Raid Into Cook County, December
1863
By John Henry Brown
On the 22d and 23d days of.
December, 1863, occurred one
of the most bloody and destructive
Indian raids to which our poorly
protected frontier was subject
during and for some years after
the late war. At this time Col.
James Bourland, one of the bravest
and truest of all our frontiersmen,
commanded a regiment of Confederate
troops with his headquarters
at Gainesville, but at the time
of this particular raid he was
in Bonham, on official business
with General Henry E. McCulloch.
Col. Bourland had to protect
with his regiment such an extended
reach of frontier that he was
compelled to scatter his troops
in small squads far apart, and
for this reason it was impossible
to concentrate any considerable
number of his troops at any
given point in time to repel
such an invasion as this. At
this time Captain Wm. C. Twitty,
a brave and true soldier, was
in command of the few troops
of Col. Bourland's regiment,
that then happened to be at
and near Gainesville not exceeding
fifty or seventy-five in number.
Mentions: Capt. Jno. T. Rowland,
a brave and experienced Indian
fighter * Red River Station
in Montague county * the house
of Mr. Anderson * the residence
of Wesley Willet * Mr. G. L.
Hatfield * the Wallace Settlement,
in Sadler's bend in Cooke county
* the Elmore settlement, on
the head of Fish creek, about
six miles east of Wallace's
* the Potter settlement, some
four miles southeast from Elmore's
* Capt. C. Potter * Capt. S.
P. C. Patton * Mr. Dawson *
the families of Ephraim Clark
and Harrison Lander * James
McNabb * Mr. Green * S. B. Potter.
a son of Capt. Potter * Wood's
Company of Fitzhugh's Regiment
* Dry Elm * Mr. White * Millican's
Bend * Miss Gonna * Maj. Diamond
* Col. Showalter * Wm. S. Rather
*
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 Elmore's than they
had at Lander's and when the
overwhelming force 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 cried, while
others held their children to
their bosoms in mute despair.
Soon the Indians were around
the place and …
TEXAS HAD REFUGEE HORROR
In the University of Texas
Library are graphic accounts
of a little-known chapter in
Texas history—the State's own
refugee horror known as the
"Runaway Scrape," a pell-mell
flight of Texas settlers that
began in mid-April, 1836, with
the Alamo's fall, and didn't
stop until Houston's retreating
army—barely a day's march behind
the refugees—turned and defeated
Santa Anna at San Jacinto April
21st.
Most graphic account, Texas
collection libraries agree,
is in the memories of Mrs. Dilue
Harris, member of a pioneering
Texas family...
DEAV. HARRINGTON DEAD
Mentions: for E. D. Harrington,
veteran Indian fighter and Southern
Arizona cattleman * Harrington
was born in Blanco County, Texas
* Emmett D. Harrington * Robert
M. Harrington Pantano, Ariz
* Victor E. Harrington, Silver
City, N. M * William H. Harrington,
Benson, Ariz * six daughters,
Mrs. Irene Merrill, Big Spring,
Texas; Mrs. Pearl Ruschaupp,
Los Angeles, Calif.; Mrs. Norah
Anderson, Oakland, Calif. ;
Mrs. Ethel Jester, Corpus Christi
; Mrs. Velma Trimmer, Houston,
and Thelma Thompson, Long Beach,
California. * the Packsaddle
Mountain Indian fight * Mr.
Jos. Weidel, of LaGrange, Illinois
* Mrs. Weidel, Mrs. J. W. Wurzbach
and Miss Frances Aschbacher
of San Antonio *
Heroines Of The Hills
By T. U. Taylor
Narrative of numerous pioneer
women who made a notable impact
on the frontier settlements
of Texas hill country, particularly
of Bandera county. These glimpses
and sketches help to underscore
the character of those who carved
out a life from hostile frontier
and left a great Texas legacy.
