Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Page: 51 of 894
762 p., [172] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 30 cm.View a full description of this book.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
48
sensible and comely woman, and died at her
brother's in Anderson County, in 1870, preceded a
short time by her sprightly little daughter, "Prairie
Flower."
One of the little sons of Cynthia Ann died some
years later. The other, now known as Capt.
Quanah Parker, born, as he informed me, at Wichita
Falls, in 1854, is a popular and trustworthy
chief of the Comanches, on their reservation in the
Indian Territory. He speaks English, is considerably
advanced in civilization, and owns a ranch
with considerable live stock and a small farmwithal
a fine looking and dignified son of the
plains.
Thus ended the sad story begun May 19th, 1836.
Various detached accounts have been given of it.Some years ago I wrote it up from the best data at
command. Since then I have used every effort to
get more complete details from those best informed,
and am persuaded that this narrative states correctly
every material fact connected with it.
NOTE. Elder Daniel Parker, a man of strong
mental powers, a son of Elder John, does not figure
in these events. He signed the Declaration of Independence
in 1836, and preached to his people till
his death in Anderson County, in 1845. Ex-Representative
Ben. F. Parker is his son and successor
in preaching at the same place. Isaac Parker,
before named, another son, long represented Houston
and Anderson Counties in the Senate and
House, and in 1855 represented Tarrant County.
He died in 1884, not far from eighty-eight years of
age. Isaac D. Parker of Tarrant is his son.The Break-up in Bell County in 1836
Death of Davidson and
Crouch
The Childers Family
Orville T. Tyler Walker,
Monroe, Smith, Etc.
1836.When the invasion of Santa Anna occurred, from
January to April, 1836, there were a few newly
located settlers on Little river, now in Bell County.
They retreated east, as did the entire population west
of the Trinity. Some of these settlers went into the
army till after the victory at San Jacinto on the
21st of April. Some of them, immediately after
that triumph, with the family of Gouldsby Childers,
returned to their deserted homes. During the previous
winter each head of a family and one or two
single men had cleared about four acres of ground
on his own land and had planted corn before the
retreat. To cultivate this corn and thus have bread
was the immediate incentive to an early return.
Gouldsby Childers had his cabin and little field on
his own league on Little river. Robert Davidson's
cabin and league were a little above on the river,
both being on the north side. Orville T. Tyler's
league, cabin and cornfield were on the west side
of the Leon in the three forks of Little river, its
limits extending to within a mile of the present
town of Belton. Wm. Taylor's league was opposite
that of Tyler, but his cornfield was on the
other land. At this time Henry Walker, Mr. Monroe,
and James (Camel Back) Smith had also
returned to their abandoned homes, in the edge of
the prairie, about eight miles east of the presenttown of Cameron, in Milam County, their cabins
being only about a hundred yards apart. This
was the same James Smith who, in October, 1838,
escaped, so severely wounded, from the Surveyor's
Fight, in sight of the present town of Dawson, in
Navarro County, as narrated in the chapter on that
subject.
Nashville, on the Brazos, near the mouth of
Little river, was then the nearest settlement and
refuge to these people, and the families of those
who returned to cultivate their corn in the new
settlement, remained in that now extinct village.
The massacre at Parker's Fort on the Navasota,
occurred on the 19th of May. In the month of
June, but on what day of the month cannot be
stated, two young men named John Beal and Jack
Hopson, arrived as messengers from Nashville to
advise these people of their great peril, as large
bodies of hostile Indians were known to be marauding
in the country. On receipt of this intelligence
immediate preparations were made to retreat
in a body to Nashville. Their only vehicle was a
wagon to be drawn by a single pair of oxen. They
had a few horses but not enough to mount the
whole party. The entire party consisted of Capt.
Gouldsby Childers, his wife, sons, Bobert (now
living at Temple), Frank (17 years of age, and
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Brown, John Henry. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, book, 1880~; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth6725/m1/51/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .