Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Page: 43 of 894

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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.

to swell a miser's store, and the generous bestowal
of heavenly friendship which, in its zeal to relieve
the woes of suffering humanity, gives sacred
attestation that it springs from the bosom of ' Him
who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became
poor that we, through His poverty, might become
rich.' "
Her stay at the home of Mr. Smith was a daily
repetition of kindnesses, and she enjoyed all that
was possible in view of the ever-present grief over
her slaughtered husband and captive children.
In February, 1838, she received a sympathetic
letter from Texas, accompanied with presents in
clothing, from Messrs. Workman and Rowland,
Missourians, so long honorably known as Santa Fe
traders and merchants, whose families were then
residing in Taos. They advised her to defer leaving
for Independence till they could make another
effort to recover her children and invited her to repair,
as their guest, to Taos, to await events, provided
the means for her doing so, placing her under
the protection of Mr. Kinkindall (probably Kuykendall,
but I follow her spelling of the name).
"But," she records, " friends were multiplying
around me, who seemed to vie with each other in
their endeavors to meet my wants. Other means
presented themselves, and I was favored .with the
company of a lady and Dr. Waldo."
She left Mr. Smith and the mines on the 4th of
March, 1838, and after traveling in snow and over
rocks and mountains part of the way, arrived at
Taos on the 10th. From that time till the 22d of
August, her time was about equally divided between
the families of Messrs. Workman and Rowland, who
bestowed upon her every kindness.
She now learned that these gentlemen had formerly
sent out a company to recover herself and
Mrs. Harris, who had fallen in with a different tribe
of Indians and lost several of their number in a
fight. Her friend, Mr. Smith, had performed a
similar service and when far out his guide faltered,
causing such suffering as to cause several deaths
from hunger, while some survived by drinking the
blood of their mules. While Mrs. Horn remained
with them these gentlemen endeavored through two
trading parties, to recover her children, but failed.
A report came in that little John had frozen to
death, holding horses at night; but it was not
believed by many. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Plummer
reached Missouri under the protection of Mrs.
Donoho. On the 2d of August, all efforts to recover
her children having failed, leaving only the hope
that others might succeed, Mrs. Horn left in the
train and under the protection of Messrs. Workman
and Rowland. She was the only lady in the party.

Nothing unusual transpired on the journey of 700
or 800 miles, and on the last day of September,
1838, they arrived at Independence, Missouri. Oa
the 6th of October, she reached the hospitable home
of Mr. David Workman at" New" Franklin.
This closes the narrative as written by Mrs. Horn
soon after she reached Missouri and before she
met Mr. Donoho. Her facts have been faithfully
followed, omitting the repetition of her sufferings
and correcting her dates in two cases where her
memory was at fault. She sailed from New York
on the 11th of November, 1833, a year earlier than
stated by her, hence arrived at Dolores a year
earlier, and consequently remained there two years
instead of one, for it is absolutely certain that she
arrived there in March, 1834, and left there in
March, 1836. I have been able also, from her
notes, to approximate localities and routes mentioned
by her, from long acquaintance with much
of the country over which she traveled.
Mr. Donoho, in company with his wife
a lady
of precious memory in Clarksville, Texas, from
the close of 1839 till her death in 1880
conveyed
Mrs. Plummer (one of the captives taken at Parker's
Fort, May 19, 1836), and Mrs. Harris, from Santa.
Fe to Missouri in the autumn of 1837. He escorted
Mrs. Plummer to her people in Texas, left his wife
and Mrs. Harris with his mother-in-law, Mrs. Lucy
Dodson in Pulaski County, Missouri, and then
hastened back to Santa Fe to look after his property
and business, for he had hurried away because of a
sudden outbreak of hostilities between the New
Mexicans and Indians formerly friendly, and this
is the reason he was not present to take personal.
charge of Mrs. Horn on her recovery at San Miguel.
When he reached Santa Fe Mrs. Horn had left
Taos for Independence. Closing his business in
Santa Fe, he left the place permanently and
rejoined his family at Mrs. Dodson's. Mrs. Horn
then, for the first time, met him and remained several
months with his family. Prior to this her narrative
had been written, and she still saw little of him, he
being much absent on business. Mrs. Harris had
relatives in Texas but shrunk from the idea of going
there; and hearing of other kindred near Boonville,
Missouri, joined them and soon died from the exposures
and abuse undergone while a prisoner. Mrs.
Horn soon died from the same causes, while on a.
visit, though her home was with Mrs. Dodson.
Both ladies were covered with barbaric scars
their
vital organs were impaired
and they fell the
victims of the accursed cruelty known only to
savage brutes.
Mr. William Donoho was a son of Kentucky,
born in 1798. His wife, a Tennesseean, and