the canyon after the flying Indians with the pony herds. H and L troops got down, somehow, on parallel lines, and were formed, mounted, and galloped off together and abreast, General Mackenzie in the lead.

As we galloped along, we passed village after village of Indian lodges both on the right and on the left, all empty and totally abandoned; the ground was strewn with buffalo-robes, blankets, and every imaginable thing, in fact, that the Indians had in the way of property, which was hastily gathered up, and a vain attempt made by the squaws to carry off and save; but finding the troops coming up rapidly, they were forced to drop their goods and chattels, and suddenly take to the almost inaccessible sides of the canyon to save themselves from capture. Numbers of their pack-animals were running round loose with their packs on, while others stood tied to trees, all having been abandoned by their owners, who were pressed so hard by the troops that they had to flee to the friendly shelter of the rocks that towered above us to the right and left. Our portion of the command continued up the canyon at a gallop for at least two miles, with the object of overhauling the bucks who had run off the pony herds, when we met Colonel Beaumont with his troop returning and driving before them quite a large number of Indian ponies which they had captured. H and L troops were halted and brought into line, and waited for orders. While sitting on our horses, calmly taking in the surroundings, the Indians who had succeeded in gaining a safe place behind the immense breastwork of rocks, some eight hundred or a thousand feet above us, opened fire upon our line, and in a very few minutes made it so hot and galling that we were forced to fall back, the Indians being so thoroughly protected in their position that we could do nothing, with the horses on our hands. As we made the move, a trumpeter of L troop was shot through the body and fell from his horse; he was picked up and carried to the rear, every one expecting to find him dead in twenty minutes, but, thanks to the care and skill of Acting Assistant Surgeon Choate, the man lived to sound the bugle-calls for many years after.

H troop wheeled to the left about in column of fours, struck the dry bed of a creek, moved back a couple of hundred yards, and halted here. Mr. Lo got our range to perfection, and, for five minutes, sent such a rattling fire into the troops that five or six horses were wounded, without hitting a man. At this moment, the adjutant of the command rode up and delivered an order to the troop commander to take his troop back on a gallop, to the pass which the command had used to get down into the canyon, follow up the pass out of the canyon, and hold the head, so that our retreat would not be cut off, as demonstrations had been made by a party of Indians on the high tableland to make a detour towards the pass in question. The troop wheeled fours to the left about, the command "gallop" was given, and away we went on the same trail we had ridden over not many hours

before. When we reached the foot of the "Jacob's ladder"-like arrangement, we had to climb up to get out of the canyon, dismounted, and began the toilsome ascent, which, after one-half to three-quarters of an hour's hard work, we accomplished, but did not find an Indian within sight.

Meantime, the Indians in the canyon began to grow bold, and came down the sides, hiding behind rocks and trees, and finally reaching a natural breastwork or barricade made by some huge boulders that had rolled down the sides of the canyon, and were spread pretty thickly over its bottom in places. These Indians kept up a lively and continuous fire upon the troops. D, I, and K companies were dismounted and deployed as skirmishers across the bottom of the canyon, and commenced a duel at long range with the Indians.

While this was progressing, another portion of the command was engaged pulling down the lodges, chopping up the lodge-poles, and gathering the various belongings of the Indians into immense piles, of which bonfires were made. Still another detachment was employed collecting the pony herd, and getting it out of the canyon by the same path which the troops used. As our skirmish-line advanced, the Indians retired, springing from behind one rock to the protection of another, until finally they took to the inaccessible sides of the canyon once more; then, in order to keep possession of the large number of ponies captured, the command commenced to withdraw from the canyon, which was finally vacated by the troops between 3 and 4 o'clock P.M. When the whole command with the herd of captured Indian ponies was assembled on the high prairie, it was organized into what might be called a "hollow square." One troop in line of battle rode in the advance, on each side marched two troops in column of twos, and one troop marched in line in rear, making a large square, in the centre of which the captured ponies were driven along. One troop marched in rear of all as rear-guard.

We marched rapidly until nearly 1 o'clock A.M., when we came in sight of the welcome light from the camp-fires of the infantry guarding our supply-train. The ponies were at once driven into the corrals formed by wagons, and a strong guard placed over them. Our horses were unsaddled, picketed, and fed full rations of corn, which the poor animals sadly needed. After getting a cup of coffee, all hands rolled up in their blankets and lay down on mother earth to obtain some of "nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep."

In view of the fact that we had been thirty-four hours in the saddle, riding over seventy miles, and having two or three hours' fighting and hard work generally, that same mother earth was as welcome as a feather bed.

ONE WHO WAS THERE.

(To be continued.)

INDIAN WARS IN TEXAS.

III.

1836. The Cherokees in War-Paint.-Seldom in the history of human affairs does a people pass through a more gloomy period than was experienced by all Texans during the year 1836. Up to this period the Indians inhabiting East Texas had remained sufficiently quiet. But the survey and location of lands claimed by these tribes had already produced an unpleasant feeling between the two races, and now that they were being urged to open rebellion by the treacherous Mexican emissaries, who had been dispatched by Santa Anna to visit the different tribes and obtain their co-operation,' fears were entertained that these powerful tribes would soon be on the war-path. This imminent danger was increased by the threats and movements of the different tribes.

To more correctly ascertain the facts, and, if possible, to persuade them to enter into a treaty of peace, the vigilance committee at Nacogdoches dispatched agents to the different tribes of Indians.2 C. H. Sims and William Sims, who were sent to the Cherokees, reported them to be hostile and making preparations for war, and that they were drying beef and preparing meal. They also said that they were about sending off their women and children; that they had murdered Brooks Williams, an American trader among them; that they said a large body of Indians, composed of Caddoes, Keechies, Ionies, Techuacanies, Wacoes, and Comanches, were expected to attack the American settlements; that the Cherokees gave every indication of joining the Mexicans; that the number of warriors encamped along the Trinity was estimated at seventeen hundred; and that Bolles, the principal chief of the Cherokees, advised the agents to leave the country at once, as they were in imminent danger.

