USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 22
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At the same thne Capt. Juo. T. Rowland, a brave and experienced Indian fighter, commanded a company of Texas State troups. Capt. Rowland was in camp at Red River Station, in Montagne County, and was the first to hour of the raid. The Indians crossed Red river Into Texas about 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the 224 of December, 18C3, a few miles below Red River Station, and at once commenced their Hendish work of murder and burning. They first came upon the house of Mr. Anderson. They killed his wife, and left her with her feet so near a fire In the yard as to roast her feet. At the residence of Wesley
Willet they killed Mr. Willet and one daughter, while his wife and another daughter made their escape. They burned and plundered Mr. Willet's house, and then came upon the house of Mr. G. L. Hatfield. Hatfield and his family made their es- cape, but they had fled only a short distance before they looked back and saw their home in flames. After taking such things as they wanted the Indians set fire to the house. Settlements at this time along the Red river border were quite spare and what was then known as the Wallace settlement, in Sadler's bend in Cooke County, was the next set- tlement below Hatfield's and was some twelve or fifteen miles distant. . The Indians started in the direction of this settlement when they left the llat- field place, but they were closely pursued by Capt. Rowland with about twenty-five men. The Indians were between two and three hundred strong. Before reaching the Wallace settlement the Indians recrossed Red river and this led Capt. Rowland to believe that they had abandoned the raid, as it was their custom to make these sudden inroads upon the settlements and then make their escape under cover of night. Capt. Rowland and his men had ridden very rapidly -- the Indians had so much the start of them, that their horses were completely wearicd out, so he thought it was best to turn into Capt. Wallace's and rest his men and horses for the night, and renew the pursuit early next morning. The news of the raid and the massacre of the Willet family with the usual exaggerations, had already been carried to the Wallace settlement, by some terrified settler, and when Capt. Rowland reached Wallaee's
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he found that the whole settlement had forted there as a means of protection. The news had also been conveyed to what was known as the Elmore settle- ment, on the head of Fish ereek, about six miles east of Wallace's ; also to what was known as the Potter settlement, some four miles southeast from Elmore's, and a fleet courier had also carried the news to Gainesville. During the night of the 22d, the few families in that settlement gathered at the residence of James Elmore, and the few families that composed the settlement around Capt. C. Potter's were also gathered in there before daylight of the morning of the 23d. Many of these families were simply women and children, the husbands and fathers being in the Confederate army, and the few men in the county were armed with the poorest class of firearms, all the best guns having been given to those who joined the Confederate army.
When Capt. Twitty heard the news of the raid, which reached him at Gainesville, in the early part of the night of the 22d of December, he imme- diately dispatched about twenty-five men from Capt. S. P. C. Patton's Company, to the scene of the raid. These men, after a hard ride, reached Capt. Wallace's a short time before daylight on the morning of the 23d. Capt. Rowland, who was not expecting reinforcements, and taking these men for the enemy, came near firing upon them before the mistake was discovered. But the Indians, confident in their superior numbers, deter- mined to do more devilment before leaving and early next morning, recrossed Red river and went in below Capt. Wallace's. At sunrise they were scam- pering over the prairies, stealing horses, shooting cattle, and burning houses. They soon came to the Ehore place and their number was so unpre- cedentedly large, that they struck terror to the hearts of the men and women crowded in the house, and they at once fled to the woods, scattering in every direction. Some were killed, others were chased for miles - but most of them made their escape, though they lay in the woods all that day and the following night. Many thrilling incidents could be related of this flight. Among others, a Mr. Dawson, when the stampede began from the house, seized a babe about six months old, but not his own. When he reached a spot where he thought he could safely hide, the child began to cry and would not be comforted. Dawson could see the Indians coming in his direction and knew that they must soon hear the screams of the child, if they had not already done so. So he ran deeper into the woods, seeking the most inaccessible places. The Indians continued to follow aud the child to cry, as poor Dawson thought louder than
