USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 18
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missioners, at a point to be designated, for the purpose of making a treaty. Subsequent events went to show that the Delawares had imbibed that idea; but President Houston finally decided to commission Capt. 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. Capt. 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, Col. 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 Washington late in Mareh, 1843, and consisted of Joseph C. Eldridge, commissioner, Thomas Tor- rey, Indian agent, the three Delawares as guides and. interpreters, several other Delawares as hunt- ers, helpers and traders, Acoquash, the Waco head chief, who was one 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 paek 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 ( May-re-ah) and the other a boy who had taken the name of William Hockley, being two of the captives at the Couneil 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 Accquash.
They passed up the valley of the Brazos, passing Fort Milam, near the present Marlin, around which were the outside habitations of the white settlers. Further up, on Tehuaeano creek, six or seven miles southeast of the present city of Waco, they reached the newly established trading house of the Torrey brothers,* afterwards well known as a
* Joseph C. Eldridge was a native of Connecticut, and of an ancient and honorable family. Of him Gen. Bec writes me: "He was an admirable character, brave, cool, determined in danger, faithful to public trusts and loving in his friendships. He did more than his duty on this trip. He served as Paymaster in the United States navy from 1846, and died the senior officer of that corps in 1881, at his home in Brooklyn, New York. His stern sense of duty was displayed on our way out, when, north
. of Red river, we met and camped all night with a com- pany of men under Capt. S. P. Ross, returning from the ill-fated Snively expedition. They urged us to return home, as the Indians on the plains were all hostile - our trip would be fruitless, and the hazards were too great for such a handful. Only Eldridge's courage and high sense of duty caused him to reject the advice and pro- ceed; but pending our trial in the Comanche council we all regretted not having yielded to the warnings of Capt. Rose. Capt. Eldridge died of softening of the brain. He. had a son, Houston Eldridge, named for the President after their temporary unpleasantuess, a most promising young officer of the navy, who died not long after his father. John C. Eldridge, a cousin of Joseph C., also figured honorably in Texas for a number of years, and their names were sometimes confounded. Charles W. Eldridge, another cousin, deceased in Hartford, Con- necticut, was a brother-in-law to the writer of this his- tory.
* There were four of the Torrey brothers, all from Ashford, Connecticut, the youuger following the elder to Texas 1836 to 1810. David was the head of Torrey's Trading House. He was the third oue in the order of death, being killed by Indians on the Brazos frontier, not far from the time of annexation. James, a gallant and estimable young man, kindly remembered by the writer of this for his social and soldierly virtues, was onc of the seventeen justly celebrated Mier prisoners who drew black beans at the hacienda of Salado, Mexico,
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resort for Indians and traders. Here they found a large party of Delawares.
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 bis knife and firearms to the chiefs, by whom they were secreted. Then loose reign was given to unarmed warriors, and throughout the night pandemonium prevailed ac- companied by screams, hideous yells, fisticuffs, scratching, biting, and all manner of unarmed per- sonal 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 condition. 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 mauy of the wild tribes as possible, and the head chief of the Comanches - to deliver to them the words of friendship from their Great Father, the I'resident, 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, com- mencing on the 10th of August (1843), where they would meet duly accredited commissioners and the President in person to treat with them.
and were shot to death by order of Santa Anna, on the 19th of March, 1843. Thomas, the companion of Eld- ridge and Bee on this hazardons mission, a worthy brother of such men as David and James, was a Santa Fe prisoner in 1841-42, marched in chaius twelve hundred illes, from Santa Fe to the city of Mexico, and was there Imprisoned with his fellows. He passed the terrible ordeal narrated in this chapter, as occurring in the council of Payhayuco - separated from Eldridge and Bee at the Wichita village, successfully reached Bird's Fort, with detachments of the wild tribes, there to sicken and dir, as success largely crowned their efforts to bring about a general treaty. John F. Torrey, the only sur- alvor of the four brothers, the personification of enter- prise, built and ran cotton and woolen factories at New Braunfels, Floods twice swept them and his wealth away. At a goodly age he lives on his own farm on Comanche I'mak, Hood County. Honored be the name of Torrey among the children of Texas!
