USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
The Southwest Coast in 1850 - Henry McCulloch's Fight on the San Saba in 1851.
In 1849 and 1850, while Gen. Brooke, with head- quarters at San Antonio, was in command of the I'mited States troops in Texas, there was such a succession of Indian raids into the coast country between the San Antonio and Nueces rivers, and west of the latter stream in rear of Corpus Christi,
as to ereate a constant sense of insecurity among the scattered population of that section. It will be remembered, as shown elsewhere, that on the 11th of January, 1850, Maj. Charles G. Bryant, of Cor- pus Christi, was killed by one of those raiding parties.
ר׳ ٠٫٠
110
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEX.IS.
Gen. Brooke, in view of these increasing depre- dations, called into service a company of Texas rangers, who were mastered in at Austin, Novem- ber 5, 1850. Henry E. McCulloch, for the fifth time since June 8, 1846, was elected Captain, John R. King, First Lieutenant, Calvin S. Turner, Second Lieutenant, and Wm. C. Mckean, was Orderly Sergeant.
The company formed a central camp on the Aransas, between the Nueces and San Antonio, and kept up an active system of scouts from the one river to the other, and successively discovered, pursucd and broke up two or three raiding parties, capturing their horses and outfits, though the say- ages in each case escaped into the almost impene- trable chaparrals of that section. Two Indians, however, during the stay of the company in that locality, slipped inside the lines, captured a small boy, son of Hart, at the Mission Refugio, and suc- cessfully cscaped; but this in a period of five months, was the only success they achieved, being wholly defeated in every other attempt, and confi- dence was restored. The company, being six months' men, were discharged at Fort Merrill, on the Nueces, on the 4th of May, 1851, but reor- ganized as a new company for another six months on the next day. Capt. Gordon Granger (a Federal General in the civil war) was the officer who mustered out the old company and remus- tered them in the new.
Of this second company (the sixth and last one in the service of the United States commanded by the same gentleman) Henry E. McCulloch was unanimously elected Captain, Milburn Harrell, First, and Win. C. Mckean, Second Lieutenant, Oliver H. P. Keese, Orderly Sergeant, the other Sergeants being Houston Tom, Thomas Drennan and James Eastwood; the corporals were John M. Lewis, Abner H. Beard, Thomas F. Mitchell and Archi- . bald Gipson ; Win. J. Boykin and James E. Keese, buglers; John Swearinger, blacksmith; Thomas Sappington, farrier. There were seventy-four privates and a total in rank and file of cighty- nine.
In the mean time Gen. Brooke died in San Antonio and Gen. Win. S. Harney had succeeded to the command. He directed Capt. McCulloch to take such position in the mountains, covering the head waters of the Guadalupe, Perdenales, Llano and San Saba, as, by a system of energetic scout- ing, would enable him best to protect the settle- ments inside, in reality covering most of the country between the upper Nueces and the Colo. rado. About the 1st of June Capt. McCulloch established his headquarters on the north branch of
the Llano river, about ten miles above the forks,. and thenceforward had daily reports from a long line of observation. This active service, without any important action or discovery, continued until early in August, when the scouts reported a con- siderable and fresh Indian trail to the west of the encampment bearing from the lower country in a northerly direction.
Capt. McCulloch, with a detail of twenty-one men, started in immediate pursuit.
Following the trail, rendered very plain by the number of stolen horses driven by the Indians, it becaine manifest that the robbers apprehended no danger and were traveling leisurely. On reaching the south branch of the San Saba, not far from its source, it became certain that the enemy was near by, Capt. McCulloch halting the company, with Chris. McCoy went forward, soon to discover the Indians encamped on a deep branch, evidently feel- ing secure, and their horses grazing at some distance from them. A plan of attack was at once adopted. A charge was so made as to cut the horses off and the Indians took position in the branch, but be- trayed more of a desire to cscape than to fight. The rangers, inspired by their captain, crowded upon them whenever and wherever it could be done without reckless exposure to their invisible shots. Some of the squaws with bows and arrows, fought as men, and two would have been killed in the deadly melee but for the discovery of their sex, upon which they were overpowered and disarmed, this being the highest manifestation of chivalry possible under the circumstances, including, of course, the safe custody of the captured ladies. Herman L. Raven was wounded by one of the squaws. Jeremiah Campbell's horse was killed by a rifle ball. The Indians were closely pressed as they retreated down the branch until they found security in the thiekets on its borders.