ever. In utter despair of ever making his eseape with the babe, he laid it down in a deep dry branch and covered it with leaves. The little thing went to sleep in a moment. Dawson thus made his escape and when the Indians left he went back, got the babe and carried it to its almost frenzied mother. After the people left Elmore's house the Indians plundered it, took what they wanted and set fire to it. The people forted up at Capt. Potter's, soon saw the flames at Elmore's house and knew that the Indians were coming on in their direction. About a mile and a half sonth of Capt. Potter lived the families of Ephraim Clark and Harrison Lander. These families, contrary to their usual custom, failed to go to Capt. Potter's, as their neighbors had done when they received the report of the raid. When the people at Pot- ter's saw Elmore's house burning they knew that it was too late to get Clark's and Lander's families to Potter's. Hence they concluded that it was best to go to Clark's or Lander's, as they lived very near together. About the time they left Potter's house, James McNabb, who had left Potter's early that morning to go to his home . a mile away to look after his stock, came flying back, hotly pursued by a squad of Indians who were in advance of the main body. McNabb made a narrow escape. Before he dismounted the Indians surrounded the house and tried to cut him off from his horse, but he made his escape by making his horse jump the fence. The people forted at Capt. Potter's, as well as his own family, made a hasty retreat to Lander's house going by Clark's and getting his family. Many of the chil- dren were taken from bed and without being dressed were hurried into a wagon and driven rapidly away. They had not reached Lander's house before they saw the flames bursting from the roof of Capt. Potter's house. Mr. Lander's house was situated on a prairie knoll near a very high and precipitous bluff. Here the affrighted women and children were gathered in the house, . while four men and three boys, with poor and uncertain guns in their hands, stood in the yard and about the outhouses ready to protect as best they could all that was dear to them. Soon the Indians came in sight and a sight it was. They came not in a body but in squads and strings. They had bedecked their horses with the bed clothing, sheets, quilts, connterpanes, table-cloths, ladies wearing apparel, etc.
The women gathered in the house were frantic. It was supposed that all had been killed at Elmore's as the house had been seen to burn. It was known that they had as much or more fighting force at
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Elmore's than they had at Lander's and when the overwhelming foree of Indians came in sight strung out for a considerable distance, with their yells and queer decorations, all hope sank. Some women prayed, others screamed and eried, while others held their children to their bosoms in mute despair. Soon the Indians were around the place and had driven off the loose horses that had been driven along by the fleeing people with the hope of saving them. The horses that had been ridden and driven were brought inside the yard fence and tied. It was some time before all the Indians congregated and, as they would come up, they would stop near the house, shoot arrows at the men in the yard, occasionally fire a gun or pistol, and at times some daring fellow would come within gun-shot, but the eitizens were too experienced in Indian warfare to fire until it had to be done to save the dear ones in the house. The Indians were so slow about making an attack npon the house that it was thonght that the women and children might be hurried over the steep bluff that was just north of the house and down this the Indians could not follow thein on their horses, and if the bluff could be reached eseape was certain to most of the party. A plan was soon arranged ; the Indians were south of the house and the main body of them three hundred yards away. The bluff was north of the honse and one hundred and fifty yards away. The men and boys with guns were to mount their horses and form a line for the protection of the women and children, who were to make a break for the bluff. The men were soon on their horses and the women and children started, but as they poured out of the house and out of the yard, the Indians set up an unearthly yell, and all the women and children ran back into the house. After some further delay, another effort was made to carry out this seheme. It might not have been successful, but about the time the women and children got out of the yard, the soldiers eame in sight upon the brow of a high hill a mile away to the north, and this gave the Indians something else to do. They at onee took to their heels and ran for two miles to the highest point of the divide between Fish ereek and Dry Elm and then halted.