MRS. CONSTANTINA ADAMIETZ
Mentions: John and Frances
Pyka, peasant emigrants from
Poland * Constantino Pyka *
John Adamietz *
MRS. MARTHA JONES
Mentions: One of the most
colorful characters of Bandera
county is Grandma Jones * Sam
Jones * Henry Stevens * Mrs.
Mahal1 Southward * James I.
.Jones * Mrs. Arnnoia Gibbons
* William C. Jones * Sarah Binyard,
Sarah Kelly, Sarah O'Bryant,
Fannie Thompson, and Christina,
Wish * Sabinal Canyon * Martha
Southward * Tom Laxson and Rufana
Chipman * Hugh Bandy * Mandy
Rowland *
MRS. LUCY (WELLS) STEVENS
Mentions: Jack Stevens *
They located on Hicks' Creek,
nine miles from Bandera * Near
them there were some families
by the name of Taylor, four
Pue brothers, and on Laxson's
Creek two miles to the west,
there were the Laxson's, Arnold's,
Merritts, Walkers, and Buckelews.
* Aunt Ollie Peril in Gillespie
county * Mrs. Moore * Mrs. R.
C. Barney * Martha Stevens,
Emma Stevens, Mrs. Jas. Hammond
of Medina; J. E. Stevens of
Lovington, New Mexico; Sidney
A. Stevens, ; Cora Stevens,
Mrs. W. Rees of Medina; Samuel
I. Stevens of Bandera ; Edwin
P. Stevens of Medina; Stella
Stevens, Mrs. W. A. Meadows,
Bandera; Mae Stevens, Mrs. W.
B. Elkins, San Antonio; Homer
T. Stevens of Bandera; Ida Stevens,
Mrs. D. O. Tallman, Bandera;
and Thomas F. Stevens of San
Antonio * Almond E. Stevens
*
MRS. ANNIE E. BROWN
Mentions: Mrs, L. Hicks of
Tarpley, Texas * Souse Creek
* Mrs. Santeleben * Eagle Pass
* Kincheloe prairie * Castroville
* Devine * Mr. Lewis and his
family on Williams Creek * Hon.
E. H. Terrell * her home near
Darnley in Bandera county *
THE MORMON WOMEN
Mentions: Mormon Mills in
Burnet county * Nauvoo, Illinois
* Fredericksburg * Lake Medina
*
MRS. VIRGINIA (MINEAR) HAY
Mentions: George Hay * a
Mormon settlement had been established
on Hamilton Creek in Burnet
county * Mormon settlement on
the Pedernales River, three
miles below Fredericksburg *
Eder Lyman Wight * Charles de
Mantel * Amasa Clark, DeWitt
Burney, and August Klappenpach
*
MRS. MARY JANE WALKER
Mentions: Mrs. Walker was
born in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana,
November 18, 1834 * William
Andrew Walker * the John W.
Minear place * Joseph' W. Moore
* Mrs. William Moore *
OTHER PIONEER WOMEN
Mentions: Mrs. Charles Eckhart
* Miss Josephine Thallmen *
Mrs. Samantha Elizabeth Mayfield
* Miss Martha Buckalew * Thomas
L. Buckner * Mrs. Sarah Kathrine
(Lewis) Stanard * Harvey A.
Stanard * Dr. Hudspeth * Laxson's
Creek * Sarah Lewis * Jack Potter
or "the Fighting Parson" * Mrs.
M. F. Weldon * J. F. Weldon
* Mrs. L. N. Coffey and Miss
May Weldon *
The Old "Sunny South"
By J. Marvin Hunter
Account describing the old
"Sunny South" a story paper,
published at Brownwood, Texas,
by the Mickle brothers. Ed P.
Mickle and Harvey A. Mickle.
This little paper carried advertising
matter for firms all over the
United States. It was published
twice-a-month, contained illustrations,
and from the very start its
circulation grew by leaps and
bounds, despite the fact that
it was printed in a mere village,
some sixty miles from the nearest
railroad.
