USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 31
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 31
USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 31
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 31
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 31
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 31
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From the above work we give the follow- ing story in our miscellaneous department:
THE FORT PARKER MASSACRE.
"The following graphic account of the Fort Parker massacre has been gathered from several reliable sources, but the greatest por- tion of them has been by the kind consent of James T. De Shield, copied from a little book published by him, entitled 'Cynthia Ann Parker.' In fact everything, from the conclusion of the extract from Mrs. Plum-
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
mer's diary to the conclusion of the history of Quanah Parker, is intended to be a literal copy from said book.
"Among the many tragedies that have occurred in Texas the massacre at Parker's fort holds a conspicnons place. Nothing that has ever happened exhibits savage duplicity and cruelty more plainly than the massaere of helpless women and children.
" In 1833 a small colony was organized in the State of Illinois for the purpose of form- ing a settlement in Texas. After their arri- val in the country they selected for a place of residence a beautiful region on the Navasota, a small tributary of the Brazos. To sceure themselves against the various tribes of roving savages was the first thing to be attended to; and, having chosen a commanding eminence adjacent to a large timbered bottom of the Navasota, abont three miles from where the town of Springfield formerly stood, and abont two miles from the present town of Groes- beek, they by their joint labor- soon had a fortification erected. It consisted of a stock- ade of split cedar timbers planted deep in the ground, extending fifteen feet above the sur- face, touching each other and confined at the top by transverse timbers which rendered them alnost as immovable as a solid wall. At convenient distances there were port- holes, through which, in case of an einer- gency, fire-arms could be used. The entire fort covered nearly an acre of ground. There were also attached to the stockade two log cabins at diagonal corners, constituting a part of the enclosure. They were really blockhonses, the greater portion of each standing outside of the main stockade, the upper story jutting out over the lower, with openings in the floor allowing perpendicular shooting from above. There were also port- holes out in the upper story so as to admit of
horizontal shooting when necessary. This enabled the inmates to rake from every side of the stockade. The fort was situated near a fine spring of water. As soon as it was com- pleted the little colony moved into it.
"Parker's colony at this time consisted of some eight or nine families, viz .: Elder John Parker, the patriarch of the colony, and his wife; his son, James W. Parker, wife, four single children, and his daughter, Mrs. Rachel Plummer, her husband, L. M. S. Plinmer. and an infant son fifteen months old; Mrs. Sarah Nixon, another daughter, and her hus- band, L. D. Nixon; Silas M. Parker (another son of Elder John), his wife and four children; Benjamin F. Parker, an unmarried son of the elder; Mrs. Nixon, Sr., mother of Mrs. James W. Parker; Mrs. Elizabeth Kellogg, dangh- ter of Mrs. Nixon; Mrs. Duty; Samuel M. Frost, wife and two children; G. E. Dwight, wife and two children -- in all, thirty-four persons. Besides those above mentioned, old man Lunn, David Faulkenberry and his son Evan, Silas Bates and Abram Anglin had erected cabins a mile or two distant from the fort, where they resided. These families were truly the advance guard of civilization in that part of our frontier, Fort Houston in Ander- son county being the nearest protection ex . cept their own trusty rifles.
" Here the struggling colonists remained, engaged in the avocations of a rural life, till- ing the soil, hunting buffalo, bear, deer, turkey and smaller game, which served abun- dantly to supply their larder at all times with fresh meat, in the enjoyment of a life of Ar- cadian simplicity, virtne and contentment, until the latter part of the year 1835, when the Indians and Mexicans forced the little band of compatriots to abandon their homes and flee with many others before the in- vading army from Mexico. On arriving at
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the Trinity river they were compelled to halt in consequence of an overflow. Before they conld cross the swollen stream the sudden and nnexpected news reached them that Santa Anna and his vandal hordes had been con- fronted and defeated at San Jacinto, that san- guinary engagement which gave birth to the new sovereignty of Texas, and that Texas was free from Mexican tyranny.
