C opyr igh t 1 92 1 E E B N . G EN y R A M R ,

i h t e s r e d All R g s R e v . DEDICATION .

n There are twelve of us in all , my h u s b a d and I , and

— - ten children s i x living and six in the Spirit land .

To the memory of the dear ones who have gone befo r e ,

- I dedicate these reminiscences of b y gone years .

MARY A . MAVERICK

PREFA CE. — This littl e book is written for my chil dren they have often requested me to put into shap e th e notes and memo randa wh ich I have j otted down during the early days .

I have based the following history of my family , and of events near us , upon my own , and up on , transpiring ’ h e some of Mr . M averick s notes , which were made at t

‘ time . I have drawn somewhat from family tradition , from letters written contemporaneously , occasionally I from books of authority for dates , and h ave not failed to consult with many of the survivors of those early days .

I have in some instances relied on my memory , but not often . I trust it will be of use in cementing my d e s c e n dants together in the distant future , as they are now united in the spirit of kindly kinship . I am so impressed with the idea that the work will b e useful in the influence indicated , and that my allotted time on earth is drawing toward its ending , that in my ol d days I have roused m y u self p , have experienced again the j oys and the sorrows of those dear ol d times , and now , my dear children , the “ work is finished . Jesus said : I must work the work of

Him that sent me , whil e it is day ; the night cometh , wh e n ” no man can work .

MARY A . MAVERICK . 1 San Antonio , Texas , March , 1 8 8 . Conte nts

Ch a p te r — I . Family History Ancestors 7

II . Early M arried D ays .

III . Ho , For the Lone Star

’ IV . Tonkawa Indians

V . San Antonio de Bexar

VI . Comanche Indians II V . D octor W eideman

VUI . Comanches and a D uel

IX . Family History Resumed

XI . Perote

XII . Colorado River Bottom s

XIII . Life on the Peninsul a

XIV . The Angel of Death

XV . O ur New Home on Alamo Plaza

XVI . Concl usion

Letters , etc . Chapter I . — FAMILY HISTORY ANCEST ORS .

0 Y maid en name was M ary Ann Adams . I was 1 u k lo born March l 6th 1 8 8 , in T s a os a County .. , , Alabama . My parents were W illiam Lewis Adams ,

of Lynchburg , and his wife Agatha Strother Lewis , of * ‘ Botetourt County , both of the state of Virginia .

s s c h u My father was son of Robert Adams , from M a a setts , and his wife Mary Lynch , of Lynchburg , Virginia .

John Lynch , brother of M ary Lynch , was one of the lead ing men of Lynchburg . My mother was a member of an extensive and well known family in Virginia . John Lewis , the founder of the Lewis family in America , married M argaret Lynn , daughter of the Laird of Loch Lynn , Scotland . General

Andrew Lewis was the second son of the union . He was a prominent man in Colonial days , and a particul ar friend * of Washington . His wife was Elizabeth Givens . He commanded the C olonial forces at the great Indian battle of Point Pleasant , where the savages were totally over thrown , and where his younger brother , Col onel Charles

Lewis , distinguished for gall antry , was killed . Upon the

suggestion of General Washington , General Andrew Lew is was appointed a Brigadier General in the American

Army, on the breaking out of the Revol utionary war . He 1 7 0 was then prematurely old , and died in 8 , having

- p assed his sixty second ye ar . His statue was placed in the wel l known group , by the Sculptor Crawford , in the Capitol Grounds at Richmond , Virginia , wh ere my son George M adison and I saw it in 1 8 7 6

* w o a n o e o n t No R k C u y . ’ * i n n h e t ol 1 a te r e o or oo e e t Th e n o f t e V . Se e Th d e R s v l s , W i g W s , , Ch p s I I X VII , VI I, . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

William Lewis , of Fincastl e , Botetourt County , Virginia , my grandfather , was th e youngest son of General An

drew Lewis . He married Lucy Madison , in Washing ton 1 ’ County, Virginia , in 78 8 . Lucy Madison s parents were

John Madison and Agatha Strother Madison . John Madi son was first cousin of James M adison , President of th e

United States . A son of John Madison , James Madison , was President of W illiam and Mary C oll ege , and Bishop

n of Virginia . A other son , George M adison , married a sis ter of Chief Justice M arsh all of the Unite d States Su prem e Court and became afterwards Governor of Ken

. a n d tucky John Madison had another son , Rollin , several

daughters , one of whom was Lucy , as above stated . From this marriage of John Lewis and Lucy M adison were bor n

two chil dren , Agatha Strother , my mother , a n d Andrew . 1 7 92 My grandmother died in , and by a second marriage , M c Cla n a h a n with Ann , my grandfather had other chil dren .

Samuel Augustus M averick , my husband , was born 2 3 r d 1 July , 8 03 , at Pendl eton , South C arolina . His p arents were Samuel Maverick and his wife Elizabeth Anderson .

She was the daughter of General Robert Anderson , of h Sout Carolina , and of Revol utionary note , and his wife

Ann Thompson of Virginia . Samuel Maverick was once a prominent merchant of Charl eston , S . C. , where he had raised himself from the almost abj ect poverty , to which the war of the Revol ution h ad reduced his family , to a p osition of great affluenc e . It is said of him that he sent E ventures to the Celestial mpire , and that he shipped the first bal e of cotton from America to Europ e . Some mer c a ntile miscarriage caused him subsequently to withdraw from , and close out , his business , and h e retired to Pendle * ton D istrict in the north west corner of South Carolina , at the foot of the mountains . Here he sp ent the balance of his days , and invested and speculated largely in lands in

South Carolina , Georgia and Alabama . The—Mavericks entered America at thre e prominent points Boston , New York and Charleston , South Caro

* Now o n e e o n t Oc C u y . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

lina . It seems the New York family came during the r s American Revol ution , and were not rel ated to the othe . The Mavericks of Boston and Charleston were probably

closely related , at any rate they must have been of the same family in England . Samuel is a family name with — them the Boston family had many Samuels , as also the

Charleston family . A Samuel M averick was shot by the 5th 1 7 British , in the Boston massacre M arch , 7 M uch of the history of the Boston M avericks is to be fo und in ” a book entitled History of East Boston by W illiam H . 1 Sumner , publishe d 8 5 8 . In that book is the following statement : W ith the destruction of the town records , at the burning of Charlestown on June 1 7th , 1 775 , were lost the only means of making a full genealogical account of the Maverick family .

The Charl eston , South Carolina , branch of the family preserved no regular records— some few facts and some traditions are all we have l eft . Samuel M averick , father of my husband displayed a coat of arms , and he occasion ally spoke of an ancestor , M argaret Coyer , who was a i n Huguenot , banished from France , and from whom he h r i e e t d the privilege . He calle d his place in Pendl eton ,

M ontp elier, for her ancestral home in South ern France . I have no doubt Samuel M averick had many ol d family papers and memoranda in his house , which were destroy ed when the house burned do wn in 1 84 Many incidents in my husband ’ s life I do not allude to “ in this book , for they are mentioned in the Eulogy on the ” Life and Character of Honorable Samuel A . Maverick delivered O ctober 1 8 70 , before the Al amo Literary Anton i o T e x a s . Society of San , . , by George C upples , M . D

* T h e C omm on we a lth o f Ma s s a chus e tts e r e cte d a mon ume n t which s ta n ds on “ ” Bo ton o m o n t o th e o r h e o to n a s a r e s C m e m m y o f t e four m n kil l e d i n th e B s M s c , on e o f o wa s th e o t Sa e a e r wh m y u h , mu l M v ick . 1 0 V MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MA ERICK

Chapter II .

EARLY MARRIED D AYS .

4 h 1 8 3 6 N Thursday , August t , A . D , at my wid ’ owed mother s home and plantation , thre e miles

north of T u s k a lo os a , Alab ama , I was married to

Samuel A . Maverick , of the Rep ublic of Texas , formerly

of Pendl eton , South Carolina , Reverend Mathews , of ’ 8th Christ s Episcopal Church officiating . On the , we

l eft for a visit to Shelby Springs of one mo nth , thence to

Talladega Springs , and a few days visit to Judge Short ’ i n ridge s . Here we met his daughter, my classmate and timate friend , Mrs . E . A . Lewis , wife of D r . Hamilton is Lewis of Mobile . Maggie Shortridge , sister of Mrs . Lew ,

soon after married Dr . Philip Pearson of South Carolina ,

and they moved to Victoria , Texas , and thence settl ed on r m n Caney , near the H a d e a s .

From Talladega we went to Florence and Tuscumbia ,

and visited on the pl antation six miles from Florence , Mr s .

Joseph Thompson , sister of Mr . Maverick . We sp ent three or four days there , and one day with my aunt , Mrs .

John Bradley , also one day with Uncl e John Lewis , r e ’ turning to mother s in O ctob er . January 1 8 3 7 we went to

Mobile and New Orleans , and rode eight miles on the railroad from Lake Pontchartrain to the City of New Or — leans the first railroad I ever saw , and the first built in ’ the south . W e returned to mother s on February 2 8th . 1 2 h 1 8 ’ On March t , 3 7 , we l eft mother s again , this time in our own carriage , to visit Father Maverick in South “ ” ’ Carolina . We arrived at Montpelier , Father s place on 1 9th , and had a most j oyful reception . Father had not “ ” s een his only son Gus , for such was he called by his “ r — elatives , and by the colored pe opl e , M ars Gus , for

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 1 1

several years . He had in fact , at one time , co unted and “ ” mourned him as lost in the fall of the Alamo in Texas .

We were treated with the greatest affection . Father fond ly hop ed to induce his son to settl e there . He offered to give him “ Montpelier”—mills vineyards orchards lands — , — , , , and shops if he would accept them o r another place ,

: Gibbs , a new styl e ho use and improvements but all in vain , for my husband dreamed constantly of Texas , and “ ” said : We must go back . Poor father looked sad and afflicte d at the mention of o ur going , and so we said very littl e about it , and agree d to stay as long as Mr . Maverick could . 1 4 1 8 3 7 s on Here , on Sunday , M ay th , , was born our

Sam .

We spent a pl easant summer with father , who was very fond of us all , and especially of baby . Father had three — children living at this time m y husband , his only son , and two daughters , Elizabeth and Lydia . Elizabeth mar ried Mr . Joseph Weyman and ha d three children by that — marriage Elizabeth , now Mrs . Dr . G . J . Houston , living in San Antonio , Texas , Joseph B . and Augustus . Her hus s h band died and e married Mr . Thompson , from which union were born Samuel and Josephine , now Mrs . Hardin , of M emphis , Tennessee .

His other daughter Lydia marrie d Mr . William Van

Wyck , of New York City .

But , notwithstanding the endearments hel d out to us by

Father, my husband adhered , without flinching , to his p urpose of uniting his destiny with Texas . At l ast he set the time for departure and made every preparation for a n great j our ey by land to the new El Dorado . 1 2 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter III .

HO , FOR THE LONE STAR $

N the 1 4th day of October 1 8 3 7 baby five months “ ” ol d , we bade goodbye to M ontpelier and th e

servants and set off for Texas . Father ae com a ni e d p us half a day, and it was a sad sight to witness h i s

grief when he at last parted with his son . My heart ached

. i n M r . for the dear old man We travelled a carriage , M averick driving and nurse Rachel and baby and myself

' the other occupants . In a wagon with Wil e y as driver was

Jinny , our cook to be , and her four chil dren . Reached ’

Mother s about the last of O ctober , and stopp ed with h e r about six weeks , making final preparations . Mother con sented to l et my youngest brother Robert go to T e xa s with u s—h e was fifteen , but slight and pale , having been quite sick during the fall . My brother W illiam was already in

Texas . 7th 1 8 3 D ecember , 7 we set off for Texas . With heavy h earts we said goodbye to Mother , and my brothers and sister . Mother ran after us for one more embrace . She “ : held me in her arms and wept aloud , and said Oh , Mary , ”

. I will never see you again on Earth I felt heartbroken, and often recalled that thrilling cry ; and I have never b e held my dear Mother again .

O ur party was composed of four whites , counting baby , and ten negro es . The negroes were four men , Griffin , im — i nn Granvill e , W iley and Uncl e J two women , J y and ’ n nn Rachael , a d Ji y s four children , Jack , Betsy , Lavinia ’ and Jane . Uncl e Jim was Robert s man , Griffin , Gran vill e and Rachael belonged to me , a gift from my M other , ’ and the others were Mr . Maverick s individual prop erty . r We had a large carriage , a big Kentucky wagon , th e e extra saddl e horses and one blooded filly . The wagon carried a tent , a supply of provisions and bedding , and the

14 MEMOIRS OF MARY A MAVERICK

Washington we went to Columbus , on the C olorado , and thence about due south towards the Lavaca River .

Now came a dreadful time ; about January 2 6th , we

- entered a bl eak , desolate , swamp prairie , cut up by what “ ” c ll r were a e d d y bayo us , i . e . deep gullies , and now a l _ most full of water . This swamp , crossed by the Sandy , “ ” M ustang and the head branches of the Navidad , was ’ fourteen miles wide . We had p assed Mr . Bridge s , the last house before we got into this dre adful prairie , and ’ had to cross the Navidad b efore we got to Mr . Ke e r s , the n ext habitation . Every step of the animals was in water ,

- sometimes knee deep . We stalled in five or six gullies , th e and each time wagon had to be unl oaded in water, rain and north wind and all the men and animals had to work together to pull out .

The first Norther I ever experienced struck us here this norther was a terrific howling north wind with a fine rain , blowing and penetrating through clothes and bl ank ets—never in my life had I felt such cold We were four , days crossing this dreadful fourteen miles of swamp . The first day we made three mil es and that night my mattress floated in water which fell in extra quantities during th e night . The baby and I were tolerably dry ; al l the others were almost constantly wet during the four weary monotonous days—but no one suffered any bad effects from the great exposure , and Mr . M averick kept cheerful all the while and was not a bit discouraged that we coul d se e—said that water was better than mud to p ull in and ’ that we were only eight or nine mil es from K e e r s . O ur corn had given out and our provisions were about gone when , on the 3 oth , we re ached the Navidad . The men “ hollooed at a great rate and , after l ong continued call ing men app eared on the opposite bank Soon we were , ferried over, and were all warmed , comforted , fed and

. treated like kinfolk . Mrs Keer and Miss Sue Linn were ever so nice to us .

h r February 4t , we reached Sp ing Hill , M aj or Suth ’ erland s on the Navidad , where we all , except Mr . M aver MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 1 5

ick , remaine d until 2 nd of June . Mr . M averick went on

’ to see whether it was safe to take us to S a n Antonio . H e ’ also visited C ox s p oint on Matagorda Bay , opposite La vaca , with a view of possibly locating there . There he owned land , but he decided in favor of San Antonio . In ’ February , at Sutherland s , two of our horses froze to 1 th death in a norther . April 8 , Mr . M averick went to e N w Orleans to p urchase furniture , cl othing , provisions , etc . , for b eginning housekeeping , and returned to us in

May .

At Spring Hill boarded Mrs . Boylston , a young widow — , with her son , also Captain Sylvester , from Ohio , who ‘ i o had captured Santa Anna after the b attl e of San J a c nt , ‘ and C aptain Peck of the Louisiana Greys , who was engage d to b e married to a niece of Mrs . Sutherl and ,

Miss Fannie M enifee , who live d beyond the Navidad and was the bell e of Jackson County . Fannie and I attended 2 1 st . a San Jacinto ball at Texana , on April Her broth er John M enifee , one of the hero es of th at battle , escorted us , and there was quite a gathering . Miss Fannie received ’ great att ention . In April , Maj or Sutherland s corn gave out , and he went over to Egypt for a supply . Egypt is on the Colorado , near Eagl e Lake . We call ed Mrs . Suther “ — land Aunt Fannie her eldest son William , a young An man of ninete en , j ust home from school , went to San tonio to l earn Spanish , and was killed with Travis at th e “ ” * 6th 1 8 3 6 Fall of the Alamo M arch , . I l earned from * ’ ’ r n c n t a t e r a s H i s . . 2 6 5 . n o ton o a r e o t o f Sa a o t . S e e Ge . H us s ffici l p J i b l Th ll P * T wo c omp a n i e s fitte d ou t by th e citi ze n s o f Ne w O r l e a n s to h e lp th e ’ a n a T e x s c us e . “ ” * h e M n f th e a o a o b e n a n fo r T h e Al a m o o r Chur ch o f t issio o Al m , Al m i g Sp ish T h or n e r s ton e co tto n o o t r e e w a s f o r e r l r r o n e b c otton oo . e c w d , m y su u d d y w ds

a 1 4 4 I t wa s a o a e on Sa n n ton o d e Ve l c r o e a u e i t wa s l id 7 . ls c ll d Missi A i , b c s

r e ove r r f h e r o o f Ne w S a n th e a r d e V e l c r o M a wa s m d by o de o t e Vic y p i , M quis , y

l s t 1 7 1 8 r o th e a n o f th e Ri o r a n e . , , f m b ks G d ‘ ’ T h f th e a o to o h o e n e r a r 2 zu d 1 8 3 6 . e a o T e fa m us si e g b e ga F b u y , F ll Al m k t o r a e o r 6 1 8 3 6 . O n e n r e a n d e e n t e a n pla ce Ma ch , hu d d s v y T x s wi h such c u g us “ ” le a e r a s T r a o e a Cr o ck e tt a n d on a e te r n e n e e r to d s vis , B wi , D vy B h m d mi d v

‘ n n n a ov e r wh e n or e o e a n d a ll sur r e n de r or r e tr e a t to S a ta A s lmi g f c s , ( s m e we r e kill d . n r t n i n 1 8 4 1 a T h e a o n ow i n r n a n d s o i t r e K e da ll w i i g s ys , Al m is ui s , “ ” n r r te n e a r o r o a te r th e a . I n a o t 1 8 4 9 a or a tt ma i e d fo thi e y s s f f ll b u M $ B bbi , ’ A s f i t a s a a r te r a t e r e o t a n d i n or e r to d o t h a d U . . . a e u e o S , m d $u m s s D p d his “ i e e o n m th e e r e r e o n tw o o r t r e e e e ton a lm o s t to r e buil d t . D p d w d b is w f u d h sk l s ‘ ’ t a t h a d e e n t e e n a t o e r e t r a te r th e a for t h vid ly b h s ily c v d wi h ubbish f f ll , wi h t e r o n fu r a a n d n tr a n un o t e r e c o f th h e m w e f u d c ps buckski ppi gs , d ub d li s e e ve r ” . or n i n Sa n n on n . S e e r d e e r 1 1 e o r a e a t ta e t o a . . m m bl l s s d Wm C A i B x , p 1 6 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK h er and the other ladies many thrilling tal es of the run ’ away times of 3 6 - when women and children fle d in terror before the advancing forces under Santa Anna savages who burnt and plun dered and committed all kinds of outrages . They tol d me it rained almost every day for six weeks of that dreadful time . “ ” One day , Ol d Bowls , Cherokee chief , with twelve or thirteen of his tribe , coming from Houston , camp ed at

Spring Hill , ne ar the house . After tea , we were dancing , “ ” - when Bowls came in dressed in a breech cloth , ankl ets , moccasins , feathers and a long , clean , white linen shirt , which had been presente d to him in Houston . He said the pretty ladies in Houston had danced with , kissed him and given him rings . We , however , begged to be excused and requested him to retire , when he in great contempt stalked out , and our dance broke up . Bowls tol d us Presi dent Houston had lived in his Nation , that he had given Houston his daughter for his squaw and had made h ifn “ ” a big chief : but that now he was no longer Cherokee , but “The Great Father” of the white men

n On Saturday , June 2 d we set off from Sprin g Hill for San Antonio de Bexar , in those days frequently c all ed simply which is now the name of the county only . Ten miles to Texana and three mil es to Dry Branch ’ — n r 1 2 o 3 d , miles to Natches and three mil es to D e Leon s — n rancho , on the Garcitas o the 4th , six mil es to Casa

Blanca and nine miles to Victoria , a village on the Gu a d lu e 5 h — a p . On the t , eight miles to Arroyo Coleto 6th , M a n a h ui lla twelve mil es to Arroyo , where a wagon

wheel broke , and Mr . Maverick went to Goliad to have it mended , but failing , we mended it as well as we * could with rawhide and false spokes . It was two or three miles north of the main road and east of the M a n a h u i lla , on Easter Sunday , March 2 7th , 1 8 3 6 , that Col . Fannin was surprised by the M exican Gen ’ eral Urrea . Urrea surrounded Fannin s forces with a

* T h e n a m e S a n An ton i o d e B e x a r s e e ms to ha ve b e e n us e d o n ly i n c o n n e cti on with th e p r e sidi o o r mili ta r y p o st of Sa n An ton io a b out 1 7 3 3 i n con tr a st to th e

v l a e o f Sa n n ton o d e e e r o . S e d e e a r . or n e r . il g A i V l e S . A . B x , Wm C * “ T e xa s co wb oys use d to s a y Te xa s is b oun d to g e th e r with r a whide . 1 7 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

a n largely superior force , (lately victors of the Alamo d l m s i la Travis) and , then offering honorab e ter of cap tu tion he induced Fannin , thinking to sp are bl oodshed , to surrender as prisoners of war his whol e force , consisting of four hundred and eighty men in all . They were march n ed to Goliad , and the next mor ing were formed into line and shot down in cold bl ood . Santa Anna had so ordered — Urrea refused to perform the bloody deed , but Col onel

G a vr i e , infamous name be it fore ver $executed the order

- 8 6 Fifty five escaped . On June 3 d , 1 3 , General Thomas J . i h Rusk coll ected and b u r e d t e bones , which had been ' l eft bleaching on th e plain after the bodies ha d been burnt . Gen . Rusk delivered a moving address over the “ ashes , bones and charred human flesh ; and there was not a dry eye in the soldier ranks . 7th June , we travell ed five mil es to Goliad , on the l eft bank of the San Antonio River , and camped in the ol d mission of La Bahia , VE 1 8 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MA RICK

Chapter IV .

TONKAWA INDIANS .

June 8th , we went eighteen mil es to Oj o de ’ gua , and nine miles to Harris s on the Ecl eto . th ’ he 9 , we went nine mil es from Harris s

place and our wagon bro ke down . Mr . M averick was hunt i ng in the San Antoni o Ri ve r bottom for wo od to mend the

wheel , when he met Mr . Harris , who , being a wheel

right , agreed to mend the wheel if we would take it back r to his place . Some of our p eop le were sick , and Robe t, n Griffin and Ji ni e had chills every second day , so we l eft the main party tented and went back with the wheel to ’ om m o Harris s . He was very kind , but had very poor a c c

dations and his cabin swarmed with fleas . He had two

very nice littl e daughters . Some weeks l ater, whil e the

girls were off visiting relatives , the Indians killed Mr .

Harris , burnt his home and took off his horses . h June 1 2 t , late in the afternoon , we reached camp

again , and were l oading up to move on two or three mil es

further to a better c amping plac e for the night , when sev

eral Indians rode up . They said M ucho Amigo , ( dear friend ) and were loud and filthy and manifested their i n

tention to b e very intimate . M ore and more came until $ we counted seventeen They rode in amongst us , looked

constantly at the horses , and it is no exaggeration to say ,

they annoyed us very much . They were Tonkawas ,

said they were j ust from a b attle , in which they were

victors , on the Nue ces River , where they had fought the

Comanches two days before . They were in war paint ,

and wel l armed , and displ ayed in triumph two scalps , one

hand , and several pieces of p utrid flesh from various ‘ par ts of the human body . These were to be taken P Y K P B Y K FIRST AGE OF DIAR E T S . A . MAVERIC AT Y ALE

2 0 E M MOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

cruel death . Th e Tonkawas were treacherous and cruel

and noted thieves and murderers .

It was well we did not trust them . I will give an op p os ite illustration of Indian treachery in an event which happened only ab out two weeks after this experience h 1 b f ours . On June 2 7th , or 2 8t , 8 3 8 , whilst a party con i n v s sti g of a sur eyor , chain bearers and others was sur i n ve y g on the Rio Frio , a p arty of Comanche Indians “ ” came to their camp saying Mucho Amigo , and asking for food . They were welcomed and sat down with th e

whites , and whilst all were eating together , the Indians sprang up suddenly, killed the surveyor, wounded a n other man and stampeded and stol e every one of their horses . 2 1 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter V .

SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAR .

E were now travelling up the valley of the San

Antonio River , occasionally p assing along the 1 3 l eft ban k of the river itself . June , sixteen ’ reek and three miles to Ar oc h e s ’ — 1 rancho near Erasmo Seguin s 4th , eight miles to Jesus ’ ’ Cantu s rancho on the arroyo Cal averas , passing several 1 5th other ranchos , el even miles to the Salado . Jun e , 1 83 8 nine mil es to “El Presidio d e San Antonio de Bex

ar . Senor D on Jose Casiano , whose rancho we passed , ha d offered us his city house until we had time to secure

another . This polite offer we accepte d and immediately ’

i n . occupie d Mr . Ca s a o s house , when we entered the town

This pl ace fronted on the Main Plaza (Plaza Maj or) , was bounded south by D olorosa Street and extended half way back to the Military Plaza . It is now covered by the * east half of the Hord Hotel . The front room of the house was then occupied by my a f brother William Adams as a store . He was so much “ ” fli c te d with the Texas fever that soon after my wedding he set o ut for San Antonio , travelling on horseback from

Galveston . Before reaching San Antonio , he d reamt several times of the town and its surroundings , and when he reached the hills east of town he was struck with the faithful resemblance between the reality and his

dreams . He looked up on it as something marvelous and n frequently spoke of his prophetic dreams . He was twe

t - y two then , and h e immediately determined to establish

himself as a merchant in San Antonio . He bought a horse

* r e e n t So t e r n ote . At p s , u h H l 2 2 I MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVER CK

which he named M exico or M ex” and rode him all the way back to T u s k a lo os a . William turn ed all his availabl e property in T u s k a lo os a into money, bought goods , brought them to San Antonio , rented the room of Casiano , and set “ ” up as a merchant . He rode back on the horse M ex , which horse by the way , Mr . Maverick afterwards bought , ” “ ” ’ and we used Mex in the run - away of 42 and when 4 W e removed from La Grange to the Peninsula in 1 84 ,

Mr . Maverick , after o ur arrival , p ut in some money with ’ William . Dr . Launcelot Smithers was William s cl erk and

success seemed certain , but Smithers sol d large amounts

on credit to M exicans i n Coahuila ; and , though the M ex

’ i c a n l s were we l to do , they never paid , and after eight e en months merchandizing William close d up without

realizing the capital invested . William left February 1 1 ’ st , 83 9, for M other s to bring out h is negros and try

farming . He returned with brother Andrew O ctob er , 1 3 9 8 . We lived in the Casiano house until about September l st, when we moved into a house north of , and adj oining ,

e r m n d b e the historic V a e i place . The house we rented i l onged to the H u i s a r s . H u s a r the ancestor carved the , — , beautiful doors for the San Jose Mission h e had quite a number of workmen under h im and was employed several years in the work . In the latter part of D ecember ,

M r . Maverick went to Mobile to get some money in the hands of John Aiken , his attorn ey . Aiken was then in ’ T u k a l o s o s . a , where , as Mr M averick s agent , he had sold to a Mr Brown for sixteen thousand dollars Mr . Maver , i k ’ c s business stores in that pl ace . Part of the money was paid down and Mr Maverick returned to us in Jan , uary .

1 8 3 9.

1 Early in February , 83 9, we had a heavy snow storm , the snow drifted in some places to a depth of two fee t, and on the north side of our house it l asted five or six L o k days . Anton c m a r rigged up a sl eigh and took some girls riding up an d down Sol edad Street . Early in Feb MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

r u a r y , we moved into our own house , at the north east corner of Commerce and Soledad Streets , being also the north east corner of the Main Plaza , (Plaz a M ayor . ) ’ n i ~ u l 4 This house remained our homestead u t l J y 9, over ’ ’ e n — 42 47 ten years , although five of the t years , from to , we wandered about as refugees . It was known as the Bar d rera pl ace , when Mr . Maverick p urchased it , and the de e dated January 1 9th , 1 8 3 9.

