USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 46
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Speaking of ber early years, Mrs. Dignowity says : " In my childhood and girlhood I traveled
much with my father, who was a merehant as well as planter, and as there were then no railroads, all travel being by carriages and wagons, I traversed in this way much of the wilds of Virginia, Penn- sylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi and Arkansas and saw and practiced many of the primitive ways of living. Being the eldest of a large family of girls and there being many servants to care for, at home or on our various removals, I had to take charge of our medicine chest, one of the necessary adjunets of every large household in those days, and admin- ister such physic as was prescribed. I took a fancy for the study of medicine and though women were not then allowed to practice I determined to learn something about the subject. I began to read under Dr. J, Coombes of Mississippi; and after my father removed to Little Rock, I continued my studies under Drs. Tucker and Prayther. Meeting Dr. Wm. Byrd Powell, then president of the Medi- cal College of New Orleans and afterwards State Geologist of Arkansas, I studied under him, he teaching the reform system, the celectic, then almost in its infaney. On February 9th, 1843, I was mar- ried to Dr. A. M. Dignowity, friend and partner of Dr. Powell, and accompanying my husband to a small place in the western part of Kansas, settled there. Whatever ambition I may have had for an independent career as a medical practitioner, if, indeed, I ever had any, was now laid aside, though I continued my studies and often in after years joined my husband in his researches and lent him what aid I could in his professional labors."
Dr. Dignowity having come to Texas in the early spring of 1846 and determined to locate perma- nently at San Antonio, he sent the following fall for Mrs. Dignowity, who had remained with her parents in Little Rock during the inter- vening months. The account of her trip is
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best given in her own language. She said : " After masses, offered by Archbishop Byrens, and the prayers of the congregation for my safety in that land of war and desperadoes, were said I left my relatives and friends, some of whom I was never to see again and others not for many years, and took the steamer bound for New Orleans. At that place I waited thirty days for a vessel sailing for Texas, took passage on the bark ' William' in the latter part of January and, after beating about and being driven much out of our way at sea, suffering two days for water, we finally put in at Matagorda, where a supply of food and water was obtained. The vessel then proceeded to Indianola. There I was fortunate in meeting Mr. Van Ransalaer of
we got in. I procured a rocking chair and roll of carpeting from my baggage and ensconced myself in the back part of the wagon with my babies.
" The word to start was given, the Mexicans springing out of the way and the mules, standing first on their hind feet and then plunging forward in response to a yell from the driver and Mexicans, we started on our way. We faced the north wind for miles, I, nearly frightened to death, could only hold myself in readiness for anything that might come.
" At last we arrived at Victoria. 'Limpy ' Brown, well known in Texas history, kept the hotel there. After dinner we had a relay of bronchos and started on, facing toward evening a sleeting norther. We
MRS. AMANDA J. DIGNOWITY.
New York and Judge Stuart of Texas, both friends of my husband. We chartered a lighter and the two gentlemen, myself and babies and the captain left for Port Lavaca, which I was told was distant only a few hours sail, but we had gone scarcely a mile when a norther sprang up and we were driven out and battled the storm until the next evening before we reached Lavaca. I remained over night at the hotel. The next morning one of the gentle- men asked me to step out and see the fine United States mail coach waiting to take us over. Imagine my astonishiment to see a large wagon without cover or seats, six Mexican broncho mules at- tached, each mule held by a Mexican peon (the latter as strange-looking to me as the mules) until
arrived late at Seguin half frozen, hungry and tired out, my baby not a year old, with the croup, our faces blistered with the sleet and cold. There I met for the first time Capt. Jack Hays on his way to Washington, D. C., and others who were going to San Antonio, among them Mr. William Vance, Capt. Shaw and Mr. A. A. Munsey, all of whom I well knew at home. Our hostess was Mrs. Calvert and with her still resided her beautiful daughters, afterwards Mrs. Johnston, Mrs. Hays and Mrs. John Twony. Iler kindness to me, a stranger, I will never forget. Next morning with a relay of bronchos, we continued our journey, our party having been increased by the addition of Mr. Munsey and Capt. Shaw.