Seven or eight warriors were left dead on the ground. All the horses and other property of the Indians were captured. It became evident that the raiders had been robbing Mexicans on the Rio Grande. On reflection Capt. McCulloch furnished the two squaws horses and outfits, telling them to find their people and say to them that if they would come into Fort Martin Scott (two and a half iniles east of Fredericksburg, and on the Perde- nales), bring in any prisoners they might have, and pledge themselves to cease depredations on the frontier, their horses and effects would be restored to them. This offer was accepted and carried into effect. Ketemsi, chief of the defeated party, con- tended that he had been warring on Mexicans only, and it was not right for Texians to attack him - a
111
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
position untenable while he passed over and occu- pied Texas soil in his hostile movements against people with whom we were at peace. But in truth he was ready to rob and slay Texians as well as Mexicans.
The company continued in active service till the expiration of their period of enlistment, when on the
5th of November, 1851, they were mustered out at Fort Martin Scott. As previously . stated, they were mustered in at Fort Merrill by Capt. Gordon Granger, afterwards a distinguished Union General in the war between the States. They were mustered out by James Longstreet, an equally distinguished General on the Confederate side in the same war.
Governor Fitzhugh Lee's Hand-to-Hand Fight with a Stalwart Warrior in 1855.
.
I am unable to give the date or precise locality . Lee had a pistol and carbine, but, at the first of the incident about to be narrated; but it was about 1855, and not far from one of the U. S. mil- itary posts then on our western frontier, and the facts are derived from Capt. Hayes, the only wit- ness of the scene. The hero of the occasion was Fitzhugh Lee, then a young Licutenant of cavalry in the United States army, afterwards distinguished as a General of cavalry in the Confederate army and still later as Governor of Virginia. . He is a nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and a son of Com. Sidney Smith Lee, deceased, of the United States navy.
Capt. Hayes (then, I think, a lieutenant), and Lieut. Lee, on the occasion referred to, were roam- ing through a forest when they espied a large and robust warrior quite near and mounted on horse- back. As soon as he discovered them he gave a stentorian war whoop and darted off through the timber, pursued by Lce and Hayes. The chase con- tinued for a considerable distance, first one and then the other party gaining ground, till finally, owing to thick brush on the bank of a creek, the Indian was forced to abandon his horse and seek conecal- ment, in doing which he leaped down the creek bank where it was about ten feet high.
The pursuers dismounted, Lec passing down the creek on one side and Hayes on the other. In a little while Hayes saw Lee stoop down and pick up a fine blanket, dropped by the Indian, and called to him to be cautious, as the owner must be near at hand. He had scarcely done so when the savage sprang from behind a ledge of rocks, not over four feet distant, and with a wild yell, seized lee, and a life and death struggle began. The Indian was much the stronger of the two and very soon had Lee down. The former had a lance and a bow and arrow on his back while
onset, the lance and earbine, respectively, were dropped. Lec, being agile, rose to his feet, tightly clenched by his antagonist, but was again thrown to the ground. His pistol fell and rolled beyond the reach of either. Lee rose a third time and was again thrown, when they rolled over and over each other. Lce, with his left hand, scized the Indian's throat and endeavored to suffocate him, but his hand was seized by the savage and restrained. Lec continued his efforts - they again rolled over each other and finally Lec found himself on top and renewed his choking operation; but at the same instant discovered that they had rolled within reach of his pistol, seizing which, unseen by the Indian, he held it near the ground and fired, the ball pass- ing through the Indian's cheeks.
The savage then made a powerful effort to " turn " Lee and get possession of the pistol. In the language of Capt. Hayes: " Each man fought with superhuman strength, and each knew that it was a battle unto death."
