History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 654
[7], iv-vii, [2], 10-826, [2] p., [56] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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A.4
634HISTORY OF TEXAS.
town. All are now deceased excepting the
last mentioned, who was a daughter by the
las t marriage.
Jonathan Burleson, father of our subject,
came to Texas in 1830, in company with his
brother, General Edward Burleson. They
located where the town of Bastrop now
stands,and at that time only three or four families
lived between a settlement fifteen miles
up the river to the first settlement ten miles
down the river. General Edward Burleson
afterwards located at the latter place, at the
mouth of Alum creek. In 184:5 the Indians
and Mexicans produced a panic in this section
of the State, and General Edward Burleson
was then commanding a regiment of Texas
troops at Gonzales. After the fall of the
Alamo he ordered Jonathan Burleson to
come to this place and conduct the women
and children to a place of safety. Mr. Burleson
made the trip on foot, a distance of
thirty-five miles, and was obliged to pass over
the section almost covered with bands of
Indians. lie conveyed the families to the
Trinity river, and after the battle of San
Jacinto brought them to Fort Bastrop, landing
here in the spring of 1836. After peace
with the Mexicans and the independence of
Texas were accomplished Jonathan Burleson
was appointed by his brother General Edward,
as Captain of a company of spies or scouts
for the purpose of watching the Indians and
Mexicans. During that time he was accompanied
by a Tonchawa Indian, who was a son
af Plasado a noted Tonkawa Indian chief.
The latter then made his home where our
subject now resides, and was friendly with
the Texans. This young Indian accompanied
Mr. Burleson on many perilous undertakings.
In 1837, the latter, in company with four
men, was engaged in scouting three/iniles
north of Fort Bastrop, when they were surrounded by a band of Comanche braves.
lie ordered his men to dismount and fire,
but instead of doing so they beat a hasty retreat,
and Captain Burleson, who had dismounted,
found himlselt deserted by his men.He
fired at the advancing savages, mounted
his mare, Slick, and rode straight for the bank
of Piney creek, where he accomplished one of
the most famous leaps ever made with a
horse. The bluff was about twenty feet perpendicular,
over which the Captain jumped
his mare, and made good his retreat to the
fort.
Mr. Burleson took part in the battle of
Brushy, fought in what is now Williamson
county, the whites being commanded by
General Edward Burleson, dhd the Comanches
under command of their warlike chiefs.
The Burleson family were represented in this
battle by General Edward, John, Jake, Jouathan
and Aaron. Captain Jake Burleson
was in advance of the Texas army, and came
upon the Indians while cooking their noonday
meal. The Captain ordered his men to
dismount and fire, and after hitching their
horses in a grove, the twelve men turned a
deadly volley of rifle balls on the savages.
The Indians proving too much for the little
company of twelve men, Captain Burleson
ordered the boys to mount and fall back.
One of his boys, only about fourteen years of
age, in his excitement mounted his horse
while yet hitched to the tree. The Captain
saw the condition of the boy, dismounted
from his horse, cut the rope, but as he was
again mounting was shot dead. The Indians
cut off his right hand and foot, and took out
his heart, thinking all the while that he
was General Edward Burleson. At the battle
of Plum creek, in Caldwell county, General
Edward Burleson, who was in command,
had been following the Indians for severalHISTOY OF EXAS
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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)
Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.
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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/703/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.