USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 33
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 33
USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 33
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 33
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 33
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 33
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
" But as savage like and dark of complex- ion as she was, Cynthia Ann was still dear to her overjoyed umele, and was welcomed home by relatives with all the joyons transports with which the prodigal son was hailed upon his miserable return to the parental roof.
" A thorough Indian in manner and looks as if she had been so born, she songht every opportunity to escape and had to be closely watehed for some time. Her uncle carricd herself and child to his home, then took themn to Anstin, where the seeession convention was in session. Mrs. John Henry Brown and Mrs. N. C. Raymond interested themselves in her, dressed her neatly, and on one occasion took her into the gallery of the hall while the convention was in session. They soon realized that she was greatly alarmed by the belief that the assemblage was a council of chiefs, sitting in judgment on her life. Mrs. Brown beekoned to her husband, Hon. John Henry Brown, who was a member of the convention, who appeared and succeeded in reassuring her that she was among friends.
" Gradnally her mother tongue came back. and with it occasional incidents of ber child- hood, including a recognition of the venerable Mr. Anglin, and perhaps one or two others.
" The Civil war coming on soon after, which necessitated thic resminption of such primitive arts, she learned to spin, weave and perform the domestic duties. She proved quite an adept in such work and became a very nseful member of the household. The ruling passion of her bosom seemed to be the maternal instinct, and cherished the hope that when the war was concluded she would at last succeed in reclaiming her two children, who were still with the Indians. But it was written otherwise and Cynthia Ann and her little barbarians were called hence cre the cruel war was over. She died at her brother's
in Anderson county, Texas, in 1864. preceded a short time by her sprightly little daughter, Prairie Flower. Thus ended the sad story of a woman far-famed along the border."
Only one of her sons, Quanah, lived to manhood. He became one of the four chiefs of the Cohoite Comanches, who were placed on a reservation in Indian Territory in 1874, and became the most advanced of Comanche tribes in the arts of eivilized life. Quanah learned English and soon conformed to American customs. A letter written in 1886 tlms deseribed his surroundings: " We visited Quanah in his teepe. IIe is a fine specimen of physical manhood, tall, muscular, straight as an arrow, gray, look-yon-straight- through-the-eyes, very dark skin, perfeet teeth, and heavy raven-black hair-the envy of feminine hearts-he wears hanging in two rolls wrapped around with red cloth. His hair is parted in the middle; the scalp lock is a portion of hair the size of a dollar, plaited and tangled, signifying, ' If you want fight you can have it.'
" Quanah is now camped with a thousand of his subjeets at the foot of some hills near Anadarko, Indian Territory. Their white teepes, and the inmates dressed in their bright blankets and feathers, cattle grazing, children playing, lent a weird charm to the lonely, desolate hills, lately devastated by prairie fire.
" He has three squaws, his favorite being the danghter of Yellow Bear, who met his death by asphyxiation at Fort Worth in De- eember last. IIc said he gave seventeen horses for her. Ilis daughter Cynthia, named for her grandmother, Cynthia Parker, is an in- mate of the agent's house. Quanah was attired in a full snit of bnekskin, tunic, leg- gins and moccasins elaborately trimmed in beads, and a red breech cloth with ornamental
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end hanging down. A very handsome and expensive Mexican blanket was thrown around his body ; in his ears were little stuffed birds. His hair was done with the feathers of bright plumaged birds. He was hand- somer by far than any Ingomar the writer las ever seen, but there was no squaw fair enough to personate his Parthenia. IIis general as- peet, manner, bearing, edneation, uatural in- telligence, show plainly that white blood trickles through his veins. When traveling he assumes a complete eivilian's outfit-dude collar, watch and chain, and takes out his ear rings. He, of course, cannot cut off his long hair, saying that he would no longer be 'big chief.' He has a handsome carriage, drives a pair of matched grays, always traveling with one of his squaws (to do the chores). Minna- a-ton-cha is with him now. She knows no English, but while her lord is conversing gazes dumb with admiration at ' my lord,' ready to obey his slightest wish or command."
A COMANCHE PRINCESS.
