History of the regulators and moderators and the Shelby County war in 1841 and 1842, in the republic of Texas, with facts and incidents in the early history of the republic and state, from 1837 to the annexation, together with incidents of frontier life and Indian troubles, and the war on the reserve in Young County in 1857 Page: 33 of 42
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I
I-31
Baylor.
After this the country commenced organizing to whip and drive away
the Indians from the upper and lower reserve. John R. Baylor and Peter
Garland gathered what forces they could from Erath and Palo Pinto counties
and established their head quarters at Baylor's ranch and vicinity, on the Clear
Fork of Brazos, ten or twelve miles east of the upper reserve. John R. Baylor,
Peter Garland, Henry Pugh, John Fry and myself then went to the lower
reserve with the forces then as to our future action. Baylor remained there and
sent Garland back. Pugh and Fry went back with Garland. At the request of
Baylor I remained with him. As soon as the organization was completed,
Ward, with one hundred men, was sent to re-inforce Garland on the upper
reserve, it being determined to destroy the Indians (Comanches) of that reserve
first. Baylor then, with his regiment, went to the upper reserve, taking part of
Captain Hamner's company as advance guard. The guard met a squad of
Indians who retreated to the reserve; Hamner charged upon them, but his stake
rope fell off his horse and catching, checked him, and the Indians escaped. He
returned, resumed command and moved on until we got in sight of a Waco
village on our left and a Caddo or Annadako village on our right. The
Indians raised the warwhoop on our right; they were in the brush and Hamier
making a flank movement, they ran and escaped. We were now at the lower
reserve. The road ran along the edge of the village, and we moved and formed
line of battle in the road. A squad of Indians from the reserve, came over the
hill in sight of us, wheeled and ran back. Soon the officers of the U. S. army
came and beckoning to us for a parley, our officers, Baylor and the captains of
companies met them, when the officers of the U. S. army ordered them off the
reserve. The line of march was then taken for the upper reserve. On my
reaching Salt Creek the principal part of the regiment had crossed. A high
bluff was on the east side of the creek and we were on the west side. Two
Indians on this bluff bantered us, and by all sorts of actions endeavored to
provoke us into an attack upon them. Hamner's company was in the rear and
ordered to recross the creek and attack the Indians in the rear. After he had
crossed and was going around the bluff, Baylor asked my opinion as to whether
it was a good place to fight. I replied it was not, and called his attention to the
Indians in the valley and the fact that we were still on the reserve. We recalled
Hamner's company and moved on slowly. As Hamner was passing to his place
in the regiment he was fired upon and his horse wounded in the hip by a bullet
from a six shooter. Another man was shot at and a tree was struck by the large
ball very near the man's head. I told Baylor that we had better continue the
march until we had left the reserve and then stop and fight. We had gone but
a few miles and were not yet off the reserve, when we were fired upon from a
mountain on our right, and the firing was kept up for two miles, and after we
had passed the Tonkaway village. Before we passed the village an Annadako
chief made frequent demonstrations of charging on our rear, and some young
men abandoned a packhorse which was carrying their provisions. Baylor went
back. rescued the horse and we halted until his return. Salt creek was on the
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Middleton, John W. History of the regulators and moderators and the Shelby County war in 1841 and 1842, in the republic of Texas, with facts and incidents in the early history of the republic and state, from 1837 to the annexation, together with incidents of frontier life and Indian troubles, and the war on the reserve in Young County in 1857, book, January 1, 1883; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2362/m1/33/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.