The soldiers seen were Capt. Rowland with that part of his own company that was with him the day before, and that part of Capt. Patton's Company that had joined them the night before at Wallace's, as already related. They had learned early on the morning of that day that the Indians had again crossed Red river and were continuing their depre- dations. Capt. Rowland immediately ordered a pursuit and he found it no trouble now to trail the
Indians, as he could follow them by the burning houses. But they had so much the start and traveled so rapidly that long before Capt. Rowland eame in sight of them the horses of many of his men were completely worn out and they eonld go no farther. By the time the soldiers reached Lander's, Capt. Rowland's own horse had given ont, but he was furnished another by Clark. Some of his men also obtained fresh horses from the citi- zens who were only too glad to show favors to those who had just saved them and their families from death. Some of the citizens joined the soldiers in pursuit of the Indians. The Indians were over- taken near the high point where they had first stopped. Indced they showed no disposition to get away when they ascertaincd the small number of whites. Capt. Rowland led his men through Capt. Potter's prairie farm and, in going out on the south side, the rail fence was thrown down and left down in two or three different places. This faet proved most fortunate to the whites, as will hereafter appear. After going some three hundred yards south of the fence, Capt. Rowland halted his com- mand, but it was with great ditfienlty that he got them into a tolerable line. The Indians soon seemed to divide into two wings, one starting east and the other west around the soldiers, to surround them. The troops, without waiting for command, commenced firing, but at such long range as to do little damage. As the Indians got eloser and be- gan to fire upon the line, many of the soldiers thinking the odds too great, broke line and started to run. Capt. Rowland did all in his power to stop this and to rally the men, but the panic soon be- eame general and the whole command flod. The objeet seemed to be to go through the gaps left in the fence and turn and fight the Indians from behind the fence. The Indians at once began a hot pursuit of the flying men, and with their guns, and pistols, bows, arrows and spears, they did fatal work on the poor men whose tired horses could not earry them out of reach of the Indians. Before the fenee was reached three men were killed and several others were wounded. Mr. Green, of Capt. Pollard's Company, also another man, whose name is not remembered, were killed. Mr. Pollard, an officer in Rowland's Company, was severely wounded, having four arrows shot into his back, which were pulled out by Capt. Rowland after the men had reached the inside of the field, but the spikes from some of the arrows were left in his body. S. B. Potter, a son of Capt. Potter, was also wounded in the head by an arrow that struck the skull and then turned to one side. There was quite a rush among the men to get through the gaps
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in the fence to a place of security behind it, as the Indians were pressing them hard. Men rode at full speed against the fence, endeavoring to get through the gaps. Capt. Rowland was about the last man to pass through the gaps. He had purposely kept near the rear, and did what he could to protect the hindmost of the men, reserving his fire until a shot was absolutely demanded. Just before riding into the field he fired bis double-barrel shot-gun at an Indian not more than thirty yards from him, and at the fire the Indian dropped his shield and gave other signs of being badly hurt. It was afterwards learned that this shot killed him and that he was the chief. When the Indians saw the men forming behind the fence they precipitately fled. Capt. Rowland attempted to encourage his men to again attack them, but they were too much demoralized to renew the fight against such odds. Capt. Row- land, finding that he could not hope to again tight the Indians with the foree he then had, dispatched couriers to different points to give the alarm and with a few men he went to the head of Elm in Mon- tague County where there were a few families without protection. The Indians soon continued their raid, going south and east, and soon reached the Jones' settlement on Dry Elm. Here they came upon and mortally wounded Mr. White and dangerously wounded his step-son, young Parker. Mr. Jones, their companion, escaped. Parker be- longed to Wood's company of Fitzhugh's regiment. He had been severely wounded in the battle at Mil- liean's Bend, June 7th, 1863, and was home on sick furlough.
The Indians beat a hasty retreat that night and crossed Red river with a large number of stolen horses before daylight next morning. Small squads of Indians would seatter off from the main body and commit all sorts of depredations. One of their parties came upon Miss Gouna, who was carry- ing water from a spring some distance from the house. They thrust their spears into her body in
several places and cut off her hair, but she escaped and finally recovered from her wounds.
Young Parker, above alluded to, saw the Indians and heard the shooting in their fight with Capt. Rowland, but did not believe it was Indians and kept riding towards them, against the protests, too, of his companion, Mr. Miles Jones. He did not discover that it was Indians until a squad of them dashed upon and mortally wounded him. He died in ten days.
The following additional facts are taken from a letter written by me at the time to the Houston Telegraph :-
" At every house burnt, the savages derisively left hanging a blanket, marked 'U. S.' During the night of the twenty-third, they made a hasty retreat, left about fifty Indian saddles, numerous blankets and buffalo robes, and considerable of the booty they had taken from houses.
