buried.26 This affair gave name to Battle Creek, one of the tributaries of Richland. 26 In the southwestern portion of Navarro County, near the south bank of Battle Creek, stands a small cluster of post oak trees. One of them has an eightpenny nail driven into it, as the only memorial to mark the burial-place of seventeen men killed there by Indians during the year 1838.-J. Eliot, in Texas Almanac for 1868, p. 52. 27 Above, we have given an account of the famous Battle Creek Fight, as writ ten by J. Eliot, in 1867. Below, we give another account as furnished by General Walter P. Lane (one of the surviving members of this unfortunate affair), nearly half a century after the events occurred. Evidently, one or the other of the gentlemen are mistaken as regards some of the minor details of the fight; but being unable to make the proper corrections, we give the two versions of the affair, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions: "MARSHALL, TEXAS, May 18, 1885. "JAMES T. DESHIELDS, ESQ., Belton, Texas: "DEAR SIR,-Your letter, asking me to give you an account of the fight with the Kickapoo Indians, September 8, 1838, is just to hand. In answer, I will say that I was in a fight with Indians on Richland Creek (afterwards called Battle Creek), but it has been so long ago that I have forgotten most of the incidents. "We started a surveying party, twenty-two men and a boy-from Old Franklin, in Robertson County, Captain Neil commanding, and Wm. Henderson, surveyor. We camped on the second day at Parker's Fort. Two months before that, the fort had been taken by the Comanches. [Here General Lane is mistaken as to the time that had elapsed since the massacre; no doubt he meant to say two years instead of two months], the men killed, and the women and children taken into captivity. "When we reached Battle Creek it was day, so we encamped on the other side, some two miles beyond, where we found some three hundred Kickapoo Indians killing buffalo for winter supplies. We got on very well with them till we commenced surveying. They tried to frighten us off by stating that the Ionies were coming down to kill us, and it would be laid on them. We would not go. The third day we came to camp in the morning to cook breakfast, when they begged us again to go. After breakfast we went back to resume our surveying where we left off. A mile from camp they ambuscaded us in a ravine; some fifty fired on us at forty yards. We charged them, when one hundred more showed themselves in the timber behind them. At the same time one hundred Indians charged down upon us on horseback from the prairies. They rode around us, firing. We retreated to the head of a ravine in the prairie; its banks were some four or five feet high. The Indians got seventy-five yards below us, and commenced firing. This was about nine o'clock. Whenever one of our men would put up his head to shoot, twentyfive Indians would pull down on him. A gallant gentleman, Mr. Cox, got behind a lone tree on the bank, and fired for an hour, but, exposing his body, he was shot through the spine. He fell from the tree, the Indians still firing at him. I ran up the bank, took him by the shoulder, and, under a heavy fire, dragged him to the ravine. He died before night. Davis, of San Augustine (who was well mounted), tried to break through, but the Indians caught and killed him in sight. We fought till twelve o'clock at night. We were waiting for the moon to cloud over before we charged through them to the bottom, one-fourth mile distant. At that time we broke through. The Indians kept thirty steps in our rear, firing. We would face round and fire. We had three horses left when we retreated, with two wounded men on each. Captain Neil was shot in the back, and fell. He called me to help him on a horse (whose rider was just killed). Two of us got him on, but the horse and rider were both killed before they got twenty steps. I had gotten About this time a large party of Comanches penetrated the settlement as far down as San Antonio. They surprised a party of surveyors on Leon Creek, a few miles from the city, killing Moses Lapham and a man by the name of Jones. Padre Goaner, a Mexican, was scalped and left for dead; but by feigning death he escaped, and afterwards made his way to San Antonio, where he still lives 28 to relate his almost miraculous escape. On the same day two other Mexicans, Francisco A. Ruiz and Nicolas Flores Ruiz, were taken prisoners. Francisco Ruiz was well known to the Indians (having lived with them several years), and that night one of the chiefs untied him, gave him a gun and some provisions, and told him to make his escape. He now lives on the Medina River.29 His brother Flores was probably killed, as he was never heard of within one hundred yards of the timber when I was shot in the leg, splintering the bone. I made out to reach a thicket in company with Henderson and Burton (the only two who were not wounded). We got in a deep ravine that led to the creek. I called to Henderson to stop and tie up my leg, as I was bleeding to death. He did so promptly. We went down some distance, and heard the Indians following us. We climbed on the bank and lay down with our guns cocked. Twelve of them passed so close I could have reached and touched them. We got to the creek an hour before day, and followed down till we found some muddy water. We left the creek and went on the bank till we found a log reaching to a brushy island. We crossed over to it and lay hidden all day. We could hear the Indians on the bank looking for us. At dark we started. When I got to my feet the pain from splinters of bone was so great that I fainted. When I came to, I heard Burton tell Henderson to come on and leave me, for I could not get to the settlements. Henderson promptly refused. I arose to my feet, cursed Burton, and told him I would beat him to the settlements,-which I did. We traveled two days without water before we reached Tehuacana Hill. We were nearly famished. A party of Kickapoos found us at the spring (they did not know of our fight with their tribe). They pointed to my bloody leg and asked, 'Who shot you?' I told them we had a fight with the Ionies, and we had got lost from our party going home. They took us to their camp, gave us plenty to eat, and their squaws treated us very kindly. "In two days after we got to Franklin, the people raised a company and went up to Battle Creek and buried the bones of our men. Summed up, sixteen killed, seven escaped, five of whom were badly wounded. "Mr. Violet had his thigh wounded at the edge of the timber. He ate green haws for two days and then struck out for Tehuacana Hill, distant twenty-five miles, on his hands and knee. The party we sent up found him nearly famished, brought him to the settlement, and cured him. To paraphrase 'Cousin Salley Dillard,' this is all I know about the fuss on Battle Creek. "Yours truly, "WALTER P. LANE. "P.S.