History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 228

'2S HISTORY OP TEXAS.
pendent on my efforts, gave me strength and They then halted on open prairie, staked out
perseverance that can be realized only by their horses, placed their pickets and pitched
those who have been placed in similar situa- their camp. Bringing all their prisoners
tions. God in Ilis bountiful mercy upheld together for the first time, they tied their
ne in this trying hour and enabled Le to hands behind tht-em with raw-hide thongs so
perform b}y task. tight as to cut the flesh, tied their feet close
"t The first person 1 met was Captain Car- together and threw them upon their faces.
ter of the Fort Houston settlement, who Then thle braves, gathering round with their
received l me kindly, and prom ptly offered yet bloodlydripping scalps, commenced their
me all the aid in his power. lie botun had usual war dance. They danced, screamed,
live horses saddled, and hie and Mr. Jeremiah yelled, stamping upon their prisoners, beatCo(urtney
went with me to meet our little ing th 'm with blows until their own blood
band of fugitives. We met them just at cailk near strangling them. The remainder
dark, and, placing thle women and children jof thle night these frail women suffered and
on tlie horsee, we reached Captain Carter's I had to listen to the cries and groans of their
about midlighrlit. There we' received all the tender little children.
kind( attentionI arnd relief that our conditions I Mrs. Elizabeth Kellogg soon fell into
required, and all was done for our comfort the hands of the Keechis, from whom, six
that sympathetic and benevolent hearts could months after she was captured, she was purdo.
We arrived at Captain Carter's on tle chased by a party of Delawares, who carried
25th of May. The following day my son- her to Nacogdoches and delivered her to
in-law, Mr. Plummer, reached there also. General Houston, who paid them $150, the
lie had given us up for lost and had started amount they had paid and all they asked.
to the same settlement tliat we had. " Mrs. Rachel Plummer remained a cap'
In due time the menibers of the party tive about eighteen months, and to give the
located temporarily as best suited the re- reader an idea of her suffering during that
spective families, most of them returning to period we will give an extract from her
Fort Parker soon afterward. A burial party diary: 'In July and a portion of August
of tweke men from Fort Houston went up we were among some very high mountains
and buried the dead. Their remains now on which thle snow remains for the greater
repose near the site of old Fort Parker. portion of tlhe year, and I suffered more than
Peace to their ashes. Unadorned are their I had ever done before in my life. It was
graves; not even a slab of marble or a me- very seldom I had any covering for my feet,
mento of any kind has been erected to tell and but very little clothing for my body. I
the traveler where rest the remains of this had a certain number of buffalo skins to
brave little band of pioneer heroes who dress every day, and had to mind the horses
wrestled with the savage for the mastery of at night. This kept me employed pretty
his broad domain. Iluch all the time, and often I would take
" Of the captives we will briefly trace their imy buffalo skins with me to finish them
checkered career. After leaving the fort the while I was minding the horses. My feet
two tribes, the Comanches and Kioyi, re- would often be frost-bitten while I was dressmained
and traveled together until midnight. ing the skins, but I dared not complain for