" In the meantime nearly a thousand men had reached Gainesville and made pursuit next day as soon as the trail could be found; but a start of twenty-four hours by fleeing savages cannot be overcome in the short and cold days of winter, when they could travel at night and only be followed in daylight. The pursuit, though energetic under Maj. Diamond and aided by Chickasaws, was fruitless.
" As soon as the news reached Col. Bourland, at Bonham, that old veteran spared neither himself nor horse till he was on the ground doing his duty. Capts. Patton, Mosby and many citizens were in the pursuit under Diamond. Lieut .- Col. Showal- ter, with Capts. Wm. S. Rather (then and now of Belton ), Wilson and Carpenter, with their compa- nies, made a forced march from Bonham, hoping for a tilt with the Indians; but on reaching Red river, some twenty miles northwest from Gaines- ville, information from the advanced pursuers ren- dered the effort hopeless. Being on detailed duty at that time in Bonham. I accompanied Col. Sho- walter in this severe march."
The Murder of Mrs. Hamleton and Children in Tarrant County, in April, 1867.
In the fall of 1860 James Myres, wife and six children, came from Missouri and settled on Walnut creek, in the northwestern edge of Tarrant County. His wife, Sally, was a daughter of Nathan Alinien, who had settled on Walnut creek in 1850 and on
whose land a country church was built. Mr. Myres died in the spring of 1861, and a year or so later his widow married William Hamleton, by whom she had two children. The tragedy about to be related occurred iu cotton-picking time in
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1867. The children at that time were William Myres, aged sixteen, Mahala Emilene, aged fifteen, Eliza, thirteen, Sarina, eleven, Samuel, nine, and John Myres, aged seven. The two Hamleton chil- dren were Mary L., aged about five years, and Gus., aged about eighteen months.
On the day of the attack Mr. Hamleton had gone some distance to mill; the elder son, Will- iam, was from home attending cattle. Mahala, Eliza, Samuel and John were picking cotton. Sarina Myres, Mary and little Gus. were at the house and their mother was weaving cloth in a hand loom.
Such was the situation when a band of Indians, said to have been led by the Comanche chief, Santag - the same who, while a prisoner with Santanta and Big Tree in 1871, was killed by the guard - surrounded and entered the house. Mrs. Hamleton was at onee murdered; and little Gus.,
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Sarina and Mary were seized. The house was then plundered of everything portable desired by the Indians, and with their little prisoners and booty they left. Little Mary, from the effect of chills, was very weak, so much so that on leaving their camp next morning, they left her and started, but she cried so wildly that they went back and killed her. The only eye-witness to these double horrors was Sarina, who was also in feeble health, but had both the strength and fortitude to en- dure without murmur the indignities and hardships incident to her condition in the hands of such brutal creatures. She was held by them about six months and by some means recovered at Fort Arbuckle, on the False Washita. Her brother, William, as soon as advised of the fact, went to the fort and escorted her home.
Mr. Hamleton died about two years after the murder of his wife and children.
A Bloody Raid in Cooke County in 1868.
To many persons latterly drawn to the pretty and prosperous little city of Gainesville, Cooke County, it must be difficult to realize how that place was at. one time exposed to the inroads of murderous savages.
On Sunday, January 5th, 1868, about a hundred Indians suddenly appeared upon the head waters of Clear creek, in the northwestern part of Cooke County. They gathered horses wherever seen, aggregating a large number, and killed during their stay nine persons, Mr. Long, a young man named Leatherwood, Thomas Fitzgerald and wife, Arthur Parkhill, an old man named Loney, and Mr. Manascos. Previously they had killed Mrs. Car- rolton and captured her sixteen-year-old daughter. Mr. Manascos living about seventeen miles west of Gainesville, on his way home from church discoy- ered signs of the Indians and immediately hastened to the house of Edward Shegogg, his son-in-law, whom he knew to be from home and whose wife and infant were alone. Mr. Manascos took his daughter and her child and started to his own house, near which the savages fell upon and killed him and made captive the mother and infant, the latter, however, being killed soon afterwards. During the succeeding night Mr. Shegogg, having returned home and collected a few men, fired upon the sav-
ages on the overland mail road about fifteen miles west of Gainesville. In the confusion produced among them by this attack Mrs. Carrolton escaped from them and followed that road till she ap- proached the premises of Dr. Davidson, but, very prudently fearing to go to the house lest she again might fall into the hands of her captors, took shel- ter in a ravine, covered with brush, and there remained till morning came and she discovered white persons in possession of the house. She then hastened to it, having suffered much from cold during the night.
