The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-14

Tn the fall of 1883. the Parker family moved from Cole County, Illinois. tc Texas. The elder Parker was Vir- ginian by birth. He lived for while in Georgia, but reared his family prin- cipally in old Bedford County, Tennes- see. It was from this county, in 1slS that he moved to Illinois then Q coun- try far West. To speak of Texas. even in the thirties. was but to mention the land toward the setting sun It had far, far away sound. Hut the elder Parker and his sons dreamed of the distant lands on the frontier. They chose to build their altar-fres in bowling wilderness. And what is more strange. they were distined to be mas sacred by the Comanches whose savage braves would some day be ruled by the blood of the very family they sought to wipe out in that terrible raid.
 Built Parker'a Fort.
 These pioneers built Parker's Fort on the head-waters of the Navasota, and about sixty niles above the settlements. It was block house, built about a mile west of the river, and about two and one-half miles northwest of tn" present site of Groesbeck. The fort was established in 1884. At the time the Indians made their deadly raid-- May 19, 1s36--the following were In the fort: the Parkers, Plummers, Nixons, Keli"ggs. Frosts. Dwights and the Faulkenb bergs; Mrs. Duty. Silas Bates and Abram Anglin-- representing twen- ty-two adults and some fifteen or more children. They were all in the fort on the night of May 1s--the night before that terrible raid.
 It was 9 o'clock on the morning of May 19. 1836--that t. ..tgic day. like so many others that have made Texas a soil hallowed by her martyrs blood. What would her mighty history be were it not for these bloody chapters that tell of the fall of forts and recount the heroism on such fields as Goliad and San Jacinto! To tell the story of these battles and her Alamo around the fire side Is to teach her sons that they're born of Spartan blood.
 James W. Parker, nixon. the two Falkenburgs. Bates and Anglin. were off in the fields in Navasota bottom. Suddenly, as If rising from the very dust, hundreds of Indians were seen riding toward the fort. They came within three hundred yards and. having halted. raised a white flag. Benjamin Parker went out to treat with them. He came back and said he believed the Indians intended to fight. but that he would treat with them again. He went but never returned. Pandemonium set In. Amidst savage screeches and blood curdling war-whoops, the whole band charged the fort now defended by only two men. Execution was speendy and horrible It was the common story Of an Indian massacre.
 From this said rehearsal let us turn away to follow the fortunes of those few who lived to be even led into. cap tivity. For there was a mother who was compelled to lift her nine-year- old daughter Cynthia Ann. and her little boy. John, up behind a warrior. The Indian turned his pony's head to the far away Comache land. As he faded from view, Cynthia Ann was torn from her mothers arms only some day to rock on her own bosom tawny babe born to rule the warriors that stole his mother from the whites in the years on long ago.
 Slayer of Parker.
 Mrs. Kellogg was taken captive and fell into the hands of the Keechis. Six months thereafter some Delawares bought her from these Indians for $150. They carried her to Nacogdochos. where General Sam Houston paid them ran som of $150--all they paid and all they asked. One of the most revolting crimes at the fall of the fort was the murder of the elder Parker. Having surrounded him with his family, they stripped, tomahawked and scalped him before their sight. On the way to Na- cogdoches one of Mrs. Kellogg's res- cuers slightly disabled a skulking In-