The main house was of stone , and had three rooms , one fronting south on Main Street and west on Soledad Street and the other two fronting west on Soledad Street —also a shed in the yard along the e ast wall of the house to n wards the north end . This shed we closed in with a adobe * wall and divided into a kitchen and servant’ s ’ room . W e also built an adobe servant s room on Sol edad

Street , l eaving a gateway between it and the main house ,

and we built a stabl e near the river . We built a strong but homely picket fence around the garden to the north and fenced th e garden off from the yard . In the garden were sixteen l arge fig trees and many

n rows of old pomegra ates . In the yard were several China trees , and on the river bank j ust bel ow our line in the D e l a Zerda premises was a grand ol d cypress , which we co uld touch through our fence , and its roots made ridges in our yard . The magnificent ol d tree stands there today . It made a great shade and we erected our bath house and wash place under its spreading branches .

O ur neighbors on the east , M ain or Commerce Street , Z 4 were the D e la erdas . In 1 8 0 , their place was leased to a h i a Greek , Roque Ca t d e , who kept a shop on th e street i and lived in the back rooms . He marr ed a pretty , bright eyed M exican girl of fourteen years , dressed her in j ewel r y and fine clothes and bought her a dil apidated piano h e was j ealous and wished her to amuse herself at home .

The piano had the desired effect , and she enj oyed it like a child with a new trinket . The fame of her piano went through the town , and , after tea , crowds would come to

* n r e r o te n i n S a n n ton o s o t ton e a a te r e Su d i d b icks , f A i , f s , usu lly pl s d on th e h r outside to p r ot e ct fr om t e w e a th e . 24 ME MOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

witness her performance . One night Mrs . Elliott and I took a p eep and we found a large crowd inside l aughing and applauding , and other envious ones gazing in from the street .

a O ur neighbor on the north , Sol edad Street , was Don Le oni c i o i n z . Juana Va r c e , and I must not omit her son She had cows and sol d me the strippings of the milk at twenty five cents p er gallon , and we made our butter from this .

Mrs . M c M u lle n was the only p erson then who made butter r e for sale , and her butter was not goo d , although she c e ive d half a doll ar per pound for it . Ol d Juana was a — kind old soul had the earliest p umpkins , a great deli

- cacy , at twenty five cents and spring chickens at twelve and a half cents . She opened up the spring gardening by scratching with a dull hoe some hol es ln $ which she plant — , ed pumpkin seed then later she pl anted corn , red pepper, garlic , onions , etc . She was continually calling to Leoni cio to drive the chickens out of the garden , or bring in the dogs from the street . She tol d me this answered two pur ’ — n p oses it kept L e o i c i o at home out of harm s way , and — gave him something to do . She had l ots of dogs one fat , lazy p el on (hairl ess dog ) sl ept with the old lady to keep ’ her feet warm . W hen we returne d from the coa st in 47 ,

Sam S . Smith had p urchased the place from her and he was living there . He was a good and kind neighbor .

We moved into our home in good time , for here on Sun 3 day morning , March 2 d , 1 8 3 9, was born our second child , Lewis Antonio . All my friends have always tol d me , and , until quite recently I was p ersuaded Lewis was the first child of pure American stock born in San An * tonio . But now I understand a Mr . Brown wi th his wife e 1 8 2 8 cam here in for two years from East Texas , and during that time a son was born to them in San Antonio .

Mr . Brown , the father, died about the same time of con

sumption , and his wife moved away further East . The son named John Brown , is now said to be a citiz en of Waco ,

* e n ton o Ma e r o e e r w a s th e r t o r n i n L wis A i v ick , h w v , fi s child b S a n An ton i o of “ $ A e r a n a r e n t to r o i n S a n n ton o a n d a r a ve r h m ic p s g w up A i M y A . M ick t e fi r s t

Am e r ca n or n o a n or Un te ta te o a n t o a e Sa n n ton o h o i b w m i d S s w m m k A i e r h me . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 2 5

D uring the summer , Sammy had difficulty teething .

Dr . W eideman , a Russian scholar and naturalist , and an excell ent physician and surgeon , took a great liking to

Sammy and prescribed for him with success . This sum mer , William B . Jacques brought his wife and two little girls , and settled on Commerce Street . In the l atter part of August , Mr W illiam Elliott brought his wife and two , children , M ary and Billy , to San Antonio . They bought a house on the west side of Soledad Street , opposite the north end of our garden , and we were a great many years neighbors and al ways friends . This year our negro men plowed and planted one labor * above the Alamo and were attacked by Indians . Griffin and Wil ey ran into the river and saved themselves . The Indians cut the traces and took off the work a nimals and we did not farm there again . Mr . Thomas Higginbotham , a carp en ter, with his wife , came to San Antonio and took the house opposite us on the corner of Commerce Street and M ain

Plaza . His brother and sister settle d in the country , on the river below San J os é Mission . This year the town of

Seguin on the Guadalupe thirty - five mil es east of San

Antonio , wa s founded .

In November, 1 8 3 9, a party of ladies and gentl emen from Houston came to visit San Antonio - they rode on

. s horseback The ladies were Miss Trask of Boston , Mas , and Miss Evans , daughter of Judge Eva ns of Texas . The gentlemen were Judge Evans , and Col onel J . W . D ancey , a r Secretary of W , Republic of Texas . They were , ladies

and , all , arme d with pistols and bowie knifes . I rode with this party and some others around the head of the

San Antonio river . W e gallop ed up the west side , and paused at and above the head of the river long enough to view and admire the lovely valley of the San Antonio .

The l eaves had mostly fal len from the trees , and l eft the w o vie open to the Missions bel w . The day was clear , cool and bright , and we saw three of the missions , incl ud ing San Juan C apistrano seven miles below town . We

* a or : a n a n e a r e o f a o t 1 7 c r L b Sp ish l d m su b u 7 a e s . 2 6 I MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVER CK

galloped home , down the east side , and doubted not that Indians watched us from the heavy timber of the river e bottom . The gentlemen of the party number d six , a nd

we were all mounted on fine animals .

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 2 7

Chapter VI .

C O MANCHES . The experiences of my first years in Texas l ed me to think the Comanches were an active and vigorous tribe of Indians . At that time they were about the only In dians who infested the country in the vicinity of San An tonio , and I must mention here some of their deeds which hel d our attention at the time .

2 h - June 9t , 1 83 8 , thirty eight Comanches Came into th e edge of town and kille d two Mexicans and stol e one boy on the 3 oth they killed a German a n d a M exican . July

1 st, the flag of Texas waves on the Plaza in front of the

Court House , and a company of vol unteers are assembling volu n for p ursuit of the Indians . Later , our company of a t teers fell in with a considerable p arty of Comanches , — tacked them , kille d two and wounded many others but the wounded were carrie d off by the others , all of whom b eat a hasty retreat . O ur peopl e captured all their horses and provisions .

The M exicans of Mexico have n ot forgotten us . About this time , a p arty of M exicans , 2 00 strong under Agaton , l earning that valuabl e goods had been landed at Ca pano , and were being carted by friendly M exicans to the

San Antonio merchants , crossed the Rio Grande at Mata m n moras , captured the train and comp ell ed the c a r t e to h aul the goods to the Nueces river where the c a r tm e n were dismissed . Of the two Americans who were with the train when it was captured , one was killed and the other was wounded , but escaped .

D uring July , 1 83 8 many rumors from the west came to the effect that an army of centralists was marching to — capture Bexar also that the C omanche Nation had e n 2 8 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK te r e d into a tre aty of alliance with the M exicans and

would act with them for o ur extermination . But in a day s or two , it was ascertained that Aristo had p ur ued the “ ” President of the R e public of the Rio Grande , General

r i Vi d a u a , who having been defeated in battl e had fl ed

to Texas for refuge . Aristo turne d back at the Nueces .

But I have promise d to speak of the Indians . In the

e stabl e W e built on our home lot , Mr . Maverick kept a fin

- l a blooded horse , fastened by a he avy pad ocked ch in to

- u a mesquite picket . The door of the stabl e was sec rely r e l ocked also , for every precaution was necessary to p “ ” - vent his being stol en . This was the war horse . Mr . Maverick was a member of the Volunteer Company of “ Minute M en ” commanded by the celebrated Jack Hays $ — who is now an honore d citizen of California . Each vol a n d a n d u nte e r kept a good horse , saddl e , bridl e arms , a

supply of coffee , salt , sugar and other provisions ready

at any time to start on fifteen minutes warning , in p ursuit

of marauding Indians . At a certain signal given by the

Cathedral bell , the men were off, in buckskin clothes and or bl ankets responding promptly to the call . They were g a n i z e d to follow the Indians to their mountain fastnesses

and destroy their villages , if they fail ed to kill the Indians .

* o n o e e a o r a c a w a s o r n a n a r 2 8 1 8 1 7 a t tt e e a r J h C ff H ys J k H ys b J u y , Li l C d “ Li c o n o n t e n n . c o to th e r ta e c wa s or i n a a k , Wils C u y, T , l s e e H mi g , whi h ig lly f h pa r t o t e H a ys p r o p e r t y . H is fa the r a n d gr a n dfa th e r distin guishe d the ms e lv e s i n Cr e e k w a r s un d e r

Ja o n . a e t o e a t h a o f e n r e n n M A cks H ys l f h m t e ge fift e to su v y la d i ississippi . t th e a g e o f n in e te e n h e $o in e d th e T e x a n Ar my a t B r a zo s Riv e r $us t a fte r S a n “ ” n e e a n h n Ja ci to b a ttl e . B side s l di g t e Mi ute M e n i n S a n A n ton i o h e c omm a n de d

i n n u e r o a tt e a a n t e o a n d w a s om m on e th e e a on r e s m us b l s g i s M xic , c issi d by T x s C g s ,

i n 1 8 4 0 i r t a ta n o f h e e a a n e r H e t n u e e r e a t e l , f s C p i t T x s R g s . dis i g ish d hims lf e p d y ’ i n th e M e xica n w a r a n d l a te r cr os s e d th e pla in s to C a lifor n i a i n 4 9 wh e r e h e l e o r a e o a n o t on f r t l c g l p o p bl c t . H e e i n e on t Ca li for fi d u us y m y si i s u i us di d Pi dm , la r n 2 8 1 8 8 3 . o n a a o n w s a n e e , Ap il , J h H ys H mm d a ph w . ’ Hi tte ll s His to r y o f Ca lifo r n i a giv e s th e follo wi n g in cide n t i n c o n n e ction with ’ — Ha ys e l e cti o n a s fi r s t sh e r iff o f Sa n F r a n cis c o i t s e e ms h i s o pp o n e n t w a s a

s a l oon k e e p e r wh o r e pr e s e n te d th e l a wl e ss e l e m e n t o f th e tow n ; o n th e d a y o f e l e ctio n th e l a tte r o p e n e d to th e public fr e e o f ch a r g e his

h o o e t o r to r r a o r a n d e r e o t e . s n t o r o l c c ic s liqu s , cu y f v s cu v s Wi hi g h e a h w th e e e

t o n wa s o n on th e a te r n o on o f h e e e ct on d a a r o e n to th e u c i g i g , f t l i y , H ys d i p bli

a r e o n e n e tt e o e te e e r e o n th e r o a r r e a a squ his spl did m l s m s d, wh up c wd , c i d w y by

n o e a e a r a n e e e r e a n d e e te or t t . his bl pp c , ch d wildly l c d him f hwi h ’ S o m e buildin gs a n d th e or igin a l f e n c e o f H a ys Sa n An t on i o h om e still s ta n d

o n c o r o f r e a a n d e a Sts Sa n n toni o . N . W . . P s Nu v A MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 29

Jack Hays came from Tennessee to Texas j ust after the b attle of San Jacinto an d wh en he came to San Antonio he was nineteen years of age , at which time he was a p pointed a deputy surveyor The surveying parties fr e , “ ” quently had brushes with the Indians , and it was on

’ these occasions th a t Hays d i s p la yze d such r are mil i tary skill and d aring , that very soon by consent of all , he was l ooked upon as the l eader and his orders were obey ed and he himself loved by all . In a fight he was utterly

fearless and invincible .

There were many remarkabl e o u n m e n in San An y g _ tonio at that time who were attracted by the climate

- by the novelty , or by the all absorbing spirit of land speculation . They volunteere d from almost every state of the Union to come and fight in the short but ’ ’ bloody struggl e of 3 5 and 3 6 for the freedom of Texas .

Many came too late , i . e after San Jacinto , but were drawn to the west by the wildness and danger and dar

n ing of the fro tier life . They were a nobl e and gallant “ ” set e r boys as they styl ed each other and soon the In ’ dians grew l ess aggressive , and finally Hays band drove them farther out west , and made them suffer so much after each of their raids that they talked of wanting p eace , and thus it went on for several years .

1 n On June 0 , 1 8 3 9, a party of America s under Hays and a company of M exicans under Captain Juan N . Se . guin set off in p ursuit of the Comanches , who j ust then were very bold , and were constantly killing and scalping and robbing in every direction . The Indians fl ed and were chased into the Canyon de Uval de , where our men

r found and destroyed their villages , newly dese ted . They saw numbers Of Indians all the time in the distance , amongst rocks and hills , but scattere d and hiding or fl ee n n ing from danger . They had been away from S a A tonio ten days , when Captain Seguin returned reporting the woods full of Indians and predicting that our men wo uld surely be killed . Mr . M averick was with Hays , and after r five more terribly anxio us days , I was gladdened by his e n tur . O ur men had killed only a few savages and return 30 MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

ed with some Indian ponies , dreadfully ragged , dirty and hungry .

At the close of the Fall Term of the C ourt in 1 8 3 9 or 1 840 , a number of gentl emen who had attended from a n distance , wished to ride out to the west of tow and se e a the country before they returned home . A party w s made up of ten Americans an d about as many

M exicans . They were well mounted and armed ’ and rode out about three o clock in the afternoon . After “ ” th e sunset , Mr . Campbell , Tal king Campbell , one of ot p arty, returned alone and reported the In dians had g between the party and town , cut off retreat , and kill ed all but himself, who rode a very fine horse and had fle d at once ; he advised the others , he said , to cut the i r way back because the Indians greatly outnumbered our party .

Campbell was hotly p ursued by the Indians , and he made a detour to the south , where his horse distanced the pursuers finally, and he came into town with the dreadful

news . Next morning , e a rly , a strong party l eft town with carts , and by noon returned with eighteen bodies . They were taken to the Co u rt House and laid o ut . They had been found naked , hacked with tomahawks and partly W eaten by olves . The following day , the nine Americans were buried in one large grave west of th e San Pedro , outside of the C atholic burying ground , and very near its S . W . corner . The nine M exicans were buried inside the Catholic cemetery . It was believed some Indians had b een killed too , but as they always carried off their dead , their loss was never ascertained .

1 840 An In the spring of , my brothers William and drew Adams l eased land of J . A . de la Garza , at the mis sion of San Francisco de l a Espada , and p ut in a crop .

But the Indians were so bad , and corn so dear , selling then at two or three dollars p er bushel , and their pl ow animals were so constantly stolen , that they broke up in

' the fall , and moved to San Marcos , and bought land of a Mr . Mathews , where they made fine crops for two years . 1 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 3

A D AY OF HORRORS .

1 8 40 On Tuesday , 1 9th of March , , dia de San Jose sixty- five Comanches came into town to make a treaty of p eace . They brought with them , and reluctantly gave up , Matil da Lockhart , whom they had captured with her younger sister in D ecember 1 8 3 8 , after killing two other children of her family . The Indian chiefs and men met in council at the Court House , with our city and military authorities . The calaboose or j ail then occupied the corner formed by the east line of Main Plaza and the l o north line of Ca a b s a (now M arket) Street , and the

Court House was north of and adj oining the j ail . The

Court House yard , back of the Court House , was what is now the city market on Market Street . The Court

House and j ail were of stone , one story , flat roofed , and ’ fl oored with dirt . Captain Tom Howard s Company was at first in the C ourt House yard , where the Indian women

- and boys came and remained during the pow wow . The young Indians amused themselves shooting arrows at pieces of money p ut up by some of the Americans ; and

Mrs . Higginbotham and myself amused o urselves looking through the picket fence at them . This was the third time these Indians had come for a tal k , pretending to seek pe ace , and trying to get ransom money for their American and M exican captives . Their proposition now was that they shoul d b e paid a great price for Matilda Lockhart , and a M exican they had j ust given up , and that traders be sent with p aint , p owder , flannel , blankets and such other articl es as they shoul d name , to ransom the other captives . This course had onc e r before been asked and car ied out , but the smallp ox

breaking out , the Indians kill ed the traders and kept the goods—believing the traders had made the smallpox to

kill them . Now the Americans , mindful of the treachery “ of the Comanches , answered them as follows : We will according to a former agreement$ keep four or five of

your chiefs , whilst th e others of your p eopl e go to your

* t e c a r r a Wi h Chi f Mu W k . 32 MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

nation and bring all the captives , and then we will pay all M you ask for them eanwhile , these chiefs we hol d we , will treat as brothers and ‘not one hair of their ’ heads shall be inj ured . This we have determined , and , ” if you try to fight , o ur sol diers will shoot you down .

This being interpreted , the Comanches instantly , with

- one accord raised a terrific war whoop , drew their ar rows , and commence d firing with deadly effect , at the same time making efforts to break out of the council hall . “ ” The order fire was given by Captain Howard , and the soldiers fired into the midst of the crowd , the first voll ey killing several Indians and two of our own p eopl e . All soon rushed out into the public square , the civilians to pro

cure arms , the In dians to fl ee and the sol diers in p ursuit . , — The Indians gener ally made for th e river they ran up

Sol edad , e ast on C ommerce Street a n d for the bend , now ’ known as Bowen s , southeast , below the square . Citiz ens and soldiers p ursued and overtook them at all points , shot some swimming in the river , had desp erate fights in the streets— and hand to hand encounters after firearms had been exhausted . Some Indians took refuge in stone houses and fastened th e doors . Not one of the sixty - five Indians escap ed— thirty - thre e were killed and

- thirty two were taken prisoners . Six Americans and one

M exican were killed and ten Americans wounded . O ur kill ed were Julian Hood , the sheriff, Judge Thompson , advocate from So uth Carolina , G . W . Cayce from the

Brazos , one officer and two sol diers whose names I did n not l ear , nor that of the M exican . The wounded were

Lieutenant Thompson , brother of the Judge , Captain Tom

Howard , C aptain Mat Cal dwell , citizen vol unte er from

Gonzal es , Judge Robinson , Mr . M organ , deputy sheriff,

Mr . Higginbotham and two sol diers . Others were slightly wounded .

When the deafening war- whoop sounded in the Court room , it was so l oud , so shrill and so inexpressibly horribl e and suddenly raised , that we women looking through the ’ ’ fence at the women s and boy s m a r k m a n sh i p for a mo ment coul d not comprehend its purport . The Indians how

34 MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

ing north on Soledad Street . H e was el egantly dressed and mounted on a gaily caparisoned M exican horse with silve r — mounted saddl e and bridle which outfit he h ad s ecured to take back to h is native state , on a visit to his mother . e r i m e n d As he reached the V i House , an Indian who had ’ escap ed detection , sprang up b ehind him , clasped Wells

arms in his and tried to catch hol d of the bridl e reins .

Wells was fearless and active . They struggl e d for some

time , bent back and forward , swayed from side to side , till at last Wells held the Indian ’ s wrists with his left

hand , drew his pistol from the holster, p artly turned , and ’ — fired into the Indian s body a moment more and the In d ian rolled off and dropp ed dead to the ground . Wells then p ut spurs to his horse which had stood almost still during the struggl e , dashed up the street and

a s c i n a t did goo d service in the p ursuit . I had become so f e d by this struggl e that I had gone intothe street almost breathl ess , and wholly unconscious of where I was , till r e called by the voice of Lieutenant Ch a va lli e r who said “ $ ” Are you crazy Go in or yo u will be kil led . I went in but without feeling any fear, though the street was a l most deserted and my husband and brother both gone in

the fight . I then l ooked o u t on Commerce street and saw

- four or five dead Indians . I was j ust twenty two then ,

and was endowed with a fair share of curiosity .

Not till dark did all our men get back , and I was grate ful to God , indeed , to see my husband and brother back a live and not wounded .

Captain Mat Caldwell , or Ol d Paint , as h e was familiarly called , our guest from Gonzal es , was an ol d and famous Indian fighter . H e had gone from our house to the Co uncil Hall unarmed . But when the fight began , he wrenched a gun from an Indian and killed him with it , and beat another to death with the butt end of the gun .

He wa s shot through the right l eg , wounded as he thought by the first volley of the soldiers . After breaking the gun , he then fought with rocks , with his back to the Court

Ho use wall .

Young G . W . Cayce h a d call ed on us that morning , P AGE OF MARY A MAVERICK ’ S MEMOIRS

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 3 5

. bringing an introductory l etter from his father . to Mr

M averick , and placing some papers in his charge . He was a very pl easant and handsome young man and it was r e

p orted , came to marry Gertrudes Navarro , Mrs . Dr . Al ls ’ bury s sister . He l eft our house when I did , I going to ’ Mrs . Higginbotham s and he to the Co uncil Hall . He

stood in the front door of the Court Ho use , was shot and

instantly kille d at the beginning of the fight , and fell by

the side of Captain Cal dwell . The brother of this young man afterwards tol d me he had left home with premoni

tion of his death being very near . Captain Caldwell was

assisted back to our hous e and Dr . W eideman came and cut off his boot and found the bull et had gone entirely through the l eg , and lodged in the boot , where it was

discovered . The wound , though not dangerous , was very

painful , but the doughty C aptain recovered rapidly and

in a few days walked about with the aid of a stick .

After the captain had be en cared for , I ran across to ’ Mrs . Higginbotham s . Mr . Higginbotham , who was as

peaceful as a $uaker to all app earances , had b een in the

fight and had received a slight wound . They coul d not go r e into their back yard , because two Indians had taken

fuge in their kitchen , and refused to come out or surrend

er as prisoners when the interpreter had summoned them .

A number of young men took counsel together that night ,

a n d a r e k m a g d upon a plan . Anton L o c r and another got

on the roof , and , about two hours after midnight dropped

a candl ewick ball soaked in turp entine , and bl azing , through a hole in the roof up on one Indian ’ s head and so hurt him and frightened them both that they opened the — door and rushed out to their death . An axe split open the head of one of the Indians before h e was well out of n the door, a d the other was kill ed before he had gone — - many steps thus the last of the sixty five were taken .

The Indian women dressed and fought like the men , and

- coul d not be told apart . As I have said thirty three were

- killed and thirty two taken prisoners . M any of them were

repeatedly summoned to surrender , but numbers refused

and were killed . All had a chance to surrender , and 3 6 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

every one who offered or agree d to give up was taken prisoner and protected . What a day of horrors $ And the night was as bad

which foll owed .

Lieutenant Thompson , who had been shot through the ’ m Sa ntita s l ungs , was taken to M ada house , on Sol edad

Street, j ust opposite us , and that night he vomited blood and cried and gro aned all night—I shall n ever forget h is gasping for breath and his agonizing cries . D r . Weide m a n sat by and watche d him , or only l eft to see the

other sufferers , nearby ; no one thought he woul d live till day , but he did , and got to be well and strong again , and in a few weeks walke d out . The captive Indians were all p ut in the calaboose for a few days and whil e they were there our forces entere d into a twelve days truce with them— the captives acting for their Nation . And , in accordance with the stipulations of the treaty , one of the captives , an Indian woman , h widow of a chief, was released on the 2 0t , the day after the fight . She was given a horse and provisions and sent to her Nation to tell her p eopl e of the fight and its res ult . She was charged to tell them , in accordance with fif the truce , to bring in all their captives , known to be teen Americans and several M exicans , and exchange them

- for the thirty two Indians hel d . She seemed eager to effect this , and promised to do her best . She said she woul d travel day and night , and coul d go and return within five days . The other prisoners thought she could in five days return with the captives from the trib e . The Americans said “very well we give twelve days truce and if yo u do not get b ack by Thursday night of the 2 8th , these prisoners shall be killed , for we will know yo u have killed our captive friends and rel atives .

In April , as I shall mention again , we were informed by a boy , named B . L . Webster, that when the squaw reached her tribe and tol d of the disaster , all the Comanches howl ed , and cut themselves with knives , and killed horses , for several days . And they took all the American captives , thirteen in number , and roasted and butchere d 3 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 7 them to death with horribl e cruelties ; that he and a l ittle e girl named Putman , five years old , had been spared b cause they had previously been adopted into the tribe .

O ur peopl e did not, however , retaliate up on the captives in our hands . The captive Indians were all put into the

calaboose , corner Market Street and the public square

and adj oining the courthouse , where all the p eople in

San Antonio went to see them . The Indians exp ected to

be kill ed , and they did not understand nor trust the kind ness which was shown them and the great pity manifested toward them . They were first removed to San J os é Mis sion , where a company of soldiers was stationed , and “ ” afterwards taken to C amp Cook , named after W G .

C ook , at the head of the river , and strictly guarded for a time . But afterwards the strictness was relaxed , an d they gradual ly all , except a few , who were exchanged , escap ed and returned to their tribe . They were kindly treate d and two or thre e of them were taken into families as domestics , and were taught some littl e , b ut they too , at last , silently stol e away to their ancient freedom . 38 MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter VII .

~ D O CTOR W EIDEMAN .

ATE in the afternoon of the Indian fight , of the ’

h . 1 9t , I visited Mrs Higginbotham s , as I have

. W before stated . W hile I was there , Dr eide man came up to her grated front window , and placed a severed Indian head upon the sill . The good doctor bow “ ed courteously and saying , With your permission , M ad ” am , disappeared . Soon after he returned with another bloody head , when he explaine d to us that he had viewed all the dead Indians , and selected these two heads , mal e n and femal e , for the skulls , and also had selected two e tire bodies , mal e and femal e , to preserve as specimen $ u skel etons . He said I h ave been long exceedingly a x — ious to secure such sp ecimens and now , ladies , I must ” hurry and get a cart to take them to my house , and off i m he hurried all b e g e d with dirt and blood , (having been ) with his good horse one of the foremost in p ursuit . Now “ he wa s exulting for the cause of science in his m a g n ifi ” cent specimens and before it was quite dark , he came with his cart and its frightful lo ad , took his two heads and disappeared . His house was the ol d Chaves place , on the side of Acequia Street , (now Main Avenue , ) north of Main Plaza . Dr . W eideman , a Russian , was a very

- l earned man of p erhaps thirty five years of age , was a surgeon and M . D . , spoke many living tongues and had travelled very extensively . In former ye ars , he had buried r e sle a lovely young wife and son , and becoming s s , had sought and secured empl oyment under the Russian Gov e r nm e nt In fact the Emp eror of Russia had sent him to ,

Texas to find and report anything and everything , ve g e tabl e and animal grown in Texas— and he had sel ected a

40 R V MEMOIRS OF MA Y A . MA ERICK

the thief . He invited several gentlemen to come to his house a certain evening about full of the moon , and he tol d his servants that he would summon the spirits to point out the thief W hen the app ointed time came , he caused a fire to be built on the flat dirt roof of his house ,

over which he placed a p ot fill ed with liquids . Hither he

brought his company and the servants . He was dressed in a curious robe or gown covered with weird figures , and a tall wonderful cap rested on his head . In his hand he hel d

, a twisted stick with which he stirred the liquid in the pot, uttering the while words in an unknown tongue . He was very solemn and occasionally he woul d turn around slowly and gaze upward into space . Finally he tol d all present that he would p ut out the fire , and cool the liquid , and then each person in turn should dip his hand in , and the ’ thief s h and woul d turn black . Each one advanced in due order and submitted his hand to the test , and after each experiment the doctor woul d stir and mutter and turn

around again . Jose waited until the very last , he came up quite unwillingly , and when h e withdrew his hand

from the pot it was black . Jose was terribly frightened , he fell upon his knees and ac knowl edged the theft then

and there and begged for mercy . The D octor got his

watch back and did not discharge Jose , who never after stol e again .

