The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-11-26
AN UNPUBLISHED LEAF OF HISTORY
The story of an Old settler and IA Soldier Of
the Mexican War

not tramp in the common .acoeptation Of
the word, although he is a waif as it were.
He is an old man, and our reporter engag-
ing him in conversation soon learned that
he was seventy-two years of age past, and
had been in Texas since 1879.
"Where is your home?n our reporter
asked
"Waal, young man, live in Liberty
county, three miles from the Trinity river,
but having little land up this way come
up to see arter it. | rode horseback up to
ten miles from here when my critter died,
ana walked up here l dunno how Pm
gwine to get home agin, as harnt got but
six dollars, unless kin git the keers to take
me.
'Haying been in Texas since 1929, you
have doubtless seen many ups and downs
and could give many strange ups and
downs if you so minded could you not"
asked our reporter.
WAL, | kinder reckon | could, young
man, if you wanted TO listen to 'eu, but
this wind is sorter bitm', and little
sumthin warm wouldn't go bad"
Come with me-" said our reporter, and
taking him into neighboring place, he sat
down with him to table, and soon had
him on the outside of a hot Tom and Jerry,
and a pretty stiff one, too. The liquor
,Coursing through the old mans veins
warmed him up, and with the garrulity of
age, he was ready to tell many tale of dar-
ing ventures and marvellous escapes by
flood field" Another Tom and Jerry
seething hot, and as strong as a stone fence,
loosened his tongue at both ends, ana
the way that old man did talk and
expectorate tobacco juice was a
Caution 10 snakes. 10 the inquiry if he
knew Sam Houston and Deaf Smith, and if
he was at the battle of San lacintO, he re-
piled in the affirmative to all: "1es, young
man, said he, 81 know Sam Houston and
Rusk, and Sherman, and Deaf Smith, and
all of them old fellers that helped us fight
ing men to drive the yeller Mexican var
minis out of the country. But little did
think in them days that the time would
come when this country would be cut up
with these tarnal railroads and these
screeching mines a skeeiing of the horses
and the cattle to DEATH I'd ruther hecr an
lnjun yell any time or q panther scream,
for then it makes me feel like old times.
Theirs too many people a comm here,
young man. haint got elbow room and
can't git my breath good. They tell me
that this here town reaches mile down to
the Trinity, and | would 20 down
and look at the old river and git drink
outen it this close up to the three forks, but
haint got no axe to blaze my way, and
I'm ateard I'd git lost"
:" No danger of that" said our rel orter.
an take you down and back, and try and
help you to get home on the cars, but you
mustn't talk hard about the railroads, my
cid friend, or we might fail. -
"All right, young man; but | alters
"a 111Nr min oil Dn4
never goes back on what he says"
Can you tell me something about Deaf
SMITH? asked our reporter.
Wall, Pm Jest the man can do it, my
boy. | krowed Deaf Smith first, nigh onto
fifty wears ago, and a better or drawer man.
or closer friend never lived. Lemme see I
'Oieye I'll tell you bout that gal Deal
saved when he went to cut the bridge ON
Vince's Bayou on the mornin' San Jacinto
WIS tit"
"You see old Sam-that's Ginral Houston
he sent Deaf to cut down the bridge over
Vince's bayou SOS the MeXicans couldn't
retreat nor him nuther. 1t was to be deth
or nuthin' to sumbody and it was deth to
the MeXicans, think kin see the yaller
coyotes fallin' and dyin' now before our
iles and tell you the membrane makes
me feel good.
Them hotegg-noggs ispowerful good and
warmin."
Our reporter ordered him another, and he
went on.
"Waal you see when Deaf had got most
to the bridge he heerd rustlin in the tall
grass close on his left-Deaf told me this
hisself-and thinkin it might be q stray
Mexican he made dash for the spot.
There he saw sight that raised all the
devil in him, and he had right
peart sight of it. Two Mexican
officers was strugglin' with awhile gal, a
pore, Dung, scarf thing who was dom
of her best agin iem. They was so busy in
their intents that they never knowed Deaf
was about until a bullet from his rifle
dashed the brains outen one on 'em. Deaf
then drew his pistol but the cussed thing
missed fire. The tother Mexican was =,
brave rascal, and DRAWN his pistol he |
would have killed Deaf, only just as he |
pulled the trigger the gal, true grit, grab |
bed him and his bullet grazed Deafs head, |
cuttin' the har and stunnin' him n right |
smart. While the gal was sculllin' with |
the yaller varmint Deaf cum to lite and .
iumpin of his critter he let into that Mexi. |
can with his knife and soon he was bu2zard |
meat. Gals didn't faint them days, or |
guess that one would hev keeled over for .
she had bin through enuf to /
make sixteen gals nowadays 60 inter the
mullygrims. WAL Deaf was in hurry |
and had no time or foolishnesS, so takin' |
the gal up behind him, he was soon at the .
bridge, and with his axe maxim the timbers
fly, while the gal pulled em out and
throwed 'em in the water. The gal said she |
had been captured on the Brazos some days
before by these two officers, one being
captain and the other a lieutenant. Gen
eral Santa Anna had protected her in the
camp, intendin' to take her to Mexico with |
him, but that ,mornin' these two officers
kidnapped her, just before day, and takin' /
her off on the p airie, bad been tryin their .
best to circumvent her all mornin but she .
had fought EN-. and scratched EN-, and bit .
'em, and saved herself, but if Deaf hadn't |
come up as soon ms he did she didn't |
think she could held out much |
longer. She is alive now,ss livin !
on the Trinity, and when she married she /
named her first boy arter Deaf Smith and |
she has grandson named arter him, too |
That gal is my wife and as good woman |
rs God ever made. iii in the Mexican war
and had six sons in the COnfcderick army
ana whenever Texas wants help me and my |
people is a-gwino to help her. Me and my |
old oman is pore, but with the help Of the /
boys and our gals we manages to cit along. |
/ got little piece land up here on the |
three forks, somewhere in Denton, and |
cum up to try TO sell, II | could get sumthin |
for IL, but my critters dead and ] dunno |
what TO do bout II"
Our reporter went with him to Superin- |
tendent Fosdick and got him pass to |
Louisville and, throwing another hot tom |
and,ierry into him. left him happy. This, |
no doubt, is o true story, although ~ UNI |
nh hlfshnI lnuf nf htutnrss