Border wars of Texas; being an authentic and popular account, in chronological order, of the long and bitter conflict waged between savage Indian tribes and the pioneer settlers of Texas

Front matter

Class \ '^ll^b.

Book_ .IKS.

Gopyrigliffl 0

Foreword

The present volume fa the progressed! efforts of the author 's long cherished design to prepare a popular and reliable narrative of border warfare and Tefxas frontier history, no satisfactory account in connected form having) ever before appeared; indeed it is the first serious attempt in that direction, and the author 's purpose will have been accomplished if it should prove of value and be handed down to posterity with increasing interest to each generation, which is but natural as we recede further and; further from that dark era of fearful strife so> long waged between the red men and; their white conquerors.

Let the reader remember that this' work has been put forth and executed through great labor and painstaking research for data, and 1 a judicious sifting of the wheat from the chaff, that the story might comform toi truth, and) thus possess/ a positive value, a mine of historical wealth which will prove the most wholesome of mental pabulum ; though the story be ttoldi with lack of facilenessi; with more regard for exactness of statement than ornateness of style or grandiloquence.

The complete story in all its thrilling details will never be told, from the' lack of reliable data audi because' of the vastness of such an undertaking — as so fittingly expressed by the versatile J. H. Beadle, as he crossed Red River into Texas on his tour of the ' 1 Western Wilds ' ' :

1 'Here we enter the/ land of border romance. Hence to the Rio Grande southwest, and to the Rocky Ridge west and

FOREWORD northwest, every grove, canyon, and valley has been the scene of some romantic and' daring incident • bnt should I attempt to repeat all that are to lid here, the/ world itself, to borrow a simile from Scripture, would not contain the books that should be written/ '

Very properly the narrative opens with the arrival of the first American settlers within the game preserves of the native and ferocious Caranchua tribe — the present volume chronicling the bitter strife down through the colonial and revolutionary periods, and' closing with the last days of the Texas Republic ; a second! volume covering the era of statehood and ending with the last conflict between red and white men on' Texas soil, in comparatively recent years.

Along this line our State's history has been sadly deficient, and tradition only has preserved much of deep interest for the pen of the faithful historian. The present work, however, does not aspire to the dignity of a State's history, but rather as an urn in which are gathered the fragments, sifted, and shorn of fiction; and which may serve the conscientious and capable historian to weave a more complete chronicle of a matchless and incomparable history.

For more than a third of a century the writer has utilized his spare moments in the (gathering otf materials for this work; narratives of Indian hostilities to the early settlers and subsequently against the frontier settlers; verifying reports of engagements by interviews with many of the actors ajnid eye witnesses off the actions and events related, and by untiring' and voluminous eorrespoftwlenee with others and with thoisei best informed on thei early hiistory of settlements and affairs of the frontier; of course carefully consulting all published histories, and especially files of our early newspapers — the most profitable source otf all — no efforts having been spared in any direction to attain a completeness of facts, and* he nee I may confidently say that no other history has been written that has been so carefully collated from original sources of information upon the subject toj which it relates, and I might, perhaps, also saythat n<*ne will ever be. The early settlers are not only

FOREWORD parsing- away, but have passed. The re'collecfcicnft oif the few who remain can add but little, eilther of narrative or correction, to the defective record as a whole, of Indian hostilities.

Historians have often regretted that the reader cam be but imperfectly introduced; !to the private and domes!" e life of the people. Tih© /dignity of coui»Gils, the parade of cainpj and) armies, prevent the histioriara from attempting* the ' 'short and simple annals of the poor." The history of Indian hostilities, in some measure incidentally supplies this defect, affording a glimpse of the people as fthey were, vivid and faithful as a photograph.

I can my that the impartial truth of history has been strictly adhered to in the pages now before the reader.

Of whatever value or imp ortance this history may be to present or future times, the events which it relaites are, and always will be, the beginning of Texas history. The Indians will always appear in the opening chapters, and tiheir wild, uncouth figures! will be defined on the horizon to which attention will be firsit directed, while their opposers and final conquerors, t&e equally courageous and damntless pioneers and border troopers will stride boldly forth in the great pageant and mingle freely in every page of the fiery and blood -ifeeking border history.

The sjeem/es here recounted, the deeds of prowess, actis of heroism, tales of adventure, cruel sufferings and harrowing events portrayed, will never again be enacted; there arte no more frontiers to be defended, the day and usefulness of thie pioneer is past; the Indian, as a foe, is forever gone; there will never be more border wars.

JAMES T. DeSHIELDS.

San Marcos, Texas, October, 1912.

Editor's Note

In presenting- this volume of Texas Border History to the public, the editor does so with positive faith and confidence in the author's ability, comnage aiad strict adherence to the truth. As a Texas historian hist works are accepted as authority by tthe best ediucators of the land; while his unflinchin/g regard foir authenticated facts, in the face of popular but fictitious 1 traditions, is unquestioned. His selection, over many competitors, by the Alamo Heroes' Monument Association, toi write the "Story of) ,the Siege of the Alamo", tsbows the oindoubted merit of his writings on notable Texas events, and gives added weiight to< this work.

While the labor of I thei editor has been stupendous and long continued, he feels that the (results attained more than compensates the (arduous toil.

He sends forth this volume with much confidence that it will (fill a long felt want in Texasi history.

MATT BRADLEY, Tioga, Texas.

November, 1912.

Contents

CHAPTER L

1819-23— Early Conditions— First Fight — Austin's Infant Colony — Skull Creek Encounters — Horse Thieves — The Famous Canoe: Fight — Fight 'in the Cane Brake 1 — Austin Leads Expedition Against Caranchuas — Last off the Caranchuas.

Chapter II

1824-25 — Carancbua Depredations — Early Trials of De- Witt's Colonists — Edwards' Colony and the Fredonian War — Austin's Letter — Rebellion Ends.

CHAPTER III. 1826-29— Hostility of Wild Tribes— War Againt Them— Fight Near Olid Cabin — The San Saba Expedition — Early Border Chiefs — Abner Kuykendall — Henry S. Birown — Murder of Elijah Roark.

Chapter IV

1830 — Internal Affairs — Wacos and Cherokees Fight — Cherokee, anid Tehuacana Fight — Sundry Engagements — 1831 — Bowie 's Famous Fight.

Chapter V

1832 — Shawnees and Comanches — Battle of Velasco — Ad Lawrence's Leap.