Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-09-18

A Tragic Episode of Early Life in
Texas.
BY GEN. GEORGE p. Afford.

Illinois, moved to the then Mexican
province Of Texas, and settled in beau
tiful and fertile region on the Navasota
River, about two miles from the present
city Of Groesbeck, the county seat OF
Limestone County. The colony consisted
Of nine families, of which Elder John
Parker was the patriarchal head; his
aged wife; their son James w. Parker,
his wife and four single children; their
married daughter Rachel and her nus
band, j II. S. Plummer, and infant son
fifteen months DID, another married
daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Il. ID.
Nixon; Silas NJ. Parker (anOther son of
Elder john, his wife and four children;
Ben b. Parker (another son Of Elder
john. unmarried; Mrs. Nixon, ST.,
mother of Mrs. John ". Parker; Mrs.
Elizabeth Kellogg, another daug OF
Mrs. Nixon, Sr.; Mrs. Duty; Sam NJ.
Frost, his wife and two children; Geo.
@. Dwight, his wife and two children; IN
all thirty-fOur persons.
They erected a block-house, which was
known as Fort Parker, for protection
against the assault Of hostile Indians.
This structure was made Of solid logs,
closely knit together and heWed down so
IS to make a compact, perfect square,
without openings of any kind until 1t
reached. height of ten or twelve feet,
when the structure widened on each side,
forming a projection impossible to climb.
~
terror ladder, was used as a place of
storage for provisions. The upper story
was divided into two large rooms, with
portfolios for the use Of guns, which
rooms were used as living rooms, and
reached only by ladder from the out
side, which was pulled up at night, after
the occupants had assembled, making
safe fertilization against a reasonable
force, unless asssiled by fire. These
hardy sons of toll titled their adjacent
fields by day, always taking their arms
with them, and retired to the fort at
night. Success crowned their labOrs, and
they were : rOsperous and happy.
On the morning of May Is, 1885, the
men, unconscious Of impending danger,
left as usual for their fields, a mile dis
tant. Scarcely had they left the in
closure when the fort was attacked by
about seven hundred Comanches and
KiOWas, who were waiting in ambush. A
gallant and most resolute defense was
made, many saVages being sent by swift
bullets 10 their happy hunting ground.
but 1t was impossible to stem the terrible
assault. and Fort Parker fell. Then be-
gan the carnival of death. Elder John
Parker, Silas NJ. Parker. Ben T. Parker,
Sam NJ. Frost and Robert Frost were
killed and acalped in the presence of
their horror stricken families. Mrs. John
Parker, Granny Parker and Mrs. Duty
were dangerously wounded and left for
dead, and the following were carried into
q captivity worse than death: Mrs.
Rachel Plummer. Jas. Pratt Plummer,
her two year old son; Mrs. Elizabeth Kel-
Iogg, Cynthia Ann Parker, nine years
old and her little brother j ohm, aged six;
both children of Silas NJ. Parker.
The remainder of the colony made their
escape, and after incredible suffering,
being forced even to the dire necessity Of
eating skunks to save their lives, they
reached Fort Houston, now the residence
Of Judge John II. Reagan, United States
Senator, about three miles from the
present city Of Palestine, in Anderson
County, where they obtained prompt
guccor. and relief party buried their
dead.
We will now attempt briefly, to follow
the fortunes of the poor captives. The
nrst night after the massacre. the savageg
Gamped on an open prairie, near a water
hole, staked their horses, pitched their
camp and threw out their videttes. Then
they brought out their prisoners and
stripped them and tied their hands be-
hind them, and their feet closely together
with rawhide thongs, so tightly as to cut
the flesh, threw them upon their faces
and the braves gathering around with the
yet bloody dripping scalp6 Of theig mar
tyred kindred, began their usual war
dance. alternately dancing, screaming,
yelling, stamping upon their helpless vio-
fims, beating their naked bodies with
SpWs and arrows until the flowing blood
almost strangled them. These orgies
continued at intervals through the ter
Tible night, which seemed to have no
end, these frai women suffering and COM
PEELED to listen to the cry of their tender
little children.
Mrs. Kellogg, more fortunate than the
others, soon fell into the hands of the
Ksochi Indians, who, six months later
a-ra - h. 0s,T, =
her to Nacogdoches, where this writer
then lived, a small child with his par
ents. Here she was ransomed for $3.50
by General Sam Houston, who promptly
restored her to her kindred.
Mr. Rachel PlummeP remained a captive
for eighteen months, suffering untold
agOnies and indignities, when she was
rRnsOmed by a Santa Fe trader named
William DOnahue, who soon after es-
cOrted her to Independence, Mo-, from
whence she finally made her way back to
Texas, arriving Feb. 10, 1888. Her son,
James Pratt Plummer, after remaining
pr. sOner six years, was ransomed at Fort
Gibson, and reached his home in Texas
IN February, lS49, then aged years.
During Mrs. Plummer's captivity she
again became a mother. When her child
was months old, finding it an impedi-
ment to the mental labors imposed upon
her as a slave, COmanche warrior fOrci-
bly, took it from her arms, tied a lariat
around its body, and, mounting his horse,
dragged the intent at full speed around
the camp in sight Of the agonized mother
until life was extinct, when its mangled
remains were tossed back into her lap
with savage demonstrations Of delight.
Such atrocities have forced me to the
belief that all good Indians are dead In
disns.
This leaves of the sorrowing captives
0nly Cynthia Ann Parker and her little
brother John, years of age, each held
by separate bands. John grew up Ito
athletic young manhood. married beau
tiful night-eyed young Mexican captive,
Donna Juanita Espinosa, escaped from
jOined the Confederate army under Cen
Il. P. Bee, became noted for his galIantry
and daring, and at latest accounts was
leading happy, cOntented pastoral life
as a rancherO on the Western LlanO Es-