After this ordeal had been passed, succeeded by a measure of almost heavenly repose, the interpreters, now fully recon- ciled to Eldridge, explained that after that solemn silence of four hours, Payhayuco had eloquently espoused the cause of mercy and the sanctity of the white flag borne by the messen- gers of peace. His appeal was, perhaps, as powerful and pathetic as ever fell from the lips of an untutored son of the forest. Upon conclusion, amid much confusion and the hum of excited voices, he took the vote per capita and was sustained by a small majority. The sun sank at the same moment, reflecting rays of joy upon the western horizon, causing among the saved a solemn and inexpressibly grateful sense of the majesty and benignity of the King of Kings - our Father in heaven.
As darkness came the stentorian voice of Payhayuco was successively heard in the four quarters of the town, its tones denoting words of command. Our countrymen demanded of the interpreters to know what he was saying. The latter answered: "He is telling them you are under his protection and must not, at the peril of their lives, be hurt." A hundred warriors were then placed in a circle around the tent, and so remained till next morning. No Indian was allowed to enter the circle.
When morning came they were invited to the council, when Captain Eldridge delivered the message of friendship from President Houston, and invited them to accompany him in and meet the council at Bird's Fort; but, this was a day after the date heretofore fixed for the assemblage, and a new day would be selected promptly on their arrival or sooner if run- ners were sent in advance. The presents were then dis- tributed and an answer awaited.
On their arrival the little Comanche boy had been given up. He still remembered some of his mother tongue and at once relapsed into barbarism. But now Captain Eldridge tendered to the chief little Maria, a beautiful Indian child, neatly
18
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dressed, who knew no word but English. A scene followed which brought tears to the eyes of not only the white men, but also of the Delawares. The child seemed horrified, clung desperately and imploringly to Captain Eldridge, and screamed most piteously. It was simply heartrending. She was taken up by a huge warrior and borne away, uttering piercing cries of despair. For years afterwards she was oc- casionally heard of, still bearing the name of Maria and acting as interpreter at Indian councils.
Succeeding this last scene they were informed that the council had refused to send delegates to the proposed meeting. Payhayuco favored the measure, but was overruled by the majority. Within an hour after this announcement the com- missioners mounted and started on their long journey home- fully five hundred miles through a trackless wilderness. Some exciting incidents occurring at the moment of their departure between a newly arrived party of Delaware trad- ers, having no connection with Eldridge, and a portion of the Comanches, in regard to a Choctaw negro prisoner bought from the Comanches by the traders are here omitted as of no especial importance. It was dreaded by the commission- ers as a new danger, but was settled without bloodshed by the payment of a larger ransom to the avaricious Co- manches.
Without remarkable incident and in due time, Eldridge and party arrived again at the principal Wichita village (at or near the present Fort Sill) and were again kindly received. The day fixed for the treaty having passed, Eldridge knew the President would be disappointed and impatient; so, after con- sultation, it was agreed that Torrey, with Jim Shaw, John Conner and the other Indian attaches, still with them, should return on the route they had gone out, gather up the tribes first mentioned in this narrative, and conduct them to Bird's Fort, while Eldridge, Bee and their most trusted Delaware hunter, with Jim Second Eye as guide, would proceed directly
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to the fort. Thus they separated, each party on its mission, and to Eldridge and Bee it was a perilous one.
On the second day, at 3 p. m., they halted in a pretty grove, on a beautiful stream, to cook their last food, a little Wichita green corn. This enraged Second Eye, who seized the hunter's gun and galloped away, leaving them with only holster pistols. The Delaware hunter was a stranger in the country and could only communicate by signs. For three days he kept a bee line for Warren's trading house on Red River, as safer than going directly to Bird's Fort, guided by the information he had casually picked up from his brothers on the trip, for neither of the white men knew the country. On the third day they entered the Cross Timbers where brush and briers retarded their progress, and camped near night on a pretty creek. The Delaware climbed a high tree and soon began joyful gesticulations. Descending he indicated that Eldridge should accompany him, leaving Bee in camp. He did so and they were gone two or three hours, but finally re- turned with a good supply of fresh cornbread, a grateful repast to men who had been without an ounce of food for three days and nights. . The camp visited proved to be that of a party of men cutting hay for Fort Arbuckle, on the Washita, who cooked and gave them the bread and other provisions, with directions to find the trading house and the information that they could reach it next day. With full stomachs, they slept soundly, started early in the morning and about 2 p. m. rode up to Warren's trading house. The first man seen was Jim Second Eye, the treacherous scoundrel who had left them at the mercy of any straggling party of hostile or thieving savages. He hastened forward with ex- tended hand, exclaiming: " How are you, Joe? How are you, Ham? Glad to see you."
The always courteous Eldridge, usually gentle and never given to profane language, sprang from his horse and show- ered upon him such a torrent of denunciatory expletives as. to
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exhaust himself; then recovering, presented himself and Mr. Bee to Mr. Warren, with an explanatory apology for his violent language - justified, as he thought, towards the base wretch to whom it was addressed. Quite a crowd of Indians and a few white men were present. Mr. Warren received and entertained them most kindly. They never more beheld Jim Second Eye.
After a rest of two days, Eldridge and Bee, with their faithful Delaware, left for Bird's Fort, and, without special incident, arrived there, to be welcomed by the commissioners, Messrs. George W. Terrell and E. H. Tarrant, who had given them up as lost. The President had remained at the Fort for a month, when, greatly disappointed, he had left for the seat of government.
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