The M exicans when they saw the doctor on the streets

v — would cross themsel es , and avoid him they said he was l eagued with the devil ; h e claimed that th e spirits of the

Indians , whose bodies he had dissected , were under his enchantment and that he coul d make them tell him any u thing . He set his skel eton Indians p in his garden , in his summer house , and dared anybody to ste a l on his prem i s e s . It is needless to say , everything he had was sacred from theft .

. W D r eideman was very good to the sick and wounded .

He woul d not take pay for his services , and saved many lives by his skill and attention . He was universally r e s e c te d ’ p and liked by the Americans . In 1 8 43 or 44 he was drowned in attempting to cross Peach Creek , near MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK 41

Gonzal es when the water was very high— his horse and himself and one other man were carried down by the rap

id current and drowned , whilst the others of the party

barely es caped . 4 D uring the summer of this year , 1 8 0 , Colonel Henry Karnes $ upon returning from Houston when yellow fever

wa s prevailing there , was taken down with yellow fever .

The Colonel and D r . W eideman were great friends , and

the D octor hardly left his room till he was out of danger . Karnes thought though his business required him in Hou s ’ ton , and contrary to the doctor s advice , he started back

before he was strong enough . He travell ed stretched out in a light wagon—took a relapse after the first day and came back to his friends . But his case was now hop eless , and he died from his great imprudence , and the good doctor p ut on the deepest mourning for his friend .

- Colonel Karnes was a short , thick set man with bright red hair . Whil e he was uneducated , he was modest , gener ous and devoted to his friends . H e was brave and u n “ tiring and a terror to the Indians . They call ed him Capi tan Col orado ” (Red Captain ) and spoke of him as “ M uy ” Wap o (very brave . ) Four or five y ears before he died , he was taken prisoner by the Comanches , and the squaws so greatly admired his hair of “fire ” that they felt it and washed it to see if it woul d fade ; and , when they found the color held fast, they woul d not be satisfied until each had a lock .

’ * n n h e e a o r e a t o n e t on 3 5 K a r n e s c a m e fr om T e n e ss e e a n d $o i e d t T x s f c s C c p i ,

o n Y oa u r e e r to a n a n n e n t o f t a e a tt e . whil e v e r y y u g . k m f s musi g i cid his s m b l “ e wh o w a o te n t K a r n e a n d e a t o n e ti on s a s h e O n s f wi h him , ( s ) , by his sid C c p , y B e n h e a e i n to th e ne ve r k n e w h i m t o sw e a r b e for e or si n c e th a t d a y . u t wh c m i n e a te r e n ot a t o o te n a n d e a n to l e a d h i s r e h e e a e th l s , f b i g sh s f , b g ifl , xcl im d wi ‘ ’ o e r a t T h d —d r a a a e o t ou t th e o tt o o f o e r o r n 2 s m w h , e sc ls h v sh b m my p wd h Ka r n e s wa s quit e s ob e r a n d t e m p e r a te h e h a d r e m a r k a bl e g e n tle n e s s a nd d e lica cy o f f e e li n g 42 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter VIII .

C O MANCHES AND A DUEL .

SIMANICA . Several incidents occurred soon 1 h after the fight of the 9t , which , together with

other incidents much later, I will narrate . On March 2 8th betwe en two hundred and fifty and three hundred Comanches under a dashing young chief, Is i m ni c a a , came close to the edge of the town where the main body halte d and chief Is ima n i c a with another war rior rode daringly into the p ublic square , and circl ed aro und it, then rode some distance down Commerce Street and back , shouting all the while , offering fight and heap I i m ni c ing abuse and insults upon the Americans . s a a was in ful l war paint , and almost nake d . H e stopp ed longest ’ at Bl ack s saloon , at the north east corn er of the square ; he sho uted defiance , he rose in his stirrups , shoo k his cl enched fist , raved , and fo amed at the mouth . The citizens , through an interpreter , tol d him the soldiers were all down the river at Mission Sa n Jose and if he went there Colonel Fisher woul d give him fight enough .

Is i m a n i c a * took his braves to San Jose , and with fear n less dari g bantered the sol diers for a fight . Colonel Fish on er was lying a sick bed and C aptain Redd , the next in “ rank , was in command . He said to the chief : We have made a twelve day truce with your p eopl e in order to ex ’ change prisoners . My country s honor is pledged , as well as my own , to keep the truce , and I will not break it .

* é o e r e on on n a e a o fo r th e G ov on Sa n o St . o Missi J s , ( J s ph ) , S c d Missi , m d ls “ ” c r o r o f th e r o n e o f e a a t th e t e d e a o wa s o n e i n 1 72 0 u p vi c T x s im , Agu y , f u d d h n a n d compl e te d a b out 1 73 0 t e s a me ye a r Missi on Co n c p ti on w a s b e gu . S a n J o s é is s a id by m a n y to b e th e m o st b e a utiful o f a ll th e Missi on s i n this o n tr —t o i t h a s e e n a l n e e cte a n d th e on e r ca r n r o e n c u y h ugh b b d y gl d, w d ful vi gs b k n n a d d e fa c e d by r e lic hu t e r s . T h e S outh wi n do w o f th e B a ptis tr y is c on side r e d by g o o d $udge s th e fi n e s t g e m f r r a o n n o n n o a c te t r a e ta t e t i n o r n . e r a o a . e r hi c u l m i xis i g Am ic t d y Wm . C S A . d e e a r e c o e r e S e t . B x . ( v sk ch )

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 43

Remain here three days or return in three days and the ” I i m n truce will be over . We burn to fight you . s a i c a

call ed him liar, coward and other opprobrious names ,

and hung around for some time , but at last the Indians

left and did not return . Captain Redd remained calm d iffi and unmoved , but his men coul d with the greatest culty be restrained , and in fact some of them were ordered

into the Mission church and the door guarded .

W W - f hen C aptain Lysander ells , a non commissioned o fi c e r , who was in town , heard of it , h e wrote Captain Redd an insulting l etter in which he call ed him a “dastardly “ coward , and alluded to a certain p etticoat goverment

under which he intimated the Captain was restrained .

This allusion had reference to a young woman who , ’ dressed in boy s apparel , had fol lowed Redd from Georgia ’ and was now living with him . This l etter of W ells was An signed , much to their shame , by several others in San tonio . About this time Col onel Fisher removed his entire force of three companies to the Alamo in San Antonio ;

Redd challenged W ells to mortal combat , and one morn ing at six o ’ clock they met W here the Ursuline Convent “ ” now stands . Redd s aid : I aim for yo ur heart , and Wells “ ” answered : And I for your brains . They fired . Redd sprang high into the air and fell de ad with a bullet in his brain . W ells was shot near the heart , but lived two weeks ,

i in great torture , begg ng every one n ear him to dispatch him , or furnish him a pistol that he might kill himself and end his agony ; Dr . W eideman nursed him tenderly In . Captain Redd ’ s pocket was found a marriage license and certificate showing that he was wedded to the girl (b e fore mentioned ) —also l etters to members of his own and her families , speaking of her in the tenderest manner , and asking them to protect and provide for her . She was heartbroken and went to his funeral in black and soon returned to her family . These men were both brave and tried sol diers $ What a sad ending to their young and promising lives , and that too , when cruel and rel entless savages daily committe d atrocities about us . 44 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Captives . Matilda Lockhart , who came in as I have h mentioned , on March 1 9t , had been about two years in captivity . When she was captured , two of her family

W ere slain , and she and her littl e sister were taken pris t oners . At that time she was thirteen and her sis er not three years of age . They were taken off to the tribe .

- Just before her release , she came along With the Indian p arty , as a herder , driving a herd of extra ponies for the s Indians . The Indians thus could exchange their horse from time to time for fresher ones .

She was in a frightful condition , poor girl , when at l ast she returned to civilization . Her head,arms and face were full of bruises , and sores , and her nose actually burnt off — n to the bone all the fl eshy end gone , a d a great scab formed on the end of th e bone . Both nostrils were wide $ open and denuded of flesh . She told a piteous tal e of how dreadfully the Indians had beaten her , and how they woul d wake her from sleep by sticking a chunk of fire to her flesh , especially to her nose , and how they woul d shout and laugh like fiends when she cried . Her body had many scars from fire , many of which she showed us . ’ Ah , it was sickening to behold , and made one s blood boil for vengeance .

M atilda was now fifteen years ol d , and , though glad to be free from her detested tyrants , she was very sad and broken hearted . She said she felt utterly degraded , and could never hold her head up again—that she would be

glad to get back home again , where she woul d hide away r and neve p ermit herself to be seen . How terribl e

to comtempl ate $Yet her case was by no means solitary .

She told of fifteen other American captives , all children , then in the Nation , and two adopted captives , her little ’ sister and Booker W ebster . After a few days , Matilda s

brother came and took her home .

2 6 h Mrs O n March t , . W ebster came in with her three

year old child on her back . This poor miserabl e being “ ” “ was hailed by the excited M exicans as India , India ,

as she trudged along to the center of the town . She came into the Public Square from the west, and was dressed as

46 K MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERIC

’ them . Their three men fo ught bravely , but were ove r ’ powered and killed . Mrs . W ebster s infant was tak en from her arms , and its brains dashed out on a tree and her second child was killed . She and her eldest boy of ten W years , Brooker ebster , were tied up on horses , and she held her chil d of two years so tightly and plead for it so piteously , that the Indians l eft it with her . They were taken by rapid marches to the mountains , where they stripp ed Booker and shaved his head . He was attacked n with brai fever , and an ol d squaw , who had j ust lost a son of his age , adopted him and nursed him very tenderly .

The Indians allowed Mrs . W ebster to keep her littl e girl , but prohibited her from tal king with her son . They made her cook , and stake out ponies , and they beat her very badly . She had been nineteen months in captivity when she seiz ed a favorable opp ortunity to escap e . It was one ’ h night after a long day s march when , having learned t e general direction of San Antonio , she quietly and noise

lessly slipped out of camp with her child in her arms ,

and bent her steps toward Bexar . She sp ent twelve terri ble days on the road without meeting a human being

sustaining herself all this while on berries , smal l fish

which she caught in the streams , and bones l eft at Indian

camps , which she followed , hiding and sleeping in the

day , and travelling at night by moon and starlight . She i several times gave up to d e , but gathering courage and

determination , she woul d trudge on . The early morning of 2 h the 6t she lay down despairing on a hillside in a fog , not abl e to drag one foot after the other When the sun , “ shone out , l ooking to the east she saw a gol den cross ” shining i n the sky $ Then she knew her prayers had been answered and that cross surmounted the Cathedral of San

Fern ando in San Antonio . She said she felt her weariness melt away and she grew strong and hop eful and again took up the march with a thankful heart . She was about

- thirty two years ol d .

r April 3 d . Two Indians , a chief and a squaw , the man

with his bow strung and arrows in his hand , came into the p ublic square and , remaining mounted , called out to MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MA VERICK 47 th e Americans th at about twenty warriors were holding all the American and M exican captives three miles from town, and that they were prepared to make the exchange ’ pro posed or agreed upon in the twelve days truce . m r i r n The A e a s sent scouts , who reported the Indians to be numerous and the captives few . Two companies of soldie rs and nine captive Indians were ordered up from

San J ose . The Americans declined to go with the chief e lo n c i llos to the Indian camp , but they gave him bread , p “ and a beef and agreed to talk manana , (tomorrow . ) h On the 4t , the chief returned and asked the Americans to take out two captives and exchange for two , and th e answer was “Bring two captives to the edge of town m and we will meet you . They came with a little A eri ’ u m n can girl , P t a s child , and a M exican boy , and received two Indians . The Americans being desirous of sec u ring all the captives , not knowing they were murdered , asked why they did not bring American captives , and the In dians answered they had only one more with them , and if they gave him up they wish ed to choose a n Indian in exchange . The boy proved to be B . L . W ebst er , Book ” er, the son of Mrs . W ebster mentioned above , and they brought a M exican boy with him and said these were al l they had with them . The chief sel ected in exchange for Webster a squaw whose arm had been broken in the fight 1 h of the 9t . W hen asked why he chose her, he answere d she was the widow of a great chief who had been killed in the fight , and he wanted her for his squaw , because she “ ” “ ” owned muchas mul es , muchas mules . The squaw did not seem to relish this and so the Americans woul d not l et him take her , but sel ected another woman , and a child , and threw in a blind Indian . The chief was not pl eased , but departed with what he coul d get .

Thus we got back two American and five M e xican ’ captives . Booker W ebster s head was shaved and he was painted in Indian style . One of th e M exicans ran away w some time after ards and returned to the Indians . The girl , Putman , was five years ol d , and cried to go back to the Comanche mother who had adopted her , probably in 48 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

her second year . She could not speak or under

English , and had many bruises and her nose was partly off . The boy , Booker , then tol d us , and we for the first time , how the Comanches had murder the captives in their hands when they receive d the m age borne to them by the squaw . The Indians used the Spanish language a g but they never tried to acquire any k n owl e d 1 8 40 English tongue . This summer , , the Indians sta ntly stealing and murdering . Travel was unsafe , except when the company was l arge , then it was advisabl e to travel by night a nd camp by day , always keeping a sharp lookout .

Indian Raid to Lavaca Bay . Early in August , a band of ab out three h undre d warriors suddenly appeared in the neighborhood of Victoria , having esca p ed detection h a on their route down the country . On the 6t , they p a r e d r p e there in force . Circling around Victo ia , they passed on to Linnville , a small town on Lavaca Bay , one and a quarter miles below the present site of Lavaca . Linnville was a very small town in which was l ocated a

Custom House and a few stores . W hen the Indians charged into the town , most of the citizens took refuge on the boats anchored near , and thus escaped . Some were o not quick enough , and were cut off and kill ed , and tw ladies and a boy were taken prisoners . The Indians found large quantities of goods stored at Linnville which they loaded up on pack animals , and even upon their riding horses . They spent the whol e day there , and b urnt all the houses and everything they could not carry off . Mean while , runners had been sent out of Victoria to warn the settlers , and for the purpose of summoning vol unteers to ’ intercept the Indians return to the mountains . The call was responded to from every vall ey and settl ement . From the Colorado to the Guadal up e and beyond , volunteers M c Collo c h gathered , under , Lynn , Caldwell , Ed Burl es on , M oore and others . Scouts who followed close upon their trail tol d of whol e bolts of ribbon , muslin and calico streaming to the air from the saddl es of the savages . On MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 49

1 8 Pl um Creek , a branch of the San M arcos , August th , they were at last surrounded , retreat cut off and they forc ed to fight . The Texas forces , under general Felix Houston had been gathering for one grand blow , , The combat was remarkabl e for the terribl e slaughter h of t e Indians . The battle ground extended over a dis tance of fifteen miles , for it was a running fight . None of the Texans were killed , and the Indians were so com p le te ly crushed by this defeat that they never dared to raid into that section again .

W hen they found they woul d l ose the fight , the Indians lanced and shot arrows into their captives , who were tie d to trees , and l eft them for dead , but Mrs . W atts recovere d and returned to her friends . The capture of Mrs . Watts illustrates how vitally important a few moments of time may become . Mr . W atts had married this lady only a few weeks before the Comanches burned Linnville , and had presente d her with an el egant gol d watch and ch ain .

After starting to run for the boats , Mrs . Watts thought she would secure her watch first , ran back into the house , and got it, accompanie d by her husband . Having secure d the trinket , they attempted to reach the boats , b ut some mounted Indians had cut them off . Watts was tom a h a w c d i , and his w fe taken captive . She afterwards married

; again to a Mr . Staunton , I am tol d , and died at Lavaca in

1 8 78 .

Now , why have I mentioned this raid $ Well you shall

. 2 1 s r hear On April t, Mr . Maverick had left for New O l eans and returned in June by th e way of Ho u ston . He had ' h a i nte n d e d only got home a week before this , and d to come by Lavaca , but was detained . He however, shipped by way of Linnville , goods , stores and a supply of clothing material for two years ahead , and unfortunately for us the goods were stored in Linnvill e when the Indians sack ed the place . M r Maverick had p urchased a supply of whiskey and brandy to be used on surveying exp editions —it being the custom for those having surveying done to furnish the liquor . He had purchased for me a silver. soup ladle , twelve table and twelve tea spoons ; the spoons 50 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

we had travelled out with were only plated ware . He also a number of law books with the other things . T l aw books were the only things we ever heard from , what he heard was this : they were strung to the Ind saddles by strings run through the volumes , and u for * making cigarettes . I shall not mention the thousand and one in which happ ened in connection with the C 1 42 and about San Antonio from 1 8 3 8 until 8 , came refugees . They made life very unsafe on fron tier and during the p eriod mentioned they wer lwa y s within dangerous proximity to us and always do some of their devilment . However I wi ll mention one or two more incidents b e 2 7th fore I bid them adieu . On May , thirty or forty

Comanches came close to town , and being early discover “ ” ed , they were hotly pursued by the Minute Men . They a fle d to the nearest timber on the M edin , where , dark ness overtaking them , they speared all their horses and took to the bottom on foot . In the morning , the dead horses were found but the Indians had escaped . The Indians were always l urking around in small bodies’ hiding close to town , waiting for a n opp ortunity to strike without danger to themselves . W e were comp elled to l earn this through many murders and robberies . They would suddenly app ear from the river bottom , from b e hind a cl ump of trees , from a gully , and sometimes from

the tall grass . It seem ed they were always on the watch everywhere , but only acted at the most favorabl e moments . 1 8 41 In the spring of , Mrs . Elliott and I set out up the river to gather dewberries . They grew in great abundance * n o w where the Ursuline C onvent stands . Mr . Elliott sent l his two cl erks , Peter Gallagher and John Conran , Mrs . E ’ li ott s brother , al ong , they being well armed . We with my son Sam and Billy Elliott and the two nurses Rachael and Julia , took our buckets and started up directly after

o r e th n n w sh ws wh a t sp e ct e I di a s h a d for Bl a cks to n e a n d th e l a . G M - Th e n a o d . r M a v r o a . e wild w M y A ick . CANVAS BATH - HOUSE ANTONIO RIVER

52 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter IX .

FAMILY HISTORY RESU MED .

R . M averick was a most earnest and enthusiastic i mirer of Western Texas , and firm bel ever in

er future . He was constantly in ecstasies over the beautiful valleys , the rich soil , the charming climate . Often he would speak in glowing terms of the m a g nifi cent exp anses o f fertil e hill and dale . What a grand home h i s for the toil ers of Europe h e would say . Al ong with , — admiration , came the spirit of speculation in land all men of strong imagination speculated deeply in l and in those days . So brilliant and so realistic were his visions ’ of the future , that in his min d s eye the future , ah , the far distant future , became the tomorrow of the dreamer . Tomorrow they will come— tomorrow the overcrowde d of s the citie , the wearied sons of toil will come , an d will n buil d up this m a g ifi c i e nt country into a grand empire . But the future came not to him— i n his lifetime he saw T e x the toilers come across the sea , but they came not to as ; they settled in the great North West , and there they built up the empires of which he had prophesied .

Mr . M averick took the greatest delight in the surveying camp “ He p urchased many thousands of acres of land s certificate , and he was out much of the time locating and surveying lands for himself and for friends , or at least pl anning expeditions . I will tell of a trip he made in the 1 3 fall of 8 9 . He fitted out the party and went , accord

ing to my best recollection , to the Medina and San Ge r oni mo . Before they started , M exicans kille d and j erked * beef at our place , and they had a busy time packing the

‘ * J e r k e d b e e f : ma n y a n ol d time r d e cla r e s to this d a y th a t th e fla vor o f b e e f $ h r n n r e c a n n o t b e e a e No on w a e a e r e c i n i n t a d s u . t u t t s ips d i d , qu ll d t ly s m $ k d to r e a r e i t fo r o n a r e b u t t e n o or of th e e a r a e r e o e p p l g m ch s , ki ch d s ly d ys w s m tim e s suppli e d wi th i r on h o oks up o n which n e wly pur ch a s e d ste a ks w e r e hu n g ’ “ ” a n d c o ok e d i n th e h o t s u n Schoo l gir ls a n d b o ys o f th e 6 o s r e lishe d $e r ke d e i n t e r n o e b e f h i lu ch b x s . 53 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

animals the day they started . Mr . Lapham , the deputy surveyor , a nice gentl eman from Vermont , spent a week at our house , waiting for the preparations to be completed .

W hen they departed , I exacted from my husband the promise that he woul d return on a certain day . He kept — h e his word , although the work was not completed came in accordance with his promise , and brought with him one or two of the party . The very night after h e l eft the camp , the Indians surprised the camp and killed every one , save one chain bearer , who escap ed on a fine horse; A party went out to bury the dead and found the compass and papers and some other articles . 1 4 8 0 .

Mr . M averick , as I have mentioned , left us for the ” 1 4 States April , 8 0, and returned the latter part of June .

He went to Pendleton , South Carolina , when he was “ away , but he told me , I had not the face to go to M oth er ’ s without yo u and th e boys— she wo uld take it so to ” heart .

l h n Sept . 6t , The M exicans cel ebrated D ia de I de ” p endencia . On D ecember 1 2 th , the M exicans celebrated in grand procession “D ia de Nuestra Senora de Guada ” l up e , the patroness saint of Mexico and whom the v priests had identified with the Virgin Mary . Twel e young girls dressed in spotless white , bore a pl atform on which stood a figure representing the saint very richly r c and gorgeously dressed . First came th e priests in p o e s sion , then the twelve girls bearing the pl atform , and car r y i n g each in her free hand a lighted wax candle , then came fiddl ers behind them playin g on their violins , and following the fiddlers the devout population , generally , firing off guns and pistols and showing their devotion i n various ways . They proceeded through the squares and some of the principal streets , and every now a n d then they — “ ” a ll knelt and rep eated a short prayer a n Ave Marie or “ ” Pater Noster . Finally the procession stoppe d at the

Cathedral of San Fernando on the Main Plaza , where a long ceremony was had . Afterwards the more prominent families taking the Patroness al ong with them , adj ourn 54 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

’ ed to Mr . Jose Flores house on west side of Military i n Plaza , where they danced most of the night . We were

vite d and went , taking with us littl e Sammy with his j olly gol den curls and a new suit of pea green . It was all quite a novel and interesting scene to me . The principal citizens lived in the pl azas or within two blocks of them on Flores , Acequia , Sol edad , Commerce

and Market streets . Very few of the M exican ladies could write but they dressed nicely and were graceful and gracious of manner . W e exchange d calls with the Z a m b r a n os s Navarros , Sotos , Garzas , Garcias , , Seguin , r m i tu r r i s Ve a e n d s and Y . 4 D ecember 1 8 0 , Uncl e John Bradl ey brought his family r to San Antonio . They sp ent two or th ee weeks with us and then moved into the house formerly occupied by the

Higginbothams , who had removed to the country . Annie

Bradl ey was a l ovely girl , very womanly and sweet tem pered . About Christmas we attended a bal l given at ’ n Ch a u c y Johnston s , who had brought out his family some two months before , and resided in the Casiano house . Annie received great attention and had a throng of a d

m i r e r s .

About this time Mr . Gautier , a French merchant , came to town with his wife and child .

1 8 41 .

W e now began to have a society and great sociability amongst ourselves , the Americans . D uring the summer

1 8 4 1 . hi , Mr W ilson Riddle brought out s bride , and Mr .

Moore his family . These gentlemen were both merchants on Commerce Street . Mr . Campbell married a second wife ’ i l with whom and her sister , Miss O Ne l , he returned to San

Antonio . Mr . Davis opened a store on Commerce Street .

Mr . John Twohig started a small grocery store on corner * of Commerce Street and Plaza Mayor .

Mrs . Jacques had a boarding house at southwest

* a r e e r e o f r e a l u s e o n th e fr on t e r a s r e cor o f e e n t for th e a l Di i s w i ds v s , d i y

a e r n o t e t a o a s th e a or o w n a p p did xis , ls m il p s t a s s e t b ck t o th e Sta te s on ly on ce a m o n th dia r i e s we r e us e ful a s r e mi n de r s o f i n te r e s tin g h a pp e n in gs to b e

r on e i n o e tt e r ch icl d h m e l s . R MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVE ICK — corner of Commerce and Ytu r r i she had a whol e block rented from Ytu r r i and boarded all the nice young Ameri cans , and was very hospitable and pl easant . She was a good nurse and extremely kind to any sick or wounded , r and consequently a gr eat fa vo ite with the gentl emen .

On Easter Sunday of this year , she invited all the Ameri can families , and many young gentl emen to dine with her .

She s erved her dinn er at the long room , (sagnan ) . She dinner was simply elegant , the company l arge and lively and we all enj oyed the day very much . In the afternoon we promenaded up Sol edad Street in a gay and happy throng . 1 2 th 1 8 41 Easter M onday , April , , Agatha , our first daughter was born and named for my mother . She was a

very beautiful and good baby .

My mother talked of coming o ut to visit us . Her ide a was that she would come to some port on the coast , and we woul d go down at the appointed time and me et her there . But I had too many babies to make such a j ourney, and the risk from Indians was too great , and we did not encourage the pl an . Her l etters were one month to six weeks old when we receive d them . President Lamar with a very considerabl e suite visited

San Antonio in June . A grand ball was given him in Mrs . ’ Ytu r r i s long room— (all considerable houses had a long

room for receptions ) . The room was decorated with flags and evergreens ; flowers were not much cultivated then .

At the ball , General Lamar wore very wide white pants which at the same time were short enough to show the tops of his shoes . General Lamar and Mrs . Juan N . Se guin , wife of the Mayor , opened the ball with a waltz .

Mrs . Seguin was so fat that the General h a d great d iffi culty in getting a firm hol d on her waist , and they cut such a figure that we were forced to smil e . The General was a poet , a polite and brave gentleman and first rate conver s a ti on a li st— but he did not dance well .

At the ball , Hays , Chevalier , and John Howard had but one dress coat between them , and they agreed to use the coat and dance in turn . The two not dancing would stand r A I MEMOIRS o MARY . MAVER CK at the hall door watching the happy one who was enj oy ing his turn— and they reminded him when it was time

for him to step out of that coat . Great fun was it watch ing them a n d listening to their wit and mischief as they made faces and shook their fists at the dancing one .

John D . Morris , the Adonis of the comp any , escorted Miss Ar c e n e i g a who on that warm evening wore a maroon cashmere with black pl umes in her hair, and her h aughty Ytu r r i airs d i d not gain her any friends . Mrs . had a new silk , fitting her so tightly that she had to wear corsets for the first time in her life . She was very pretty , waltze d r beautifully and was much sought as a pa tner . She was several times compelled to escap e to her bedroom to take off the corset and “catch her breath ” as she said to me who happ ened to be there with my baby . h ‘ By t e way , speaking of Mrs . Ytu r r i , I am reminded of a party I gave several months before this . It bl ew a freezing norther that day and we had the excellent good l uck of making some ice cream , which was a grateful sur prise to our guests . In fact those of the M e xicans present, who had never travelled , tasted ice cream that evening for the first time in their lives , and th ey all admired and ’ Y u r r . t i liked it But Mrs . ate so much of it , tho advise d not to , that she was taken with cramps . Mrs . Jacques r and I took her to my room and gave h e brandy , but in vain , and she had to be carried home . At that party some natives remained so late in the morning that we had to ask them to go . One man of rep utabl e standing carried off a roast chicken in his pocket , another a carving knife , a n d several others took off all the cake they coul d well i nn conceal , which greatly disgusted J y Anderson , the cook . Griffin followed the man with the carving knife and took it away from him .