" On receipt of this news the fleeing settlers were overjoyed and at once returned to their abandoned homes. The Parker colonists now retraced their steps, first going to Fort Hous- ton, where they remained a few days in order to procure supplies, after which they made their way back to Fort Parker to look after their stock and prepare for a crop. These hardy sons of toil spent their nights in the fort, repairing to their farms early each morn- ing. The strictest discipline was maintained for awhile, but as time wore on and no hostile demonstrations had been made by the Indians they became somewhat careless and restive under confinement. However, it was abso- Intely necessary that they should enltivate their farms to insure substance for their fam- ilies. They usually went to work in a body, with their farming implements in one hand and their weapons of defense in the other. Some of them built cabins on their farms, hoping that the government would give them protection, or that a sufficient number of other colonists would soon move in to render them seenre from the attacks of Indians.
"On the 18th of May, 1836, all slept at the fort, James W. Parker, Nixon and Phmm- mer. repairing to their field, a mile distant on the Navasota. early the next morning. little thinking of the great calamity that was soon to befall them. They had scarcely left when several hundred Indians (accounts of the number of Indians vary from 300 to 700 -
probably there were about 500), Comanches and Kiowas, made their appearance on an emi- nence within 300 yards of the fort. Those who remained in the fort were not prepared for an attack. so careless had they become in their fancied seenrity. The Indians hoisted a white flag as a token of their friendly in- tentions, and npon the exhibition of the white flag Mr. Benjamin F. Parker went ont to have a talk with them. The Indians artfully feigned the treacherons semblance of friend- ship, pretending they were looking for a snit- able camping place, and inquired as to the exaet locality of a waterhole in the imme- diate vieinity, at the same time asking for a beef, as they said they were very hungry. | Not daring to refuse the request of such a formidable body of savages, Mr. Parker told them they should have what they wanted. Returning to the fort he stated to the inmates that to his opinion the Indians were hostile and intended to fight, but added he would go back to them and he would try to avert it. His brother Silas remonstrated, but he persisted in going, and was imme- diately surrounded and killed; wherenpon the whole force-their savage instincts aroused by the sightof blood-charged upon the fort. uttering the most terrific and nnearthly yells that ever greeted the ears of mortals. The sickening and bloody tragedy was soon en- acted. Brave Silas M. Parker fell ontside the fort, while he was gallantly fighting to save Mrs. P'Immer. Mrs. Plummer made a desperate resistance, but was soon over- powered, knocked down with a hoe and made captive. Samnel M. Frost and his son, Rob- ert, met their fate while heroically defending the women and children inside the stockade. Old ' Granny ' Parker was stabbed and left for dead. Elder John Parker, wife, and Mrs. Kellogg attempted to make their escape, and
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in this effort bad gone about three-fourths of , kill Nixon, David Fantkenberry appeared a mile, when they were overtaken and driven back to the fort, and the old gentleman was stripped, murdered, scalped and horribly mintilated. Mrs. Parker was stripped, speared and left for dead, but by feigning death escaped, as will be seen further on. Mrs. Kellogg was spared as a captive. The result summed up as follows: Killed -- Elder John Parker, aged seventy-nine; Silas M. and Ben- jamin F. Parker; Sammel M. and his son Robert Frost. Wounded dangerously -- Mrs. John Parker, old 'Granny' Parker, and Mrs. Duty. Captured -- Mrs. Rachel Phunmer, danghter of James W. Parker, and her son, James Pratt Plummer, two years of age; Mrs. Elizabeth Kellogg; Cynthia Ann Parker, nine years old, and her little brother, John Parker, aged six, children of Silas M. Parker. The remainder made their escape. as we shall now narrate.