The following beantiful story is from the pen of General H. P. Bee:
In the spring of 1843, the Republic of Texas, Sam Honston being president, dis- patched Colonel J. C. Eldridge, Commis- sioner of Indian affairs, and Tom Torrey, Indian agent, to visit the several wild tribes on the frontier of Texas and induce them to make peace and conelude treaties with the Republic. General H. P. Bee accompanied the expedition, but in no official capacity. At the house of a frontier settler, near where the town of Marlin stands, the commissioners received two Comanche children who had been captured by Colonel Moore, a famous and gallant soldier of the old Republic, in
one of his l'orays on the upper waters of the Colorado in 1840. These children had been ordered to be returned to their people. One of them was a boy fourteen years old, named Bill Hockley, in honor of the veteran Colo- nel Hockley, then high in command of the army of the Republie, who had adopted the boy and taken care of him: the other was a girl eleven years old, named Maria. The parting of the little girl from the good people who had evidently been kind to her was very affecting; she eried bitterly and begged that she would not be carried away. She had forgotten her native tongne, spoke only one langnage, and had the same dread of an In- dian that any other white children had. Her little nature had been cultivated by the hand of civilization until it drooped at the thoughit of a rongh Indian life as a delicately nurtured flower will droop in the strong winds of the prairies. There being no exense, however, for retaining her among the white people, a pretty gentle Indian pony, with a little side- saddle, was procured for her, and she was taken from her friends.
On arriving at a camp in Tanaconi, above where Waco is now located, the party met the first Indians, a mixture of Delawares, Wacoes, etc. The appearance of the little girl on horseback created great amusement among the Indians. She was so shy and timid, and the very manner in which she was seated on the side-saddle was different from that of the brown-skinned women of her race. The next morning after the arrival at the camp, Ben Hockley came out in full In- dian costnine, having exchanged his citizen clothes for back-skin jacket, pants, etc. IIe at once resumed his Indian habits, and from that day, during the long trip of months, Bill was noticed as the keenest eye of the party. He could tell an object at a greater distance,
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for example, a horse from a buffalo, a horse without a rider, etc., quicker than an Indian in camp.
The journey proceeded with its varied scenes of, excitement, danger and interest for four months, and the barometer of the party was the little Comanche princess. The ol- ject of the expedition was to see the head chief of the Comanches, and of course, as the search was to be made in the boundless prai- ries, it was no easy or certain task; yet they could tell the distance from or proximity to the Comanches by the conduet of the little girl. When news came that the Indians were near, the childish voice would not be heard in its joyous freshness, caroling round the fire; but when news arrived that they could not be found, her spirits would revive, and her joy would show itself in gambols as merry as those of the innocent fawn that sports around its mother on the great bosom of the prairie.
At last the goal was reached, and the party was in the Comanche camp, the village of Pay-ha-In-co, the head chief of all the Com- anches. Maria's time liad come, but the little girl tried to avoid notice and kept as close as possible. Her appearance, however, was the 'canse of great sensation, and a few days fixed the fact that she was the danghter of the former head chief of the nation, who died on the forks of the Brazos, from wounds received at the battle of Plnm creek in 1840. Thus, unknown to her or themselves, they had been associating with the royal princess, No- sa-co-oi-aslı, the long lost and beloved child of the nation. This extraordinary good Inck for the little girl brought no assnagement to her grief. Hler joy was gone. She spoke not a word of Comanche, and could not recip- rocate the warm greetings she received.
On arriving at the village, Bill Hockley
determined that he would not talk Comanche, although he spoke it perfectly well. not har- ing, like Maria, forgotten his native language. During the weck they remained in the village. Bill, contrary to his usual enstom, kept close to the party, and did not speak a word to those around him; nor could he be induced to do so. On one occasion a woman bronght a roasting car, which was of great value in her eyes, as it had come probably 150 miles, and presented it to Bill, who sat in one of the tents. The boy gave not the slightest at- tention to the woman or her gift, but kept. his eye fixed on the ground. Finally she pnt the roasting ear under his eyes, so that as he looked down he must see it. Then, talking all the time, she walked off and watched him. But Bill, from under his eyes, noted her movements, and not until she was ont of siglit did he get up and say, "That ngly old woman is not mammie, but I will eat her roasting ear."