D uring this summer , the American ladies led a l azy

. W e life of ease had pl enty of books , including novels , we were all young , healthy and happy and were content ’ with each others society . W e fell into the fashion of the climate , dined at twelve , then followed a siesta , (nap )

until three , when we took a cup of coffe e and a bath . MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Bathing in the river at our place had become rather p ubli c , now that merchants were establishing themselves on Commerce Street , so we ladies got p ermission of ol d T e i n ’ Lo c k m a r Madame v o , mother of Mrs . , to put up a bath house on her premises , some distance up the river on

Sol edad Street , afterwards the property and homestead of the Jacques family . Here between two trees in a beautiful shade , we went in a crowd each afternoon at about four o ’ cl ock and took the chil dren and nurses and

‘ a nice lunch wh i c h w e en j oyed after the bath . There we had a grand good time , swimming and laughing , and making all the noise we pl eased . The children were bathed and after all were dressed , we spread our l unch

and enj oyed it immensely . The l adies took turns in pre p aring the lunch and my aunt Mrs . Bradl ey took the l ead s in nice things . Then we had a grand and glorious gos ip , for we were all dear friends and each one tol d the news ” from our far away homes in the States , nor did we omit to review the happenings in San Antonio . We j oked and l aughed away the time , for we were free from care and

happy . In those days there were no envyings , no back biting , In September mother wrote she had determined to visit us , that she would l eave Robert and Lizzie at school and that George woul d accompany her . William and Andrew were then on the San Marcos . She wrote she would set h e out about O ctober first, and shoul d she like our town s would sell o ut in T u s k a loos a and move to San Antonio .

That letter arrived late in O ctober, and soon after it came a l etter from Professor Wilson to Mr . M averick , and a l etter from Mrs . Snow to me telling us that my dear mothe—r was no more . She was taken with congestive chills the first had been severe , but the second was light ,

and two weeks having elapsed after the second chill , Dr

Weir, her physician , considered her out of danger from a third . Lizzie had come home from school , and slept in the adj oining room , and a servant girl much attached to ’ my mother slept on a pall et before mother s door . Mother

would not allow any one to sit up with her now , and her K MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERIC

tonic , lamp and watch were placed on a tabl e near her . A third chill must have come on during the night , for by h e 2 n d t early morning light , on O ctober , they found that

my dear mother was col d and dead . Oh , what a grief to

me was this first great loss of my life . Her heart had been so set upon seeing me that I now blamed myself for not going to meet her at the co ast when she had prop osed

it .

My mother had a sorrowful widowed life , for she was not always successful in managing business or in govern

ing her boys . She blamed herself for her want of success

as she called it , and she seldom smil ed and never app ear

e d to enj oy life . She was a devoted mother , but probably h u m b le fa ith too strict with her children , and she was an , n ful Christian . Her death was to me a sudden awake ing i from a fancied security against all p oss bl e evil . Slowly and sadly I came to realize that my dear mother had l eft this world forever , and we sho uld not meet again on earth .

President Lamar ’ s visit to San Antonio in June was to sanction and encourage an expedition to Santa Fe , New

M exico . The obj ect of this expedition was to op en a line for commerce between the two sections , and get a share of the lucrative trade between Santa Fe and Lexington ,

M o . Lamar gave the proj ect his sanction and encourage ment , furnished governmental supplies and sought the endorsement of C ongress . He appointed W illiam G .

Cook , Don J . A . Navarro and R . F . Brenham commission ers to go with the exp edition . The expedition , after much 2 delay , set out from Brushy , near Georgetown , on the oth 4 1 of June , 1 8 . The p arty consiste d of two hundred and M c L e o d seventy armed men under General Hugh , and l fifty traders with wares and pack mules . There were a so servants and some sup ernumeraries . Some of our brave young men of San Antonio were of the party . The unfortunate expedition , its total fail ure and the unhappy causes and consequences of the final disaster , are told with great vigor and fidelity by George W . Kendall who

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK was of the p arty and wrote a thrilling history or narra tive of the exp edition . It was strongly believed by many that Juan Ne p om i c i n o

Seguin , who had held the honorabl e position of M ayor of

San Antonio , and Representative to Congress , from Bex ar, and being a man of great pride and ambition , had foun d hi mself surpassed by Americans , and somewhat overlooked in official pl aces , had become dissatisfied with the Americans , and had op ened communications with the officials of M exico , exp osing the entire plan from its “ ” inception as invading M exican soil . Certain it is that Governor Armij o of New M exico was early advised of the expedition , and ordered to capture and put to death the whole party . From this time Seguin was suspected and

Padre Garza , a rich and influential priest , was known to carry on traitorous correspondence with the M exican authorities . Positive proof, however , was not obtain ed until Padre Garz a escap ed . Seguin indignantly denied

the charge and many suspended j udgement . His father ,

D on Erasmo Seguin , was a cultivated and enlightened man , who had befriended Stephen F . Austin in a M exican

n dungeon , had been friendly to the America s , and was much esteemed by all . M EMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

‘ Chap ter X .

FLIGHT.

1 8 41 URING the fall of and the following winter , many rumors came to the effect that the M exi

cans were about to invade Texas in force . Some

times friendly - min ded M exicans dropp ed in to warn us and even to entreat us not to remain and be butchered , for they felt sure the invading army woul d be vindict

ive and cruel . 1 42 8 .

In February 1 842 , the scouts advised Captain Hays that a force had gathered on the right bank of the Rio Grande , h a d crossed to this side and was moving on toward San

Antonio . We thought it must be a fo raging p arty which

woul d not venture into San Antonio , but our soldier friends insisted that the ladies and children shoul d not r e main any longer . The ladies finally agreed to move temporarily from San Antonio . Hasty prep arations were c 4 made , and on Mar h 1 st, 1 8 2 , our littl e band started on the trip which we have always spoken of since as the “Runaway of

Mrs . Campbell and Mrs . Moore waited a few days and did not afterwards overtake us . Mrs . Riddl e had a two

weeks ol d baby , (now Mrs . Eager) , and could not move .

O ur party consisted of Mrs . Elliott , thre e children and two servants ; Mrs . Jacques , two children and one servant , also having Mr . Douglas , an invalid gentleman , in charge

Mrs . Bradley , six children and seven or eight servants

Messrs . Bradl ey , Jacques and Elliott having remained b e hind to pack up and urge forward such of their goods as were most val uabl e ; In the party was also Mr . Gautier, wife and child , Judge Hutchinson and wife in their car I MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVER CK 61

r i a g e with driver , the only fine carriage in the caravan and last but not least the tribe of M averick . Mr . M averick and I were mounte d , as also our two servants Griffin and

Wil ey . Granvill e drove the woo d cart drawn by two n horses , which carried Ji ny , Rachael and quite a number of children white and black . In the cart we had also the necessary clothing , bedding and provisions . O ur carriage

- got out of repair soon after w e settled in San Antonio , and the wheel of our big Kentucky wagon was broken and we found no blacksmith in the place abl e to mend or repair l l either , so it will app ear we were j ust a tt e crowded .

Mr . Maverick thought we woul d go back very soon , and we l eft the house as it was with some gentl emen who would live there and care for it . W e buried some articl es under the storeroom floor and I left a bureau of drawers in the care of Mrs . Soto . In that bureau I pl aced some keepsakes , books , silver, my wedding dress a nd other ar i c le s t I val ued . Mrs Soto begged me to send the bureau to

her in the night - time so that none of her neighbors should know . These things she faithfully kept for me till we r e 1 8 4 turne d in September , 7 . O ur three children were sometimes in the wood cart and sometimes in front of the riders—Agatha the b aby in my lap . Mrs . Elliott had a good large carryall , Mrs . Bradley a fine wagon and some riding horses . Annie Bradl ey rode on horseback with Mr . M averick and myself . The h weat er was charming , the grass green and the whole earth in bloom— and I cannot forget the gay gallops we ’ had going ahead and resting til the others came up .

Strange that we refugees shoul d be such a hap py crowd , b—ut so it was . So it always will be with youth and health heedless of troubl e and misfortune awaiting us . The first day we travelle d only five miles and camped on the west bank of the Salado . It rained gently on us that night and the children and I crept under our littl e tent . Mr . Maverick was on guard p art of the time , or

i n asleep his blanket before the camp fire . Once it rained so hard that he took refuge under Judge Hutchinson ’ s carriage , in which Mrs . Hutchinson was sl eeping . While MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

h e was lying there awake , Judge Hutchinson came up , opened the door , and remarking to Mrs . Hutchinson that he had j ust been relieved from guard a nd was wet and col d , was proceeding to enter the carriage , when Mrs . “ Hutchinson said in rather discouraging tones : W hat makes you such a fool as to stand guard $ You know you ’ ” “ ’ $” can t see ten feet . Well , my love , can t I come in “ ’ No , my dear , you can t , you are damp and woul d give me ” a bad col d . The j udge resignedly cl osed the door and

- retired to the camp fire , where he smoked his pipe , rumi nating over the cruelty of his young second wife , or p os s i b ly over his own unwisdom in mentioning the fact that he was wet before he had gotten fairly in .

2 n March d . W e travel ed eighteen mil es to the Cibolo and four mil es to Santa Clara and camp ed . Here Colonel l h Ben M c Cu lo c , Mr . Mill er and several other gentlemen met and camped with u s— they had armed in haste and ” were going out to San Antonio to meet the enemy . They were as witty and lively as coul d be and we all sat late “ ” around the camp fire enj oying their j okes and yarns . A guard was kept all night and in the morning when Mc ’ u llo c h u llo c h C s party was about to leave us , Col onel M c C told the l adies that Indians had been seen l urking in the neighborhood , which was the reason they had given us their protecting presence during the night .

’ 3 r d March , twelve m iles to Flores Rancho near Se

guin , and here we met Maj or Erskine of the Capote Farm , who had come p urposely to meet an d conduct us to his u i n place , in good ol d Virginia styl e . He was an old a c q a tance and friend of Mr Bradley , and also knew Mr . Mav erick . W e proceeded one mil e further to Seguin when we l camped for the night . Crossing the Guadal upe , Mrs . E li ’ ott s carriage turned over , breaking a shaft , but without inj uring anyone . 4 h March t , Mr . M averick , my brothers and many others left us for San Antonio , and we went on twelve miles to ’ Maj or Erskine s . We were many , but they crowded us all into their hospitabl e house , gave us a fine supp er , and a fine breakfast, and although Mrs . Erskine was an invalid MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 63

confined to her bed at the time , they extended to us the kindest attentions , and treated us all like kin . h M arch 5t , after breakfast we insisted on relieving the kind p eopl e and taking care of ourselves . Mrs . Elliott ,

Mrs . Jacques and I took p ossession of the bl acksmith shop suburbs and adj acent country crowded rapidly into the central part of the town , and many came to our house , for five or six gentl emen , well known as brave men , were to e be the defenders of our house in case of an attack . Th

- peopl e came in pell mell , they crowded into my room and ’ Mrs . Riddl e s room , and there was no chance for sl eep or privacy that l ong night . They ate all the provisions we ’ had in the house , (tho stored in a large fireplace and c ov u ered p , ) the children cried , and we had a dreadful night of it . The men stood guard , they barricaded the doors and windows , they furnished us women with pistols and ’ knives and every hour or so they reported , All s well . Patrols and pickets took care of the various roads and a l together everybody , except probably the ol d gentleman , had a frightful night . The old fellow who started all the hubbub became sick apparently , and went off somewhe r e to sl eep , and in the morning they found that he had gone crazy from the m excitement of the times . His story had been a ere vagary of his disordered mind , and no Indians were near us .

Mr . Maverick returned to us in April . He had found our house robbed of everything . We had built a brick wall

- and a walnut mantel piece together , so as to divide our “ ” - long room into two apartments , and even this mantel had been forced out of the wal l and carried off . It had been sand - papered and oil - rubbed until it looked beauti ful , and they took it for some rare wood . Mrs . Hutchin son ’ s piano had been chopped open with an axe and all kinds of damage had been done to anything belonging to Americans

Mr . Maverick found it necessary to make another trip to the United States , and , being desirous of leavin g us in a p erfectly safe place during his absence , he concl uded MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

to take us to the Col orado River near La Grange , and

leave us there until his return .

o April l 6th , we set out for the C ol orado , Andrew a M c lu r e s C . companying us , and travelled twelve miles to 1 h A presentiment fulfilled . On April 7t , we travelled ’ - h a d o n twenty eight or thirty mil es to Mr . C g s on the west ’ bank of the Navidad . It was on this d ay s trip that I exp erienced a memorabl e foreboding which save d us from

- disaster . W e had travelled about twenty two mil es when ’ Ba r we reached a lone log house , where a family , O , I think , had been massacred by the Indians four years pre i l v o u s y . This house was much used by travel lers as a n stopping place , a d we h ad expected to stop there , and now it was dusk and very cloudy , and we had every reason to wish to remain there during the night , for it was eight miles to the next place but as ‘ I rode up to the a doorless cabin and looked into the large room , which p p e a r e d all right , a strange feeling of danger came over me so strongly that I turne d and said to my husband and “ ’ brother , D on t think of staying here for something very ” dreadful will happ en if you do . They laughed , and

bantered me on being afraid of Indians , but I answered . “ ’ Not Indians , I don t know what it is , but we must go on .

We , p eopl e and beasts , were all very tired , but I was so urgent that we all went on after waiting for the cart a lit tle while . Soon after, a tremendous thunder storm swept o ver us , the wind whistled mournfully, the lightning flash

' i i l u ed v v d y a b o t us and the rain poured down in torrents .

A tree at th e roadside , j ust ahead of us , was torn to pieces by a lightningstroke . The road was full of water directly and our horses could only walk , so that it was after mid ’ Ch a d on night when we approached g s house . But o ur troubl e was not ende d then a ravine crossed our p ath between us and the house and it was overflowing its banks . Andrew swam over and found a fair crossing , and then came back and led my horse . Agatha was sleeping in my arms at the time . I had kept her tolerably dry , and she slept p eacefully through it all . Lewis was asl eep in front of his papa and was kept dry by his M ex

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

tl e owners . They were very kind and hospitabl e to us , and we enj oyed the excell ent dinner and their goo d cheer very much . h April 2 0t , Andrew went back , and we crossed the ’ Na vi d a d and travell ed eighteen miles to Buckner s Cree k ’ — 2 l st and stopp ed at Maj or Brookfiel d s , six miles to the

Colorado River . On the west bank of the Colorado stood the office of

Colonel J . W . D ancy , and the vacant house adj oining j ust l eft so by the family of Enoch Jones who had fl ed further east . Mr . Griff . Jones a brother was there and Mr . n M c Ah r o , the ferryman . They begged us to stop and take charge of the ho use , all eging that they were lone some and were tired cooking for themselves . We rested

a n d 2 9th there one week , on the , we returned to Brook ’ ’ field s on Buckner s Creek , where we engaged board with his d a ughter , Mrs . Evans . th 3 0 . . April Today Mr Maverick l eft us , to go to Ala bama . He l eft to coll ect some money due him in Tuska l oosa and also for the p urpose of bringing back with him my sister Elizab eth . None of my brothers were mar ried , and as I was the only one who coul d offer her the comforts of a home , she had concluded to brave o ur wild country and unite her fortune with ours . 1 M ay 3th . Anton L o c k m a r rode expressly from Sa n

Antonio with letters from John Bradl ey and J . W . Smith , from which we l earned that all Americans had l eft that place again— that seven hundre d M exicans were ten miles lu n below and woul d probably seiz e the town , for o ur vo teers had disbanded and gone home . Ra d a z and some oth ers were captured by the M exicans thirty mil es bel ow

San Antonio . About twenty men under Hays were out

west and had overstaid their appointed time , and fears were entertained for their safety— C ornelius Van Ness had been accidently shot and killed by James Robinson . 2 3 d n May . Agatha had bur ing fever for three hours .

Dr . W ells gave her senna .

4 r M ay 2 th . News from L a G a n g e gave report that fifty Comanches had been seen on Peach Creek twenty

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 6 7

miles from us . Most of the young men in that vicinity left in pursuit of the Indians . 2 h May 6t . The young men returned , had found no fresh trail .

June 2 n d . Heard of M aj or Tom Howard and Mr . Hud

’ son passing through Col umbus going west . They were in the Santa Fe expedition , had been taken prisoners and had escaped . l 1 h June t . Mr . Maverick returned from Al ab ama with my sister Lizzie They came upon horseback from Galveston , via M obil e an d New Orl eans , having bought horses for themselves and a new saddl e for me . 2 1 ’ June st . We returned to General D ancy s , and too k up our residence at his pl ace , until we coul d provide a home for ourselves . This place is in Fayette County , o p p os ite La Grange on the Colorado . 2 2 n August d . Mr . Maverick , with servant Griffin , J . r if n Beal e , G . Jones and Mr . Jackson set off for San A tonio to attend the Fall Term of Court . Griffin went along to bring back whatever he could find of our fu r ni ture . Lizzie and I and Colonel D ancy accompanied them six or seven miles of their way . I felt much depressed at saying goodbye , and depl ored the necessity of his going “ so much , that Mr . Maverick remarked : Almost yo u per ” u a d $ s g me not to go . $ Al as too surely and swiftly came a terrible sorrow . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter XI .

PEROTE .

- September l 1 th , Sunday morning , at day break , General Adri an W O 11 with a l arge force of M exicans con sisting of cavalry and artillery to the number of thirte e n hundre d suddenly app eared before San Antonio , and cap tu r e d th e place . It was a compl ete surprise . The court was in session at the time , and , including the member s of

c r - the bar and Judge of the distri t Cou t , fifty three

Americans were captured , one of whom was Mr . Maver ick .

Before the littl e band surrendered , they showed a bol d and vigoro us front , even in the face of such fearful odds . They fortified themselves in the M averick residence at the corner of Commerce and Soledad Streets—some of them mounted up on the ro of, when Mr . John Twohig received a wound from which he has never entirely recovered . n W hen the M exican troops e tere d Main Plaz a , the

Texans fired upon them briskly , killing two and wounding

- twenty six , six of whom died of the wounds .

General Woll beat a parley , and after he had shown the Texans th ey coul d not escape him and had promised to treat them as honorabl e prisoners of war and used some other pl ausible talk with them , the Texans hel d a consul n ta ti o among themselves , when a maj ority vote d to sur render . After they surrendered , they were kept i n the

Maverick residence , where they were cl osely guarded u n 1 h til the 5t .

Mrs . El liott was in San Antonio when my husband was captured , and she was allowed to visit the prisoners once or twice before they were taken off to M exico . Mr . M av erick found an opp ortunity to hand Mrs . Elliott twenty gold doubloons for me . MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK 69

N0 one can imagine how dreadful this news was to me , especially when I learned that our poor prisoners were 1 marched off on foot for M exico on 5th . At this time my poor littl e Lewis was dangerously ill with fever then pre val ent in the neighborhood O ur sl ave Griffin had come , back from San Antonio and was greatly tro ubl ed about his master , to whom he was much attached . I calle d him to me , and talked to him about going out to San Antonio to pass himself for a runaway , follow to M exico , and do anything he coul d to free or even aid Mr . M averick , and he coul d have his freedom . He answered that to do anything for h i s master would delight him , and he had been wanting to ask me to l et him g o as for my free m ” “ doo , he added , I do not want any more than I have , master has always treated me more like a brother than e a slav , and h e choked up unabl e to say more . He took a gun , a good mule , some money , and made ready and started within a few hours— happy to think he might

do something to help his master . 1 5th . Juan Seguin D killed Dr . Smithers , M c ona ld and M t e a at the Sul h phur Springs on the Cibol o . 1 7t , 1 63 men under Mat 1 l Cal dwel l are on the Cibolo going west . 8th , Cal dwe l 2 2 5 moved with men to the Salado , and on the morning ’ in the yard , and Mr . Gautier s family took a shed along side the shop . The Bradleys remain ed housed with the

Erskines , and the Hutchinsons went on east . W e had great fun decorating our domicile . We placed flowers and

’

green boughs in the chinks , and , erected a shelf on which we placed a borrowed mirror, and our p erfumery bottl es

- a - and bric brac , and we made ourselves at home general l y . The servants stretched tents near by and cooked us a nice supper .

- m March 6th . Early , to wit at three a . . , Captain High smith rapp ed loudly on our door and , when we had a n “ we r e d n s , call ed out in a sol emn voice : Ladies , San A ” tonio has fallen . It was startling news indeed , and the night being very dark and col d , we were seiz ed with a vague sense of terror . Mrs Jacques lit a candl e and com n e w m e c d eeping bitterly . Mrs . Elliott fell on her knees R MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVE ICK

and counted her beads oftener than once , and I to ok a shaking ague and co ul d not speak for the chatter of my teeth . The children waked and cried , th e negroes came in with sad and anxious looks , and we were in fact seized with a genuine “panic ” ,

Then Mr . Gautier l earned from C aptain Highsmith that the Americans had fallen back in go od order, with their cannon—that General Rafael Vasquez with a large th force had entered San Antonio on the 5 , and that the Americans believing Vasquez ’ forces to be the van guard of a large army, had decided upon making Seguin our rendezvous , and were gradually retreating to that * point . That miserabl e day, all day , rumors came , cour i e r s passed in haste , and we were informed that an army of thirty thousand M exicans ha d cut our forces up and was marching directly toward Capote Farm , presumably intending to cross the Guadalup e at this point .

D uring the excitement in the morning , Mrs . Jacques buried her money , and Mrs . Elliott constructed three

- bustles, for herself and her two servant women , and in the bustles she deposited her gold doubloons , and we had all prepared and recite d what we shoul d say to the Mex ican officers upon their arrival . After dinner , we all went out to the p ublic road and sat down on a log , all in i n a row and watched to see them approach , whilst the

- valid Mr . D ouglas , wearing his comical long red sil k smoking cap tried to cheer and amuse us with his j okes

and witticisms . Soon towards the fatal west was seen an approaching horseman urging his tired steed with whip — “ ” “ and spur A Courier $ cried D ouglas , Now we shall know all . Sure enough it was my dear brother Andrew come to set us at ease about the p ersonal safety of our absent husbands , as he had a better horse than they , for our husbands appreciated our anxiety , and had sent him forward as their avant courier , and before dark Mr . Mav

* ' n M a r 6 4 2 e n a e 4 0 e c n r o o a r n d O G . z t 1 0 a t a e e a ch , V squ wi h M xi ps pp d a tur e Sa n n to n o No b a tt e w a s o t a n d t e r e tr e a t e a r o th e c p d A i . l f ugh h y d c ss Ri o r a n e r n th e a e on t w a s th e t e e n o n o e G d du i g s m m h . This im wh J h Tw hig bl w u h i to r e . s . a e r p s G M . M v ick .

E R R M MOIR S OF MA Y A . MAVE ICK

ll M c Cu o c h , and while they were absent some wanton passersby left their fences down and their hogs were — f killed and stolen their cattl e strayed , and inally a fl ood t came in M ay , swept away their bo tom fences , and broke th em up . Andrew l eft affairs with William , and in the summer went back to Alabama to complete his medical studies in T u s k a lo os a , intending to return eventually with his diploma ; h e also ha d some prop erty there from ’ i n Mother s estate to attend to . W hil e we were Gonzales ,

I met Mr . and Mrs . Vanderlip , young p eopl e , l iving there , who afterwards came to San Antonio . Mrs . Vanderlip had a piano and was very pretty and not l ong from New

York City . I met also Mrs . Ballinger of South Carol ina

and her sister Miss Roach , afterwards Mrs . Frank Pas c h a L A singular panic occurred in Gonzal es when we were there . One evening an old and resp ected citizen came in

from the country northwest of town , and , in a state of the greatest excitement reported that a l arge force of Indians was enroute coming down the river direct for Gonzales and would certainly arrive during the ensuing night . He said they coul d easily take and destroy the town , weak ened in force as it was . This report spread swiftly and created the wildest excitement . The p eopl e from the 1 9th of the , selecting a ravine for his force , he ordered Hays with 5 0 mounted men to draw the M exicans out of

San Antonio .

The Battl e of the Salado . This battl e ground was on the l eft bank of the Salado abo ut six mil es from San An tonio and a mil e below the Austin crossing of that creek .

Hays maneuvered to success , and feigning flight , was h ot ly p ursued by the two hundred M exican cavalry to the

Salado , who then halted and awaited the arrival of the main body of one thousand infantry (dismounted men ) and a battery of two guns . My brothers William and Andrew were both with Cald well , and they afterwards tol d me all about the battle .

The M exicans charged in style . The Texans held their fire until they “ could see the whites of the eyes ” of their MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 73 — foes then each picke d his man and laid him low , and the M exican s we re repulsed with considerabl e slaughter .

They returned to the charge again and again , but were repulsed each time with great loss The battl e lasted from , ’ i n el even o clock , a . m . until five the afternoon , when the the M exicans were repulsed with considerable slaughter . back on San Antonio . General Woll reported his loss as one hundred killed , but our p eopl e claimed three times as many . Amongst the M exicans slain were Agaton and Cor dova , two fam ous leaders of marauding parties . Not a

Texan was kill ed and only ten were wo unded . My broth ers tol d me it was a pleasure to our boys to shoot down “ u r those M exicans , for they had broken up all o homes and taken many of our brave comrades into cruel capti vity .

On the morning of the battl e , the Texans had butcher e d some beeves , but before they could get their breakfast ,

~ the order was given to fall in . But after the fight com n m e c e d , and they found it was such an easy going affair , after each charge was repulsed , and before the M exicans slowly reformed and advanced again , our boys woul d de scend into the ravine and take a lunch of broil ed me at and hot coffee . They j oked and sang and were very gay, and they wanted nothing better than to have the Mexicans come up and be shot— it seemed like chil d ’ s play . They themselves were quite secure behind the banks of the ravine and the cannon balls passed above and over them .

The D awson Massacre . D uring the day of the battl e

- of the Salado , Captain D awson with his brave fifty nine men from Fayette County , seeking a j unction with the main force under Cal dwell met a blo od y and cruel fate . They fell in wi th Woll ’ s army and were surrounded by eight hundred M exican troops when within one mil e of

’ Cal dwell . Our faithful Griffin was with Dawson s com p any . They fought so desperately that the M exicans

n brought their two can on t o bear upon them , when D aw “ son , seeing there was no hop e of escape , raised the white ” fl ag . This was fired upon , and the M exican cavalry, dis MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

regarding the surrender, charged upon the gallant rem

nant and cut them down on every side . It was then that

D awson was slain . Colonel Carasco interfered at this mo ment and fifteen Texans were taken prisoners— three or

- four of whom died of their wounds . Thirty three had

f‘ been slain and the rest e s c a p e d fi

Mr . Miller escaped on a fine horse before the white flag

was raised . My uncle , Mr . John Bradl ey , was one of the

prisoners . Ten of them , including Mr . Bradley , were

- marched off to M exico , and final ly j oined the fifty three h a d ‘ 1 h wh o started on the 3t . w o O ur poor Griffin was slain . He ould g into the fight with them and though offered quarter several times r e

fused because he was thinking of his master , now a prison

erer , and too , of his young masters , W illia m and Andrew ,

now possibly slain ; the desire for vengeance seized his

brave and trusty soul , and he wanted to kill every M exi

. w can he could He was a man of po erful frame , and he os e s d p s e the courage of the African lion . And this faith

ful and devoted African performed prodigies that day . W hen his ammunition became usel ess because of the

- proximity of the enemy , he fought with the butt end of

his gun and when the gun was broken , he wrenched a

limb from a mesquite - tree and did battle with that until

death closed his career . He received more than one mor * tal wound before he ceased fighting . The Mexican Colonel Carasco himself afterwards told

Mr . Maverick that he had witnessed the feats p erformed ” by that valiant black man , and he pronounced Griffin the bravest man he had ever seen . Mr . Maverick grieved

over his untimely death , and more than once did he say : “ ” We owe Griffin a monument . h September 2 0t . The M exican citizens of San Antonio who esp oused the M exican cause , with a guard of four

* r a h o o a c o n th 1 th H a a e n . o Th ll s a ys t e b a ttl e t k pl e e 7 . e s ys th a t s G W ll ’ re t r e a te h e e i n t Da o n o a n o f 5 5 m e n—3 3 e r e a n 1 5 s u r d f ll wi h ws s c mp y w sl i , ’ r e n e r e n d 2 e c a e h e o e n t a o n t for th e o t e r v m e n H e a d d a s p d ( d s cc u h fi e ) . s ys ll r r a h o n o r n n r a n a a n n n a s W e e t e te d t e f llowi g m i g f om S . A . d th t misu de r s ta di g to wh o wa s e n t t e t o o m a n r e ve n te r u t th e e a n i l d c m d p d pu s i by T x s . * ’ “ ” r o n to r a r n wa l e a on t . . B w s his y s ys G iffi s kil d wi h D ws G . M . M SAN J UAN OR THIRD MISSION

MISSION S N F NCISCO E L ESP O 4th MISSION A RA D A ADA , R

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 75

hundre d soldiers , left San Antonio for M exico , taking with

them five hundred head of cattl e and much plunder .