In all this time, and it was but a moment, Capt. Hayes had seen the struggle and hastened to reach the spot in aid of his friend, for he dare not fire unless immediately at them, lest be might kill Lee, but he was delayed by brush and the bluff in cross- ing the ercek. "But," says he, " just as I reached Fitz he fired again and the ball went crashing through the Indian's heart, killing him. Lce then arose and I said to him: That was a close call, Fitz. Ile replied: 'Yes, I thought I was gone.' Afterward I asked him how in the world he man- aged to turn the heavy Indian? In his own peculiar way Fitz replied : ' I tell you what saved my life, Jack. When I was a boy at school in Virginia 1 learned a little trick in wrestling that the boys
112
INDLIN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEX.IS.
ealled the back heel, and the thought struek me, wlien he had me down, that if I tried that Virginia back heelon him I would get him. I tried it and I got him.' "
An account of this reucounter speedily spread all over the frontier of Texas and gave Fitzhugh Lee a hold on the people which is a pleasant remem- brance among the surviving pioneers unto this day, and has never been weakened by any act of bis since ; but, on the contrary, they have ever followed and rejoiced over his brilliant career as soldier, and statesman, with a pride akin to kinship. Not long after the occurrence, he visited Dallas in charge of
an escort to a supply train, where the people gave a ball and supper in his honor - then sent a commit- tee to escort him on his return as far as Mckinney. where the same honors were paid.
As Governor of Virginia he worthily occupied a seat honored aforetime by his grandfather, Light Horse Harry Lee, of glorious memory, but erecting another monument to the fact that since Richard Lee, first of the name in America, came to the colony of Virginia as secretary to Governor Sir William Beverly, in 1641, no Lee has ever left a stain upon his name or proved untrue to his country.
Van Dorn's Fight at the Wichita Village, October 1, 1858.
Some years since Capt. ( now ex-Governor) L. S. Ross wrote the following brief account of this battle, Maj. Van Dorn being of the U. S. Cavalry and severely wounded :--
" In 1858 I returned from school and found Maj. Van Dorn was at Belknap organizing an ex- pedition against the Comanches, then supposed to be somewhere on the head waters of the Arkansas and Canadian rivers. I went at once to the Indian agency and raised one hundred and thirty-five Waco, Tehuacano, Toncahua and Caddo warriors, and with them reported to Maj. Van Dorn for co-operation in the expedition. He sent me in ad- vance to the Wichita mountains, while he followed with trains, supplies, and troops, expecting to establish a depot there for supplies, etc. When I reached the mountains, I sent a Wacoand a Tehua- cano Indian to the Wichita village, seventy-five miles east of the Washita river, hoping to learn through them where the Comanches were to be found. When the scouts came in sight of the vil- lage they found, to their surprise, " Buffalo Hump " with his band of Comanches (the very ones we were hunting), encamped there, trading and gam- bling with the Wichitas. The scouts concealed themselves until after dark, and then stole two
Comanche horses and returned to me to report the facts. With difficulty I convinced Maj. Van Dorn that the Indians could be relied upon and induced him to turn the direction of his columns, and by a forced march we reached the village at sunrise October 1st, 1858, surprising and almost completely destroying that band of the Comanches, capturing their horses, tents, supplies and several prisoners, among whom I captured the white girl named " Lizzie," subsequently raised by my mother, and of whose family or parentage no trace has been discovered. For their services Maj. Van Dorn gave the Indians of my command the spoils cap- tured, horses, etc. I received for my pay a dan- gerous gun-shot wound, still a painful reminder of the occasion, together with a petition, signed on the battle-field by every U. S. officer present, re- questing my appointment by the Government in the regular army for distinguished gallantry, and after due time came a complimentary order from Gen. Winfield Scott, which documents I still have, but have never made or attempted to make use of them."
This, when but twenty years old, was the beginning of Gen. Ross' brilliant career as a soldier.
-
113
INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
A Story of Gen. Lee - His Attack Upon a Band of Savages in 1860, While on the Way to the Rio Grande.
" Col. A. G. Brackett, who in 1886 and for sev- eral years commanded at Fort Davis, Texas, spent the better part of a long and arduous military career in Indian fighting and the roughest of frontier work generally," writes a correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat; and then continues: "For years prior to the war, when San Antonio was but a far outlying post, when railways were an unknown quantity in Texas' taxable values, and the Coman- ches and Mexicans practically owned creation, Col. Brackett was holding up his end of government guard duty, and of necessity became intimate with most of the men who for some portion of their lives lived on the then far frontier, and afterward be- came heroes of national story and song. To a gronp of interested listeners Col. Brackett detailed the following hitherto unprinted episode in the life of Gen. Robert E. Lee-in 1860 a Colonel in com- mand of the department of Texas, and in 1865 the Confederacy's grandest soldier.