When the chief came home (lie was ab- sent for several days after the party arrived), he asked to sce the children; and when they were presented he spoke to Bill in a very peremptory tone of voice, and Bill at once answered, being the first word of Comanclie he had spoken since his arrival. This broke the ice, and the boy went among his people, not returning to his white friends until he was wanted to take part in the ceremony of being finally delivered over to his tribe, and afterward never going to tell them good by. So there and then Bill Hockley passed from the scene.
The day before the grand council with the Comanches, the skill and ingenuity of the party of the three white men were taxed to their fullest extent to make a snitable dress for the Comanche princess, whose clothes, it may be supposed, had become old and shabby.
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Their lady friends would have been vastly amused at their efforts. There was no crin- oline, corset, pull-back, wasp-waist or Dolly Varden to be sure. Whether the body was too long or too short, we are unable to say; but it was one or the other! The skirt was a success, but the sleeves would not work: so they cut them off at the elbow. The next morning they dressed the little princess in a flaming-red calico dress, put strings of brass beads on her neck, brass rings on her arms, a wreath of prairie flowers on her head, tied a red ribbon around her smooth, nicely plaited hair, and painted her face with ver- milion, nutil she looked like the real princess that she was. All this, however, was 110 pleasure to poor Maria; she was like a lamb dressed in flowers for the sacrifice.
Finally the time came when, in the full council, Colonel Eldridge stood holding the hands of the two children in front of the chief, and said to him that as an evidence of the desire of the great white Father (Hons- ton) to make peace, and be friendly with the great Comanche nation, he sent them two children, captives in war, baek to their peo- ple. After these words he attempted to place the hands of both in the extended hand of the chief; but at that moment the most distressing screams barst from Maria. She ran behind Colonel Eldridge, and begged him for God's sake not to give her to those peo- ple, to have mercy, and not to leave her. Then the poor child fell on her knees and shrieked, and clung to him in all the mnad- mess of despair. A death-like silence pre- vailed in the council. The Indians stood by in stern stoicism, the voices of the white men were silent with emotion, and nothing but the cries of the poor lamb of sacrifice pierced the distance of the bloom-scented prairies. Her white friends, as soon as possible, at-
tempted to quiet the child. Of course the comforting words were spoken in their own language, but they were evidently understood by all. for theirs was the language of nature. Finding their efforts useless, the chief said: "This is the child of our long-mourned chief: she is of our blood; her aged grandmother stands ready to receive her; but she has for- gotten hier people. She does not want to come to ns; and if the great white chief only sent her for us to see that she is fat and well cared for, tell him I thank him, and she can go back."
This was an opportunity; and General Bce suggested to Colonel Eldridge to save the child; but, although the latter's heart was bnrsting with grief and sympathy, his sense of duty told him his work was finished, and lie replied to the chief, as follows: "I have been ordered to give up this child. I have done so, and my duty is fulfilled. But you see she is no longer a Comanche. Child in years when she was taken from you by the stern hand of war, she has learned the lan- guage of another people, and I implore you to give hier to me, and let me take hier to.my home and care for her all the days of my life." "No," said the chief; "if she is my child I will keep lier." He swung her roughly be- hind him into the arms of the old grand- mother, who bore her screaming from the council tent; and thus the princess was de- livered to her people; and the last sound the party heard on leaving that Comanche camp was the wail of the poor, desolate child!
Years afterward General Bee received a message from Maria, and sent her a few pres- ents by way of remembrance. She had be- come the main interpreter of her nation, and met the white people in council. So it ended well at last. She became an instrument of good, and fulfilled her destiny on the stage
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of action for which she was born. But the remembrance of the bright but desolate child, and her prayers and tears when she was forced to be left with her stranger people, is fresh in the memory of at least one of the party, and will last him through life.
We presmne that the princess was captured in the tight by Colonel Moore on the Red fork of the Colorado.
GAME ANIMALS.
George J. Durham, of Anstin, a number of years ago enumerated the following as the chief game animals of Texas:
Buffalo (formerly), elk, black-tailed deer, antelope, hare, rabbit, red and fox squirrels, turkey, prairie chicken, qnail (" partridge "), the whooping and the sand-hill cranes, the American and trumpeter swans, the bay goose, brant, snow goose (common or Cana- dian), ete., blue-winged teal, the shoveler, widgeon, green-winged teal, pintail, gray duck, ring-necks, canvas-back, mallard and possibly some other species of dneks, wood- cock, plover, eurlew, tatler, sanderling, etc.