0 1 September 2 1 st , General W 1, with his remaining forces evacuated San Antonio , and retired in good order towards the Rio Grande . Colonel Cal dwell with six hun dred and fifty men pursued them , and at night came upon their camp on the Medina . At daylight the next morning, the Texans found the enemy had retreated during the t — nigh they gave chase , and caught up with them early “ ” in the afternoon . Caldwell ( Ol d Paint ) commande d the first division , M orehead the second and John H . M oore the third or reserve . J . H . M oore was the ranking offi cer, but Cal dwell immediately to ok active command , and prepare d for the battl e . He commande d Hays with twenty picked men to make a diversion on the enemy ’ s l eft . Hays , with his usual dash and gall antry , entered vigorously into the spirit of the hour . He charged bol d ly into the ranks of the enemy and immediately captured the artill ery . The M exicans threw their women and chil dren into the space between the captured artill ery and their main army . Then came a dreadful pause A dis , graceful scene was being enacted in the Texan army . J .

H . Moore claimed his right as ranking officer to conduct ’ the battl e . Cal dwell s men refused to be commanded by ’ anyone other than the h ero of the Salado . M orehead s men demanded that M orehead shoul d command . After some delay Caldwell awoke to the importance of action and announce d that he would follow Moore or any other man , and take all his men into the fight with him . But the contention had laste d too long ; the important moment ’ h ad come and had fled forever . Hays small band had captured the artill ery and the enemy was already casting , — timorous glances toward the rear a charge by the Tex ans woul d have scattered them to the winds . As it was , Hays was in a p erilous position— the en emy had time to recover from the first shock— they charged upon Hays in force and drove him from the field . Hays fell back out of range and witnessed W oll ’ s army successfully retire from ’ the fiel d and resume the march westward . Hays gallant MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK spirit was wounded by this unaccountabl e and i g nom i ni — ous scene and his fe elings found utterance in tears yes , tears of shame and rage . The Texan army at l ast came forward , but it was too late , the enemy had escaped . The Texans were so disgusted and mortified that all discipline was lost and they returned in angry and humiliated squads to San Antonio . Hays had five wounde d in his

u . brilliant enco nter , one of whom , Judge Lucky , died The Mexicans abandoned their extra baggage and fled precipitately across the Rio Grande . The blame of the fail ure was cast principally upon

Col onel Cal dwell , and he felt so humiliated and outrage d that he became restive under the heavy burden and from a condition of excellent health , he sank into despondency and died of chagrin two or three months later . But his memory remained fresh and revered . He had been a noted Indian fighter , as I have mentioned before , and he h a d been an officer in the unfortunate Santa Fe exp edi tion , and had suffered imprisonment . H e had a great and good reputation throughout west Texas .

I now return to Mr . M averick , and other prisoners l 1 h captured on September t , in San Antonio during the

Term of the Court . 3 1 8 43 On March oth , , Mr . Maverick , W . E . Jones and Judge Anderson Hutchinson were finally rel eased in the

City of M exico by Santa Anna . O ur obligations to Gener a l Waddy Thompson can never b e forgotten Genera l ,

n Thompso was a native of South Carolina , and a connec ’

. tion by marriage of Mr M averick s . He, was the United

States Minister to M exico . After securing the release of

Mr . Maverick , Jones and Hutchinson , he nobly exerted his influence to secure the rel ease of all the other helpless and friendl ess prisoners , and he did not cease his efforts until he had succeeded in getting them all— all the sur

vi v r — o s liberated . d 1 4 2 n 8 3 . On April , , Mr M averick , once more free , l eft the City of Mexico , and on May 4th , he dismounted at our cabin on the Colorado , having been absent from

R K MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVE IC

Chapter XII .

C OLORAD O B OTTO MS .

2 t 8 42 n E lived on the Colorado from June 1 s , 1 , u 1 5th 1 4 til November , 8 4 . I have mentioned our l ’ arrival , June 2 st, at C olonel Dancy s where we 1 were to remain awhil e . On August 2 st , Mr . M averick

- bought twenty six acres of land , fronting on the right bank of the Colorado , and lying betwe en two tracts b e longing to Colonel D ancy . He h ad it surveye d by Hudson , and made arrangements to build us a te m p r or a r y home on it . This tract was opp osite La Grange in Fayette

County and opposite the ferry .

2 n . It was on August 2 d , as I have mentioned , that Mr

Maverick l eft us for San Antonio , where he was captured and taken to Perote . D uring September , poor littl e Lewis

‘

became ill with typhoid fever . Griffin came back about

this time and returned on his fateful errand .

September 2 9th , I received a l etter from my dear hus band , now a captive . The letter was written on the eve of their being marched off to a M exican dungeon . It wa s

calm , cheerful and hopeful , and counseled me to be brave , to bear a stout heart , and to take care of myself and the children .

November l 6th , we move d into our own house , which consisted of a log cabin of one room sixteen by eighteen feet , one small er for a kitchen , and a shed room for Jinny r and the chil d en . This house was built by Granvill e and

Wiley with much help from Mr . Griff . Jones , who was very kind to us . Lewis was now almost strong again . The fever had been severe with him , and had so reduced him , that he was unable to stand up for some time after it had l eft him . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 79

My aunt , Mrs . Bradl ey , whose husb and was also a pris oner in Perote , came to the Colorado and moved into

Colonel D ancy s house , which I had j ust vacated . She and I had some sad consolation conferri ng together over our troubles , and comparing such news as each of us occasion ally received from our imprisoned husbands or from D ame

Rumor . Annie Bradley had gone to Al abama to visit her relatives . M ollie Bradley , my sister Lizzie , and Leonora

m a n Hill , daughter of a neighbor , became intimate c o p ions , rode much on horseback together , and kept some youthful company and cheer of life about us .

’ In La Grange lived Dr . Chalmers family , refugees from

Austin . Here we met Thomas J . D evine , a young lawyer , and the Misses Elder , one of whom D evine married . W e also met George Hancock and Tom Green .

As I have said Mrs . Elliott was in San Antonio when

Mr . M averick was captured . She visited the prisoners by permis sion , and Mr . M averick handed her privately twenty gol d doubloons for me , about in our mon e y . And the money came safely to me through John W .

Smith . This amount with what I had in the house I tried to make go as far as possible . Coffee , sugar , and flour were very high , as indee d everything except beef , corn ,

- fowls and butter . I had the twenty six acre tract fenced in and purchased som e milch cows .

My brother W illiam came to see how I was doing, and stopp ed awhil e with us , and worke d with our men , until they built another l og cabin , adj acent to the one previous l y built , leaving a p assage or hall between them . In this hall we usually sat when the weather was fair . W e had

n - an imme se live oak tree for shade , and immediately in “ ” front of the house stood a mott of young live oak trees .

In fact , we made o urselves as comfortabl e as possibl e under the circumstances . W illiam remained with us as l ong as he could , and then l eft for Alabama .

In November I received a l etter from my husband ,

1 6 M onte love z written O ctober th , at Monclova ( ) Coa huila . He had marched four hundred miles and had eight MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

h hundred more , as he understood , to march before reac ing the City of M exico , where he expected to be rel eased .

My dear husband wrote to cheer me expressly , for he spoke of his excellent health , and hop efulness , but did not mention anything about the p ens they were herded in at night , nor of the other abuses they were subj ected to .

I , however, was constantly fearing that the next mail woul d bring some dreadful news from the prisoners—and only when I got an occasional l etter so brave and fond , from S . A M . could I hop e . I tried to follow his advice , , and kept up at times a semblance of cheerfulness , but I

- was then only twenty four years of age , and almost a chil d in exp erience and I had the care of thre e helpless littl e chil dren and the birth of a fourth to l ook to in the m future . A refugee in a strange land and y husband a c aptive in the power of a cruel and treacherous foe . Ah , then I felt— “ What weight of agony the human heart can bear . But I strove to be brave and prayed to God that

I might live for my children and my de ar husband . 1 43 In February , 8 , I received a l etter from Mr . M aver 2 th ick written January 7 , at Perote . He mentioned in it “ how badly they h ad been treated in Sa ti llo— that robber r city of thi ty thousand p eople , where we were closely con ” fined i n a filthy prison for fifteen days —and where th eir captors threatened to take them to some secret place where they would never be heard from again . But in this l etter , Mr . M averick was quite hop eful of being released through the exer tions of General Waddy Th om p son , then United States Minister to M exico .

This letter , full of deep feeling , al ong with other l et ters written by Mr . M averick , whilst a prisoner , I have careful ly preserved for our children as sacred . I have 8 4 another written D ecember 3 oth , 1 2 ; one wri tten Fe b r u 2 n d 1 843 ary , , also expecting sp eedy rel ease . Another h written March 1 5t , contains the same hop e . March 2 2 n d , he wrote again stating that he and W . E . Jones and

Judge Anderson Hutchinson were released from prison . Their final release would be received in the City of M ex

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

the Guadal up e abo ut fifty miles above Seguin , ( it must have been between the present sites of Sisterdale and

Comfort in Kendall County ) . W hilst some of the Rangers th e were cutting a b ee tree , the spies gallop ed up with news that a very large party of Comanches were close up on them . At once the Rangers mounted and made — ready b y this time the Indians had formed in admirabl e

order on the l evel top of a hill near by . The Rangers fol lowing their l eader, spurred forward in full charge , and , when they reached the foot of the hill which was steep and somewhat overhanging , they found they were no longer in sight of the enemy . Taking advantage of this ,

Hays led his men half around the base of the hill , still out of sight , and dashed up at a p oint not expected . The

Comanches had dismounted , and were kneeling down

with guns and arrows fixed for a deadly aim . Strange to say , Hays was cl ose upon them before they discovered

h i s stratagem , and before they could mount their horses , the Rangers were in their midst —shooting them right and left , with their new revolving pistols . But the Indians

- were numerous , some sixty five or seventy warriors , and were led by two especially brave and daring chiefs . The chiefs rallied their forces and closed completely around

r n ' the Rangers and fought with great d a i g , b u t the aston “ ” 1 shing six- shooters did the work—the Indians sp eedily e became demoraliz ed and th y broke and fled , l eavin g

twenty - three of their comrades dead on the battl e - field

' This was opportune , for the loads were exhausted i n

th - e six shooters of the Rangers , and they immediately took a dvantage of the enemy ’ s flight to rel oad their vig

o r o u s littl e weapons . The Indians , finding they were not pursued , paused and reformed for battl e . The Rangers charged now with the same result . The fight lasted near ly an hour , the Indians fighting stubbornly and retiring slowly and still forty strong A chief then made a great e s i c u la t tal k to his followers , rising in his stirrups and g t ing—h e rode up and down their lines and got them to make another desperate stand . SAMUEL AUGUSTUS MAVERICK

LIEM I O RS OF MARY A. MAVERICK

her up she was in convulsions . We picked the scrap of hoof out of her forehead , bathe d her head in col d water and we sat almost hopel ess at her side awaiting the r e sult . At midnight she became quiet and went to sl eep , and j ust before daybreak she opene d her eyes and said : “ Papa , give me a drink of water . He said with deep if emotion : Ble s s e d be God , and she was out of danger . ’ Under the doctor s advice , we took great care of her, and kept her out of the sun for some time .

In the summer of 1 843 , the balance of the Perote pris oners received their liberation , and Mr . Bradl ey soon 1 44 8 . thereafter reached his family . In the summer of , Mr

Bradl ey was persuaded to run for Congress . W hilst out

electioneering , he was taken down with a fever , of which he died September 2 4th . Pauline Bradley was also quite

i ill at this time . Annie had married Robert B bb , of Ala

n . bama , and they came out to see Au t Ann directly after ’ Mr . Bradley s death . When Mrs . Bibb returned to Ala s bama , Mrs . Bradley with her children took her negroe B and moved out to San Antonio . Mrs . radl ey was self reliant , and she determined to provide for th e large fam ily left in her widowed care . How ably and successfully she performed that difficult task is quite well known .

For some weeks after her accident, Agatha was quite p ale and she had a l ong and severe chill about th e first of

September . The doctor gave her quinine and she was soon a perfect picture of rosy health . Sam had a spell of chills and fever , and I became at last quite sickly myself during the summer . In fact , I became much reduced and was an invalid all the fall .

W e concl uded it woul d not do to live here any longer ;

the Colorado bottoms were too unhealthy . Mr . Maverick decided to take us to the Gulf Co ast where we coul d enj oy sea bathing . 85 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter XIII .

LIFE ON THE PENINSULA .

HE Pass , or waterway , which connects Matagorda

'

Bay with the Gulf of M exico , is bo unded on the

south by M atagorda Island , the northern e xtr e

lu r mity of which is named Sa i a , and on the north by De crows Point , which is the southwestern extremity of the

Peninsula . The pass is call ed Paso Caball o , and it is about e r o l u r i three miles from D c ws Point to Sa a .

The Peninsula extends northeastwardly from De c r ows

Point , a distance of about fifty miles to the main land .

Where the Peninsul a $oins the main land , Caney Creek formerly emptied into the Gulf of M exico , but the creek has been diverted by means of a canal and now empties its scanty waters into the northern arm of M atagorda

Bay . The Peninsul a is a dreary , sandy flat , having an average width of about two miles ; at the middl e of th is

i l n . elongated strip of land is T to a , which was our farm

c r h 1 844 We lived at De ows Point from D ecember 7t , , h n until O ctober 1 5t , 1 847 , when we returned to San A tonio .

On November 1 5th , 1 844 , we deserted our temporary

De c r o w . home on the Colorado , and set out for s Point

We had a carriage and two hire d wagons , some saddle horses and s e vén cows . I was an invalid during the whol e trip , and travelled lying down in the carriage . A wide board was laid from the front to the back seat of the large roomy carriage , and quilts and pillows were b e stowed where they woul d give me the most comfort . The ’ driver s seat was on the outside . My dear little girls were

n m ge erally with me , and someti es Lizzie , but sh e usually E M MOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

preferred to ride on horseback with Mr . M averick . Sam and Lewis rode in a wagon . W e spent the first night in ’ r n i l La G a g e at Mrs . Angus M c Ne s , a third or fourth cous in of mine .

l 6th , got started in the afternoon and travelled only a few miles and camp ed . It rained and storme d all that night, and the next morning we started off in a norther .

1 7th , five miles to Rutersvill e . Mrs . Butler to ok us in ,

‘ and she and Mrs . Robb were very kind . We established ourselves in a vacant house and waited for the weather to moderate .

November 2 l st, twelve miles to Breedings .

’ 2 2 n d Oh m b u r s 2 3 r d November , eight mil es to g , eight ’ 2 4th een miles to Alley s ; , sixte en miles to M aj or M ont ’ ’ g o m e r y s ; 2 5th , eighteen miles to Crawford s (Spanish ’ 2 6th s i xte e n 2 7th Springs) , , mil es to Cayce s , six miles to ’ - D awson s (wiggl e tail mud p ond , awfully dirty water) ’ 2 8th , six mil es to Captain John D uncan s ; took dinner, and ’ a r m a n six miles to Mrs . H d e s , where we spent the night ; ’ 2 h i n r i 9t , six miles to R d c k s , kindest p eople of all ; took ’ dinner here , and eight mil es to Shepherd s , which is two mil es into the swamps ; 3 oth , awful roads , swamps con i n u l t u o s y , crossed three sloughs , in the last one of which ’ Granvill e s wagon stalle d and one ox fell . He b eat the ox awfully , and then they prized him o ut and doubl ed teams and got through . Made eight miles today and camped . In the night it rained and a norther blew up , and we all got cold and wet .

D ecember 1 st, Sunday , five mil es to the new canal , crossed it with great difficulty , and camped . 2 n d , half r d a mil e to a vacant house where we camp ed . 3 , one , — mile , came to Gulf of M exico magnificent , calm , gent l y heaving water, and fourteen miles on the beautiful , e smooth , hard b ach , where we saw many bright shells . h ’ 4t , six miles to Mrs . Love s , where we took dinner, and ’ five mil es to Sergeant s and camp ed . Mrs . Sergeant gave

- h us fresh butter milk and butter and some coffee . 5t . seven miles in an awful north wind and rain , but we all

M MEMOIRS OF ARY A . MAVERICK

threw a bucket of water on her and put the fire out , b e

fore she was badly burned . She was quite sore for sev

eral weeks afterwards . h June 1 1 t , Mr . Maverick visited San Antonio , and was

gone six we eks . On his return he took a sail boat at La vaca , and before they had gotten out of sight of Lavaca

a sudden squall capsiz ed the boat , and he with several other passengers came very near being drowned—but being still near enough to Lavaca to be se en with the

spyglass , they were observed and a small boat put out immediately , and rescued them j ust before dark . I am , ’ r e n told by Mr . D awson , now in Mr . G e t s store , in San

Antonio , that he was one of the rescuing party . i M c Ne l . D uring this month , Mary came to see us She and her uncle , Henry M c Ne i l, were on their way to her ’ t mother s ol d home in Mississippi , where M ary was to a tend school . i One afternoon the M c Ne ls with General Somervill e ,

Lizzie , Mr . Maverick and myself and Sam and Lewis

went sailing on the bay , as we frequently did for pl easure ,

’ or to fish . or to gather gulls eggs on the islets . The day was beautiful and we sailed seven or eight miles when we noticed a fog gathering , and , since we had not a pil ot

as we usually had aboard , we hastened to tack about and return , with General Somerville , a pretty good sailor , a t the helm . But the fog came on so rapidly , and grew so dense that we could not see ten yards beyond th e bo a t, and were soon satisfied that we were lost . W e tacked ,

and we tacked , and we tacke d again , but to no avail , we ’ — couldn t find our way out and we were right glad when , ’ about ten o clock that night , we ran well aground . We remained there safely until daylight . W e ladies were a d much alarmed , besides being damp , col d n hungry , and we at last crowded into a diminutive cabin to avoid a drizzling rain which now set in . Sam and Lewis were gotten to sleep quite early . The gentlemen haul ed in the sails and made bed covers with them and went to sleep . i Lizzie and Mary also slept , but I lay awake all n ght MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 89

listening to the wash of the waves , and the roar of th e breakers at the Pass , and I hailed with delight the dawn of day . General Somerville declared we were

twelve miles from home , on the mainland on the west side of the bay . The gentl emen got out into the wate r , p ushed the boat off, and it was still e arly morning when we hove to and greeted the anxious faces of our friends .

Some of the p eople at the Point feared we were drowned , others blew fog horns and built big fires on the coast and kept them burning all night , but we had neither heard nor seen anything . W e were all thankful to get safely back and p ut on dry clothing , and we attacked the warm break fast with great gusto . I was delighted to se e Aga tha and

Augusta , and I was told the p oor littl e things had cried thems elves to sleep the night before . No one suffered any harm from the exposure , and our exp erience of the night gave us many hearty laughs thereafter .

1 8 45 . July , Thank God , we are now annexed to the

United States , and can hop e for home and quiet . Mr .

Smith , American Consul in Sa lu r i a , was drowned in a

bayou which he was attempting to cross , and his poor i ' w fe , an amiabl e , nice lady , l eft desolate and alone . We

n we t over to see her , and Lizzie and Cora Vandever s pent some time with her . August 1 3 th O ur family took quite an excursion up , the bay . W ent up Lavaca bay and landed opposite La ’ vaca at Tres Palacios ( Cox s Point) , where Mr . M averick had long since purchased an interest in the land , as I have mentioned in Chapter III . This we found a beauti ful site . Twenty M a ta g or d i a n s were h ere for the bathing , ’ P and we spent a few days at Captain Grimes s . Dr . arque har had a nice residence here and a garden of pretty flowers and rare plants and fruits .

’ W e rented a house opp osite the Levy s , and in the same

block with the family of Mr . Forrester , who had been a

Perote prisoner with Mr . M averick . At that time , Mata gorda had probably the most cultivated society in the state . M atagorda then had good schools , several MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

- - churches , and many well to do peopl e , who had planta tions on the Caney and Col orado , where the s ummers were quite unhealthful , had their summer residences here . Reverend Caleb Ives was the Episcopal Minister . nne e r His wife , when she was Miss Ke , had been my teach er i n T u s k a lo os a . They had charge of the academy for young ladies in Matagorda . h 4 m On Sunday , September 7t , 1 8 5 , at seven p . . , our fifth chil d , George Madison , was born .

August first , Miss Annie , daughter of Rhodes Fisher , wa s married to Mr . J . W . Dallam . Mr . Maverick and

Lizzie went to the wedding , and to several parties given to the married coupl e by friends in M atagorda . h O ctober 2 5t , we all returned by Schooner Mary to

r De c ows Point , and had a house to ourselves . h O ctober 2 8t , Mr . M averick and Lizzie left by Schooner ” — Mary for New Orleans Lizzie to T u s k a l oos a for the winter, and Mr . M averick on business .

1 846 .

h The 1 9t , January , we had a tempest . 2 h January 8t , Mr . Lucius W . Peck came out , on Mr . ’ Maverick s advice , to teach school . He came to o ur house , sent hither by Mr . M averick whom Mr . Peck had l eft quite well in New Orl eans .

March 1 7th , Mr . M averick returned after an absence of nearly five months . He took Lizzie to T u s k a loos a and remained there several weeks on business . Thence he went to Pendl eton , where he visited Father Maveri ck , and he found it “cruel to l eave him in his precarious ” health . He remained with his father two weeks , and “ ” receive d his last sad embrace and blessing . From e Pendleton he went to Charl ston , where he was detained

by vexatio us business one month . At Charl eston he — bought four negroes viz : Frances and her boy Simon ,

Naoma , a seamstress , and William , a carpenter . He wanted the carp enter because he had bought a one - third

' interest in D ecre ws Point and i nte n d e d to erect some

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 91

houses . This purchase of negroes in Charleston soon proved to b e a perfectly worthless investment . When Mr .

Maverick reached New Orleans , he chartered a schooner, which he loaded with l umber for the improvements he intended to make at the Point , and on February 4th , he found it necessary to go to Mobil e to compl ete his pur h D c r o chases . On March 9t , he l eft Mobile for e ws Point “ ” on the chartered schooner , Urbana , Captain Small . O n board he had the negroes and the l umber and some goods and provisions . They had a stormy p assage and narrow escap e from going down during a gale . They e u

r th te e d Matagorda Bay , March 1 7 , happy to be with “ ” us again and gladly welcomed . Lewis cut a big L in one of the new chairs with his new knife first thing . Mr .

Peck taught Sam and Lewis regularly at this time .

Dr . Gray Jones Houston and his brother Ross visited

- Texas during the winter of 1 8 45 6 . They came to see us 1 846 in March , and sp ent a few days with us . Mr . M av erick was in New Orl eans at the time . It was about the 1 h 5t , when the north wind bl ew almost a gal e and the bay rose very high , and the water of the bay se emed high er than the land , as it was driven southward through the

Pass . The Houstons had decided to remove with their families and worldly goods from Alabama to Texas , but

Dr . Houston said he woul d not settl e on the Peninsul a , at any rate , for he considered life quite unsafe here . 1 h March 8t . The Petrel wrecked with two hundred

German immigrants aboard . Al l lives saved by Captain “ ” i r S m pto n of the revenue cutter Al ert . Mrs . Neil , of

San Antonio , was aboard . About this time , I l earned of L the marriage of my brother W illiam to A . Goodman , in Freestone County at Troy on the Trinity River There , he was established as a merchant . My brother George h i i i M . Adams died April 2 6t , 1 8 4 6 , in Aberdeen , M ss ss p

f - pi , o congestive chills . He was twenty eight years of age .

He was an affectionate , goo d brother and a courageous man .

e a n In Jun d July , we were gladdened by the news of V M EMOIR S OF MARY A . MA ERICK the two brilliant victories gained by Ge n e r a l Tayl or at

Pal o Alto and Resaca de la Palma .

In June , Lewis , Agatha and Augusta had the whooping cough . In September every one of the children had the — , measl es Lewis was quite sick , and George had sore ears afterwards . Augusta was packed in a wet sheet to com p el t h e measl es to the surface . D uring September , the

smallpox being prevalent , the children were all vaccina P r ted and all took well . In O ctober, Mrs . M aggie e a e son (nee Shortridge ) spent some time at the Pass for her lit ’ tl e girl s health . They were living at that time in Victoria . ’ n e v r She boarded at Mrs . V a d e s across the street from h us . W e were great friends and spent many hours tog e t er . Parties from the country often came to the Pass , to fish and bathe and get away from mosquitoes , for we had none , and were always cool . h November l 1 t , Mr . Maverick visited San Antonio . He ’ wrote of Charl ey Bradl ey s death of measles , and he

r stated there was much sickness in town , probably a gg a va te d by the fevers and dysenteries of the sol diers in the camps , and by the continued ill health of the Germ an i m migrants , and that many deaths had occurred . In D ecem

ber Mr . Maverick bought the Nixon house a n d two lo ts .

1 4 8 7 .

January 3 d , 1 8 47 , Mr . Maverick returned from San

Antonio . I had heard many rumors of Indians on the

road , and had suffered much uneasiness .

February 1 8th , Lizzie and Andrew arrived from Tuska loosa . Lizzie had grown much improved and was fine h n looking and fa s i o a b ly d r e s s ed . Andrew had his dipl o

ma with him and was now a regular M . D . The next day

after his arrival , Andrew started for his old place on the

San Marcos . h i l n a l 6th Purc ase of T to . March , Mr . Maverick went ’ n - u to Tilto s place , twenty five miles up the Penins la , and bought it and four hundred head of cattle at per * l n head . Th e p ace h a d an oyster bayou bel o ging to it

* S e e s tor y a n d l e tte r s a t e n d o f b oo k .

A MEMOIRS OF M RY A . MAVERICK , l eans and splendid gardens and the best water mel ons in the worl d and never suffered from the heat And still we were aware great storms might come and destructive c y i n i clones a t e qu ox a l times , and we often tal ked of going back to San Antonio .

April 1 3th , we heard General Scott was marching from

Vera Cruz towards the City of M exico .

April 1 2 th , Mr . Maverick went to Matagorda to try the galvanic battery on his still suffering shoulder , and r e turned the l 6th much benefitted , ,

April 2 2 n d , Mr . M averick left for San Antonio to be gone three weeks . He wrote me that Colonel Hays was 4 h married on April 2 t , at Seguin to Miss Susan Calvert , l and that on May st, a large party of San Antonians met them on the Salado and gave them a grand ovation . Mr . Gi u lb e a u gave a party and reception to Colonel Hays and bride . Mr . Maverick mentioned that six or s even hun dred soldiers were mustering at San Antonio , to be form ed into a regiment and to march to M exico under Colonel

Hays , and stated also that there was a great increase in the American population of the town .

2 5th n April , we all took a trip to Ti lto a , Cora Vandever and Mr . Peck accompanying us . The girls were on horse back , and I with the children in the cart with Mr . Peck driving . We sp ent a delightful week drinking fresh milk , fishing , bathing in the breakers , riding a nd having a gen eral good time . W e returned May l st, and took home with us chickens and turkeys , butter and eggs , fresh beef and other farm products .