" When the attack on the fort first com- menced, Mrs. Sarah Nixon made her escape and hastened to the field to advise her father, husband and Plummer of what had occurred. On her arrival Plummer hurried off on horse- back to inform Fanlkenberry, Bates aud Aug- lin, who were at work in the fields. Parker and Nixon started to the fort, but the former met his family on the way and carried thein some four or five miles down the Navasota, secreting them in the bottom. Nixon, though marmed, continued on toward the fort. and met Mrs. Lney, wife of Silas Parker (killed), with her four children, just as they were iu- terrupted by a small party of mounted and foot Indians. They compelled the mother to lift her danghter Cynthia Ann, and her little son. John, behind two of the mounted war- riors. The foot Indians then took Mrs. Parker, her two youngest children and Nixon on toward the fort. As they were abont to
with his rifle and cansed them to fall back. Nixon, after his narrow escape from death. seemed very much excited and immediately went in search of his wife, soon falling in with Dwight, his own and Frost's families. Dwight and family soon overtook J. W. Par. ker and went with him to his hiding place in the bottom. Faulkenberry, thus left with Mrs. Parker and her two children, bade her follow him. With the infant in her arms and leading the other child, she obeyed. Seeing them leave the fort, the Indians made several attempts to intercept them, but were held in check by the brave man's rifle. Several mounted warriors, arined with bows and arrows, strong and drawn, and with terrific yells, would charge them, but as Faulken- berry would present his gun, they would halt, throw up their shields, sight about, wheel and retire to a safe distance. This con- tinned for some distance, until they had passed through a prairie of some forty or fifty acres. Just as they were entering the woods the Indians made a furions charge, when one warrior, more daring than the others, dashed up so near that Mrs. Parker's faithful dog seized his horse by the nose, whereupon horse and rider summersaulted, alighting on their baeks in the ravine. At this moment Silas Bates, Abrain Auglin, and Evan Fanlken- berry, armed, and . Phuunner, unarmed, caine up. cansing the Indians to retire, after which the party made their way uumolested.
" As they were passing through the field where the men were at work in the morning, Plummer, as if aroused from a dream, de- manded to know what had become of his wife and child. Armed only with a butcher- knife he left the party, in search of his loved ones, and was seen no more for six days. The Fanlkenberrys, Lunu and Mrs. Parker
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secreted themselves in a small creek bottom, some distance from the first party, each mi- conscions of the others' whereabouts. At twilight Abram Anglin and Evan Faulken- berry started back to the fort to succor the wonuded and those who might have escaped. On their way and just as they were passing Faulkenberry's cabin. Anglin saw his first and only ghost. Ile says: ' It was dressed in white with long white hair streaming . down its back. I admit that I was more scared at this moment than when the Indians were yelling and charging on us. Seeing me hesitate my ghost now beckoned me to come on. Approaching the object, it proved to be old 'Granny ' Parker, whom the In- dians had wounded and stripped, with the exception of her under-garments. She had made her way to the house from the fort by crawling the entire distance. I took her some bed-clothing and carried her some rods from the house, made her a bed, covered her up, and left her until we should return from the fort. On arriving at the fort we conld not see a single human being alive, or hear a human sound. But the dogs were bark- ing, the cattle lowing, horses neighing, and the hogs equally making a hideous and strange medley of sounds. Mrs. Parker had told me where she had left some silver -- $160.50. This I found under a hickory bash by moonlight. Finding no one at the fort, we returned to where I had laid ' Granny ' Parker. On taking her up be- hind me, we made our way back to the hid- ing place in the bottom, where we found Nixon, whom we had not seen since his cowardly flight at the time he was rescued by Faulkenberry from the Indians.
" In the book published by James W. Parker, he states that Nixon liberated Mrs. Parker from the Indians and rescued old
'Granny' Parker. Mr. Anglin in his account contradiets or rather corrects this statement. He says: 'I positively assert that this is a mistake. and I am willing to be qualified to the statement 1 here make, and can prove the same by Silas Bates, now living near Groesbeek.'
"The next morning Bates, Anglin and E. Faulkenberry went back to the fort to get provisions and horses, and look after the dead. Op reaching the fort they found five or six horses, a few saddles and some meat, bacon and honey. Fearing an attack from the Indians who might still be hirking around, they left without burying the dead. Returning to their comrades in the bottom they all concealed themselves until they set out for Fort Houston. Fort Houston, an asylum, on this, as on many other occasions, stood on what has been for many years a farm of a wise statesman, a chivalrous soldier and true patriot, John H. Reagan, two miles south of Palestine.
" After wandering around and traveling for six days and nights, during which they suffered mueh from hunger and thirst, their elothing torn to shreds, their bodies lacerated with briars and thorns, the women and chil- dren with nnshod and bleeding feet, the party with James W. Parker reached Fort Houston.