It would scarcely be appropriate here to ennumerate the habits of these various animals, their seasons of immigration and emigration, ete., as sneh matters come more properly within the domain of scientific and sports- inen's works. Inuters' stories constitute interesting reading, but are not properly the matter of the history of a State; but we will venture to relate one, as follows:
FEARFUL ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR.
" Returning home from one of my monthly tours under the burning sun of August," says Elder Z. N. Morrill, "I found myself greatly exhausted in consequence of a ride of
100 miles from Providence Church, Navarro county, north of Chambers creek. After a little rest I mounted my horse, gun in hand. with a view first to look after the farm, and secondly, if possible, to get a deer or turkey, as fresh meat was called for. The farm was in the Brazos bottom, and at this season of the year the weeds were from four to six feet high. Passing around the field, I watched every motion of the weeds, expecting to see a deer or turkey. Presently my attention was ealled to my right, and about thirty steps from my path my eyes rested upon the head of an old she-bear, standing upon her hind feet and looking at me. My horse was wild and I dared not shoot from the saddle. Leap- ing to the ground as quickly as possible, I leveled my rifle at the fearful object, which then suddenly disappeared. Immediately the weeds nearer by began to shake, and two cubs, not more than ten feet from me, ran up a hackberry tree. Resting among the limbs, they turned their anxious eyes on me. The old bear was gone; and very deliberately I tied up my horse, and with a smile on my face and none but the enbs and the God of the universe in hearing, I said, I am good for you, certain. As I was about pulling the trigger the case of Davy Crockett flashed into my mind when he shot the cub and the old bear came upon him with his gun empty. With that distinguished hunter I had gone on a bear chase in Tennessee.
" Well was it that I thought of him at this moment, for I had not even a knife or a dog to help me in my extremity; and as, unlike the king of Israel, I did not feel able to take the bear by the beard, I lowered my gun and unsprung the trigger. Just then an angry snarl fell upon my ears a short distance away. The old bear was after me. The weeds cracked and shook, and she stood upon her
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
hind feet. walking toward me, swaying her body right and left. Her hair was all stand- ing on end and her ears laid back, presenting a frightful appearance. Life was pending ou the contest. Either Z. N. Morrill or that bear had to die. The ouly chance was to make a good shot. The bear was now not more than forty feet from me, and steadily advancing. Remembering that I had but the one slim chance for my life, depending on the one gun-cap and the faithfulness of my aim, I found I had the . buck ague.' I had faced canon in the battle-field, but never did I feel as when facing that bear. I grasped the gun, but the tigliter I grasped the worse I trembled. The bear was now less than twenty feet away, walking straight on her hind legs. By moving the gun up and down I finally succeeded in getting in range of her body, but not until the animal was within ten feet of me did I get an aim npon which I was willing to risk a shot! The bear was in the act of springing when I fired. At the crack of the gun, the bear sprang convulsively to one side and fell. I then re-loaded and killed the cubs."
YELLOW FEVER.
The year 1867 was probably the worst sea- son for yellow fever that Texas ever saw. Abont thirty interior towns and villages suf- fered an appalling mortality. It first made its appearance at Indianola, early in July,- which was probably the earliest for that year in the United States. Within the first few weeks it proceeded in its devastating march, in turn, to Galveston, Lavaca, Vie- toria, Goliad, Ilempstead, Cypress, Navasota, Millican, Brenham, Chapel IIill, La Grange, Bastrop, Alleyten. Long Point, Courtney, Anderson, Huntsville, Liberty, Lynchburg
and many smaller places. It was said to have been successfully excluded from Richmond and Columbus by a rigid quarantine, and also from Brownsville and Anderson till a very late period, though it finally broke ont in both of the latter places.
The mortality was very great. In Gal- veston, for example, out of a total of 1,332 deaths reported during the epidemic, 1,134 were from yellow fever. In Harrisburg and some other towns, considerably more than half the cases were fatal; in other places, half or a little less. Some cases of distress and lack of care were truly heart-rending.