This fort was about twenty-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 mes- sengers to find and invite any tribes found in the surrounding country to visit them. Delegations from eleven small tribes responded by coming in, among thiem being Wacos, Anadarcos, Towdashes, Caddos, Keecbis, Tehuacanos, Delawares, Bedais, Boluxies, Ionies, and one or two others, constitut- ing a large assemblage, the deliberations of which were duly opened by the solemnities of embracing, smoking, and a wordy interchange of civilities. Capt. Eldridge appeared in full uniform, and Bee * performed the duties of secretary. The council opened by an - address from the Delaware interpre- ters, and the whole day was consumed in a series of dialogues between them and the wild chiefs, Capt. Eldridge getting no opportunity to speak, and when desiring to do so was told by the Dela- wares 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 de- livered his talk, which was interpreted to the differ- ent tribes by the Delawares. Finally Eldridge said: "Tell them I am the mouth-piece of the President, and speak his words." Two of the Dela- wares interpreted the sentence, but Jim Shaw re- fused, saying it was a lic. The other two conveyed the language to all. The result was satisfactory, and the tribes present all agreed to attend the council at Bird's Fort. Returning to bis tent, Capt. 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
* Hamilton P. Bee is a native of Charleston, Sonth Car- olina, favorably and intimately known to the writer for half a century as an houor to his country in all that con- stitutes a true and patriotic citizen - a son of the Ifon. Barnard E. Bee, who early tendered his sword and ser- vices to struggling Texas, and a brother of Gen. 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 Com- mission, 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 later served as Commissioner of Insurance, Statistics and History of the State of Texas.
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and ribbons, with his baggage. This document being Eldridge's instructions as commissioner, was brought out, read and explained by Bee. Jim Shaw was greatly excited, and had evidently 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 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 expres- sion to his gratified pride - he promptly and sol- emnly promised to do so.
On the next morning, while Eldridge was pack- ing and mounting for his homeward march, sur- rounded by his promised escort of one bundred Anadarco warriors, well mounted and armed with bows and lances, with Jose Maria at their head, Jim Shaw sent word to Capt. Eldridge that he had changed his mind and would continue the trip. An interview followed and a full understanding was entered into, acknowledging Capt. 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 question of etiquette. Ilere the Delawares announced that it would be necessary to send out runners to find the Comanches; that 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 encour- aging reports ; but the essential trio, so indispen- sable to progress, were absent twenty-eight instead of fifteen days, causing a loss of precious time.
Their next move was for the Wichita village, at or near the present site of Fort Sill. They were kindly received by this warlike 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 them. It was now in July and all of their provisions were exhausted, reducing them to an entire dependence on wild meat, which, how- ever, was abundant, and they soon found the tal- low of the buffalo, quite unlike that of the cow, a good substitute for bread. They carried in abundant strings of cooked meat on their pack mules.
After twenty days they found Indian" signs " in a plum thicket, " the best wild plums," wrote Young Bee, "I ever saw." 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 distinguished chief of the Comanches - a man of remarkable physique, 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, handsomely dressed in ornainented buck- skin - 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 sad- dling 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 the glory of the wild tribes -the Comanche Indian in his Bedouin-like home. With considerable ceremony they were conducted to the tent of Payhayuco, who was absent, but the honors were done by the chief
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of lis seven wives, who eaused the best tent to be vacated and placed at the disposal of her white guests. It was hot, August weather, and such crowds of Comanches, of all ages and sexes, pressed in and around the tent that it became so suffocat- ing 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.
