Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Page: 110 of 894
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
99
Eldridge and Bee it was a perilous one. I shall
follow them.
On the second day, at 3 p. m., they halted in a
pretty grove, on a beautiful stream, to cook their
last food, a little Wichita green corn. This enraged
Second Eye, who seized the hunter's gun,
and galloped away, leaving them with only holster
pistols. The Delaware hunter was a stranger in
the country and could only communicate by signs.
For three days he kept a bee line for Warren's
trading house on Red river, as safer than going
directly to Bird's Fort, guided by the information
he had casually picked up from his brothers on the
trip, for neither of the white men knew the country.
On the third day they entered the Cross Timbers
where brush and briers retarded their progress,
and camped near night on a pretty creek. The
Delaware climbed a high tree and soon began joyful
gesticulations. Descending he indicated that
Eldridge should accompany him, leaving Bee in
camp. He did so and they were gone two or three
hours, but finally returne(d with a good supply of
fresh corn bread, a grateful repast to men who had
been without an ounce of food for three days and
nights. The camp visited proved to be that of a
party of men cutting hay for Fort Arbuckle, on the
Washita, who cooked and gave them the bread and
other provisions, with directions to find the trading
house and the information that they could reach it
next day. With full stomachs they slept soundly;
started early in the morning and about 2 p. m.
rode up to Warren's trading house. The first
man seen was Jim Second Eye, the treacherous
scoundrel who had left them at the mercy of any
straggling party of lostile or thieving savnages.
Ile hastened forward with extended hand, exclaiming:
"How are you, Joe? How are you, Ham?
Glad to see you' "
The always courteous Eldridge, usually gentle
and never given to profane language, sprang from
his horse and sliowered upon him such a torrent of
denunciatory expletives as to exhaust himself; then,
recovering, presented himself and Mr. Bee to Mr.
Warren, with an explanatory apology for his violent
language, justified, as he thought, towards the base
wretch to whom it was addressed. Quite a crowd
of Indians and a few white men were present. Mr.
Warren received and entertained them most kindly.
They never more beheld Jim Second Eye.
After a rest of two days Eldridge and Bee, with
their faithful Delaware, left for Bird's Fort, and,
without special incident, arrived there about the
middle of September, to be welcomed by the commissioners,
Messrs. George W. Terrell and E. H.
Tarrant, who had given them up as lost. ThePresident had remained at the fort for a month,
when, chagrined and greatly disappointed, he had
left for the seat of government.
Capt. Eldridge, anxious to report to the President,
tarried not at the fort, but with Bee and the
still faithful Delaware, continued on. On the way
Mr. Bee was seized with chills and fever of violent
type, insomuch that, at Fort Milam, Eldridge left
him and hurried on. Mr. Bee finally reached the
hospitable house of his friend, Col. Josiah Crosby,
seven miles above Washington, and there remained
till in the winter, before recovering his health.
Capt. Eldridge, after some delay, met and reported
to the President, but was not received with the
cordiality he thought due his services. Jim Shaw and
John Connor had preceded him and misstated various
matters to the prejudice of Eldridge, and to
the amazement of many who knew his great merit
and his tried fidelity to President Houston, he was
dismissed from office. Very soon, however, the old
hero became convinced of his error; had Eldridge
appointed chief clerk of the State Department
under Anson Jones, and, immediately after annexation
in 1846, secured his appointment by President
Polk, as Paymaster in the United States Navy, a
position he held till his death in his long-time home
in Brooklyn, New York, in 1881. Excepting only
the incident referred to--deeply lamented by
mutual friends
the friendship between him and
President Houston, from their first acquaintance in
1837, remained steadfast while both lived. Indeed
Capt. Eldridge subsequently named a son for him
his two sons being Charles and IHouston Eldridge.
A TIlREATY MADE.
On the 29!tl of September, 1843, a few days after
Eldridge and Bee left, a treaty was concluded by
Messrs. Tarrant and Terrell, with the following
tribes, viz.: Tehuacanos, Keechis, Wacos, Caddos,
Anadarcos, Ionics, Boluxies, Delawares, an(l thirty
isolated Cherokees. The Wichitas and Towdashes
were deterre(l from coming in by the lies of some
of the Creeks. Estecayucatubba, principal chief
of the Chickasaws, signed the treaty merely for its
effect on the wild tribes. Leonard Williams and
Luis Sanchez, of Nacogdoches, were present and
aided in collecting the tribes, who failed to assemble
on the 10th of August, because of the non-return of
Eldridge and his party. Roasting Ear, S. Lewis
and McCulloch, Delaware chiefs, were present at
the signing and rendered service in favor of the
treaty.
The most potent chief in the council, to whom
the wild tribes looked as a leader, was Kechikoroqua,
the head of the Tehuacanos, who at first
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Brown, John Henry. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, book, 1880~; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6725/m1/110/?rotate=270: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.