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The norther gone and the weather clear, we eon- tinned without further suffering or the occurrence of any event to break the monotony of travel until we reached the Salado crossing, eight miles east of San Antonio.
" There we were startled by a fearful war-whoop, and the men gathered their guns, pistols and bowie knives and prepared for battle with a deter- mination which frightened me so that I slid from the chair to the bottom of the wagon and covering my babies with the earpeting, waited. Soon a voice called out: 'No fightie; muche amigo ; plenty whisky ; plenty drunk!' What a relief! As we descended the hill we saw camped in the bed of the creek over a hundred Indians. They had been to San Antonio for rations and all were beastly drunk but three watehers.
" When we got to the top of the hill cast of the city, where my residence now stands, Mr. Van Ransalaer remarked : ' Mrs. Dignawity, you must not be surprised at the appearance of the town. There has been a fearful norther and all of the houses have been unroofed.' Which I verily believed was so until I got fairly into the town and more elosely inspected the buildings. The hotel at which we stopped, a typical Mexican jaeal with flat roof, dirt floor and grated windows, seemed to be the chief place of rendezvous of the town ; but I paid very little attention to its appearance or in- mates. My husband, though absent at the time, being on duty among the soldiers at Mission Con- cepeion, had prepared a room for me and had a nurse in waiting. I repaired at once to my apart- ments which seemed a haven of rest, and awaited his return. When we went out to dinner there were about thirty persons at table and I was told that seven languages were being spoken. There was not one American lady in the number and I was told, and later learned, very few in the city. I re- member meeting at the hotel the beautiful Mrs. Glanton, Prince Solms, Don Castro and a number of United States officers, some of whom I had known at home. The next day and many after I rode with my husband to the camps and visited the sick.
" In July our baggage, which had been delayed for five months, arrived and we moved to our bome, my husband having purchased a place on Acequia street. After that I saw much of the city, met the few resident American ladies, became acquainted with some of the Mexican ladies and had a very pleasant time. All visiting then was done after sundown. The Plaza from ten in the morning till four in the evening was empty. All doors were closed. Everyone took a siesta and
afterwards a eup of coffee and a bath, the latter generally in the river. After 4 p. m. and after nightfall until midnight the Plaza and streets were gay with men and women in full dress and elegant toilets, engaged in shopping, visiting and enjoying the evening air.
" About one year after my arrival several ladies formed a class and engaged Dr. Winchell, who had been a tutor in Santa Anna's family, to teach us Spanish. The authoress, Augusta Evans, then a young girl, was one of the number. I visited some of the Spanish ladies and joined them in visiting the church during their festivals and fiestas, and was much interested with many; others in watching their devotions and great display to the honor of the Senora Guadeloupe, their great patroness. Later when German immigrants began pouring into the eity I found it necessary to study German, our domestic help eoming largely from among them.
"Street fights between Indians and Mexicans were of frequent occurrence and my husband was many times called to attend the wounded of both sides. Sick and disabled soldiers from the Rio Grande were also frequently brought to our house for treatment so that we were for years almost con- stantly in the midst of affliction. But in spite of this we had our pleasures and enjoyed life quite as much as people of this day. What American homes there were here were always open to friends and we had many distinguished visitors to San Antonio in those days. I recall the names of Generals Kearney and Doubleday of the United States army, ex-Governor Yell of Arkansas, President Sam Houston, Archbishop Lamy, Bishop Odin and Rev. Mark Anthony, as among my guests in those years, and of course there were others whose names do not now occur to me. The incidents of the Alamo and the invasions under Vasques and Woll were then fresh in the minds of the people and I heard many interesting reminiscences of those stirring times reeited by those who took part in historic events recounted. After the establishment of peace sometimes in company with my husband and some- times with lady friends I visited the old missions. Concepcion Mission was used for a considerable time as a stable by the soldiers who were quartered there after the Mexican war. What a terrible desecration it seemed to me! But this was not more shocking than the vandalism since exhibited by tourists in breaking and taking away the lovely decorative work. The missions then were by no means in so dilapidated a condition as at present. Every sculptured flower, leaf, fruit and face was in a perfect state of preservation.