Mentions: the Brownwood Banner,
a live weekly newspaper * Eastland
* Hull's Printing House *
A MISTAKE IN HISTORY
Mentions: General Santa Anna
styled himself "The Napoleon
of the West," * Sion R. Bostick
* Santa Autoa, President of
Mexico * Colonel Almonte *
Santleben's Experience On
The Border
By August Santleben
First-hand account of a frontier
freight hauler who for a time
was contracted to carry the
United States mail from San
Antonio to Eagle Pass and that
from Eagle Pass to Fort Clark.
The length of the first route
was one hundred and sixty-two
miles, and he was required to
make the round trip once every
six days. The post offices were
Castroville, New Fountain, D’Hanis,
Sabinal, Uvalde and Eagle Pass.
Account describes dangers nad
tribulations that met him in
the way of his business.
Mentions: George Swanda *
Fort Clark * Fort Duncan * Henry
Bruhn, of San Antonio * Thomas
B. McManus * Otto Evert and
Ed Galm * El Canado * Mr. Black,
of Uvalde, and Angel Torres,
of San Antonio * Turkey Creek
on the Eagle Pass road * Mr.
Charles Hummel, of San Antonio
* Goldfrank, Frank & Co., wholesale
merchant's in San Antonio *
John Sanders * Tom Wall * Pablo
Castro * Modesto Torres, of
San Antonio * Sam White * Herman
Seldeuning * Ranchera Creek
* Sabinal station * Chichon
station * Major Porter * Salinas
Victoria * Palo Blanco ranch
* Daniel Wucste of Eagle Pass,
Carlos Sada of Monterrey, Pedro
Morales * Matamoras road near
Lenares *
Moore's Defeat On The San
Saba, 1839
By John Henry Brown
Due to the repeated and continued
inroads of the Indians through
1837 and 1838, Col. John H.
Moore, of Fayette, already distinguished
alike for gallantry and patriotism,
determined to chastise them.
Calling for volunteers from
the thinly settled country around
him, he succeeded in raising
a force of fifty-five whites,
forty-two Lipan and twelve Toncahua
Indians, for a total of one
hundred and nine persons. Among
this little troop of whites
was Mr. Andrew Lockhart, of
the Guadalupe, impelled by an
agonizing desire to rescue his
beautiful little daughter, Matilda,
who had been captured with the
four Putman children near his
home. Together they made the
hopeful assault. This account
describes the sad event.
Further Mentions: the Council
House fight in San Antonio,
on the 19th' of March, 1840
* Col. Castro, chief of the
Lipans * William M. Eastland
* S. S. B. Fields, a lawyer
of La Grange * James Manor,
Felix Taylor * Leffingwell *
Martin * Gonzalvo Wood * Cicero
Rufus Perry *
"It was at this moment, amid
the screams, yells and war-whoops
resounding through the valley,
that Mr. Lockhart plunged forward
in advance of his comrades,
calling aloud: "Matilda! If
you are here, run to me! Your
father calls !" And though yet
too dark to see, every word
pierced the child's heart as
she recognized her father's
wailing voice, while she was
lashed into a run with the retreating
squaws…"
Early Day Stage Line Schedule
By J. Marvin Hunter
In 1873 several stage lines
were in operation in Texas,
among them being the line to
El Paso from San Antonio. This
line did a big business in hauling
passengers and express matter,
for at that time neither El
Paso or San Antonio had railroad
connection. F. C. Taylor was
manager of the El Paso Mail
Company's division, while F.
H. Wright was superintendent
of the Eastern Division, which
operated daily between Marshall
and Jefferson, Texas. The schedule
for the El Paso division, as
given in the Texas Almanac for
1873, is described in detail
in this account.
