The morning times., 1896-12-20

A any rate they know that the old fort
has stood almost since La Sales time.
Many think that it was built by the hardy
priest himself one OF his chain OF
fortreSSes stretching from Canada TO New
Orleans, designed to protect the terri
tories of France from the SpaniardS OF
Mexico.
Another tradition says that it was
built by young FrenchInan, named st,
Denis, who : believed 10 have established
a republic in the western wildS and main
tanned himself against the French on enc
side, the SpaniardS on the other, and the
Indians OH all sides, until he was killed
in battle. This st. Denis. the tradition
runs. fled from France in the last decade
of The scvent eenth century because or
some political offenSe, and took refuge
with the French colonists of New Orleans.
lie was forced to leave New Orleans for
similar offense, and this time lac sought
a retreat among the friendly Natchez In
dianS. whose assistance he secured partly
because he was helpless and partly be
cause he alw ays dealt fairly with them
He attracted to his side many restless
spirits from the French colonies ut New
Orleans and along the Texas shore of the
Gulf and many buccaneers who We're forced
to give up their piratical practices in the
Gulf and take to the woods to escape
French and Spanish men-of-war. He ruled
these men with n rod of iron and sue
ceeded II resisting the power OF the Mexican
viceroy and the French governor OF Louis
lana until his death, when for want of il
leader as capable as himself his little gov
ernment dissolved.
This legend Is not very well authenticated,
because st. Denis left no traces in the shape
of documents behind him. There are, how
ever, numerous inscriptions on the walls,
some in French and some in Latin which.
in the absence of better proof of st. Denis
occupancy. are accepted as evidence tlat
he really lived there. 1t is said that st.
Denis body was buried in the fort, but his
bones were never discovered. While the
war for Texas independence was in prog
ress two old 'arquebuses of the seventeenth
century pattern and the silver scabbard of
an old broadSword were unearthed by q
man who was digging near the walls OF
the fort. These relics are now in the pos
session OF an aged citizen of NacoSdoches
who went into Texas from Tennessee back
in the '20s.
The first Texas pioneers who crossed
Arkansas from Tennessee before the battle
of New Orleans was fought found the old
fort a rt ofless yellow ruin. and built their
settlement about it, They patched it up
and made it their arsenal and place OF
refuge in times of trouble. The Indians,
incited by the Mexicans of the South, We're
often hostile. and many time the pioneers
hustled their women and children within
it's protecting walls while they went out
into the forests to teat off hostile band
of KickapCos or Comanches. Years before
Houston or Austin went to Texas the old
fort was the scene Of furious battles and
thrilling tragedies. The pioneers held their
| own until their numf erS had been increased
| to thousands by the arrival of newcomers
| from the East and South, and they We're
| able tc begin their war for independence.
Nacogdoches was for a while the seat of
| the new government, and the scene "
| struggles fiercer than any which marked its
! earlier history. While Houston Austin
Crockett and Fannin were fighting the
! MeXicans at San Antonio and along the
| Trinity and Colorado rivers, another band
| of Americans was holding NacogdecheS
| against hordes of Indians inCited to hos
tilty by the agent of Santa Anna. Their
| position was desperate one, for they had
| fewer rifles and were fighting an enemy
far more skilled in border warfare than
| the vain Santa Anna. Had they been
| overcome the Indians would have been
| free to attack Houston and Austin, and
| these generals, hemmed in by redskins
| OH one side ana the MeXicanS on the other
| would unQuestionably have been destroyed
But the heroes at Nacogdochcs Were com.
| mande ed by Il man well fitted for desperate
| enterprise This man was Kelsey Harris
| Douglass, a Tennessee pioneer, who had
| settled in Texas in the early part of the
| century. Before the war was begun he
| ran trading post at Nacogdochcs. lie haf
! always been fair in his dealings with the