Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-31
HE FOUGHT THE INDIANS.
An Interesting Sketch of big Foot" Wal
lace and Some of His Exploits With the
Redskins.

lace and Some of His Exploits With the
Redskins.
A dispatch from Galveston published in
a leading Texas paper of recent date says:
1.-The last Legislature passed a bill au-
thorizing the Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land Office to issue a donation GER
tifcate to William A. A. Wallace, an old
Texan, better known as Big Foot Wal
lace, for $50 acres of land to be located
upon any vacant public lands of the State
within or without the severals reservations,
the donation being a consideration of his
past services to the State. The certificate
has been issued, and in locating his claims
under it Captain Wallace has located a
fractional part of it upon the east end of
Galveston Island, about ninety-eight and
nineteenth acres, this land being east of
the Menard league AMI labor, outside the
city limits.
This is but tardy recognition by the
State of Texas OF, the gallant services of
Captain Wallace, who is quite a noted
character, and few anecdotes of whom
might be of interest, especially as his
fame as an Indian fighter is not confined
to this State alone. There is a general idea or
tradition that Captain Wallace came by his
sobriquet of big Foot on account of the
unusual size Of his pedal extremities, which
is not the case. He won the name IN the
following manner: Where the city OF
Waco now stands was formerly the prln-
cipal village of the Waco tribe of Indians,
the principal chief of which tribe was
called Big Foot by the whites, because
he did have feet of extraordinary size.
This Waco chief was a terror to the scatter
ing settlers of Texas at that ear y day, and
they had a wholesome dread of a party of In
dams led by the noted chief a dread which
was but natural, In view of his many acts
of atrocity committed on the settlers.
One day in the autumn of .srthe year, a
number of scouts and hunters were gather
ed at Austin, the capital, then a small,
log-cabin town, however, among the num-
Der being Captain Wallace, who had al
ready won considerable fame as an Indian
fighter, and who was also noted for his
convivial qualities. He had high old
time with the boys that day, and late IN
the afternoon repaired to his camp up the
river a piece and went to sleep. When he
woke up he conceived the idea of giving
the rest of the boys at town a fright, and
securing a dried COW hide he cut out
pair of sandals, which he laced on his
feet, and going down to the river bank he
walked along the soft, sandy soil, making
the impress of his sandals and leaving a
broad trail He then went up to the town
and told some Of his friends that the Wacos
were on the war-path, headed by Big Foot,
and as it was dark they failed to discover
his sandals They organized a party, how
ever, and started out to keep watch for the
night The next morning they found the
trail left by Wallace, and, following it up,
aclaa
with the sandals still on his feet. 1t is
said that he afterward killed the Waco
chief, but, whether this be true or not he
has been known as Big Foo" Wallace
ever since the incident above mentioned.
In 1863, says a correspondent of the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat, l had occasion to
travel from San Antonio to Laredo, Tex,
and becoming separated from the party
with which | had set out, | was delighted
to reach Captain Wallace's cabin on the
bank of the Chicon about dusk one evening,
and was still further pleased to find him at
home He lived there alone, but hardly
ever spent a night in his cabin unless he
had company, generally taking his rife
and blanket and secreting himself In some
adjacent thicket. He said if he slept in
the house he slept sound, and the Indians
might slip up on him, and they had made
several attempts to surprise him. He
promised to pilot me back to the Laredo
next morning and help me to find the party
from which had become separated during
the day.
We started about sunrise IN the morn
ing, and when about five miles from the
CABIN we came upon three deer quietly
feeding. Big Foot wounded one of them,
and pointing out the direction for me to
travel, he started In pursuit of his game,
telling me if he had not overtaken me
when | reached certain hill, which he
described, for me to wait for him. | had
scarcely ridden three miles after parting
with Captain Wallace, when | espied a
party of Lipan Indians, about fifteen in
bearing down upon me, about
half mile away The hill where the old
man had directed me to wait for him was