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" The opening of the Civil War brought us a new era of trial and suffering. My husband was a Union man. He left the country on account of his views on slavery and secession and remained in the North until the restoration of peace. My two eldest sons, aged sixteen and nineteen, were conscripted into the Confederate Army but, subsequently, while on a furlough, swam the Rio Grande, made their escape and joined the Union forces at Brazos de Santiago, and later went to Washington City, where they secured positions in the Department of the Interior and remained until 1868. Most of our property was swept away during the four years struggle, some of our losses being caused by Indians who made frequent incursions into the country and stole cattle, horses and sheep from the ranches, sometimes murdering the ranch- men."
" But," said Mrs. Dignowity in conclusion, "in spite of these unpleasant recollections, San Antonio is very dear to me and I am every inch a Texian. During the past twenty years I have traveled ex- tensively throughout the Union but I cannot say that I have ever found any place I like better then this and I have no higher wish than to here pass in the quiet of my liome, surrounded by my children
and grandchildren, the remainder of the years allotted to me on earth."
Mrs. Dignowity has living five sons and one daughter and ten grandchildren, all of whom reside near her. Very naturally her chief thoughts now center in these, and she in turn is the recipient of their unbounded affection. Her time for the past five years has been devoted to her estate, to her children and to hier taste for the arts in a small way. She feels, as she says, that with all the trials her bright days have been more than her dark ones and that she has much to be thankful for. The secret of her cheerful disposition and elasticity of spirits, perhaps lies in the fact that she has passed much of her time in intimate association with her children and grandchildren, whose purposes, hopes and ambitions, she has actively interested herself in, and in the further fact that she has kept up her reading habit formed in girlhood and her interest in art work, thus drawing, as it were, daily inspiration from the only real fountain of youth. She has re- ceived from the judges of the International State Fair and the State Art Association two gold medals for art work and carving ; one diploma, one honorable mention and fifteen premiums from the different departments.
MRS. SARAH ANN BRACHES,
GONZALES COUNTY.
Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean, Tears from the depth of some divine despair, Rise in the heart and gather to the eyes, In looking on the happy Autumn fields, And thinking of the days that are no more.
Fresh as the first beam glittering on a sail, That brings our friends up from the under-world, Sad as the last which reddeos over one That sinks with all we love below the verge; So sad, so fresh, the days that are no more.
Ah, sad and strange as in dark summer dawns The earliest pipe of half awakened birds, To dying ears, when unto dying eyes,
The casement slowly grows a glimmering square ; So sad, so strange, the days that are no more.
Dear as remembered kisses after death, And sweet as those by hopeless fancy feigu'd, On lips that are for others; deep as love, Deep as first love, and mild with all regret ; O, death in life, the days that are no more.
TENNYSON.
Mrs. Sarah Anu Braches, who died at her home on Peach creek, near the town of Gonzales, Octo- ber 17th, 1894, aged eighty-three years and seven months, was one of the last survivors of the colo- nists who came to Texas in 1831.
Although confined to her bed for a number of years, she was ever cheerful, and would laugh or ery with the changing theme as she recounted with glowing imagery the story of the hardships and perils through which she passed in her earlier years. Iler memory was remarkably retentive, and ber mind singularly clear, almost up to the moment of her death. She was the representative of a race that redeemed the wilderness and won freedom for Texas. Upon the broad foundation it laid, has been erected the noble superstructure of later times. Truly a mother of Israel has passed away. May the flower-gemmed sod rest lightly above her pulse- less form. and her memory be preserved in grateful
MRS. SARAH ANN BRACHES.
CHARLES BRACHES.
£
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hearts as well as upon the pages of the history of the country she loved so well.
Her parents were John M. and Mary (Garnett) Ashby, natives of Kentucky. She was born in Shelby County, Ky., March 12th, 1811, and was the oldest of twelve children. She was united in marriage to Judge Bartlett D. McClure in Ken- tucky in 1828. Three children were born of this union : Alex, in 1829, Jolin, in 1833, and Joel, in 1839, all now deceased.