-Colonel William Henderson, who was our surveyor, can give you all the information. He is an old friend of mine, and will give you authentic information. Couple my name with your request for an account of the fight and he will respond. He has been living near our battle-field for thirty-eight years, and is more conversant with dates and names of parties than I am. W. P. L." 28 Thrall's History of Texas, page 457. 29 Ibid. afterwards. The news of this raid soon reached the city, when Captain Frank Caige immediately raised a company of thirteen men, and went in pursuit of the Indians. He had no idea of the number of the foe. When out on the Castroville road, near where Colonel Means now lives, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by more than one hundred mounted warriors. Mr. James Campbell becoming separated from his companions, made his way back safely to the city. Captains Cage, W. D. Lee, Dr. McClung, O'Boyle, King, and two others whose names we do not recall, were killed, and General Richard Dunlap and Major Patton badly wounded. The other two, Spears and Hood, escaped unhurt.31 A party of citizens the next day brought in the bodies of the dead, and buried them in the Protestant burying-grounds in San Antonio. Following this, a lady by the name of Taylor (the heroic lady who defended herself and family against a party of Indians on Little River two months before), living near the present locality of Anderson, was waylaid and killed by the Indians, while on her way to the place where her husband had been killed by them only a short time before. Her friends protested against her attempting to make so perilous an expedition; but so anxious was the true and brave woman to look after the remains of her husband, that she risked and lost her life in the effort. She was killed near the spot now occupied by the Oakland Baptist house of worship, in Grimes County. This created quite a stir among the settlers, who swore to avenge the good lady's death. A company soon went in pursuit of the Indians; but from some cause they did not overtake them. At that time the settlements were small and much scattered; and it was the policy of the Indians, when pursued after depredations were committed, to divide out into small squads, and to go in different directions, so as to make it almost impossible to follow their trails.3 Again, on the 14th of October, General Rusk, at the head of two hundred men hastily collected, arrived at Fort Houston, on the Trinity, in pursuit of a motley collection of Indians and Mexicans, who had been committing depredations on the frontier. Learning there that the marauders were at the Kickapoo town, he marched to that place and encamped at sunset on the 15th. At daybreak, on the 16th, the engagement commenced, and continued for about fifteen minutes when Rusk ordered a charge. It was instantly made, upon which the enemy fled and were pursued for nearly a mile, leaving eleven dead on the field. The Texans had a like number wounded, but none killed. 30 Thrall's History of Texas, page 457. 31 Telegraph, November 3, 1852. 32 Thrall's History of Texas, part vii. page 458. And again, on the 25th of this month, a bloody battle was fought by a number of Texans, under Colonel John C. Neil, and party of Comanches encamped at Jose Maria village (since occupied as Fort Graham) in Young County. After a fierce and bloody conflict, the Indians fled, leaving many of their warriors slain.35 Thus the whole frontier was lighted up with the flames of a savage war. Mr. Yoakum suggests that the immediate cause of these hostilities is to be found in the opening of the land-offices in the beginning of this year. Surveyors and locators, desiring to select the best lands, had gone out beyond the settlements and had begun their operations. The Indians, seeing them at work, were not slow to believe what the Mexicans had told them, "that they need expect nothing from these greedy adventurers for land, who wished to deprive the Indians of the sun that warmed and vivified them, and would not cease to injure them while the grass grew and the water ran." BELTON, TEXAS. JAMES T. DESHIELDS. 35 Southwest American, 1838. (To be continued.) THE ARMY OF RUSSIA.1 THE subject of this article, from its nature, can only be put before the public in a dry statistical form; but from the circumstances of the day it cannot fail to have a considerable interest to all who have been watching our present relations with Russia. The enormous territory, the rapid advance of civilizing influences throughout that territory, the despotic and essentially military form of government, unite to make the military system of Russia almost unique in the history of nations. The standing army of Russia consists of over seven hundred thousand men on a peace, and over two million on a war footing. A system of reserves, and the enormous number of adults, annually ready to recruit the first line, make it appear possible to keep up a permanent army of two million. It is not our purpose, at present, to point out the many sources of practical and financial weakness in this military system, but to place before the public, as concisely as can be, the constitution of the imperial army of Russia. Before proceeding to statistics, which will be given generally in approximate round numbers, it will be interesting to look for a moment at the physique and morale of the population, all of whom are liable to service in the army. The nobility and gentry, apart from their obligation to serve, are naturally anxious for a military career, which is the only one that leads to favor at court,-in fact, the only legitimate outlet for ambition or hope of social success. The aristocratic youth of Russia commence their military career in gymnasia (schools), where they receive a liberal education, at the age of ten. Religion, languages, history, mathematics, etc., form part of the course, which lasts for seven years; but drill, fencing, gymnastics, and swimming are subjects to which considerable prominence is given, and each school has a uniform, in which the scholars invariably appear. At the end of the course they are medically inspected, and only those who are physically fit are permitted to be examined for cadetships; those who are rejected may be appointed to different offices under government. The corps d'élite are held out as inducements to those who pass the highest standard of examination. There are eighteen or twenty of these gymnasia at present in the 1 Armed Strength of Russia, 1882; Journals of United Service Institution. |