May l st, fourteen lots were sol d for eight hundred “ ” h o u n dollars in Ca across the Pass . 2 n d May , worth of l ots were sold here in

Paso C avallo , and it seems they are to be improved .

d a n d July 3 , Mrs . Vandever I with the girls and escort ed by Maj or Stores and Captain Cummings , went to La vaca to attend the Grand Fourth of July Ball . Mr . M av erick remained at home with the children . At Lavaca r e the girls had numerous beaux and a fine time . We MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 95 turned by the way of Dutch town (now Indianol a) a th r i v ing place , and at that time threatening to deprive Lavac a ’ of her large trade . At Lavaca we stopp ed at Mrs . Eberl e s and at D utch Town with the family of Reverend Mr . Blair .

Ti l n r e July 1 5th , we took a boat and visited our farm to a , turning on the 2 6th . Robert J . Clow and John M ann — courted Lizzie , who had much attention they both got “ ” no for their answer , but Bob Clow said he believed she “ ” meant yes for him . September , Cora Vandever was mar ried to Billy Nichols , a pilot and a good man . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter XIV .

THE ANGEL OF DEATH . UT after all the Peninsula was not home to us in

the full sense of that word . Mr . Maverick was

constantly returning to San Antonio on business , each visit he wa s making new investments and knitting his interest and his sentiments more and more with the life and growth of San Antonio and the surround ing country . To me the four years of our early married life spent in San Antonio seemed like a bright vision—a veritabl e romance . The memory of the stirring events of that period and of the birth of my Lewis and Agatha there , kept my affections warm for the dear ol d place . 1 5th 1 4 O n the day of O ctober 8 7 , with bag and bag gage , we l eft the Point and set off for San Antonio . It was right sad to l eave a pleasant home and the friends we had gathered during three years , and not the l east regret was it to say goodbye to Mr . Peck , who had taught our children faithfully for two years and been a member

- of o ur household , but his health was r e established and he obeyed the urgent requests of his mother to return to her in his native state . He was quite anxious to go with us to r San Antonio , but he parted with us at the Pass and e turned to Ohio .

’ At Lavaca we stopp ed at Mrs . Staunton s until the 1 9th , when Lizzie and I with Agatha , and George and h is nurse , — Betsy took the stage for San Antonio m y first stage ride r in Texas . Mr . Maverick , Sam , Lewis and the se vants took p assage with the wagons an d our househol d goods

and we did not see them again until November 4th . We spent th e first night in Victoria with Maggie Pearson , the

E M MOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

yellow fever imported from Houston . Now , all of our children suffered some illness .

‘ Late in November, Lewis was spinning a top at the front door and George was sitting on the door sill , when ’ Lewis top bounced up and struck George on the forehead .

George went into spasms , but we packe d him in a wet she et and blankets and he got well , but he was quite l ow for a week or so and he has ever retained the scar .

D ecember first , brother Andrew , surgeon in Captain ’ Ve a c h s company, sp ent a few days with us on his way to the Rio Grande . 4 h On Friday , D ecember 2 t , our sixth child , Willie H was born . The j oyous bells of Christmas Eve were ring ing when he was born .

1 848 .

h April 4t , 1 8 48 , Mr . M averick l eft with Mr . Tivy , de p uty surveyor, and a considerabl e surveying party , to have a p et location on Las M oras creek surveyed . He l ocated our headright certificate on the head spring , and Fort — Clark is on that tract h e also l ocated much land below that survey . 2 h April 9t , Mr . Clow came to marry Lizzie , although she has not set the day . 0th The Angel of D eath . Sunday , April 3 , my dear

little Agatha took fever . Lizzie and I with the girls and Betsy with the baby were out walking and we were near the Mill Bridge when she first complained . I tol d Betsy to take baby and go home with her, when Agatha said : 0 , ” if my papa was here he woul d carry me . At this time Agatha was a large and very beautiful child of seven years . She was the idol of her father, and in return for i his devoted affection for her , she dolized him . The sentiment of love b etween Mr . Maverick and the sweet chil d was something extraordinary , something beautiful and touching to behold ,

When I got home , I bathed her in tepid water and cared

u tenderly for her, b t on the following day she grew much SAN ANTONIO RIVE R BACK OF TW OHIG HOME

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

M c Cu llo c h Mr . Clow, Reverend Mr . officiating , and at a lu r i a eight a . m . took the stage for S . h Friday, M ay 2 6t , Mr . Maverick returned . Eleven miles west of town , he met an acquaintance who told him of Agatha ’ s death $ He went to the grave and threw him self down upon it , and remained there until it was dark . l N0 one but God cou d tell the depth of his anguish . He was crushed and broken when he came home . He said ” he was striving not to murmur at the will of Go d . He said we should humbl e ourselves in sack cloth and ashes —and he never removed that sack cloth in spirit whilst — he lived was ever after a sad changed man . That night I dreamed so distinctly that Agatha ran through our room and out at the door again— the dream seemed so real that I j umped up , and l ooked for her with An a candl e in my hand , in spite of reason . d Mr . M av “ erick said : She has wandered off in the dark and we ” will never on earth be abl e to find her . Another time in

: his deep anguish he said Cursed land , cursed money , I ” woul d give all all , only to se e her once more .

M ay 2 9th , Mr . M averick wrote a touching letter to his father telling him of our loss— one of his sentences was “ this : I feel as if, every moment , she i s b e i ng torn out of ” my heart . My poor little Willie came near starving to death when Agatha was sick and after her death —m y milk almost ’ dried up . I got Mrs . Elliott s cook , Patience , to nurse him two weeks , and then had to begin feeding him . This dis agreed with him , and all summer he was very sick and thin and fretful— once he lay at the p oint of death with the dysentery , and the doctor tol d Mrs . Elliott there was no hop e . Mrs . Gorch told me to make tea of p omegranate root , and give a teaspoonful every fifteen minutes until the dysentery was checked . I did this and I believe it saved his life . As he grew b etter and well , it was wonderful how he liked his hoarhound tea and drank goats milk . 1 3th August , read in the Pendleton M essenger of July : 7th , the following obituary 1 01 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

D eparted this life , Agatha Maverick , at San h Antonio , Texas , on the 9t of M ay , aged seven

- years and twenty seven days , eldest daughter of “ Samuel A . and Mary A . Maverick . Oh , Al

mighty and all j ust God , teach us how it is that

the poor littl e boon of the breath of life , could not be spared from thy great storehouse to ani mate a littl e dear thing which thou hast made ” so p erfect .

The portion in quotation marks is an extract from Mr . ’ Maverick s letter.

Poor littl e Augusta missed her sister Tita so much , and , as we grieved without ceasing , so did she . D aily she gathere d flowers and kept them in water until the after “ ” noon , and then she took them to the grave for Tita Tita who had ever been her companion and her ideal of goodness .

Augusta was a child of great promise , gentle , patient , thoughtful , and pious beyond her years . She was very fair with blue eyes and light hair , and she had a high , broad forehead and a development of mind beyond her age . She was very fond of attending Sunday School and —, of listening to singing and of caring for the baby and was always obedient . She rep eated her prayers nightly and was ever tal king of God and his angels and of “ our ” Tita with them .

Ah , pure and spotl ess angel , thyself . In August Col onel Hays was ordered to op en a shorter and better trading route through the wilds to Chihuahua , e r s a M exico . Colonel Hays asked me to p u d e Mr . Mav “ erick to go with the exp edition . I answered Oh , no , ” he is n ot we ll enough for such a hard trip . Then Hays ’ replied , D on t yo u see Mr . Maverick is dying by inches $

Every one remarks how gray he has grown , how bent and feebl e he l ooks , and this will be the very thing for him he al ways thrives on hardships , and his mind must be dis ” tracted now from his grief . I recognized the truth and force of this reasoning and r A V MEMOIRS o MARY . MA ERICK

i that Ha ys loved him dearly and I set to work to persuade him to go . My husband was quite reasonable , and quick c ly saw that the trip had be ome a necessity for him . h On Sunday , August 2 7t , Mr . Maverick left with

Colonel Hays , fifty men and fi fteen Delaware Indian guides , to run out the new route to Chihuahua . They h a d a — very severe trip , especially going they got lost and were nearly starved and their horses suffered more severely than the men . One man l ost his reason and was lost and afterwards saved by the Indians and recovered . Whil e hopelessly lost , they met som e Indians from Santa Fe who sol d them some bread and p e lon c i llos and p ointed out to them the road to San Carlos on the Rio Grande ; where they arrived a few days after .

Their return trip was much shor ter . A good road , com p a r a ti ve ly , was surveyed of about seven hundred miles from El Paso to San Antonio . Th ey were greatly troubl ed on their returnby the In dians hanging about , and trying to stamp ede their horses and they had one fight with them . 1 They got back Sunday , D ecember 0th , and the three and a half months of hardship had done wonders for

Mr . Maverick , j ust as Colonel Hays had thought . He said “ that Mr . Maverick had been the most enduring and least ” complaining man of the p arty , had encouraged others , wal ked much to save his horse—had cheerfully eaten

- s roots , berries , mul e meat and pol ecat , and had chewed leather and the tops of his boots , to keep his mouth moist when no water coul d be found . Besides c om m g back in goo d health Mr . Maverick was more cheerful and hop e ful .

A ball was given to Hays and his company , and another to the officers of the Unite d States Army stationed here , but we did not go . Christmas was beautiful—glad day of redemption to the world . 4 1 8 9.

Chol era . New Years Day was bright and beautiful ,

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

beauty . About midnight she awoke vomiting and p urg

ing violently . Dr . Sturgis was down with the cholera and

we call ed in two other physicians , but all that could be

done gave no relief .

God will ed to take our darling . In four hours , her case was pronounced hopel ess and sh e looked thin and emaci

ated , purple and sunken , but conscious to the last , and

suffering fearfully . W e humbly gave her up , beseeching

God to stay the hand of the p estil ence , for Lewis and

George were both attacke d at daylight . At eight a . m . , Augusta felt no more pain and tried to get out of bed ; ’ at nine o clock , one hour afterwards , she breathed her

- last . She was six years and twenty five days ol d . They burie d her the next day by the side of Tita— I could not

go .

Two nights before her attack , Augusta had a lovely

dream , which made me trembl e when she related it to

me on Saturday morning , she smiling and happy the

whil e over its loveliness . In her dre am she was clothed

in a new dress , all white and shining and flowing down

below her feet . She got into a carriage and with a large procession went “ way off to a big church ” resounding

with sweet music , and filled with p eopl e dressed in white .

It was prophesy of her shroud and burial and resurrection . God I thank Thee that we coul d yiel d her up unsullied — by earth her memory a white and shining light .

Just before she died , knowing she had only a few mo ments to live , I took her in my arms and hel d her in my “ lap before the fire , and said to her : Gussie , do you know ” “ our Father in Heaven $ Oh , yes , mamma , she an “ e r d : s w e earnestly . She said I hear then singing , mam ” ma , p ut my bonnet on and let me go to church . I put the little fresh muslin bonnet on her head . She loved the — bonnet and was content she looked up , listened intently , “ ’ ” and said D on t you hear them , mamma $ “ ” Gussie , do you want to see God $ “ ” Yes , Mama . D o you want to see Tita $” M EMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 1 05

Yes , mama . And these were her l ast words .

Thou wert purity itself my gentl e chil d .

D eath had no terrors for thee , The gates of Heaven were op en for thee

’ W hilst yet in the flesh , thou didst b ehol d thy Father s

face in Heaven .

’ On the day of Augusta s death , Lewis and George both had the chol era . The doctors were prompt and their cases yielded to treatment , although George was ve ry

‘ a th r e a te n e l ow for awhile . I also w s d and had to go to ’ bed by George s side and take my medic i ne like the others . On that day , many children died , two of whom were friends and playmates of Augusta . Of our servants ,

Granvill e , Emmeline and Ann had the chol era , and in fact every soul of th e household except Sam and Betsy was more or less affected . Idl e woul d be the task of portray ing the gloom of our ho usehold , or the terror which seized upon the community . Fear and dread were in every house — a n oppressive weight in the atmosphere . Into every h house came t e p estil ence , in most houses was death , and in some families one - half died $ All had symptoms a n d the weather continued close and damp and dismal . M en of strong nerve and undoubted courage shran k in fear many drank hard and died drunk— some dropp ed and died in the streets—one poor fell ow cut his thro at when attacked . Never can those who were here in that terribl e visitation forget its gloom and horror . The cholera last ed six weeks , and the priests thought that over six hun dred p eople died . One third of the p opulation fled to the ranchos and into the co untry and they generally got above this heavy atmosphere and escap ed .

l oth . July , Mr M averick sent me with the four boys and

Betsy to Sutherland Springs to rest and recuperate . We stopped first at Dr . Sutherlands , and Mrs . Frank Pashal

’ with her three children stopp ed at Mrs . Johnson s . Mrs .

Sutherland was very kind to us , but as all the water

’ there was mineral , we moved to Mrs . Johnson s and drank ’ Chalybeate water . Mrs . Johnson s littl e daughter died F MEMOIRS O MARY A . MAVERICK

of convulsions whil e we were there . We felt no improve ment by our visit to the springs . A number of strangers were there from the low country , some housed and some — camping , and there was much sickness all the log cabins 1 were full of the sick . On the 7th , Mrs . Paschal took the 1 9th stage for San Antonio , and on the , I did the same .

0 MEMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK 1 7

Chapter XV .

Z OUR NEW HO ME ON ALA M O PLA A .

felt that I could not live any longer at the old

pl ace , and Mr . Maverick , too , did not want to live

there . We concluded that the high ground on the n Plaza woul d b e a more healthful location . W he

Mr . Maverick sent us to the springs , he remained in San Antonio to move our househ ol d goods from the old hom e to an ol d M exican house he had bought on the Alamo

Plaza , and also to make arrangements for buil ding u s a

- new two story ho use . 1 9 1 849 When we returned to San Antonio , on July th , , we settled down in the ol d house I have mentioned , and did the best we could . This house was situated on the lot now formed by the west line of Alamo Plaza and th e south lin e of Houston Street . At that time , and for s ome years thereafter Houston (Paseo ) Street was not in e x i s te n c e . 1 Heavenly Comfort . On September s t, I had a s weet,

consoling dream . Agatha and Augusta came from the

- m s Spirit Land to comfort me . I to ok Augusta in my ar , and clothed her in white robes . Then I asked to see

Agatha , and she stoo d in the window , a little taller than —I e in life clasp ed her in my arms . They tol d me they wer very happy, and said we shoul d be together in Heaven .

Singul ar how real it was , a n d how happy and thankful it made me .

oth . September 3 , I heard an excell ent sermon by Mr ’ a Fish , the Army Chaplain, on the parent s duty of tr ining their children in the way they shoul d g o—with the bless m “ ed pro ise , and when they are ol d they will not depart MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

from it . October 2 1 st, Reverend Ambrose Smith preach — 1 ed his farewell sermon I Thes . XL , 1 . November 4th . — Reverend Mr . Fish preached a spl endid sermon II Cor .

IV , 7 .

’ September 5th , Mr . M averick s nephew , Augustus W . t — ’ Wayman , died of chol era at W est Poin his four years c adets hip nearly compl eted .

November 5th , Mrs . Elliott , Susan Hays and I had ou r ’ — daguerrotyp es taken at W hitfield s gallery Mrs . Hays is going to California to j oin her husband . Susan a nd I

’ had j oined the M ethodist Episcopal Church in 48 , during ’ our husband s absence on the exp edition to open a better route to Chihuahua . She preferred that church , but I

e only j oined till my own , th e Pr ot sta nt Episcopal , shoul d

n be established here , a d we had been great friends , and “ s ister s ever since , though she was so much younger . O n

Christmas D ay , Mr . Young , the local M ethodist minister for two years past dined with us and said goodbye . He , — was going home to Mississippi a n earnest and z eal ous

Christian and much beloved here .

1 8 5 0 .

Wednesday , February 6th , at ten p . m . , wa s bor n o ur seventh child , John Hays John was an ol d name in the — , M averick family Hays was in honor of our friend th e

Colonel . The baby and Willie were baptized on April 4 h t , by Bishop G . W . Fre eman , of Louisiana . Sam , Lewis ,

Agatha , Augusta and George had been baptized at D e crows Point by the Reverend C aleb Ives of Matagorda . Johnnie looked so delicate that scarcely any one thought he could live . But I hop ed on , and devoted my time day and night to him , and he was sel dom out of my arms . 1 i n July 9th , he had a sudden attack of chol era fa n —“ ” tum , and died before night Thy will b e done .

In July , Mr . Schmidt commence d building our n e w house of stone and built very fast . l h m r September ot , Bo b e b egan the carpenter work . 5 September 1 th . Susan Hays spent a day and night

M F ME OIRS O MARY A . MAVERICK

- M arch 1 6th . I am thirty three years ol d today , and a m th trying to keep Lent . Sunday April 1 3 , after evening service , I was confirmed by Bishop Freeman of Louis ian a . 1 7th 1 8 1 A New D aughter . On Tuesday , June , 5 , at eight a . m . was born our third daughter , Mary Brown .

How glad and thankful were Mr . Maverick and I to have ’ “ a daughter . She was named for Father M averick s bless ‘ s ed gra n dmother Mary Br o wn fl ’ Soon after Mary s birth , I wasted until I fainted twice and grew quite helpl ess and almost speechless . This was

- caused by the mid wife Mrs . D . wilfully giving me lobelia — , telling me it was raspberry tea . I felt my hol d on life

n a very slight , but in my fa inting had felt an i describ bl e p eace . For two weeks I coul d scarcely move without fainting , but after that I grew strong very fast . My pre c i ou s baby grew thin the while , and Mrs . Beck , who had a baby born on the same day with mine , nursed Mary twice a day . M ary was sent to her each morning and afternoon for five or six weeks . W hen Mary was seven weeks old , we had to commence feeding her , and I began drinking al e a n d port er myself to see whether I could provide the prop er nourishment— and I recovered my strength rapid ly . Baby however, was thin and fretful

Mr . M averick had been el ected to the Legisl ature , and he wished to visit his father who had been s tricken with paralysis , but he did not see how he coul d l eave u s .

2 3 r — August d . W e call in the services of a goat feed — it well and milk it four or five times a day for baby , and she improves some .

2 th a l m on Bone Soup Bath . August 8 , Mrs . S s , an ex

r i n e e r s u a d p e e c d German nurse , came to see b aby , and p ed me to bathe her daily in bone soup . The bone soup

‘ 2 - 1 8 5 2 a a o e o f t r a n d ot e r M a r T u b S a mu e l M a ve r ick ( 1 7 7 ) lw ys sp k his g m h , y “ ” n r r v n I e e r a n o t e r a r r o n a n d i o n o f o e . . a s p B w P ide c , R , his bl ss d g dm h M y B w a t m e n ti o n o f h e r n a m e b a r e d his h e a d ; this g r a titud e w a s w e ll de s e r ve d for dur i n g R e vo luti o na r y da ys wh e n his fa th e r w a s a p r is on e r o n th e J e r s e y P r is on

n d e r o e e tr o e th e r t ot e r t o o th e a l to t s ship a th i h m d s y d by B i ish , his m h k f mi y hi s a m e gr a n dm oth e r wh o c a r e d for th e m te n de r ly un til i t w a s p ossible for th e i r

r n h a e r e r h e r e o e r n w a a a s e . re t to a e to . S e s u Ch l s $u k , w p pl 1 1 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 1

is made by boiling beef bones fo ur hours , and then cool ing to a temperature of about one hundred , and the bath is ready . D aily I p ut her into the bath , and kept her there some time , and then , whil e wet from the bath , rolled her in a blanket and put her to sl eep . And when she awaked ,

I rubbed her well and dressed her . At first the bath did not seem to do any good . But Mr . Maverick asked me to try it one month , and then we saw she had steadily improved . The treatment was kept up for about six months .

Mr . Maverick bought a horse and buggy and drove us out into the country every evening . 2 h September 8t , baby is rosy and pl ayful and good . 2 n November d , Mr . Maverick weighed baby before l eav ing on the morrow for Austin— she weighed ten and half pounds , and we were happy over it . She was growing good siz ed like any other baby , and I began to feed her — rice and hominy water in her milk also soup . Mr . Mav erick writes often and is always solicitous about his d a u gh ter . 1 t The Houstons Come . November 3 s , Dr . Houston and

Routez Houston , his wife , with their three chil dren , Han nah Jane , Mary Elizabeth and Augustus W . , and with

a o n n w g s and egroes , arrive from North Alabama to settl e — in Texas and they stay with us until after the holidays .

Ross Houston with his household camped on the Cibolo .

D ecember 3 oth , Mr . Maverick came over from Austin to spend Christmas with us , and we all enj oyed the holi ’ days and the children Santa Claus visit .

1 8 52 .

3 d 1 8 52 . January , , D r Houston took his family to the

- new house on the Cibolo about twenty seven miles E . S .

E . from San Antonio . Ross Houston built his house one

mile nearer San Antonio .

January 5th , Maley caught cold and became quite sick

and was not well again until the 2 6th , when she recover

ed her health and became playful and fat , and weighed OF . . MEMOIRS , MARY A MAVERICK

thirteen and a half pounds . How miserabl e and frighten ed I was when she was ill . D uring January , we stopped using the bone soup bath .

February 1 5th . Baby and I were out riding and Lewis was driving the mare , when some one discharged a gun near us which frightened the mare and she ran away

e kicking and charging wildly . W , Lewis and I , together , turned her head against a fence , whe n she reared and fell back on the buggy and broke a shaft . I j ump ed out with b aby and the men who had been shooting ran to our as i n s sta c e . Mr . Teagle helped us to repair the shaft and drove us home .

February 1 6th , Mal ey cut her first tooth and was not sick . 1 7th , weighed fourteen and a half pounds . 2 0th , 2 2 n d had another tooth . , Mr . Maverick g ot home . March 1 th 7 , Maley weighed fifteen pounds . April 1 7th , six 1 th teen pounds . May 7 , seventeen pounds . 2 0th On April , Mal ey not very well . 2 2 n d , M ary Brown was baptiz ed by Bishop G . W . Freeman . M ay l st, we all attended a picnic at San Pedro Springs . Willie narrow l ’ y escap ed being run over by Judge Paschal s coach .

’ Father Maverick s D eath . May 7th , received a l etter ’ from Mr . Maverick s sister , Lydia A . Van Wyck , saying

‘ father was better and coul d whisper . 1 5th , another let 2 nd ter said he was very sick . 2 , Mr . Maverick received a l etter from a cousin , Robert Maxwell , giving the sad tid ’ — ings of father M averick s death h e died April 2 8th ,

1 5 2 n u 8 . The poor old m a s ffered over two years before he died . His son never ceased to regret that he did not go — on to see h i m , ere he died but he seemed to be tied here l all the whi e , still hoping to start soon , and yet finding s omething to detain him .

June 1 7th , Mary , one year old , weighs seventeen and a half p ounds . Mrs . Samuel made her a pretty dotted

a lon e L— swiss dress . M ary can stand is happy and play ful . Sam and Lewis went down to Cibol o to visit the

Houstons .

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Saunders his board to help him and he to help our boys fair exchange . Judge Saunders is now residing at Bel ton , Texas . George tel ls me that Mr . Saunders used to spank him daily , never omitting a school day , but that he “ ” did not l ay it on hard .

April 2 5th , Mr . Maverick returned in good health . n M ay l st , Sam a d Lewis attend dancing school . 1 7 May th , Colonel D ancy took dinner with us , and in i “ ” the evening we all had a gay time try ng table rapping . Col onel D ancy was a spiritual medium—and h e tol d me

I was a medium also . h th May 1 8t , George had the mumps . June 5 , M ary had mumps but she was not sick , and she laughed at “ ’ ” mamma s baby in the gl ass . — June 2 l st, Willie makes his first trip to school with

George . 2 h 8t . June , sat up all night with Mrs Cox who is dying .

She is mother of Mrs . Ogden .

In July , a committee of six l adies were chosen to get up

a church supper , in order to raise funds to complete the

Methodist Church on Sol edad Street . — On July 2 8th , our supper came off we worked very hard , and the supper was renewed the second night . The sum of was netted , and turned over to the build ing committee of which El der Whippl e was president , and Miss Harriett Richardson treasurer .

August 2 1 , we heard that yellow fever was very bad in

New Orleans . h November 4t , Mr . Maverick attended the Legislature at Austin . Sam and Lewis came back from a l ong visit

' to the Cibolo—they h a d b e a te n all hands picking cot ton . General Rusk , United States Senator from Texas , visited San Antonio , in November . He dine d with me we went to the Theatre at the Casino , then on south side ’ of D olorosa Stre et , near the present location of H or d s “ - Hotel , and saw the laughter provoking play of Bombas ” tes Furioso . 2 2 n D ecemb er d . An Episcopal supper was given in MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK 1 1 5 — the old Alamo Chuch the weather was bad , and the ven

ture brought us no return .

4 1 8 5 .

1 5 4 8 . R January Sam , Lewis and I j oined Professor y ’ 1 5 h an s cl ass in Psychology . M arch t , Mary Elliott mar

ried Russell Howard . I received a l etter from brother

Andrew , written at Huepac , Sonora , M exico . h Conquis ta Ranch Established . On March 2 9t , Mr .

Maverick with Sam and Lewis , and Granvill e and four M exicans set off for our ol d Ti lton a Rancho on the Mata

gorda Peninsula , with th e purpose of bringing Jinny and her children and the stock cattle to a tract of l and on

- the left bank of the San Antonio River , about forty five

mil es below San Antonio . The n e w location after

wards called by u s the Conquista Ranch , because the

noted Conquista ford of the river was on this tract . The tract extended along the river from a p oint half a mil e above the Conquista ford to a point below the mo uth of

Marcellino Creek . They were gone two months , had a

‘

rough , hard time of it and all came back well and hearty h on May 2 4t . th 1 8 54 On Sunday , May 7 , , was born our ninth child ,

Albert . I was very weak and did not have mil k enough

for him . In August Mr . Maverick established Conquista — Ranch in due form built a house , fences and pens and 1 4th left Jack in charge of the pl ace . On August , Sam

and Lewis with Mr . M averick went down to the ranch . Joey Thompson and Lizzie Houston sp ent D ecember with

us and we enj oyed the time very much .

1 8 5 5 . 1 March 8 5 5 , Joey Thompson and Lizzie Houston came to pay us a long visit . In April , I gave them a p arty whi ch

the girls enj oyed very much . W e had a large company

and the girls received great attention . In the latter p art

of August, our whol e family went down to visit the Houa tons and to partake of a birthday dinner given to Joey

. W Thompson hile at the Houstons , we h a d a great In V M OF . EMOIRS , MARY A MA ERICK

- dian scare . A party of some twenty five or thirty Coman ches made a raid down the Cibolo , crossed the San An ma tonio River at the Conquista ford , and by rapid rches escaped to the mountains with imp unity . They killed two p ersons , stol e some horses and killed others . My boys ,

Sam and Lewis , j oined the party which went in pursuit of the Indians , and I became wretched and anxious about them .

Sebastopol . Wild rumors came soon after the boys had gone , to the effect that several hundred warriors had ’ l o d s ton been seen not many m e s from Dr . H s house . This ’ was a new and startling turn . Dr . Houston s house was a large and substantial stone buil ding and the p eople for

e miles around crowded there . W fortified the house and most of us kept awake the whol e night . W e dubbed the n place , in its fortified condition , Sebastopol , which i d i c a te d our intention to defend ourselves to the last . But it all proved a mere scare of some easily frightened p er son .

Whil e on this visit to the Houstons , we went up to a grand ball at Seguin , and to dinner and speeches the next day .

In D ecember , Mr . M averick was attending the Senate in

Austin , when we concl uded to pay him a visit . On Decem ber 2 oth , I with George , Willie , M ary and Albert and nurse Betsy , accompanied by Jo ey Houston , went over to

Austin to visit Mr . Maverick , and attend the inaugural ’ of Governor Pease . W e boarded at Mrs . Newell s and had a nice visit of two or three weeks . Joey made a de “ cided impression . She played and sang well , and was very attractive and lively and sh e had several offers of marriage to consider and decline before we l eft Austin .

1 8 5 6 .