" An account of this wearisome and peril- ous journey through the wilderness, given substantially in Parker's own words, will en- able the reader to more fully realize the hardships they had to undergo and the dan- gers they encountered. The bulk of the party were composed of women and children. principally the latter, and ranging from one to twelve years old. ' We started from the fort,' said Mr. Parker, ' the party consisting of eighteen in all, for Fort Houston, a dis-
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tance of ninety miles by the route we had to travel. The feelings of the party can be bet- ter imagined than described. We were truly a Forlorn set, many of us bareheaded and barefooted, a relentless foe on the one hand and on the other a trackless and anin- habited wilderness infested with reptiles and wild beasts, entirely destitute of food and no means of procuring it.' Add to this the agonizing grief of the party over the death and capture of dear relatives; that we were momentarily in expectation of meeting a like fate, and some idea may be formed of our pitiable eoudition. Utter despair alnost took possession of us, for the chance of escap- ing seemed almost an impossibility nuder the eirenmstances. # #
* I took one of my children on my shoulder and led another. The grown persons followed iny example and we began our journey through the thickly tangled underbrush in the direction of Fort Houston. My wife was in bad health; Mrs. Frost was in deep distress for the loss of her fmsband and son; and all being barefooted except my wife and Mrs. Frost our progress was slow. Many of the children had noth- ing ou them but their shirts, and their suf- ferings from the briars tearing their little legs and feet were almost beyond human en- durance.
" We traveled until about three o'clock in the morning, when, the women and children "being worn out with hunger and fatigue, we lay down on the grass and slept until the dawn of day, when we resmined our perilous journey. Here we left the river bottom in order to avoid the briars and underbrush, but from the tracks of the Indians on the highlands it was evident they were hunting ns, and, like the fox in the fable, we con-
1 ended to take the river bottom again, for though the brambles might tear our Hesh
they might at the same time save our lives by hiding us from the cruel savages who were in pursuit of us. The briars did, in fact, tear the legs and feet of the children until they could have been tracked by the blood that flowed from their wounds.
" It was the night of the second day after leaving the fort that all, and especially the wonren who were nursing their infants, be. gan to suffer intensely from hunger. We were then immediately on the bank of the river. and through the mercy of Providence a pole-eat came near us. I immediately parsned and caught it just as it jumped in the river. The only way that I could kill it was by holding it muider the water until it was drowned. Fortunately we had the means of striking a fire, and we soon had it cooked and equally divided among the party, the share of each being small indeed. This was all we had to eat until the fourth day, when we were Incky enough to catch another skunk and two small terrapins, which were also cooked and divided between us. Ou the evening of the fifth day I found that the women and children were so exhausted from fatigue and hunger that it would be impossi- ble for them to travel much further. After holding a consultation it was agreed that I should hurry on to Fort Houston for aid, leaving Mr. Dwight in charge of the women and children. Accordingly the next morn ing I started for the fort (abont thirty-tive miles distant), which I reached early in the afternoon. I have often looked back and wondered how I was able to accomplish this extraordinary feat. I had not eaten a mouth- ful for six dave, having always given my share of the animals mentioned to the chil- dren. and yet I walked thirty-five miles in about eight hours! But the thought of the unfortunate sufferers I bad left behind de-
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pendent ou my efforts, gave me strength and perseverance that can be realized only by those who have been placed in similar situa- tions. God in this bountiful mercy upheld me in this trying hour and enabled me to perform by task.
"The first person I met was Captafu Car- fer of the Fort Honston settlement, who received me kindly, and promptly offered me all the aid in his power. Ile soon had five horses saddled, and he and Mr. Jeremiah Courtney went with me to meet our little band of fugitives. We met them just at dark, and, placing the women and children on the horses, we reached Captain Carter's about midnight. There we received all the kind attention and relief that our conditions required, and all was done for our comfort that sympathetic and benevolent hearts could do. We arrived at Captain Carter's on the 25th of May. The following day iny son- in-law, Mr. Pluimmer, reached there also. He had given us up for lost and had started to the same settlement that we lad.
" In due time the members of the party located temporarily as best suited the re- spective families, most of them returning to Fort Parker soon afterward. A burial party of twelve men from Fort Houston went up and buried the dead. Their remains now repose near the site of old Fort Parker. Peace to their ashes. Unadorned are their graves; not even a slab of marble or a me- mento of any kind has been erected to tell the traveler where rest the remains of this brave little band of . pioneer heroes who wrestled with the savage for the mastery of his broad domain.