M. B. Menard, who was sent to the Shawnee, Delaware, and Kickapoo tribes, reported that while these tribes were friendly, they had been visited by Bolles, who urged them to take up arms against the Americans, and that insomuch as the Mexicans had ever excelled

1 Yoakum, vol. ii. p. 126.

2 Ibid., p. 127.

3 Depositions of William Sims, C. H. Sims, and M. B. Menard, taken before Henry Raguet, chairman of the committee of vigilance, April 11, 1836.

the Americans in kindness towards the aboriginal tribes, they were naturally disposed to join them.

But man proposes: God disposes. How truly fortunate it was for Texas that during the early part of this year, so eventful in our history, Colonel Ellis P. Bean, a warm personal friend of General Sam Houston and of all Texans, was appointed agent for the Indians in East Texas. With true and patriotic devotion, an almost enviable share of patience, and with that stoical indifference to danger, which was such a marked characteristic in the checkered life of this brave and eccentric hero, Bean succeeded in keeping the Indians quiet until after the decisive battle of San Jacinto, where the victory of the Texans gave them such a prestige that the civilized tribes remained peaceable, though grave fears were then entertained that, if the Texans were defeated, the whites in East Texas would be killed or driven from their homes."

5

Parker's Fort Massacre.—The Parker family emigrated from Missouri in 1833, settling near the present town of Groesbeck, in Limestone County, where they built a fort to protect themselves against the frequent incursions of the Indians into that sparsely-settled section. Parker's feeble little colony at that time consisted of about eight families. These families were truly the advance guard of civilization in that part of our frontier, Fort Houston, in Anderson County, being the nearest protection, except their own trusted rifles. Here the struggling little colony remained until the latter part of 1835, when the hostility of the Indians and Mexicans forced the little band of brave men and women to abandon their fort. On arriving at the Trinity River, they were compelled to halt in consequence of an overflow. Before they could cross the river, the sudden and unexpected news reached them that Santa Anna and his Mexican hordes had been confronted and defeated at San Jacinto, and that Texas was free from Mexican tyranny. On the receipt of this news the fleeing settlers were overjoyed, and at once returned to their desolate homes. The Parker colony now retraced its steps, going to Fort Houston, where they remained a few days in order to procure supplies, after which they made their way to Fort Parker to look after their stock and to prepare for a crop. These hardy sons of toil spent their nights sometimes in the fort and sometimes on their farms. On the night of May 18, 1836, they slept at the fort, and left the next morning to work on their farms, as was their custom. About eleven o'clock on the 19th, the fort was visited by about six hundred Comanche and Caddo Indians. On approaching, the Indians presented a white flag, at the same time making signs of friendship. At this time there

Yoakum, vol. ii. p. 126.

5 For an interesting autobiography of Colonel Ellis P. Bean (written by himself about the year 1816), see Yoakum's "History of Texas," vol. i., Appendix No. II., pp. 403-453.

were only thirty-four people in the fort, the others having gone out to work on their farms, as above mentioned. Of the thirty-four persons remaining in the fort, only six were able to bear arms, viz.: Elder John Parker, Benjamin and Silas Parker, Samuel and Robert Frost, and J. E. Dwight. There were ten women and eighteen helpless children. The Indians inquired for a water-hole at which to camp, at the same time asking for a beef. Not daring to resent them or refuse to give them the desired information, Mr. Benjamin Parker stepped out to direct them to the water, when he was instantly killed. The savages then rushed into the fort uttering the most unearthly and blood-curdling yells that ever greeted the ears of mortals. The frightful and sickening tragedy was soon enacted. Of the six men above mentioned, all were killed, except Mr. Dwight, who made his escape. Mrs. Sarah Parker was wounded, and by feigning death escaped. Old Granny Parker was outraged, stabbed, and left for dead. Mrs. Elizabeth Kellog, Mrs. Rachel Plummer (daughter of James Parker), her son James Platt Plummer, two years old, Cynthia Ann Parker, eight years old, and her brother John Parker, six years old, all children of Silas Parker, were taken prisoners. Others were taken prisoners but succeeded in making their escape, and after several days of wandering in the wilderness made their way to the settlements on the Brazos, in what is now Grimes County.

Mrs. Kellogg remained a prisoner with the Indians about six months, and Mrs. Plummer about thirteen months. Soon after her capture she was delivered of a child. The crying of her infant annoyed her captors, and the mother was forced to yield up her offspring to the merciless fiends, to be murdered before her eyes, with all the demonstrations of brutality intact in those savages. With an old knife, the weeping mother was allowed to dig a grave and bury her babe. After this she was given as a servant to a cruel old squaw, who treated her in a most brutal manner. Her son had been carried off by another party to the far West, and she supposed her husband and father had been killed at the time of the massacre. Her infant was dead, and death to her would have been a sweet relief. Life was a burden, and, driven almost to desperation, she resolved no longer to submit to the brutal old squaw. At a time when the two were some distance from, though still in sight of the camp, her mistress attempted to beat her with a club. Determined not to submit to this, she wrenched the club from the hands of the squaw and knocked her down.

The Indians, who had witnessed the whole proceedings from their camp, now came up shouting at the top of their voices. She fully expected to be killed, but they patted her on the shoulder, crying "Bueno! Bueno!" (well done!) She now fared much better and soon became a great favorite, and was known as the "Fighting Squaw."

Baker's Texas Scrap Book, p. 201.