The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-06-14
Death of a Texas Hero.

Says the Galveston Ne,Cs: Col. Ed.
Burleson, of Hayes County, whose death
was announced in the NeWs of Sunday,
was the son of Gen. Edward Burleson,
pioneer to Texas in 1881, and a lead
ing spirit in the perilous days which
ended in the annexation of Texas to the
United States. The younger Burleson,
just deceased, grew up amid perilous
scenes and times, and was hero by
habit as well as instinct. Though warm
hearted, kind and hospitable in the ex-
treme, the race seems to have been in
capable of fear, and loving rather than
avoiding the dangers of life in Texas
during the early days of the white race
in the country. A single incident, re-
corded in the Brownsville Sentinel many
years ago, will serve to show the char
acter of the desperate conflicts between
the white men and Indians of that pc
riod, of whom it may be truly said:
Though few the numbers, theirs the strife,
Which neither gives nor asks for life.
In January, 1851, young Ed. Burle-
son, as he was called, was a lieutenant
in the Texas Rangers, and was return
ing from San Antonio to Camp los Ojue-
los. just beyond the Nueces he saw
three mounted Indians. Taking de-
tachment of eight men he followed them,
directing the remainder of his party to
pursue their way. After pursuing them
for two or three miles, the Indians halted
and prepared for battle. In addition to the
three mounted there were eleven on
foot. The Rangers promptly opened
hn ftrrhf 10 ftxvx,
sixty feet of the Comanche line. The
men dismounted. The Indians charged
them Immediately, and terrible hand
to-hand fight ensued. Shots were de-
livered at distance of a foot or two.
They fought under the bellies of the
horses, over the saddles-there was a
general melee of red men and white.
Colts six shooting carbines and bows
and arrows = repeating pistols and
lances-were blent in confused and
struggling mass. There was no time
for shOuting-for maneuver-each man
fought for life, and taxed his energies to
the utmost. The field was an open
prairie, devoid of even bushes. There
could be no cover. 1t was trial of
skill, strength and courage. A few
minutes decided it. Victory trembled
in the balance. Baker Barton, gallant
soldier, received three mortal wounds
and died on his feet, holding to the horn
of his saddle. William Lackey received
two or three wounds-one of them NOR
tai. Jem Carr received three or four
severe wounds. He said: "It was like
| clock-work; every time | raised my
| Colts carbine they stuck an arrow in
me-" A warrior singled him -out,
| charged at him with bow and lance.
Jem sent ball through him-then an
other. The brave still advanced, dis
charging arrows; they came with less
and less forces until at last they
scarcely left the bow. Jem, however,
had ceased to fire at him, knowing there
were others demanding his attention.
Jem's last wound was inflicted when he
had his carbine at his face and ready to
fire; an arrow past through the last
| joint of his right forefinger, and pene-
trated the breech of his gun; luckily the
wood splintered and his hand was re-
leased. William Lackey lived eight or
| ten days. The other wounded recover
ed. The fight summed up: Comanehes,
four killed, eight wounded; Rangers,
two killed, eight wounded. Thirty days
after the battle visitors found the ground
literally covered with arrows, of which
more than 200 were picked up on a
space of less than quarter acre. When
the fight ended in the withdrawal of the
surviving Indians both parties were ex-
hausted and the Rangers unable to pur-
sue. Burlesop had hand to hand con-
| flict with stalwart savage, and received
an arrow wound in the head before he
was able to kill his adversary, which he
finally succeeded in doing. The sayages
left four dead and eight wounded on the
| field. The Texans were wounded, ex-
hausted, and without water, but one of
the number, who had not been in the
fight, soon came up, and was sent twen-
ty miles to the nearest water for sup
ply for the men, which came late in the
day.