"' Robert E. Lee,' says Col. Brackett, 'was on his way from San Antonio to the Rio Grande for the purpose of doing what he could toward bringing the Cortinas war to a close and settling the disturbances connected therewith. He had for his escort my company of the Second Cavalry, and was marching as rapidly as possible. Ile had done what he could in his office, and now found his only safe plan was to go himself to the spot where hostilities were pro- gressing. He was a man who always attended to everything himself as far as possible. Utterly with- out pretension, he held every man to a strict per- formance of his duty, and spared nothing in having bis plans carried out. He was on able department commander, and foreshadowed many of those quali- ties which made him famous in a more extended sphere of action, and proved him one of the great- est military leaders this country has produced. He was strict in his ways, but at the same time was one of the most benevolent and kind-hearted of men.
"' As he approached Seco river a messenger came galloping up to him and reported that the Indians were just ahead and were robbing the settlements 8
on and near that stream. It took but a moment to pass the word to me. We dashed off with our troops and were soon in the midst of the savages, who, unaware of our proximity, were plundering without hindrance and to their own great satisfac- tion. But when the cavalry dashed in upon them there were seen some amazing feats of horseman- ship as with wild yells the Indians endeavored to get out of the way. They had killed some head of cattle, and were about to rob a house occupied by women who had huddled together there, when Lee appeared on the scene. Again they went in every direction, but generally up the river toward the mountains, the cattle lowing from fright, and the big bay horses of the troopers bounding after the red men over the rocks, stones and bushes in a way to gladden the heart of every true horseman. For a time the din was great as the troops tore through the bushes. It was a race for life, and a most exciting one, as all must admit. How many were hurt was never accurately known to the whites, as an Indian can conceal himself in a place which would almost seem impossible. The chase was kept up for a couple of miles, but in the broken ground all further efforts were useless. The men returned to the house, when a recall was sonnded, their horses being blown and their clothing in strings from the brush and briers. The women were dreadfully frightened, their husbands and brothers being away from home at the time of the attack, but as the soldiers returned they came in and were profuse in their thanks to Lee for his timely arrival and his handsome performance in beating off the red rascals. He was as impassive as ever, but it was plainly to be seen that he thoroughly enjoyed the discomfiture of the Indians, as well as the eagerness of his men to get at them.'
" In lengthy and interesting mention of the great commander as one who had broken bread and lived in camps with him, Col. Brackett speaks of the Confederate General with the respect and tender appreciation of a lifetime soldier for a gallant foc."
114
INDLIN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
A Raid in Burnet County in April, 1861- Death of James Gracey - George Baker and Family's Escape - Escape of John H. Stockman, a Boy.
-
In 1861 Thomas Dawson, a single man, lived about nine miles westerly from Lampasas, and two miles east of the road from Burnet to San Saba. With him lived a fatherless boy of thirteen, John HI. Stockman, whose aunt, Miss Greenwood, subse- quently became the wife of Dawson. On the 10th of April, 1861, James, the thirteen-year-old son of Jobn N. Gracey, then and still (in 1887) of Lampasas, went to Dawson's in search of horses, and remained all night.
On the morning of the 11th these two boys, on foot, went out secking the horses. When about two miles from the house and very near the Burnet and San Saba road, while Stockman was trying to kill a turkey a short distance from Gracey, and in a body of post oaks, he heard a rumbling sound --- tlren shouts, and, on looking, discovered fifteen Indians in charge of about a hundred stolen and frightened horses. Checking up the herd, three of the savages seized little Gracey, stripped off his clothing, scalped him as he stood upon the ground, then beckoned him to run, and as he did so, sent sev- eral arrows through his body, causing instant death. It was the work of but a moment, during which Stockman stood among the trees as if paralyzed, not doubting a similar fate; but just as the wretches were about to rush upon him, their attention was directed to another party a short distance below on the road. It consisted of George Baker, of Austin, on horseback, his wife and infant, and Mr. Austin, his father-in-law, in a buggy. Most of the Indians were required to hold their restless herd, but the remainder attacked the party. Mr. Baker sought to defend his precious charge till they could reach some timber and brush perhaps two hundred yards away. Hle had both a gun and pistols. He was soon wounded, but killed the most daring of the assailants at an instant when Mrs. Baker was for a moment at their mercy. But they were so san- guine of killing the husband and holding the wife, that the whole party succeeded in reaching the desired haven and found partial protection. Mr. Austin was an old man somewhat palsied in the arms and eould do nothing. Baker held them at bay, firing several shots and wounding a second Indian; but he was wounded several times and finally became unable to do more. Mrs. Baker
drew the arrows from his body and staunched the wounds as best she could; but in the last dread alternative stood in his stead, wielding his weapons and holding the brutal creatures at a respectful distance. An arrow entered the baby's stomach through several folds of a Mexican blanket, but. not far enough to endanger its life.