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 Coman- ches, who had never seen a white man, and who continued to crowd around and inspect them ; roll- ing 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 aston- ished 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 9 (1843), and occupied the tent adjoining the whites. They were soon informally presented to him and courteously received, but no elue was obtained as to the state of his mind. At sunrise next morning about a hundred warriors met in couneil in a large tent, sitting on the ground in a series of circles diminishing from circumference to center, wherein Payhayuco sat. Our friends, not being invited, took a brief glance at them and retired to their own tent, leaving their case with the Delawares, who attended the couneil. About 10 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 trip, and whose wife they had cured. What a hazard they had passed! Had that poor squaw died instead of recovering under Bee's treatment, their fate would have been scaled. A Choctaw negro, who understood but little Co- manche, told them the council was deliberating on their lives and talking savagely. They sent for the Delawares and told them of this. The Dela- wares denied it, and reassured them. But half an hour later their favorite Delaware hunter, the only
one in whose friendship they fully confided, in- forined them that the Comanches were going to kill them. They were, of course, very much alarmned 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 re- plied that he had desired to conecal 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 Connor) had done all they could for them ; had told the council they would die with them, as they had promised the White Father they would take care of them and would never return without them ; and that Aeoquash had been equally true to them. They added that only Payhayuco was yet to speak, but even should he take the opposite side they did not believe he had influence enough to save their lives. "Next came into our tent " (I quote the language of Gen. Bee on this incident), "our dear old friend Acoquash, where we three lone white men were sitting, betraying the most intense feel- ing, 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 friends of the Comanches, who always listened to the counsel 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 be loved us as his own children. Poor old In- dian ! My heart yearns to him yet after the lapse of so many years." [Gen. Bee to his children. ]
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 eom- posure 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 12 to 4 o'clock not a word was spoken in that council. All sat in silence, awaiting the voice of Payhayuco. At 4 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
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later confusion seemed to prevail, and many voices were heard. Bee said to Eldridge: " See the set- ting sun, old fellow! It is the last we shall ever see on earth! " At the same instant approaching 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 uncon- trollable joy. The next moment the Delawares rushed in exclaiming. " Saved! saved!" "Oh! God! can I ever forget that moment! To the earth, from which we came, we fell as if we had been shot, communing with Him who reigns over all -- a scene that 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 deliverance." [Geu. Bee to his children.]
After this ordeal had been passed, succeeded by a measure of almost heavenly repose, the inter- preters, now fully reconciled to Eldridge, explained that after that solemn silence of - four hours, Pay- hayuco had eloquently espoused the cause of mercy and the sanctity of the white flag borne by the messengers of peace. His appeal was, perhaps, as powerful and pathetie as ever fell from the lips of an untutored son of the forest. Upon con- clusion, 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 aud benignity of the King of kings -- our Father in Heaven.
As darkness came, the stentorian voice of Pay- hayuco 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 : " Ile 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 Capt. 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 the 11th of August, a day after the date heretofore fixed for the assem- blage, and a new date would be selected promptly on their arrival, or sooner if runners were sent in advance. The presents were then distributed 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 Capt. Eldridge tendered to the chief, little Maria, a beautiful Indian child, neatly 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 imi- ploringly to Capt. Eldridge, and screamed most piteously ; but the whole seene cannot be described here. 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 ocessionally heard of, still bearing the name of Maria, acting as interpreter at Indian councils.
Succeeding this last scene they were informed that the council had refused to send delegates to the proposed council. Payhayuco favored the measure, but was overruled by the majority. Within an hour after this announcement ( August 11th, 1843) our friends mounted and started on their long journey home - fully five hundred miles, through a trackless wilderness. I pass over some exciting incidents occurring at the moment of their departure between a newly arrived party of Dela- ware traders, 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. It was dreaded by our friends as a new danger, but was settled without bloodshed by the payment of a larger ransom to the avaricious Comanches.
Withont remarkable incident and in due time, our friends 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 Presi- dent would be disappointed and impatient; so, after consultation, it was agreed that Torrey, with Jim Shaw, John Connor and the other Indian attaches, still with them, should return on the route they had gone out, gather up the tribes first men- tioned 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 to the fort. Thus they separated, cach party on its mission, and to -
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