The Indians had divided into two or more parties and covered considerable territory. They captured horses from St. Clair, Jones, Newton, Gilbert and others southwest of Gainesville, and killed some. They seem to have become bewildered, as during the night they halted on the west bank of Elm creek, immediately below the farm of Samuel Doss and within a mile of Gainesville and remained there about three hours. Yet, while this was transpiring, another party, as discovered next day, had halted and built a fire a mile above town on the east side of the creek, and another party, or scouts from one of these two, had entered the town, apparently without knowing of its existence, for they hurriedly left it, crossed the creek and either by design or
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accident joined the party near Doss' place, making such communication to them as to cause much ex- citement and confusion. Mrs. Shegogg, taking ad- vantage of this and the darkuess of the night, man- aged to escape and secrete herself till wuorning, when almost nude aud suffering greatly from cold, she found refuge in Mr. Doss' house. The Indians hastily retired as she escaped. The party that had been in town had left so hurriedly that they left sev- eral of their horses, with saddles on, one of which was found next morning at the door of the hotel stable - another with saddle, moccasius and other Indian outfit, was in the yard of Mr. Patton, in a few hundred yards of the court house- and various articles of Indian toilet were found in different parts of the towu; yet the inhabitants slept the sleep of security, unconscious of the murderous wretches being in the country till morning revealed these facts, followed by the appearance and recital of Mrs. Shegogg, who had not only been robbed of most of her apparel, but also of her beautiful suit of hair, clipped close to the sealp.
Near the time of the killing of Mr. Manaseos, they had captured two children of W. G. Manascos, and a negro boy. Prior to that, on Clear creek, they had robbed the houses of Joseph Wilson, Mr. Mc- Crackin and Washington Williams, burning the two former, and at the time of killing Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick, captured three of their children. Mrs. Parkhill and children, in connection with the murder of their husband and father, successfully secreted themselves and escaped. In all seventeen women and children were carried into brutal captivity in the midst of winter and a cold period for that sea- son, and being, without doubt, deprived of most of their clothing, must have suffered greatly. Of their ultimate fate I'am not advised.
The citizens collected and did all in their power to overhaul and chastise the enemy and recover the captives, but the severity of the weather, the gen- eral poverty of the people in munitions of war at that dark period of reconstruction, when some of the most favored leaders of the people were ostracised by the military despotism enthroned at Austin and New Orleans, and when a majority of the men felt bound to stand by their own families during such a raid, abundantly accounts for their inability to wreak vengeance on the raiders. It was one of those blood-curdling desolations follow- ing the war when, with abundance of troops, munitions and supplies, the army, to the disgust of its honorable officers aud men, was diverted from its mission of protection to the people against wild and bloody savages, to that of espionage and
constabulary duties for the annoyance, the arrest and the imprisonment of men whose only offense, as a general fact, had been fidelity to their own State and section during the war, and who were houored in becoming objects of vengeance to the creatures then suddenly risen to the surface as petty and (thank God) ephemeral rulers of a peo- ple by the respectable and honorable portion of whom they were despised ; and by none more than by honorable officers of the army aud civilians who had been consistent Union men from convictions of duty. Those classes never ceased to realize that in a mighty issue, involving millions of people on both sides, American freemen might differ and die in their convictions, without being tainted with treason or infidelity to humau liberty. They left that soul- less manifestation of littleness of heart, weakness of intellect and meanness of spirit to such as chose to follow the -vocation of spy, informer and perse- cutor.
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