We return ed from Austin about January l oth , 1 8 56 , ’ a nd 1 2 th on the , we went with Joey to Dr . Houston s .

Sam Thompson , her brother, fifteen years old then , was 2 there . He , on February oth , 1 8 5 6 , took her back home

E Y M MOIRS OF MAR A . MAVERICK

5 — 1 5 1 8 7 8 9.

Birth and D eath of O ur Tenth Child . O n O ctober 1 h 1 7t , 8 5 7 , o ur fourth daughter and tenth and l ast child ,

Elizabeth , was born , a very delicate baby .

We did everything we could to save her life , but all 5 in vain . She died March 2 8th , 1 8 9, aged one year , five

months , and el even days . 1 1 9 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

Chapter XVI .

C ONCLUSION .

HE task I set out to perform is compl eted . With of the death of my last child , I closed the b ook the p ast —the remoter past—and the events

happ ened since 1 8 5 9, seem too modern to be ' incorporated into this book . But in order to connect the remoter past with the actual present I feel that I ought to take a rapid glance over the p eriod of twenty - two years which has intervened .

The Civil W a r soon came on and Mr . M averick and my sons did not shrink from what they conceived to be their duty . Mr . Maverick had always been a Union man in sentiment, he loved the Union of the states , and although he may have believed (before the question was settl ed ) that we had the abstract right to withdraw from the

Union , he thought the Union was sacred , and that the idea of a dissol ution of the Union ought not to be harbored for a moment . Having such ideas and convictions , he found life to be uncongenial and unpromising for him in South

Carolina , where the doctrines of nullification and ultimate secession were a g r e s si ve ly espoused by an overwhelming maj ority of the ruling class . He came to Texas , but all doctrines and issues of the former time bloomed into life about him when Texas became a member of the union . Creeping beneath the shadow of the manifol d bl essings of the Union , came the bitter and unceasing strife . At last he came to believe the quarrel was forced upon us , “ ” and that there wa s before us an i r r e s s i b le r onfli c t which we coul d not escap e , no matter where we turned The Secession Convention of 1 8 6 1 met— there was i n — tense excitement and , need I say , deep gloom the hour MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK came at last when he was compell ed to take his ch oi ce for l n e r or against his kith and kin . The question was n o z o g whether secession was right or wrong , wise or unwise , the question was now narrowed down to this—Even if you coul d sever your fate from that of your p eople , would your heart p ermit you to do it $ t Thus it app eared to him , and he did a simple, straigh h 1 c h forward unselfish act , and an act w nevertheless

gave him deep pain , when he cast his vote for secession . — The boys well , their youthful and warm sympathies were aroused , and a simple sens e of duty carried them m m e n hand and heart with their state . W hen the war c o c e d , Lewis was attending Chapel Hill , University of North — C arolina h e immediately enlisted for six months in th e l st North Al abama Regiment , and was a t Big Bethel , the first battl e of the war . Sam had returne d from col

‘ —h e 1 st l ege enlisted in the Texas Cavalry , under Colonel ll h Henry M c Cu oc , which regiment served on the Indian 1 2 i i frontier for one year . In 8 6 , Sam crossed the Mi ss s s p pi River and attached himself to the 8th Texas Cavalry , the gallant Terry Rangers . W ith that regiment he served until the war was ended and , whilst with them , he gained many l aurels , for tirel ess devotion and unflinching cour age . Lewis returned to us at the end of his first e n “ ” li stm e nt , and raised a comp any , Company E , for the 2 3 n d Texas Cavalry commanded by Colonel Woods . When 1 8 62 the company was mustered in , April , , George at the age of sixteen was sworn in with the rest as a private in ’ his brother s comp any . George remained a soldier and a private throughout the war . Lewis was promoted dur 1 8 64 De Br a ing , to the staff of General y , with the rank ’ of Maj or . At the battle of Blair s Lan ding on Red River, — 1 8 64 on the day of April , , Lewis received a severe wound in the leg and George a slight scratch on his left “ ” ear . Sam was scratched once or twice but h e seemed

amidst p erils and dangerous innumerabl e , to bear a

charmed life . Willie came to the front as the war progressed and was

ME MOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK

he went with Mary to Staunton , and the trip was ene fit to him . He felt that the grave was not far for 1 t in the fall of 8 6 9, he wrote h i s last will and tes ament ; but, while he saw that disease was making inroads upon his strength , he would not heed the suggestions offered ’ by relatives or friends , cautioning him to remove his mind from his cares and his business , and to seek rest and rec r e a ti on by travel , or in the curative properties of the many springs in the Nor thern States . In th e spring of — 1 870 , Mr . Maverick became quite feebl e a t last in Aug ust , he became much worse and we no l onger had any hop es of h i s recovery . Mr . M averick breathed his last n on the 2 d day of September , 1 8 70 . I shall make no com ment here up on his pure and noble character, or upon the tender feelings which lay deep in h i s heart —I comfort myself with the sentiment that he is happy now in the company of his beloved Agatha .

Since the death of my bel oved husband , not a death has occurred in our family . My five remaining children have married happily, and I am now the mother of ten

children again . If Mr . Maverick were to look in upon us today, he would be gratified at the good will , the goo d health and the good fortune which have come and r e mained with us during the ten years past . I am thank ful that God has spared me this long , to se e my descend ants all happy and prosp erous— and I hop e it will be many years before the pl easant scene I am contemplating shall be marred by misfortune or the hand of death .

ME O F MOIRS MARY A . MAVERICK

T h e n a e too n r e a o e a wa t e t e a r t o f m k , a d sp d , f r T x s s h n h e h t h e a tt e n tr o th n te ta te o e r 1 8 5 6 c l i dus y f e U i d S s . Ab ut th e y a . ” M e e n r . Ma v r ick s o ld th e n tir e br a d ta n to , , Mr a r . A . T o u t n t B e a ge n e a l . M r a e r . M v ick a ga ins t s a r n e t e n t b w a a a r e n r o o 1 0 e r e n t imil i v s m s , u t i th n pp t p fit f p c a n d th e u n iqu e disti n cti on o f h a vin g his n a m e b e stowe d up o n a e r e a r ri e n o f th e a r a e T h e r t M a e r v y d f d hum n c . t u h i s r. M v ick , w s n e e r a t e n fo r t e e t o e r a v a c t l ki g , , wi h th e xc p i n o f th e h d m e n ti on e d a n d a fe w n e c e s s a r y c ow p on i e s h e n e ve r o wn e d a ny ca ttle r or h o s e s . T o th e sto ckm e n o f th e We st I submit this a cc o unt a nd w o uld r e mi n d th e m tha t o f th e th o us a n d a n d o n e ve r s i on s l o f th e stor y n n o r r e B a r e t t tr e a o n o ly o e c a n b e c ct . e ssu d his is h e u cc u t . e or a e i G ge M , M v r ck .

a ta or 5t o 1 8 4 M g d a 2 h N vr . 9 e r S . Ma v ick , Esq D r . Si r , “ ” Y o u r s e r va nt Ja ck h a s d on e m e th e h ono r to m a k e m e his a m a n u e n sis a n d r e qu e s ts tha t I in f or m y o u a s o v z fo ll ws , i I n th e fi r s t pl a ce h e s e n ds his m o st duti ful r e g a r ds t o y ou ot e e a n d yo u r fa mily a n d sa ys tha t his m h r a n d s lf a r e quite we ll . 2 n d a t t a n o . He s ys ha h e is v e r y xi us to s e e y ou a s witho ut a ssista n ce h e fi n ds i t qui te imp o ssibl e t o p e n a n d b r a n d yo ur ca ttl e o n th e P e n in sul a a n d th e s tock is co n se qu e n tly b e co mi n g m r e a n d n a n a e a a o wild u m g bl e d ily . 3 r H e to e a r o a r r i a d . e r e o r a e wish s c ive y u pp v l o f his m g , which with yo u r s a n cti o n h e is a n xi o us to c o n summ a te with a gi r l he r e e a n o n e a r c a ll e d Eliz a b th d w d by Miss W d . t e t r e a r to e a Wi h b s g ds s lf a n d f mily , I r e m a in o r s e r vt Y u humbl e , o n r a J h C . G h a m

o r a a a e t 3 r d 1 8 5 0 P t c p . L v , S , ’ e r E a . a s S m l A M v ick , q e Si r D a r , H a vin g j ust r e t ur n e d f r o m th e ’ e n n a De c r ow s o n t a r t a tt e P i sul , P i . I h e d h a t yo u r sto ck o f c l e r e a ll e n o t o r to e n r o a n r o a tte n t o n w b i g l s s l f m w t o f p p e r i . This r e p or t s o u n fa vor a bl e to yo u r in te r e st in duc e d m e t o supp os e th a t o u t i t t o o n t r e e t y migh wish o r fi n d y u r i e st t o disp o s o f sa id s o ck . I t e r r a r e t e tte r t th e h e fo e dd ss y o u his l . If y o u wish o disp o s e o f b a l a n ce o f s a id stock I will o ffe r y ou such a tr a d e th a t I thi n k o u c o n e i t to o r n te r e t a y will c iv e b e y u i s to m k e . I h a v e a tr a ct o f l a n d lyin g i n Wa shi n gton C o u n ty o n th e wa te r s of l r e e e r r e n a h e o t e a t e Mi l C k six mil s f o m B h m , t C u n y S , w ll ti m e r e a e r e r e a n r n t e r b e d , w ll w t d by th e c e k d sp i gs a n d o f h e v y b e st qua lity o f s oil l e a gu e ) ti tl e wa r r a n te d b e e n i n p o ss e ss i on fo r th e la s t te n y e a r s h o use a n d imp r ove m e n ts a n d e ighty 2 0 r e n e r e n e a n d i n t a t on r e n te n ow for a e a r . a c s u d f c cul iv i , d $ 0 y I will tr a de y o u this tr a ct fo r a p or ti on o f th e P e yton L e a gue ’ e on a o n o n t e r a t n o T h e on P yt s B y u a d such ms s I hi k will suit y u . 1 25 M EMOIR S OF MARY A . MAVERICK

r e a s on I m a k e this p r o p o siti on is tha t I wish to g o e xte n sive ly t r n e o r s e s e a n ttl e a nd in to h e s tock a isin g b usi ss , h , mul s , d c a , I think if i t shoul d s uit y o u th a t we c o uld m a ke such a rr a n ge e n t a a e ta a n r o ta e m ts a s w o uld b e m u u lly cc p bl e d p fi bl . An e a r ly r e ply will o blige Y o r t Se r vt u o bd . . a e t J m s T . Ly le .

a ta or a 2 4th 1 8 5 2 . M g d , July ,

M r . Ma ve r ick ,

De a r Si r . 0 I a m i n fo r m e d th a t y o u wa n t to d i sp os e o f t th e n n a n o r a t o n he m c a ttl e a n d p l a ce o n e P i sul . If such i f m i sh o uld b e c or r e ct o u will pl e a se s ta te th e p r ic e a n d te r ms o f , y —t n e e te n o r a n e e e r s n e s a l e he y ha ve b e e n a wfully gl c d , t b d d v i c

o n d o o e r tt o o t a te t e a r e . y u l e ft , a will d y u v y li l e g d , si u d a s h y i r e e t o r Am , S R sp c fully y u s J a m e s Sta n l e y

M r a e r . M v ick , Sa n An to n i o Ma ta go r d a M r M v i s . a r c S e n d s om e on e to l o o k a fte r yo u r sto ck o f ca ttle imm e di a te ly o r y o u will n ot h a v e i n e igh te e n m o n ths fr o m this t e o n e r n n o r a o t o It t a t im e y a li g c lf t e n c ws . is s a id a n d h by s o m e o f o u r m o st r e spe cta bl e ci tiz e n s th a t ye a r lin gs a n d c a lve s m a y b e s e e n by d o z e n s fo ll o wi n g a n d sucki n g y o u r c o ws a n d b r a n d ’ d i n o t e r e o e r a n e h p pl s b ds . e a m r t n t a n o r e t a t or r on o e Whil I w i i g his I m i f m d h M is , C v a n d o r e te r a e e a r tte n t M r a e r t a e W c s h v ch w i o . M v ick o n his s m B r r a r e subj e ct . u t fo fe a r th a t y o u a e n o t pp is d o f i t a n d h e a r i n g t M r r e r a o n a t . a e n o t i n a o t n o t . h M v ick is T x s , I giv e y u his i f m i I n h a ste . R e s e c tffu ll p y , A fr ie n d to Justic e M a y 1 8 5 3

r o t 1 8 5 6 S a n P e d , 1 8 h July , H o ’ l r n b e . . e . S A Ma v ick ,

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a e b - th e - b e a e a r r a t e r to a e e a e e m a n s g , y y , pp s h h v displ s d th white i e n a e n a t th t e o e e t r e e e t a e . r m a wh o c iv d , J ck b i g bs t im H w v his y e a oo n r e t r n e a n d e nt m e or t a t h t n a o t b , J ck s u d , s w d h e h e h a d b u e i r a n e o o 2 0 0 H d s . o f yo ur c a ttl n th e g , a n d w uld c mply with th e MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

r e e t a s o on a s h e o a k e r e s qu s s c uld m s o m e d iv . B u t a s y e t I h a ve r e e e n o e a e r o a n d t n fa t c iv d m ss g f m him ; im e slippi g on s ly , I fin d I will ha ve t o l e a ve fo r L o uisi a n a b e fo r e ha vi n g g o t thr o ugh t tt r with his m a e . B u t my s o n will b e h e r e r e a dy to r e c e ive yo u r t r a tt e a a n ti m e o r o e a e t a .to c a l y l , s h uld my p o p o s ls p v c c p bl e F r o u . r o a o r o e e y m wh t y u s n , wh o p r o cu d him th e pl e a sur o f a t to n e e n a e n r o o e t visi , l d mi , (I b i g bs t f m h m ) J a ck h a d o n h e o t e r d a a s h e a a o t 2 0 a a n N o on h y , s id , b u 0 g i . w I must c clude th a t th e n r o b t a s o e g oy is n ot o v e r a n xi o us h t y o u sh o uld s e ll yo ur t ck , e t e r e c a e h e h a s t e r e n e e a n e n a e r t o r e i h b us h , i d d , vi bl bi h , b e c a us h e o e n ot o u to b e o n n e o nt n t o d s wish y c vi c d , by c u i g , o f h e gr ss n e e n e of h h a s e e t Un e r t r ta n e s glig c which e b n guil y , d h e ci cums c , d o n o t e e e h e e r a t e r 3 0 e r e or I b li v will e v g h 0 he a ds . Th f e I will m a k e y o u th e follo win g p r 0 p o s a l s : t o - wi t : I will ta k e th e whol e to a i t n ow ta n a n f r e t o a n s ck s s ds , d p a y y o u o sa m , T wo h us d a r r o o u a e o e t e e t a n D o ll s c a sh , p vid e d y h v disp s d o f n o o h e r b ve s h t e r r r o e ta e n a t a . O a o o e e h s k by C p . W lk , I will p y y u up n d liv y , e e n o a r e r e a I n e t e r a e o a e th e S v D ll s p h d . i h c s , I sh uld h v “ ” “ ” e e u s e o f o r a a o r a a n t r e e r o xclusiv , y u j c l c l , d o f h e p mis s f m ’ M r R z e n e t S a n ton r o t h e . a d a l o w r li , o n h e n A i o Rive , d wn o t o t o f h e a r e n a for t r e e a r a e a t o a n o f m u h t M c li h e y s t l s . Sh uld y t e e r o osa b e r e e a l e e a n o r a e h s p p ls a g b , pl se i f m my s on o f th e s m t L T n r o An r t n o e o . ou ta t a o Sa by w i i g J , c e f J . Tw hi g , Esq . , n ” ton o O r r t n t e a o S r n a a a i . by w i i g o mys lf to Bl d n p i gs , Al b m , t r o n whi h e I a m g i g . a a n r e e a t Dr Si r a e r e : t r n te r I g i p , . , wh a t I s id b fo th a i t is yo u i ” A a n o r a n d tte r . e s t to s e ll n d mi e t pu ch s e . th e s o on e r th e b e t r e e t I r e a n Si r Wi h high sp c , m i , , r o r T uly y u s , n e A T ou t a nt ( Sig d ) . . ' n e r n t r e s r a n tw of S . ta a o a P . I u d s d h t y u m n a y we h v e b d e d o r e r e e M r e t ton o n to t m a t o a e . a te e t e e h y u c lv s I h v qu s d . Wh s s i e

t r n s o a th r o r r e e . n e e r r e e , a d if , pply e p p e m dy I d d I a m su p is d t h a s n o a e n e o r e r e e n t t r tha t his t h pp d m f qu ly , s o li tl e h a ve yo u

ttl e e e n a tte n e to . T h a e n t o u a e t a e ca b d d e p ym , if y cc p , will b e m d

t e n r e n . o e r te t r o h e a o f . a e h ugh g cy my f i d , J Tw hig , Esq Pl s w i ’ o t a on r n f th e r e o M r h i b o d e a u x m e w r d a Bl d Sp i gs o sul t f . T s p e a t e n n e o a r t iti on , which y ou h d h ki d ss f ta ki n g ch g e . F r a n o ort n t t e tte r h a s a o e r e e r a a n d o w t f o pp u i y his l l id v s v a l d ys , a o n m a il e d o n ly o n my w y d w .

t n e a t 1 3 th 1 8 5 6 Aus i , T x s , Augus , M L T a n e . o u t t r . o S . r D e a r Si , ’ I r e c d a sh o r t tim e sin c e fr o m yo ur a t e r a e tte r a t e 1 8 b u t w a e d e f h l d d July , which a s m il d o n his a r t r e r o o a n a i n e o e r e e e o a r a n d p u f m L uisi , which h ff d m e s v n d ll s r r e r a tt a o n t o t t o sa n a qu a te p e r h a d fo my c l e t C quis a , r wo h u d r l t t t a n r o e r n f o th e o t wi h o u t h e difficul y d t ubl e o f h di g . ’ By l a s t n ight s m a il I h a ve w or d th a t my n e gr o b oy is dr ive n a a a n e t r e a te n e &c s o t a t a e n o w n o o e r w y , d his lif h d , h I h v p w t r th e o o r a t e r a n te h o r r a a n d o ta k e c a e o f st ck . Y u F h w d t e c ls ' l M r n for e a t e a r e th e m y a n d d own to th e a c e li a a t l s 3 y s . I j udg

t l e n e e e e e t 5 o r o t a t . c a t e , my o x , a ll th e b v s ( xc p 6 I s ld o C p W a lk e r s om e m o n ths si n c e ) 8 0 c a lve s w o uld b e w or th o ve r 3 a n o n e r n t o t th o us a n d . B u t situ a te d a s I a m d c sid i g h e imp ssibili y t h n e n o r o o t t o o f my a tte n di n g o t e busi ss , I will w p p s e o y o u

E V M MOIRS OF MARY A . MA ERICK

LIFE AND CHARACTE R O F SAMUEL A UG USTU S MAVE RICK 1 F T H E DELIVE R ED OCT . 8 7 0 BE OR E ALAMO LITE RARY S OC IE TY U BY GE O . C PPLES M . D .

a e t a e r wa o r n on h e 2 8 th 1 8 03 S mu l Augus us M v ick s b t o f July , , ot e r e n a a te r f e n e r a o e r n e r on o t his m h b i g d ugh o G l R b t A d s , o f S u h ’ a r o l n a o f e o t on a r r e n o n M r a e ri o oo C i , R v lu i y w . Of . M v ck s b yh d a n d o t tt e n n n r e e e r e a t n y u h li l is k o w . H a vi g c iv d p limin a r y e d uc i o

i n own ta te n te r e a e e e r a a te . his S , h e e d Y le C o ll g , wh r e h e g du d Dur in g his j o ur n e yin gs to a n d fr o m Ya l e h e m a d e th e a cqu a i n ta n c e o f o n e e t n e t o b e for o n e a r r e n n n e or a n d d s i d l g y s his f i d a d ighb , to o o to th e to a a n n te r a o u t rt e f ll w him mb t i v l f b thi e n d a ys . This w th t t o o r a n d a s a e . a e e a t e l Wm B . J cqu s , wh o o f n sp k e f th e g vi y e a te n e e o n e a r f h o n a e r h h a d s d ss b y d his y s o t e y u g M v ick , who m e r t n o r n n e fi s k wn i n th e m o i g o f lif .

’ At i e M r e r r e n o o or a r th s tim . M a v ick s f i ds l k e d f w d to th e tim e e n h e o e o e a n m a n n e w m wh sh uld b c m e a l di g , a d h e hims lf a s a t o n to e e a n d t o ta e o t a ta n B u e r e bi i s xc l k a p li ic l s d . t his vi e ws w a e tr a o e o th a t o a r o n a n di m ic lly o pp s d t e n ullific i on id e a s f th e C li i s , a n d h e o n o o r o t O n o n H w n o a c uld t c mp mis e wi h his pi i s , e a s t o f a o n r e r o n a a r e a n discipl e C lh u , th o ugh p s lly a n dmi r o f th e tr s c e n d e n t t a e n t o f a t r e a t ta te s a n n n e o t l th g s m . Fi di g hims lf i n p li ics r e t a t va r a n e t a l l n e o r h e e t ta te An di c ly i c wi h his ighb s , l f th e S . n e n t r o n ou t o f t e r e n e h a d n o a n ort a n t i cid g wi g his diff c , o d ubt , imp a r t i n e te r n n t o a te a s e r a t o n t e n p d mi i g him such s p mig i , h much o w a t e i e e o o n t a n n . r o on e o c c a s s o n a t r a n l ss c mm h His f h n , f h vi g M r e e r w a n e r e . a o n i n r e a o e h e sw d C lh u a sp ch o f g t p w , a s m a de t e c t o f o e n te e r a te r e a r o r e e n t b subj s m i mp m ks , which his s n s e d Y e n n th tte r e o t e I e n o n n e ch a ll gi g e u r f h m . n th e c u te r h e w o u d d a n ta on t a n d a te r a r n r e n t r e o e r P r e his g is , f w ds u s d him u il his c v y . o n t o t h e h a t i e n e r e n r St e o r e r vi s his d s ud d l a w u d H y . G g e Tuck , a t n e te r r n a a n h a e e a tte r a t a t Wi ch s , Vi gi i , d d b n dmi d to p c ic e th e b a r o f o wn ta te his S . H e r t o e to a a a a n d t e n e i 1 8 3 4 t e a r fi s m v d Al b m , h c , n , o T x s , a r n a t Sa n n to n o i n 1 8 3 5 I n th a o f a e r . ivi g A i . e f ll th t ye a r M ss s J t n r l a e r n o . . d o r a r e o . M v ick W Smi h a P . B . C ck e w e e ste d by C U a r ta c h l a o a n n th e a tr 0 0 w o e th e g , c mm di g e M xic n ps h o ccupi d t D n e r n a r e r t o n tr n te ci y . u r i g th i i c c a ti on h e y c ive d to k e e p up i l l i n c t G e n r e o n wh o a n e n g e e wi h . Bu l s , o c mm d d th e Te x a n a r my th e i n e t n h e o n O o n a s o t n e e e r e v s i g t t w . n e o cc i n th e s e h r e e ge tl m n w n o n n b o t n r to s e n te c e d suspici o to e sh , a d w e r e a ctu a lly m a ch e d t a f e e ti o n e n M r s t n M h e o . o r pl ce x cu , wh Smi h , w th e wife o f . e n a r n e J a m e s B . L e e , li i n g o n th e M di a pp e a e d o n th e gr o u d ll v , , f on th e a r t e r a n th e e e t o h e e a o a n e r up e h , mb ci g f f t M xic n c mm d , e n te o fo r a r th e r n e t a t o t e e T h e b ggi g pi usly fu i v s ig i n o f h i r c a s . n e t a t o n w a s n a r a n te a n d r e te i e a r n o f i v s ig i fi lly g d , sul d n th e cl i g th r n e r wh e r e o e e r e t n e r o r e e p is o s , o w , h w v , k p u d cl se g u a d . Th y a e t e r e a e n e e r t e e a n d o n e th e e a n a r Ea r m d h i sc p , v h l ss , j i d T x my . ly h o r n o f th e 5 th f e e e r 1 8 3 5 C ol B e n a t o n t e o . a m i g D c mb , , . Mil m t e r e W t a e a h . a a t ta e t . a h e ck d e ci y ; S A M v ick s guid . i h Mil m t h d f t r t o n o n o n o e a tr e e t th e L a G r za o h e igh divisi , m vi g d w S l d d s t o a —o n o n om a n n th e e t a r n o e a H o us e J h s , c m di g l f , m chi g d wn Ac qui t n t t J u o S t r e T h str e e t to h e s a m e p o i , wi h . W . mi h fo guid . e c a n a r n on p o ste d a t th e c o r n e r o f th e Ma i n Pl z a swe pt th e s e st e e ts . T o pr o cur e w a te r c u r t r0 0 ps to o k th e Ve r a m e n d i H o use by dig gin g a tr e n ch o f fiv e fe e t i n d e pth a c r o ss th e s tr e e t dur i n g th e n ight n s o n a a n d or t t e a e n t a o o f th e fifth , a d o g i g b ck f h wi h h ds b t o v id th e r e o t th e e e n n r e o nt e e r n e r r e o n g a p sh . Of s v hu d d v lu s u d Bu l s 1 2 9 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

’ a t th e ld Mill a o e to wn o n ly two hu n dr e d i ty we r e u h O b v , f f e a — t e e t e t a a te r b u e r e a te r d r Mil m o h r s j o in d h m wo d ys l , t th g e r h o n o o r o o a e r a o r e w s t e n n umb a d g e h m e t G li d , wh e f c a h r n t n a o r a O n th w a t e o o a a t a t . 8th a a s g h i g m ve g i s M m s e , Mil m a m e n o e * r kille d i n th e ya r d o f th e Ve r d i H us , b e in g sh o t th ough r l t h e a a n to o M r . a e O n t ot th e e h d ; d by his sid e s d M v ick . h e h M n r a h t r r e n e r T h e a tr o o e xica s n up t e whi e fl a g o f su d . e T x n ps o n e n n d a a n h a a th e h a d f ught i c ss a tly ight a n d y , d d t k e n a ll squ a r e bl ock o f buildi n gs fr on ti n g th e n o r th sid e o f th e M a i n a a n t o th a o e r o to Pl z , by diggi g hr ugh e w lls o f th e h us s f o m n e n o t r n ow ta n t e r e h e a h e r . Wh e e th e Pl a z a H o us e s ds h e liv d t r r r a r e p i e s t , P a d e G a r z a ; f o m this h o us e th e T e xa n s m a d e a ch g a n d t o o a n d e th n th r e o f h a e e c on k spik d e gu s , e fi which d b n e n tr a te d o n a t n n wa s a r n i o n I n c th buildi g a d f st c umbli g t d w .