" Of the captives we will briefly trace their checkered career. After leaving the fort the two tribes, the Comanches and Kiowas, re- mained and traveled together until midnight.
They then halted on open prairie, staked ont their horses, placed their pickets and pitched their camp. Bringing all their prisoners together for the first time, they tied their hands behind them with raw-hide thongs so tight as to cut the flesh, tied their feet close together and threw them upon their faces. Then the braves, gathering round with their yet bloody-dripping scalps, commenced their usnal war dance. They danced, screamed, yelled, stamping upon their prisoners, beat- ing than with blows until their own blood came near Strangling them. The remainder of the night these frail women suffered and had to listen to the cries and groans of their tender little children.
" Mrs. Elizabeth Kellogg soon fell into the hands of the Keechis, from whom, six months after she was captured, she was pur- chased by a party of Delawares, who carried her to Nacogdoches and delivered her to General Houston, who paid them $150, the amount they had paid and all they asked.
" Mrs. Rachel Plminmer remained a cap- tive about eighteen months, and to give the reader an idea of her suffering during that period we will give an extract from her diary: 'In July and a portion of August we were among some very high mountains on which the snow remains for the greater portion of the year. and I suffered more than I had ever done before in my life. It was very seldom I had any covering for my feet, and but very little clothing for my body. [ had a certain number of buffalo skins to dress every day, and had to mind the horses at night. This kept me employed pretty much all the time. and often I. would take my buffalo skins with ine to finish them while I was minding the horses. My feet would often be frost-bitten while I was dress- ing the skins, but I dared not complain for
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fear of being punished. in October I gave birth to my second son. I say October, but it was all guess work with me. as I had no means of keeping a record of the days as they passed. It was a beautiful and healthy hals, but it was impossible for me to pro- enre suitable comforts for myself and infant. The Indians were not as harsh in their treat . ment toward me as I feared they would be, but I was apprehensive for the safety of my child. I had been with them six months and had learned their language, and I would often bescech my mistress to advise me what to do to save my child, but she turned a deaf ear to all my supplications. My child was six months old when my master. thinking. I suppose, that it interfered with my work. determined to put it out of the way. One cold morning five or six Indians eame where I was sneking my babe. As soon as they came I felt sick at heart. for my fears were ! aroused for the safety of my child. My fears were not ill-grounded. One of the In- diaus caught my child by the throat and strangled it nutil to all appearances it was dead. I exerted all my feeble strength to ' save my child, but the other Indians held me last. The Indian who had strangled the child then threw it up into the air repeatedly and let it fall upon the frozen ground nutil life seemed to be extinet. They then gave it back to me. I had been weeping inces- santly while they had been murdering my child, but now my grief was so great that the fountain of my tears was dried up. As I gazed on the cheeks of my darling infant I discovered some symptoms of returning life. I hoped that if it could be resuscitated they would allow me to keep it. I washed the blood from its face and after a time it began to breathe again. But a more heart- rending scene ensued. As soon as the In
dians ascertained that the child was still alive, they tore it from my arms and knocked me down. They tied a plaited rope around its neck and threw it into a bunch of prickly pears and then pulled it backward and for- ward nutil its tender flesh was literally torn from its body. One of the Indians who was mounted on a horse then tied the end of the rope to his saddle and galloped aromid in a circle until my little innocent was not only dead but torn to pieces. One of them untied the rope and threw the remains of the child into my lap, and I dng a hole in the earth and buried them.
".After performing the last >ad rites for the lifeless remains of my dear babe, I sat down and gazed with a feeling of relief upon the little grave I had made for it in the wilderness, and could say with David of old, " Yon can not come to me, but I must go to yon ;" and then, and even now. as I record the dreadful seone I witnessed, I rejoiced that my babe had passed from the sorrows and sufferings of this world. I shall hear its dying cries no more, and, fully believing in and relying on the imputed righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, I feel that my inno- cent babe is now with kindred spirits in the eternal world of joys. Oh that my dear Savior may keep me through life's short, journey, and bring me to dwell with my children in realms of eternal bliss "
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