Joel was a soldier in Terry's Rangers during the war between the States, and in the charge led by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston at Shiloh was shot in the groin, a wound from the effects of which he died October 23d, 1870, at the old family residence.
In 1831 the Ashby family and Judge and Mrs. McClure emigrated to Texas. At New Orleans, March 12th of that year, the party took passage on a ship bound for Matagorda Bay and landed upon Texas soil the first of May following. The vessel was caught in a storm and the pilot losing his bear- ings steered into the wrong pass, whereupon the ship struck repeatedly upon a bar with such violence that all aboard expected every moment to be engulfed in the raging sea, but the ship was strong and kept afloat until morning, when the passengers and crew took to the small boats and effected a landing on the bar. Here they pitched camp and waited four days, when, the vessel still sticking fast, it was de- cided to abandon her to her fate and Judge Mc- Clure and a few companions, at the request of the rest, made their way to the mainland and went on to Goliad to get permission for the party to land, from the Mexican commander, who, according to the process of the tedious laws in vogne, had to send a courier to the seat of government before he could issue them a permit to enter and remain in the country. They were gone five days on this mission. The whole party finally landed in boats about fifteen miles below the present town of Roek- port, but had to camp another week on the beach for Mexican carts to be brought from Goliad. They were delayed again at Goliad waiting for ox- trams from Gonzales, as the Mexican carters would go no farther than the Guadalupe river. The two families separated and Mr. and Mrs. Ashby settled in Lavaca County, on Lavaca river, five miles from Halletsville, Mrs. Ashby dying in that county in 1835. and her husband in Matagorda County, October 15th, 1839.
Judge and Mrs. McClure established themselves on Peach ereck near Gonzales, in De Witt's colony, where the subject of this memoir lived almost continuously during the after years of her life.
There were only twenty-five families in Gon-
zales when they first visited that place. At this time (1831), the Comanches, Lipans and Ton- cahuas were friendly, but the Waco Indians were hostile and giving the settlers much trouble. In September, the people of Gonzales gave a dinner to about one hundred Comanches. The meal was partly prepared by the ladies of the place. Know- ing the treacherous nature of the red-skins, a guard of fifteen well armed men was quietly appointed. These kept on the qui vive and neither ate nor drank while the Indians regaled themselves. No disturbance occurred and the Indians, having fin- ished their repast, mounted their horses and departed with mutual expressions of good will.
These friendly relations were terminated a year later, however, as the result of the action of a party of French traders from New Orleans, who passed through the country. These traders gave poisoned bread to the Comanches, and the latter declared war against all whites.
For many years thereafter the country was sub- ject to raids and depredations. In all those stir- ring times the subject of this memoir displayed a heroism as bright as that recorded upon the most inspiring pages of history, and a tenderness enno- bling to her sex. On more than one occasion her intrepidity saved the homestead from destruction. At others she helped to prepare rations for hastily organized expeditions and spoke brave and cheer- ing words to the country's defenders. The wounded could always rely upon careful nursing at her hands and the houseless and indigent upon receiving shel- ter and d succor. Ever womanly and true, her virtues won for her the lasting love and veneration of the people far and wide and she is now affection- ately remembered by all old Texians.
In Angust, 183S, while riding across the prairies with her husband, they came across twenty-seven Comanche warriors. By a rapid movement the Indians cut them off from the general ford on Boggy Branch, and they deflected toward Big Elms, another crossing place two miles distant. In the mad race that followed she became separated from her husband. A portion of the band observing this fact, uttered a shout of triumph and made a desperate effort to over- take her. She realized that she must put the creek between her and her pursuers and accordingly turned shortly to the right and rode at break-neck speed straight for the stream. As she reached it she fastened the reins in her horse's mane, wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her spurs in his quivering ilank and the animal, with a magnificent exertion of strength, vaulted into the air and landed with his fore feet on the other side, his hind feet
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and legs sinking deep into the mud and quicksand that formed the margin of the branch. In an in- stant she leaped over his head and seizing the bridle eneouraged him to make an effort to extricate him- self, which, being a large and powerful animal, he did. She then waved her sun-bonnet to her hus- band who had effected a crossing further down at the Big Elms and whom she descried at that mo- ment galloping toward her. He joined her and they rode home, leaving the baffled Comanches to vent their rage as best they could.
