Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-02-19
THE BATTLE OF PLUM CREEK.
A Texas "Reminiscences of the Famous
Fight.

A Texas "Reminiscences of the Famou,
, Fight.
: The Brazos Talley Guide, published
at Thorpe Springs, Hood County, tell:
the following story, probably from the
"reminiscences of President Clark of Adj
Ran College, who was resident of Aus
tin about the time named, and probably
l. anticipated in the battle of Plum
Gre elk: "Saligny was the Minister
PleniA ,otentiary from the Court of
France to the Republic of Texas in
1910. He resided at Austin, then the
Capital of the Republic. The Conan
ches, with large number of warriors,
made a descent into the settlements,
committing depre dations from the
northern frontier to Lynnviile, on the
Lavaca Bay. After totally destroying
the town of Lynnville, and taking some
prisoners (most of the inhabitants es-
capped by going out upon the bay IN
boats), the Indians returned north.
Gen. Felix Houston, who was at Austin,
hearing of the route taken by the In
dians, hastily gathered a volunteer
force, and, striking out west from Aus
tin, Intercepted them. The battle of
Plum Creek was the result. 1t was
truly novel to see how these Indians
were rugged out with the dry goods of
which they had robbed the stores of
Lynnville. One Indian would be found
wearing the legs of a new pair of pants,
fastened up like buckskin leggings.
Another would have the upper part of
the pants fastened about his waist and
hanging down loose. Bolts of fine silk
were used as saddle blankets. Ribbons
and laces were fastened to their horses
ears and tails, and streamed out at
great length. The soles of boots were
cut off, and the legs and upper part of
the foot worn. In short, almost every
thing was worn in a new style. Gen.
Houston gave the Comanches a sound
drubbing, recovering all the prisoners.
These the Indians tried to kill when
they found the forces too strong
for them; but General Houston's
attack was so sudden and over
towering that the Indians thought |
best to use their chief exertion in get
ting out of the way. One lady prisoner,
very nice and intelligent woman,
received a flesh wound in the shoulder
from an Indian arrow. Gen. Houston
captured large number of horses which
the Indians were carrying off from the
settlements; killed several Indians and
took some prisoners; among them was
a boy about IL years old. When Hous-
ton arrived in Austin with his prisoners,
he gave the Indian boy to M. Saligny,
the French Minister. The Frenchman
was very proud of his Indian boy. He
dressed him up in flashing livery, and
kept him about him as a favorite pet.
In the course of a week or 10 days the
Frenchman's Indian was gone. He had
DOTTED his shining livery and left for
parts unknown. At this time the Tan
cuwas and Lipans, two friendly tribes
of Indians, were staying in the vicinity
of Austin. Three or four days after the
disappearance of Coligny's pet one Of
the Tancuwas brought him in, having
captured him a long distance northwest
from Austin. The French Minister again
dressed up his Indian, and, notwith-
standing every body cautioned him that
if he gave the boy chance he would go
again, he gave him no other confine-
ment than to keep him with him during
the day, requiring him to sleep in the
Frenchman's own bedroom at night.
Thus he kept his Indian for week or
two longer. On waking up one morn
ing he found his pet Comanche missing,
and, on going to the stable, where he
kept a very fine horse, he found him
missing, too. Saligny never heard of
his horse or his Indian again. He swore
some big French swears around about
Austin for several days before he quiet
ed down sufficiently to attend to his Or
binary business. A wild Indian or a
wolf is hard to tame. Wildness is born
in Them
80 n