Massacre on the Nueces River; story of a Civil War tragedy. Page: 30 of 39
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THE MASSACRE ON THE NUECES RIVER
27
our party came, and subsequent developments gave us reason
to believe that while associating with Unionists he was acting
as a spy in the employ of the Confederates.
But suspecting neither betrayal or pursuit, Major Tegener
while moving steadily on made no haste. On the eighth day we
fell in with four men, Tom Scott, W. B. Scott, Howard Hen-
derson and William Hester. Being solicited by Major Tegener
to join us, they replied that as the Nueces river was not far,dis-
tant, they would accompany us that far certainly, and that once
arrived there, might decide to go on with us to Mexico. We
made the Nueces river early in the morning of August 9th,
pitching camp about one hundred and fifty yards west of the
stream in a tolerably open place under cedar trees so scattering
as to not obstruct the breeze. Still not even suspecting we
were being pursued, and least of all that an overpowering force
was close on our heels, no special precautions were taken
against surprise. Although two men were detailed as guards, it
was more for the purpose of keeping our horses together and
on good pasturage than protection of our party against the
sudden and unexpected approach of enemies. Deer, turkeys
and other game were abundant in the country where we were,
and hunting parties were going and coming all day. It was
not until about sunset that the least uneasiness was felt. About
that time one of the hunting parties returned with the report
that they had seen strangers whose evident desire for conceal-
ment appeared suspicious. This intelligence created consid-
erable commotion. But at that juncture another party of hunters
returned to camp, and learning of the excitement quickly al-
layed it by the statement that they were the strangers the first
party had seen-that just to see what the first party would do,
they had first shown themselves and then made a pretense of
concealing themselves. This statement at once turned the
laugh on the first party; it was too good a joke not to be enjoyed,
too reasonable an explanation of the first party's alarm not to
be accepted as the true and only one. All uneasiness vanished
and claim was instantly restored, no effort being made to verify
or prove false the story told by the first party. And while the sup-
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Williams, R. H. & Sansom, John W. Massacre on the Nueces River; story of a Civil War tragedy., book, Date Unknown; Grand Prairie, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2409/m1/30/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .