Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-02-12
MistkII Iamu.
D E A TIL OF WILSON.
A Texan Iuci5ept,

| The following story was related to US by a
friend, who was a pioneer in the settlement of
Texas, and we give it in nearly his own words
| For SIX months previous to January 1899, the
CamancEes had committed many and serious
/ dePredatIons upon the settlers on the Colorado
and Warlopa rivers, and spirit of revenge for
! the many injuries they had suffered was excited
to the highest pitch by the abduction of a daugl-
| ter of Mr.. Lockheart and the brutal murder
and mangling of the remains of William Earth
man, who was shot while hunting for stray horses
| on the prairie His father had, about one wear
previous, bought and settled with his family
upon tract of land about six miles north Of the
new but thriving village of La Grange. One
morning, in the fall of 1888, William, in com
pany with his brother Fields, stated on horse
| back to look for some horses belonging to their
father which running at large upon the
prairie. About three miles from home they
came to 4 small prairie, where they expected to
find their animals but rs they could only see
the old gray mare lying down in the edge of the
timber which skirted the prairie they concluded
to go ON to the upper end of the prairie, and get
her on their return. When they returned, they
found her In the same position Ia which they
had left her, and approached to drive her in ;
and 1t was not until they were within rifle shot
of the timber, and several Indians rose from be-
hind the old mare, and fired upon them that
they discovered she was dead. (She and the
colt had been killed in the morning previous to
their passing up but as the boys did not pass
within reach of their rifles the Indians did not
show themselves, but waited a more favorable
opportunity After receiving the fire of the
Indians, the brothers put spurs to their horses
and started for home at their topmost speed
They had not gone far, however, before Fields
became conscious that his brother had been
wounded, and a moment after, he him fall
from his horse, fainting from loss of blood which
flowed from wound in his side. No time was
allowed him, in which to aid or sympathize with
his fallen brother, for the Indians were on his
track, and two or three of them were making
strenuous exertiCns to head him Off Self-pres-
ervaion, therefore, called for his utmost exerton
and squirting his horse forward, he managed to
reach his home In safety.
The usual alarm was Immediately given, and
small party started for the spot, where the
agonized :ather found the mangicd remains of
his son, with his bowels ripped open, his heart
taken out, and his hands and feet chopped Off
One hand was found near where the old mare
and colt lay but the other, together with the feet
and heart, had been borne off trophies, and to
feast their return to camp. These
outrages, together with the frequent loss Of
horses, led to an expedition which resulted in
the destruction of some six or seven hundred In
dians within their camp.
The day being fixed (about the middle of jan
uary,) they met at La Grange, each one mounted
upon the best horse at his command, equipped
with a trusty rifle or double barrelled shot
gun, pouch well filled with ball, two blankets
and a wallet slung across his saddle, filled with
such provisions wife, mother or sister had
provided, having at all times due regard for
the horse.
OF this expedition was one. Colonel John
II. Moore, of La Grange, was appointed to COM
mand. We numbered over two hundred, all
mounted, except about twenty Lapau Indians
who, being friendly to the whites and enemies
of the Camanches, were taken 10 spy oct the
position of our common enemy.
The night after the second DAYS march, We
'camped in rye bottom on the eastern side of
the Colorado, about two miles above where Aus
tin, the capitol of the Repablic-now The capi-
tol of the State-stands Where those halls of
legislation now stand, the buffalo then grazed
III al the pride and power of his strength and
freedom but as the of the pioneer of civil
ization Is heard in their neighborhood, they re-
tire beyond Its sound, and now the track of a
| buffalo Is seldom seen within twenty miles of