Mentions: 1. Leave San
Antonio for El Paso, via Leon
Springs, Boerne, Fredericksburg,
Loyal Valley, Mason, Rock Springs,
Menardville, Coglin's, McKavett,
Kickapoo Springs, Lipan Springs,
Coneho Mail Station, Fort Concho,
Centralia, Camp Melvin, Fort
Stockton, Fort Davis, Fors,
Quitman, Toro, San Elizario,
and Ysleta, triweekly from San
Antonio to Concho, Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday at 8 a.
m., and semi-weekly from Concho…
* Dripping Springs and Blanco
* Castroville, D'Hanis, Uvalde,
and Fort Clark * the Menardville
road * the Felix Oldham ranch
* etc, etc, etc
Mrs. Alice Jones Townsend
Passes On
By Dr. Clifford B. Casey
(Includes old photo of Mrs.
Townsend)
Account of the life of Mrs.
Alice Jones Townsend, of Alpine,
Texas, in the heart of the Big
Bend. She and her husband, Everett
Ewing Townsend, had lived a
long, useful, exciting, prosperous,
and happy married life for forty-five
years in this region. Here is
her story.
Mentions: Alice Jones, daughter
of James Cunningham and Alice
Hollingsworth Jones, was born
at Gonzales, Texas * General
Augustus H. Jones, her grandfather
* James C. Jones * Her mother,
Alice Victoria Hollingsworth
* the Gonzales Rifles * Captain
Isham G. Jones * "Grandma" Law,
an English lady who added the
"Victoria" to the name of her
young ward in honor of England's
Queen Victoria * her mother,
Alice Jones * Marian Carter
* William E. Jones * Augustus
H. Jones * Ursuline Convent
and Academy at San Antonio,
Texas * the Circle Dot ranch
in Brewster county * her brother
A. H (Gus) Jones * M. Halff
and Bra * Marathon, Texas *
Everett Ewing Townsend * E.
E. Townsend * Mrs. Charles Thompson
* the Circle-Dot ranch * Old
Fort Pena Colorado * Marfa *
the Humphrey family * Dave Aiken
* Shafter * their first and
only child, Margaret * Del Rio,
Texas * E. L. Lockwood ranch,
owned by the Elsinore Cattle
Company * the E L Ranch * Captain
R. W. Aldrich * Coke R. Stevenson
* Philip Townsend Hudgins *
Reverend Ray McGrew *
Captain James Calahan's Expedition
A. J. Sowell
In 1855 the Indians made
a daring raid upon the settlers
east of San Antonio and penetrated
as far as the Cibolo along and
in the western edge of Guadalupe
County. This action precipitated
an expedition to pursue and
chastise the hostile Indians.
The expedition took Calahan
and his men to the border regions
where hostilities broke out
among Indians and Mexicans against
them. Here is the story.
Mentions: Doc McGee, son
of a Methodist preacher * Gov.
E. M. Pease * the Leona River
* Seguin * Las Moras Creek *
Eustis Benton (son of Captain
Benton), Henry King, Hughes
Toni, Ben Patton, John W. Sansom,
Fabian L. Hicks, James McCormick,
Hal Holland, Willis Jones, Wesley
Harris, Wall, Colopton, Baasham,
Smith, Gregor * Captain Henry
* a man named Gregor * Willis
Jones was the son of Hon. W.
E. Jones; Hal Holland was from
San Marcos; Clopton lived up
on the Guadalupe, and Smith
was from San Antonio * Henry
King * Wesley Harris, of Seguin
* A man named Wall * the road
to Piedras Negras * Hughes Tom
from Seguin * Capt. Nat Benton
* Blair's Landing, in Louisiana
*
A GOOD CITIZEN
Brief account of well known
San Antonio physician, Dr. H.
Graham Watts, who was born in
England in 1847, and came to
the United States in May, 1882,
settling for many years in San
Antonio.
Further Mentions: Dr. Watts
served in an ambulance corps
in the Franco-Prussian War in
1871 * A son, Dr. James A. Watts
* A daughter, Mrs. Annie Barnard
Turnbull * Hugh Watts * Mason
Watts * "Barney" Watts
