The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-29

, On the 18th day OF June. 1919. General
James Long left Natchez. Miss. with a
, lu,ee oil thirty armed men to come to the
"Huerness OF Texas, for what purnose n
not necessary AT this time to discuss
ueneral Longs small force was recruited
aiong the route from z-ychez to Texas.
gnu "nen ne arrived at Nacogdoches, II
NUMBERED three hundred men, Here he
naiteu' set up an independent government
and formed his plans for operatinr in The
west, He divided his forces and stationed
,nem along the Brazos and Trinity rivers.
lie ordered Captain Randall Jones. with
lotce OF twenty-one men, to the mouth
vi the Nayasota, on tho Brazos, with in
srucuons to halt. erect fortifcations and
construct boats with which to conmunl-
cate With his scattered forces, TO trade
WIN the indians and to explore ihe river.
some authorities state that IL was Can
.hln James Walker who was sent in COM
mana OF the detachment instead OF Jones'
All accounts. however. concur. that
whether Jones or Walker, that the adven-
turefs, who possessed matchless courage
II no other good quality, were attacked by
superior force of Mexican soldiers before
enelr purpose was accomplished, and dis
perseu on the 10Th of October, some OF
.hem returning to Louisiana. All au-
thorllles are agreed in another statement.
la
KIND OF permanent headquarters or port at
thai particular place. Whatever the truth
OF 'he matter may be as to who command
eu TINS force, from this Incident dIsas-
trous as 1t was, the history OF the town
Oh washington begins. and the 21T of
June. 1872 the first time this place OF
patrlouc memories figures In Texas his
tory' captain Walker named the town
La Bahaia, after the crossing on the
BraZOS. caDtaiu JarL IToi - T,o.o,
IN 1872 and went from Nacogdoches to San
antonio with party OF Americans to
ald Mexico In its revolt against Spain. The
Z party travelled the old San Antonio road
IRON the Trinity river, but in returning
10 Nacogdoches. they travelled the Labadie
road trcm Goliad. which crossed the
I brazos near this place. He was Impress
ed with The place. as will be noticed in the
course of events, and may have conceived
the idea of founding a town at this place
at that time; il so, the matter was allow
y cd TO lie dormant from 1872 to 1S32 June
1919, Is the time from which the town
may date its wonderfully interesting his
/ tory.
Two years later in 1921, Andrew Robin
son and James w. Hall landed on this
place and located In that year Andrew
robinson built the ferry across the river
which became an historic affair and con-
existence 1t swung presidents of the re-
public, judges of the courts aud thousands
OF distinguished statesmen and soldiers,
as well as travellers and prospectors across
that great stream. In the fall of 1922
John P. Coles. Amos Gates and some other
members of Austins colony located here.
Judge Coles settling three miles west of
the village and Gates four or five miles
/ below the present town. When the place
nj n ha
not show, but there was evidently some
thing oil village or trading center here
as far back as 1924 because Judge Gates
the first alcalde of the municipality of
Washington, came here frequently TO
transact official business. In 1924 Stephen
f. Austin and Baron De Bastrop granted
Andrew Robinson a half leagne of land
here as a colonist In 1892 Robinson con
yeyed to James W. Hall Gao acres out Of
his grant, the consideration being $1,000.
This deed was not recorded until Novem-
Der 49, 1885. The ferry was specially
exempted in the conveyance. Hall had
the townsite plated and surveyed In 1892
or 1888 and commenced the sale of lots
DR.. Asa Hoxie has the honor OF naming
the town. which he called after Washing
ton. Wilkes county Georgia. town
founded in 1852, and the first In the United |
States 10 be christened in honor OF George |
Washington. On the Gath of March. 1885. |
James Hall sold to Or. Asa Hoxie Thomas |
Gay and Miller & Somerv,lle three |
fourths interest in the town for $780, re- |
serving one fourth interest to himself and |
specially exempting the old ferry in the |
conveyance. The new pyoprietors pushed |
tbeir business and sold many lots In 1885 |
After the fall of the Alamo March 6. the |
Fannin massacre, March 27. 1896 and the |
news received by the colonies that Hous-
ton was retreating before the victorious |
Santa Anna. the widest CONSERVATION |
seized upon the people and the great |
stampede occurred 1t was the blacklist |
The most hopeless period in all the his |
tory OF Texas. Even the cows would low
restessly around the corrals. as If realizing
the sense OF danger The horses. it is
said, would raise their heads sniff the |
air, and neigh excitedly. The dogs. with |
tails tucked, would whine and hide them
selves away under the houses. Every man.
woman and child that could command an
animal of any kind or vehicle of any de-
scription, gathered little luggage ana |
started east of the Brazos 1t is said that
every human being left the town of Wash
ington except Jesse Lott who was keep
ing the hotel In the place. Well may
these defenseless people seek places OF
greater safety, for Santa Anna and his un-
checked murderers had put 20 deNh and
burned the bodies OF every Texan who had |
fallen into their hands up 10 that time. /
recall an Incident Of that never to be for
gotten stampede related to me by Mrs.
Ann II. Winfield. She was making her
way horseback toward the Trinity river
with her servants Mrs. John G. Garyy
of Houston. then an infant three or four
months old. was in her arms Hanging 10
the horn of her saddle was an old-fash-
Toned carpetsaek In which she had put
revolver. Riding along In the Brazns