Periods of quietude and occasional social gather- ings gave variety of life and common perils nour- ished generous sentiments of neighborly regard, mutual kindness and comradeship. The hardships and dangers of the times in themselves seemed to have had a charm for the bold and hardy spirits who held unflinchingly their ground as an advance skirmish line of civilization. Nor were the happen- ing of events rich in humor wanting. These were recounted over and over beside blazing winter hearths to amuse the occasional guest. One of these told to the writer by the subject of this memoir was the following :--
Judge MeClure, on starting for Bastrop in 1834, left a carpenter whom he had employed to build an addition to the house, behind him to protect the family. The man was a typical down-east Yankee. A morning or two later Mrs. McChure's attention being attracted by cattle running and bellowing ; she looked out of her window and saw Indians skulking in the brush and two of the band chasing the cattle. She at once commenced arming herself and told her companion that he must get ready for a figlit. He turned deathly pale, began trem- bling and declared that he had never shot a gun and could not fight. "Let's go back of the house," he said, " and down into the bottom." To which she replied, " No, sir, you can go into the bottom if you want to; but I am going to fight."
The Indians killed a few calves but kept out of gun- shot and passed on that night. The earpenter sat up until daylight with a gun across his lap. He could not shoot; but, it is to be presumed, found some comfort in holding a gun, for all that. The fol- lowing morning she told the man that if he would go down to the lake back of the house and get a bueket of water, she would prepare breakfast. He replied that he was afraid to go. She stood this condition of affairs as long as she eould and then strapping a braee of pistols around her waist, took the bueket and started for the lake. The fellow at this juneture deelared if she was bound to go, he would go with her, and followed on behind a few steps holding the gun in his hands. This so
apgered her that she turned and told him that, if he dared to follow ber another foot she would shoot him dead in his tracks. Alarmed in good earnest he beat a hasty retreat to the house. Several days later some men came by going to Gonzales, and the carpenter went with them without finishing his job. What hair-lifting tales he told when he got back to his native heath and the prodigies of valor that he performed may be conjectured.
She was living on Peach creek at her home, when the Alamo fell. Prior to that event, when the people were fleeing from Gonzales in dread of the advance of Santa Anna on that place, twenty-seven women, whose husbands were in the Alamo, stopped at her house and were there when they received news of the massacre.
Gen. Houston also stopped at her home on his seeond day's retreat and sitting on his horse under a big live oak tree ( which she ever afterwards called Sam Houston's tree) ordered a retreat, say- ing that those who saw fit to remain behind must suffer the consequences. A great many relic hun- ters have secured souvenirs of moss from the tree. The women and children were sent on ahead, and when they had gone about four miles, heard the explosion of the magazine at Gonzales, blown up by Col. Patten, who later overtook them at the Navidad.
Santa Anna and his army camped on Peach creek for five weeks and made his headquarters in her house during a part of the time. He then moved on toward the east after the Goliad massaere. The Mexicans drove off or killed all the stoek on her farm, filled the well up with bricks torn from the kitchen floor and burned everything except the dwelling house.
Having been ordered by Gen. Houston to go after and bring up the " Redlanders," Judge Mc- Clure left his wife at Grisby's (now Moore's) Bluff on the Nueces, proceeded to execute the order and was thereby prevented from being present at and participating in the battle of San Jaeinto. He was a member of the convention of Texas, held in 1833; organized the first county in DeWitt's colony and was its first county judge; and after an active and useful life died and was buried in Gonzales County in 1842.
Mrs. McClure married Mr. Charles Braches, of Gonzales County, March 2d, 1843, a man noted for abilities of a high order, and sterling character. He was born at Gaulkhausen, Kreuznach, Rbeim, Prussia, February 25th, 1813; sailed from Europe for America April 30, 1834 ; arriving at Baltimore, Md., left for St. Louis, Mo., two days later and from that place moved to Sharon, Miss., where he
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BARTLETT D. MCCLURE.
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