DAWSON AND SIMS.
Frederick Dawson, of Baltimore, Maryland, who helped Texas with money in her early struggles, was a jovial gentleman with lige proportions, and used to come to Austin dur- ing the sessions of the legislature after annexation, to press his claims for settlement with the State of Texas. He was a jolly companion, a good liver, very fond of brown stout, and liad a langhi which waked the eclioes around to a marvelous distance.
In the amplitude of his proportions and the magnitude of liis laugh Dawson was rivaled by Bart Sims, a resident of the Colo- rado valley. They had never met before the occasion under consideration; consequently their points of resemblance were unknown to each other. Upon this day, as they chanced to be in town at the same time, the young men of the place conceived the sportive notion of having Dawson and Sims langh for a wager. Drinks for the whole population were staked npon the result, judges were chosen and the cachinnation commenced.
Never before or since has there been suchi a merry scene in Texas. For half an hour
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the log houses within, and the hills around, the seat of government echoed and re-echoed to laughter of the most thundering descrip- tion. Dogs, pigs, chickens and litde chil- dren ran away terrified; and men, women and the youth who did not know what was the matter poked their heads out of the doors and windows in wonderment. Soon the by- standers became infected with the fun of the thing, joined in the loud smile, and from the head of Congress avenne to its foot the street was one astounding roar.
At one moment the star of Sims would ap- pear to be in the ascendant, but the next instant Dawson would gather himself for a mighty effort and roll out a peal that would drown out the neigh of a horse or bray of an ass. The umpires gave their decision in favor of Dawson.
"Well, boys," said Sims, after the result was announced, "he (pointing to Dawson) langhs to the tune of half a million, while I liav'nt got a d -- d cent to laugh on." This was a good hit for Sims, as he was not a man of wealth, and the langh now turned in his favor, while his antagonist stood the treat with his usual good nature.
TEXAS VETERAN ASSOCIATION.
This association is composed of the sur- vivors of the Texas revolution, the men who conquered the armies of Santa Anna and wrested this vast empire from the dominion of Mexico.
Its object is to "perpetuate the memories of men and measures that secured and main- tained liberty and independence to the Re- public of Texas, and for the promotion of more intimate intercourse and association of the survivors of that memorable struggle."
Its membership is composed: 1st, of all survivors of the old 300 soldiers and seamen of the Republic of Texas who served against Mexicans and Indians from 1820 to 1845; 2d, all citizens appointed by the government or elected to and who discharged positions of trust from 1820 to 1836.
The association meets annually at such time and place as may be designated by the mem- bers.
SUFFRAGE.
The following classes of persons are pro- hibited from voting in this State: 1, All per- sons under twenty-one years of age; 2, idiots and hmatics; 3, paupers supported by any county; 4, persons convicted of any felony; and 5, soldiers, marines and seamen in the service of the United States.
Every male citizen twenty-one years of age, subject to none of the foregoing disqualiti- cations, who has resided in the State one year next preceding the election and the last six months within the district or county where le offers to vote, is a qualified elector.
EXEMPTIONS FROM TAXATION.
Farm products in the hands of the pro- ducer and family supplies for home and farm use.
Household and kitchen furniture to the value of $250, including a sewing machine.
All annual pensions granted by the State. All public property.
Lands used exclusively for graveyards or grounds for burying the dead, unless held by persons or corporations for profit.
Bniklings and lands attached thereto be. longing to charitable or educational institu- tions and used exclusively for charitable or educational purposes.
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EXEMPTIONS FROM FORCED SALE.
A homestead worth $5,000 exclusive of im- provements, if in a town or city; if in the country, 200 acres, including improvements and crops growing thereon, except for part or all of the purchase money thereof, the taxes dne thereon, or for material used in con- structing improvements thereon, and in this last case only when the work and material are contracted for in writing, with the consent of the wife given in the same manner as is required in making a sale and con- veyance of the homestead.
All household and kitchen furniture, and all provision and forage on hand for home consumption.
Any lot or lots in a cemetery for the purpose of sepulture.
All implements of husbandry, and all tools, apparatus and books belonging to any trade.
The family library and all family portraits and pictures.
Five milch cows and their calves, and two yoke of work oxen, with necessary yokes and chains.
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