The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-13
THE BOLD T0NkAW
An Incident of Early DAYS in
Texas.
KILLED BY THE COMANCHES.
Murder OF Mother and Her Infant
Bloody Vengeance OF Tonkawss.


ritory lying between the Rio Grande and
the Red river
The Tonkawas were the cniy tribe OF
American Indians who are said % have
practiced cannihalism, IL being claimed
that they ate the bodies Of their enemies
slain in battle: and because OF this they
were regarded by neighboEing tribes with
the most intense and bite, hatred. and
were engaged in an almost eeaseiess war
fare with them.
For years they stuhbornly maintained
their right 20 Texas by beating hack with
the one hand their hereditary foes. the
Comanches. Kiowas and ArapahoeS on the
north, while with the other they repelled
the Spanish invaders in the south. Then
came Anglo-Saxon civilization. erowding
them from the east. bringing in its train a
foe new 70 them and which they had no
means Of con5stting-rum and smallpox.
Between the upper and the neither mill
stone they We're gradually pulverized until
they we're glad TO accept a reservation in
the Indian Territory set apart for them
by the government. not far from the VII
lagos OF the Comanches. The advent OF
the Tonkawas into the territory created thu
most intense excitement among the other
tribes, and II needed the utmost efforts of
the government to prevent a hostile out
break from taking place. Then~came the
war Of the rebellion. and the United States
troops were withdrawn Immediately fol-
lowing the withdrawal OF the troops rum
ners were sent out from the villages Of the
Comanches 70 the camps Of the Kiowas.
ArapahSA and Cheyennes and three days
after the troops had left. the village Of
the Tonkawas was attacked by ovarWhelm-
ing numbers Of their fees.
Magnidcently did the ToRkawas sustain
their ancient reputation as warriors. Tight
ing back 20 back. and behind every tree
4 cd Wi
VAR cry and shot for shot. All day the
battle RACED. the Tonkawas fighting for
life. and their enemies for hatred and ven
geance. ami when the sun had set the
TonkawaS as a tribe We're wiped ont Of eN-
istence, with the exception of handful or
200 Of their brsvest warriors, who. placing
their old chief Castro in their midst. sue
ceeded I'm cutting their way through the
circle Of their foes and escaping 70 Texas
and thence TO Mexico where they took M
their abode with their friends. the Iipans,
taking squaws from them.
At the close OF the war between the
states and when the United States troops
commenced 70 reoccupy the abandoned
posts on the frontier. the Tonkawas re-
turned to Texas and located on the Clear
Fork OF the BRACES river, close TO fort
Griffin. 70 the comma nding officer OF which
post they offered their services as guides
and scouts in return for rations and pro
lection and much of the success which
subsequently attended Gen. Ronald $ Mac
Kennels expeditions was in great meas
ure due to their services.
II was the custom OF the commanding
officer az Fort Griffin to send out small
parties Of Indian scouts under charge or
non-comnis stoned officer to look for trails
Of maraudng parties OF host.les, under In
structions that when trail was found 10
send back word 10 the post and keep on
the trail leaving II az plain as possible. so
that the troops might readily follow
The morning sun was casting long shad-
ows through the buildings at Fort Griffin
on brigh. day IN August. -, when
scouting party such as above described
left the post. In front rode a sergeant ana
three troopers Of the United States cav
airy. ana following them was the CUB
chief and fifteen OF the hravest warriors Of
the TonkawAs. The chief who rode in adj
vance was mounted upon small scrub
panv hut led BY a RATA a beautiful, clean
lirnted re4n-cotored war pony. lie was a
remarkably handsome man. with strongly
marked aqui'ine features In his scalp
lock we're three eagle feathers, and s1is-
pended from i were circular silver plates
VARYING from one the size OF a saucer At
the back Of the head 70 one the size of q
dime that rested on the ground when he
stood IN His arms consisted az Spencer
reneatire carbine and revolvers. and slung
across his back was his bow. culver ~ ar
rows and long and murderous- looking
lance Hanging about his neck by buck
SKIN strap was his circular shield Or
double tbicknesses 81 buffalo hide elanor-
asclv decorated with piumes.
The other warriors were armed and
eaulfnes as vas the chief. but with n0F 20
much pretension.
camp was made that night on = small
tributary # the C1ncho river and day
Hsht the following morning found them on
the march again. bat now the advance is
changed. The troopers are marching In
tbe rear and the scouts are scattered Ont
ike a fan n front As they reach the tor
~ each ridge IN their front they halt and
scan the country with eyes that need NJ
telescope 70 AID them. At noon they were
seen 70 HIATT arf gather about the chief
and upon the soldiers joining them they
were informed that the ranch % a settler
was a snort distance ahead. leaving the
scouts 70 follow. the sergeant and his men
rode down "a the ranch and there nor
riaie slzht met their gaze. Lying upon
the doorstep vas the dead and mnfi.sief
fsofv az an infant It's brains beaten oht
AGAINST the doorpcst. Inside and stretched
upon the foor with lance driven throHE 2
her body was she woman or the house stiil
sIivs Tandertv she was removed to fhe
nod ana everything possible done for her.
rUt 3. about fifteen minutes she was dead
she found strength enough - say that her
husband and his hve cowboys had ieft her
ahout o'ci0ck % look for some missing
horses and about tw1 hours after she vas
surprised while doing her houseRoFS -
tsrA Of about thirty Indians, who after
tIpgnr her babe had left her az she vas
found
Placing the dead infant IN the arms ~
SIS -rother and leaving a note FOR The be
yeaved husband reciting ne facts and
stating that he would foiiog the tran -
ire hostiles ard fight them = found, the
sergeant cal.ed a council - MS scouts and
rlares ihs facts before them. stating mat
n would Re useless 70 send back for troops,
a-4 .h.t ~ proposed, y they were wiliiRE
70 f5iow A. once. - the nosti.es eotla ~
- a short distance ahead. ard ~ the IN
ex,s-,eFress q the attack overcome the
; disparity IN numbers
slowly ana deliberately the pine Tasse7
( z-7ar4 ire circle % warriors ana then thf
Youngest Of them arose. and placing DIS
right han1 upon his breast. said. 4 am
man. 7 will So
Z one after the other the scouts arose aH.
saf5 fha same. uutii Il came - ne ent~f
who. after making narahs1@ y n'A Aoi
( I1w,e~e. arose aud sas3,
+ .-r1,a Commences are EquaVf, trey hzh'
vr3sn women and children nave TAKEN
re white nan o. the hand re - ~
f~sA-a re will strike the coma ncslss WIZ
arr hands. Let "a x
TIE trail vas lramsalzfely taken ~ -
followed until evening. when nat VA
E raa1a % grIzs me an4'na7- 49, so
{ s.vg, u vas agaiu taken -. ard nat7s 20
stanss-g that the night w8s FnoonieE
"a 80 dark fast hardly anything could ~
80 ~ Nsg fcla1Ned rs the ec0ufs Eiti
s,ne~riur saxaclty hy feeling for H.
Ths chief and three q his ~ trailfr