The Southern herald., 1910-04-22


- E1 and a hundred others have the
map for their monument; their
names are given daily utterance
- by those for whom their deeds
have little meaning
In the beginning after the Indian tribes
friendly at frst-became hostile the warfare
was almost solely with the savages. For a
full halfcentury every settler who built his
campfire on the frontier did so at the risk OF
his property and his scalp. Those who estab-
lished homes and settlements must have been
daring race indeed. for raids upon horses
and herds were always imminent and massa-
cres were as regular as the seasons.
The mother of Chief Quanah Parker (still
living1 for whom the town Of Quanah. Tex, was
named, was Cynthia Ann Parker, a little white
girl captured by the Tehaucano Indians, during
a raid on what was known as the Austin col
ony, In 1886. A brief story Of that raid will
serve as an example Of thousand others Of
similar sort. The Austin colony settled in
what is now Grimes county and consisted Of
something more than a score Of persons. In
cludng women and children. The Indians
who dwelt in the neighborhood seemed friend
ly enough until small party Of unknown set
tiers came along and attempted to steal their
horses. Immediate trouble was the result and
the loss Of Tehaucano friendship for the entire
settlement. When the reader considers what
follows, believe shall be forgiven for hoping
that those newcomers who stirred up the first
trouble received the sort of reward which
only an Indian would know how to confer
AS the Austin colony consisted chiefly of
the Parker family, rude fertilization which
they erected was called Fort Parker, name
that to-day still suggests something of shud-
daring horror n rhosa who have heard ita his
tory.
1t was a fair May morning when that his
tory was made. The early risers noticed that
a body of restless Indians had collected within
about 400 yards of the fort. white flag was
holsted by the savages to signify their peace
able intentions and a warrior approached as
II for conference BENJAMIN Parker, COM
mander Of the fort, went out to meet him. He
came back presently with the word that he
believed the Indians intended to fight. He re-
turned, however to the hostile camp, where
he was at once set upon and literally chopped
to pieces by the savages, who then with wild
yels and blood-curdling warwhoops charged
on the fort. Some OF the inmates had already
left the stockade Others we're trying to
escape. John Parker and wife and a Mrs.
Kellogg were overtaken q mile away. Parker
was killed and scalped; his wife was spared
md Mrs Kellogg was made captive Other
,embers of the colony were butchered right
d left and mutilated in the barbarous fash
which seems to give an Indian Joy Sias
ker was brutally killed and his two chill
one Of whom was the little girl, Cynthia
were carried away. A Mrs. Plummer-
liter of Rev. James w. Parker-attempted
scape, carrying her little son in her arms.
luge painted savage, begrimed with dust
nd blood, overlook her. felled her with a hoe,
and seizing her by the hair dragged her, still
clinging to her child, back amid the butchery
and torture Of her friends She and the others
who were living were beaten with clubs and
lashed with rawhide thongs. That night such
of the captives as remained alive, and these
included three children, were flung face down
in the dust, their hands bound behind their
backs, while the Indians, waving bloody scalps
and shriekng, danced about them and beat
them with their bows until the prisoners we're
strangling with their own blood Later they
took the infant child Of Mrs. Plummer and
slowly choked 1t before her eyes. When 1t was
not quite lead they flung 1t again and again
fnto the air and let 1t fall on the stones and
earth. Then they tied rope around its neck
and threw its naked body into the hedges Of
prickly pear, from which they would jerk 1t
fiercely with demoniacal yells. Finally they
fastened the rope attached to its neck to the
,ommel Of a saddle and rode round and round
circle until the body of the child was lit
rally in shreds The poor fragments were
en- thrown into the mothers lap. For some
lson the little girl, Cynthia Ann Parker, re-
we'd better treatment and lived. She grew
an Indian, forgot her own race and tongue
ried chief and became the mother of an
chief Quanah, surnamed Parker, today
end of the white race.
was tie massacre of Fort Parker and
I of q similar nature that resulted in the
cation Of the Texas Rangers. The
s we're at first a semi-offcial body
enlisted and commanded, with regula-
nd duties not very clearly defined
lrpose, however, was not in doubt. 1t
defend life and property and their
lilcations were to be able to ride and
"a stand up against the warfare Of
y savages
innate the Indians" became watch
csc days and the warfare that en-
lntinued for 40 years can be COM
nothing in history unless 1t be
'cs feuds of the ancient Scottish
S36 Texas fought for and gained
nee the only state in the Union
triumph. In the following