In the meantime two other fortunate events transpired. The boy, Stockman, seized the occa- sion to escape. He found partial protection for a short distance along a ravine. Having on a very white shirt, casily seen at a considerable distance, he cast it off. Having to cross a small prairie, he crawled perhaps half a mile, laccrating his flesh and limbs, and while so engaged, a part of the Indians, in preventing a stampede of the horses, rode almost upon, without seeing him, in the high grass. Through brush and briers he ran rapidly, by circuitous routes, six or eight miles, to reach the house of Thomas Espy, two miles east of Daw- son's place. He was severely torn and bruised, but not otherwise injured, though frantic over the horrors he had witnessed.
The other incident was that as the occupants quit the buggy, the horse rau away, casting off one of the four wheels, and, providentially leaving the road, he went full speed to Dawson's house, near which one or two of the Indians captured, unhar- nessed and hurried him baek to their fellows. This was seen by Mr. Dawson, who mounted his own horse and started in a run to give the alarm at. Lampasas ; but, again providentially, within a mile he fell in with a hunting party from Lampasas, consisting of Dempsey Pace, John Greenwood George Weldy and Newton Knight, who, at half speed, followed the trail made by the buggy, and soon arrived on the scene, to find the enemy still endeavoring to accomplish their object, without losing any more of their own number. The savages challenged them to combat at some distance on the prairie ; but their purpose was to protect and save the apparently doomed family. They prepared, as best they could, for conveying them to the house of Mr. Espy, the nearest family in that region. The Indians soon retired with their booty, and the rescuers safely conducted their charges in, carrying Mr. Baker in a litter. He was gently nursed for
1
115
INDLIN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
six or eight weeks, and was then enabled to reach his home, where he in due Ume recovered, as proud of his heroic wife as he was thankful for their pres- ervation through such apparently hopeless dangers.
A party, accompanied by little Stockman, went out during the succeeding night to recover the body of little James Gracey, but were unable to find it. They camped ut the spot indicated by Stockman, and when daylight came found it in their midst, and then realized the cause of their failure in the fact that the mide body, lying among the white rocks, was not, distinguishable in the
night time. The remains were conveyed to his stricken parents and family, and interred in the presence of a sympathizing concourse.
Stockman now lives in San Antonio, but has been much about Dallas, and only a few days since recounted to me his version of this bloody episode in our border history. It will be of interest to many old residents of East and Southwest Texas to know that he is a grandson of Elder Garrison Greenwood, a sterling old Baptist preacher, who settled in Nacogdoches County in 1833, and moved west in 1846, finally to die in Lampasas County.
Raid into Cooke County, in December, 1863.
On the 22d and 23d days of December, 1863, occurred one of the most bloody and destructive Indian raids to which our poorly protected frontier was subject during and for some years after the late war. At this time Col. James Bourland, oue of the bravest and truest of all our frontiersmen, commanded a regiment of Confederate troops with his headquarters at Gainesville, but at the time of this particular raid he was in Bonham, on official business with Gen. Heury E. McCulloch. Col. Bourland had to protect with his reglment such an extended reach of frontier that he was compelled to scatter his troops in small wounds far apart, and for this reason it was impossible to concentrate any considerable number of his troops at any given point in time to repel such an hivasion as this. At this time Capt. Wmn. C. Twitty, a brave and true soldier, was in command of the few troops of Col. Bourland's regiment, that then happened to be at and near Gainesville not exceeding fifty or seventy-five in number.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.