t a r e Co l . a r o t l e n d t h e o n a r o n a n o n his ch g W d l s a g , a y u g C li i , B h a m , T h e a n u n n e r r e r c u e e s a n e e e e t o . w y . M xic g s fl d o w e t pi c s This a o n t h o r n n th e l oth n w a o o t a t a t o n e m i g o f , a d s f ll w e d by h e c pi ul i tt r e t r t t r o o a r o o f G e n . Co s , wh o w a s p e r mi e d to i e wi h his ps c ss h R i o r n e t e G a d . ott Li ’ ” M r e r a e n a r 6 th 8 3 6 d a f e m a s . a e o n M th e o M v ick s bs c M ch , , y a r e f th e a o w d to e n s e n t e e a t t th e s c o Al m , a s u e his b i g a d l g e o n e n t o n of h e e o o f a i a a t h o h 2 n d C o v i t p ple Te x s , n which c p ci y e , n t e d a o f a r n e th e e a r a t o n f n e e n e n e th e H on o y M ch , sig d D cl i o I d p d c ; . J se An to n i o Na v a r r o b e i n g th e o th e r d e l e ga te fr o m th e mu n icip a li ty r n n n o f Be xa r , a ls o p e se t a n d sig i g . A te r th e a ttl e o f S a n Ja ci n to th e r e sult o f which se cu r e d f b , t h e a e t o f e a fo r a t e a t e a t M r a e r r e t r n e s f y T x s , im l s , . M v ick u d to a a a e r h e a r r e i h a e a r a n d Al b m , wh e m i d , n August o f t e s m e y , i n 1 8 3 8 r e t r n e to a n to n , u d S n A i o with his fa mily . I n a r 1 8 4 2 G e n a n a e e te r e a e nte r n M ch , , . V squ e z i v d d w s n T x s i g Sa n n to n t n n n r e m e n t o a o n M r wo A i o wi h i e hu d d . O n his cc si , . T hig bl e w up his sto r e to p r e v e n t th e a mmu n iti o n i t c on ta in e d f r o m t th n e n e h w e r a a e fa lli n g i n o e h a ds o f th e my . T e fe Am ic n f mili s t h e n livi n g i n Sa n An to n i o h a d m a d e g o o d th e i r e sc a p e i n tim e ; r z r e r T a M r a e r t e t r n t th e r a o . h n o i i g o B s iv e f mily o f , M v ick did r n t 1 8 4 7 r e tu n t o S a n An t o i o u n il . O n th e 1 2 th d a o f e te e r o f th a e e a r th e tr t y S p mb , e s m y , Dis ic r t e n i n o n a e a t e n n o e a w te C o u b i g se ssi , M xic n ci iz , w d d , a s visi d b o f o n tr e n n o o i th e a n e r e y s o m e his c u ym , k wn t b e n e M xic s vic ; r t e e r t i n e t a t G e n o wa o a t a n f o m h m h a sc e a d h . W ll s cl s e h d t a o r e o f o r te e n n r e n n te e n e h e c o m wi h f c f u hu d d m e . This i llig c m ni a e o D o n to n a n a a wh t n t i a n u c t d t n A i o M ch c , o l o s o im e n m ki g n o n tr o ta t o n e S a n i t k n o wn to Judge Hu tchi s . T h e fe w o ps s i d i n t r e r t e n t t h e An to n io imm e di a te ly wi hd w , b u t th e Am e ica n ci iz s , wi h e e r o t b a r h e r e s n t e r e a e e o n m mb s f h e , t p idi g j udg e a t h i h d , d cid d e M r a e r h w a s r e n i n a or t d e f n di n g th e pl a c e ; . M v ick , w o u g t f v o f his t a r e n e c o u r s e , d e cl a r i n g th a t h e y o ught to s e t th e e x mpl e o f sis te c a n d t a t a te e r t b t e r a te t e o a t e a t e h wh v migh e h i f , h y w uld l s ch ck r t r r r th e a dv a n ce o f th e e n e my . a n d g ive tim e fo succ o r o a ive f o m t h e fe w a n d sc a tte r e d s e ttl e m e n ts which e xiste d a t th a t d a y i n

‘ t a n o e a a n t a n m a r n t r e e n t e a r s wa s th e This ypic a l Sp ish H us , qu i l d k u il c y , o e o f e a n r e r n d i e - o ve r n o r o f o a a a n d e a e e te h m J M a t in V am e , vic g C huil T x s , l c d “ $ n 1 8 3 0 V e r a m n i n o n a s a m a n o f e r a r n c l e a n d w i . e d w a s k w lib l p i ip s a s n a t r a n on i n h wa s a r e e n t Hi s a u te r u lly fr i e n dly t o w a r ds Sa n A t io s ce e sid . d gh “ ” r r h ma ie d J a m e s B owi e o n e o f th e h e r o e s o f t e Ala m o . I n 1 8 3 5 B e n Mil a m w a s sh o t a b out tw e n ty f e e t b a ck o f th e V e r a m e n di h o a v r w h e a t h d e th e a n r e n o m e ; 8 . A . M e ick o wi th D f Smi h a guid d e T x fo c s i t h e t to o n n r h t e e a a d a i a a s e e a . ci y, s d b sid Mil m c ught him his ms fe ll d d n a r r o tr e e t o h r n l t o f t e o a n d a r to r e V e a m e d i St . a l t a A w s s u h W lff M x s , , is h t e t t o a r t tor o t is l f m k his his ic sp . MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

t a l 1 e e r n e . e a o r n i n th e ni o f a t r a t 2 th w s T x s Th y cc di g y , ght S u d y , h e , to o k up th e ir p o siti o n o n th e fl a t r oo f o f th e buildin g kn o wn a s ’ a e r o r n th o r n e e r a r t M v ick s , f mi g e c r o f C o mm c e a n d S ol e d d s t e e s , a n d o a n n a ll th e e n tr a n e to a n a tt a n c mm di g c s M i Pl z a . T h e li l e b d

n e r e t - t r e m e r a n n o n e a n M r n a a umb d fif y h e A ic s a d e M xic , . M a ch c , wh o h a d e r e t r o th W a r f n e e n e n e r o e a to s v d h ugh e o I d p d c , f m B x r S a n a n to a n w a a r e n e a n ta J ci , d a s e sp e ci lly m k e d fo r v g c e by Sa n

n n a . o on a te r a t i n a t fo h e e a t r o o e u A S f d yligh , hick g , t M xic n ps te r e d th e a n a a i r o n t tt e t n r e e o n M i Pl z , music n f , li l e xp e c i g th e c pti a a te t e e a n r o th e e which w i d h m . A p li g vo ll e y f m e T xan r ifl s ’ e e d t e r a r a n o r ' o c oiu l d t a t e ch ck h i m ch , d b e f e W ll wi hdr w h m ,

- o r te e n e r e a i n o tr t a n t e n t e e n wo u n d e d . H a vi n f u w sl u igh d w y s v . g

a e m e n n e r o e r G e n W 0 11 r o t - n pl c d his u d c v , . b ugh up two six p o u d e r n a n d e n e a e o f th e n e r a e a n e o th e gu s , b i g w ll dvis d um ic l w k ss f, r r n n T e xa n s . m a d e his disp o siti on for su o u di g th e m a n d cutti n g w o ff t e r e a e . O n th r o o o f h e e r o e o t h i sc p e f t D y H us , o n th e s u h

- e a t o r n e r o f th e a a h o te t r t C h n a n s c Pl z , e p s d hi y fiv e u s a tta I di s , wh o or e a r o r e n t e e ta e n r o th e f m d p t o f his f c . A o h r d chm t c ss e d e t o n e a r e r e i r r r a n d o o t th a n t e n r o n t f th r a . iv k p s e p c , f o e b a cks T h e e a t a n w a a r e a a r a n th e r e a r a t o n s b k s g u d d by C v l y , ls o , a d p p i s o f th e e a n o a n e r e n o w o e te e n a o e r M xic c mm d b i g n c mpl , h e s t n ffic , t a a t o o e tt a n o r r e n e r n a e wi h fl g , s umm n th li l e b d t su d a s h o o r bl r o n e r o f wa r a n t a h o n t on o e r e r n o t p is s , ddi g , h t if t e c di i s ff d w e e a i t n t n te o a a n t th e cc e pte d w hi e n mi u s , h e w uld dv c e o n h e m wi th n e r n th e r e tr n a r t e r t e b a yo t . Du i g fi e o f musk y a d ill y to which h y e r o n o o n a t w e e xp s e d whil e W o ll wa s p o sti g his t r ps , i t is si gul a r th n o t o n e o f th e littl e b a n d o f T e x a n s wa s h i t ; th e y b e i n g p a r ti a lly

o e r e th e l o w a r a e t o f th e a t - r o o e o e T h e o n o n e o f c v d by p p fl f d h us . ly t e t a t e e e n n r M r a n a a wh o tr r a wa s . wa h m h c iv d y i j u y M ch c , s s uck o n th e k n e e by a f r a gm e n t o f s t on e d e ta ch e d by a r o u n d sh o t r o th e e e t o f h a a t d a e ta n f m ff c s which e w lks l m e o this y . R sis c e e n e e n t a n th a a n r r e n e r e n d e r e o n h e b i g vid ly v i , e sm ll b d su d d , a w , t r e tr e a t o f W 0 11 m a r ch e d t o th e C a s tl e o f P e r o te a n d th e r e i m . , r n n r a n e h r e a te a r n e p is o e d , u d e r ci cumst c s o f t e g s t h sh ss .

G e n “70 11 a s e e n e n e r a l o u d l w e n o n e f r e a . h b g lly a n d y d u c d o r b ch o f fa ith t o w a r d his p r is o n e r s ; b u t i t is n o t g e n e r a lly k n o wn th a t i n sp a r i n g th e i r live s h e dis o b e ye d th e e X p I‘ e S s o r d e r s o f P r e si e n n n n a t u t e a t e e r a ta e t a r i n d t S a ta A , o p t o d h v y m n k n wi h ms n a r e e a n r a to r e o r r e r o his h a ds a s b l d a t i . Th s e d e s w e sh w n by t t a e r o r e e nt o i n 1 8 6 3 , to a n n a e r e n o f M r . ( n w ) W— ll , i im f i d M v ick p s o n which o cc a si o n h e m a d e m a n y fr i e n dly i n qui r e s for Ma v e r t e r o o n o a n d o n a e . e n a e ick , C lquh u , Tw hig , h s , by m Wh sk d why e o r e th a t o o r e r h e h a d n o t d e f n d e d his c u s by e public i n o f th e s e d s , e t o n i a r W o ll r e pli e d h e hims e lf o w d , n o ly his life u n d e r sim l i n e t o th n te r e n t o n o f a n ta n n a b u t a o h i s c r cumsta c , e i v i S A , ls r t a o n o r a p o siti o n i n th e Me xic a n a my , a n d h t h e c o uld n ot h bly vi n dica te hims e lf by th e e xp os u r e of o n e to wh o m h e o w e d s o

much .

te r h e r r e n e r a e r o o n o t Af t su d o f M v ick , C lquh u , Tw hig , Hu ch o a n on TW o l wa tte r e e a te i t i n so n , a n d th e i r c mp i s , l s u ly d f d w h o o a o th e T e x gr e a t l o ss i e mil e s r o m S a n An t n i o , o n th e l d y , f v f S , b a n s n e r a a n d r e o n a n d t o t o n th e i r o w n u d H ys Bu l s , wi h u l ss ,o e e t th e L a r a n e o a n n e r a ta n a o n si d , if w e e xc p G g c mp y, u d C p i D ws , r r o n h e a n tr o o i th r a r e e which wa s su u d e d by t e M xic ps n e p i i , whil t o r n o a n c u t t e e e e n o n o f t e r o n m a r ch e d e zv us , d o pi c s ; s v ly h i n n umb e r e sc a pi g . O 2 3 r W 0 11 a r e o n r e t r n t o e o a r r n n th e d , m ch d his u M xic , c yi g

n - r o n e r t O n th wa o n e o f th n e r his citize p is s wi h him . e y , e umb , n wa s r e o n h e o n a t e a r M r n n n a e a d t e . O n r . Cu i gh m , di d bu i d L h i

MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

t e n o f e a r to th te r t e e na . e r n a ci iz s B x S O n his u , h e fo un d his f mily a t L a r a n e a ll a te r r e m o n t o oa t n e a r G g , sick ; f vi g th e m th e c s , De c r o ws o nt h e r e t r n e o t r n r r n P i , u d to S u h C a o li a t o p oc u e m e a s t o m e e t o bliga ti o n s which h e a ssum e d i n m a n y in sta n c e s fo r th e r e e o f o r e n e e to o a n on i a t H li f his m c ssi us c mp i s n c p ivity . e r a a o r o e r t e e e r n n e te a g du lly s ld his p p y ls wh e a d i v s d i n Te x s l a n ds . I n 1 8 4 7 h e r e t r n e o n ton o e n r u d t Sa n A i , wh r e h e c o n ti u e d to e sid e to th e t e o f h is e a t e te e r zu o e a up im d h , S p mb d f this y r . I n 1 8 3 8 h e to o o u t w e n i n to n o r o 1 8 3 8 k his l a lic se n S a n A i . F m ’ nt 1 8 4 2 wa s o n e n m e n t o e u il h e o f H a ys mi ute , a n d o f e n f ll o w d t h tr th e r a e r e a il o f m a a udin g In di n s u n d e r th a t c e l b a te d chi e fta i n . H e a cc o mp a n i e d his o l d l e a d e r i n 1 8 4 8 o n his e xp e di ti on to . o e n th e r o t r o n to n l d e r te t p u e f m Sa n A o to El P a s o l N o . O n his m e m or a l e tr ip t h e y l o st th e i r wa y a n d w e r e a t th e p o i n t o f b — , sta r va ti o n on e m a n a ctu a lly p e r ishi n g o f hun ge r ; wh e n th e y w e r e e n a n to S a n El i s a r i o n th e R i r a n e e r t e guid d by I di s , o o G d , wh e h y f o n o o a n d r e t e r r o t a r o a e ta e u d f d s . Th i u e b ck f m E l P so s blish d to b r a n d b u t th e fo llo win g a r ticl e a n d l e tte r s t e ll a sto r y I n F e r a r 1 8 6 1 th t r o on e r e b u y . , a s o n e o f e h e e C mmissi s o f th o tte e o f a e t h wa s a r e h e t C mmi Public S f y , e ch g d with t e d lic a e duty o f p r o cur i n g th e r e m o va l o f th e U n ite d S ta te s t r 0 0 ps fr o m th e ta te a — wa e S o f Te x s a n d th a t a ll this s e ff cte d wi tho u t bl oo dsh e d , a n d with s o li ttl e o f i n c o n v e n i e n c e o r humili a ti o n to th e o ffic e r s a n d m e n wh o h a d s o l on e e n r e n a o n on t t te o n e g b f i ds m g us , c s i u s o f his highe st ti tl e s to th e r e sp e ct a n d g r a titud e o f his fe ll o w t e n a n d a e r tt e a n ta n th t a t a f ci iz s . v y li l a cqu i c e with e si u i o n o f a r a t t a t t e sa t a n o n e a te e r e h m a f i s h im will isfy y , wh v vi ws e y e n te r ta n o n th e e t on o e e o n t a r ti o of i qu s i f s c ssi , h t b u t fo this a c n th o on e r wa r e e n a u r a te e C mmissi s , civil w o uld h a ve b n i ug d i n th e ta te th e F e e r a t r 0 0 s —n e r o e e e a n d we l l S ; d l p um us , w ll quip p d o n e orm n e o e o r c mm a d d , f i g a n ucl us fo r a n a r my c o mp s d o f th e f c e s which th e G o ve rn or h a d a l r e a dy co mm a n d e d to o r ga n iz e fo r th e a n te n a n e o f e e r a t o r t n o t e n m i c F d l a u h i y . No o e wh o kn ws h e f e li gs which p r e va il e d th r o ugh o ut Te x a s c a n d o ubt th a t th e Un i on a rm y o o on a e u t r e e a t a t t th r e n e t w uld s h ve succumb d , b I p t , h o e p ud t y e n e r e t a t o n o th e o on e r t e oa to r s . g ic c i f C mmissi s , a n d o f h i r c dju e a o e s i t t a t n o o o w e t n h e r o r e a n d t a t T x s w h bl d a s sh d wi hi b d r s , h t e s h e e sca p e d th e h o r r o r s o f wa r which d e va sta e d h e r sist r S ta te s . t t o e th e n t on f M a e r Wi h his cl s d public fu c i s o r M v ick , which h e h a d e xe r cis e d i n v a r i o us c a p a citi e s fr o m th e m e m or a bl e d a y r o n n e wh e n b e a ffixe d his sign a tur e to th e D e c l a a ti n o f In de p e d e c , a n d a lw a ys wi th c r e dit to hi m s e lf a n d a dv a n ta ge to his c o ns titu e n ts ; e r e i n e t e r o e i n on e n t on o r i n a n a a his public s vic s i h H us , c v i s , y c p c i t a te r e r e n e r n te r e te n e r e e o y wh v e , b in g d e d with disi s d ss a n d f d m r l l r n a n a on e r a t o n tr t e t f o m a p e s o l a d p r ty c sid i ; which , I us , will y r o ll r n a n d a r on e r a t on f m a p e s o a l p ty c sid i s . Tr uthful t o a pu n ctili o n o m a n c a n s a y th a t h e e ve r us e d e qu i vo a a n e n i n c e r e t e t e h e on f e n e c l l gua g , a d his s y wa s t s ifi d to by t c id c r w n h i m An o t o wh e n o e h e c o mm a n de d f o m a ll h o k e w . d f h s e o j y d t r t r wh o o e n o r e e e r t o a r e ha t p ivil e ge , wh o is he e d s t m mb dmi th a t c o u r te sy o f th e ol d scho o l wh ich is fa s t p a ss i n g a w a y $ n n e r a te n e e r a o th e a e t n or Pr ud e n t a d c o sid , h e v s id f bs n o e w d ,

r e n e o u l f h a v o n e a n e d which u tte r e d i n th e i r p e s c , c d e w u d d or p i t n e t r n a h e e r a n e te t a t he m . Mo d e s t a d r i i g to a f ult e v m if s d h fo r ge tful n e ss o f his own c o mfo r t a n d con ve n i e n c e which is th e tr e t o f o o r e e n u te s g d b di g . H wa s r a n o te n ta t o i n h i a t a n d h e a r r e e f ug l a n d u s i us s h bi s , c i d i n to p r a ctic e his phil o s o phic sc o r n o f th e ge wga ws o f fa shi on a n d e a r o e n e s a n tr e r e e a r on o f displa y . Y s a g , wh n sick s d dis ss p ss d h d 1 MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MA VERICK 33

t o or e Sa n to n o e c r e t a n a e i th e h e p cla ss s i n n A i , s ly , d s a thi f n M r r n h t e a or t t e a r n t . a e a t t n f h e igh , M v ick c m e u o e h m y o ci y , b — o l i n s om e th n u n d e r his cl o a k th a t cl a k wh i c h , a m on g t h e g g , o lde r i n h a bita n ts m a y b e r e m e mb e r e d a s a n histo r ica l r e li c a n o r t e n o e t M r a e r i e a r d r wi g f t h h e hidd bj c , . M v ick , n his p culi r r e n n r e e on o t n e r ta th tr t o n hu i d m a e , b gg d his h r o u d k e e dis ibu i on h e e c e s i i o a t o a n o a r c ontr i b ti o n a m g t n s t n s o f h us d d ll s , his m n t i e o e r n n d o a ll t n o i h s tim f suff i g , a a b ve , to s a y n o hi g f i t . T o thi s S o ci e ty h e l e a ve s th e sign a l h on or o f ha vin g i n sc r i b e d h i s n a e o n th e r o f i t o n e r a n th ta s o r e a r n on m ll o s f u d s , d e k f i g th te o o w n e n e a e m a e si , which y u e t o his mu ific c , n dific e which y o n o t th n r e t o u o a t on th e d o h r o e d o or a n d c dit o y r y o u n g Ass ci i , Ala m o Lite r a r y S o ci e ty ; a ta sk i n which I tr us t y o u will b e a ide d

by th e we a l thi e r m e mb e r s o f th e c o mmu n ity . T o th e i n he r itor s o f his n a m e h e h a s b e qu e a th e d a h e ri ta ge r e r t a r oa a n or r e o t a n e o —th n a e ich h n b d l ds , m e p ci us h n fi g ld e m o f a t a n r t n a on e n t o m a n o f n wh o n e e r j us , up igh a d c sci i us , o e v o r o n t on wh o n e e r o e n e to c mp o mise d with his c vic i s , v b w d th e k e e xp e di e n cy ; a n d l e t th e m e v e r r e m e mb e r th a t th e n a m e th e y r o n n fo o n o r n te r t a n t r t b e a h a s l n g b e e n a sy o ym r h , i g i y d u h .

U S BSTANCE COPY TO CAPT . COMDT . HOWE , SAN ANTONIO B EX AR

t a . t . o . . e C p C md S M H o w , Sa n n to n o e a r o A i , B x C .

o r a a o a ta or C T e x. P t C v ll , M g d a o J r 8 uly 3 d , 1 4 7 . My d e a r Si r : e r t a e e a t for I d si e o m k e my xcus s t o C p . R a wlin s n o t givin g him a d e cisiv e a n sw e r i n r e g a r d t o so m e Al a m o p r o p e r t a n d a s m n e te o u n o u y , I a i d b d to y for ma y civiliti e s a n d y ’ we r e th e fi r st to i n tr o duce th e subj e c t o f th e G ove r m e n t s s u p o e r t to th a e o n t o o a o r a p s d igh e s m , I a m g i g o b e g f y u th e f v to s y to a t R a n t a h r e n n t o u n te r C p . wli s h t t e tim e i n te v i g b e w e e n r i vi e w a n d my hur r i e d d e p a r tu r e fr o m S a n An to n i o wa s s o sh o r t tha t I wa s un a bl e to m a ke a n y ve r y e xte n sive disc o ve r i e s o n th e B s e t . u t n r n ta nt ubj c I did i qui e o f two o r th r e e of th e o ld i ha bi s , e r o n o f n o r a t on a n ve r a c t t a te n i u i vo c a ll p s s i f m i d y , wh o s d to m e u q y

’ th a t th e Al a m o n e e r wa s a or t a r r a cks o r a n th i n g o f a G o v v f , b , y e r n m e n t p o st or mili ta r y e sta blishm e n t b u t th a t i t wa s a missi o n T h e on of S a n n to n r th o e o w Missi A i o d e Ve l e o , lik e se missi on s b l Sa n n t o n o a n d o th e r o e r e e n e r a I t w a s e n o e i n A i s v M xic o g lly . cl s d wa lls a b out 1 5 0 ya r ds squ a r e i n th e fir st i n sta n c e a s a pr ote cti o n a g a i n s t wi l d In di a n s a n d a f t e r wa r ds give n a s a s o r t o f u n if or m a on for a t o n a n o n e e r o n e e t on e f shi C h lic I di Missi s . Th s e p s s wh n qu s i d by m e with r e g a r d to th o s e u n ifor m a r ch e s n o tic e d by y o u a n d m e o n t h e e t e ta t t a a n n o b tr t W s sid , s e wi h much pl usibility ( d o d u t u h ) t a t t e e e t r t c a r e n e r h e e h e e t . e h h s w t c lls o f e p i s s , Th se ch d buildi gs p r o cl a im such a u n if o r mi ty a n d u n ity o f pl a n ; b u t I thi n k y o u ge n tle m e n will a gr e e with m e th a t th e y b e l on ge d to n o p a r t o f th e a n o f or t e n o a n tr o n a n d pl a f . B i g a Missi n a n d h vi g s g w a lls c on tiguo us ston e h o us e s ca us e d i t to b e fi r st use d i n 1 8 3 5 a n d

- 6 e tc . th e e a n ta r a s o n e n e n t a e , by M xic Mili y a c v i pl c . wa s s e r n i n th n o f e e r D 1 8 5 a o e r e a n a Co s . i n 3 I my lf p is h ds G l e c . ’ ’ ’ i n Sa n n to n o n C n U a r t h i a r A i . G e l os a d g e c s p r i n cip a l b a r r a cks we e i n th e ta r a t 1 8 3 5 r Mili y squ r e i n this ci y i n . Up on th e a pp oa ch o f MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MAVERICK

th e r t e a n a r n e t n Co o n e t th e fi s T x my u d r Aus i , s c mm e c d pu tin g A a o n to o r t a on r n t o n t ’ l m i f f shi . Du i g h e m h o f N o ve mb e r 3 5 with r e a t a o r Cos fo r th e r t t e t r n e th e a o n o g l b , fi s im u d Al m i to a f rt . H e thr e w d o wn th e a r ch e s o f th e Chu r ch which n ow l i e i n b e d d e d with th e e a r th i n o r d e r to m a k e a n i n cli n e d pl a n e to h a ul c a n non o n to th e h H o p Chu r c . e a ls o e r e cte d m o u n ds a t diffe r e n t dista n ce s n th e e for a n n o n n e t r on e n o sid s c . A d b in g he n a p is r I d o t p o sitive ly , n o b t i a te r r a n k w , u I a m sur e t w s th e n o r a f wa ds wh e n S ta An n a a a r r o t o a t n a n d t o r m ss c e d T a vis C . th a t h s e b s i o s o h e r f t sh a p e s e r e e n t o th e a o w giv Al m .

e a r s i r a n t t o e a r e w tn e r o o to My d . I w y o u b m i ss a n d I p p s e t t h e e t o o h a r e n e t a o a t a n . submi t qu s i n t t e c ful i v s ig i n o f C p . R wli s B u t i n m a kin g his i n quir y th e r e is o n ly on e thin g t o b e gua r d e d

a n t two - n o e n t o t o n s a g i s , a c o mplyi g r a ss ive disp si i n i n th e M e xic a t e d o n o e to a i t a e a r b e t o te ( h y t lik s y n o , pp s t o a p a r t of h e i r p li n e a s k n o a o r b u t o n e n t o fo r t e o ss ) I f v , I c fid ly l ok j us ic . Th ugh I a a a r t a o t mus t a d d th t I h v e a d e si r e to r e sid e i n this p icul r sp . o o r e e n o o t I wa a o a o ta r e a e A f lish p judic , d ub , a s s lm st s li y sc p fr o m th e Al a m o m a ss a c r e h a vi n g b e e n s e n t by th o s e u n fo r tu n a te m e n o n o r a e or th e e a n a a n a e a r e a s ly f u d ys b f e M xic dv c e pp d , th e i r r e p r e s e n ta tive i n th e co n v e n ti o n which d e cl a r e d I n d e p e n d t e n e c . a t . a on r a a r o e n e c e , C p R . s a m a n o f h o is w e f th e imm s a dva n ta ge which th e G o ve r n m e n t h a s i n a c o n t e st with a n i n divid l n o r t t n r t u a . L e t him i n c a d m a k e h e r e quisi e i qui e s o f th e m o s r e e ta e a n d n te r e t e ol e a n I s a t a t t h e sp c bl disi s d d M xic s . f th e y y h Al a m o wa s built fo r a fo r t I will f r e e ly sur r e n d e r my supp o s e d r o tr r t e n d ights , b u t on th e c n a y if h y s a y i t wa s a n o l d Missi o n a only a ccid e n tly a n d r e c e n tly us e d by th e milita r y m e r e ly b e i t wa o n e n e n t o r n a tr o n e e e e t a s tc . n a c us e c v i , igi lly s g . , th I sh ll xp c t tr o n a r o e t R . t o th e r r o o r i C a p . o wi hh ld s g m o f p w f m my p o p r l n r e e t o n r o o t a r vi e g e s a d my littl e p dil c i s . If my p p si i on is n ot f i t r a r t . d h a r a n e e n a t o o a t . e t o d qu a l , h I p y h y u C p R will o m e f v t o e t o e o r a e ta e a n o f e tt e e n t F or m e sugg s s m m e cc p bl pl s l m . giv e , r s i r n e e e m e o r a tta e e o t e n d e a , a d b li v , Y u ch d f ll w ci iz ,

. a ve r S . A M ick .

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a e . a r S mu l A M v e ick Esq . , S a n n to n o A i , D e a r Si r : I n c o mpli a n c e with th e r e qu e s t o f yo u r s e lf a n d f e ll o w citiz e n s a n d my p r o mise to d o a ll fo r yo u r r e li e f i n my p o we r a n d th e e n e o r t a t o e a n a e a which e xig ci s o f y u si u i n d m ds , I h v l id e o r e H i s e e n th e r e e n t th e r e ta r w a r a n d b f Exc ll cy . P sid , e S c y o f o t e r o e o f e r e n t th e e o e a n d e o r a - ta te o f h ffic s G ov m , xp s d d pl bl e s o r r o n t e r a n d o r t n a r t a r n t r e o e x y u f i y u ci y i p icul , a d h e sul t f my p o siti o n s a n d e ffo r t s a r e tha t Ma j o r R o ss with his d e ta chm e n t f a o t e e n t e n e o n te n e a r e h a e e n o r o b u s v y m , w ll m u d a d w ll m d , s b d e r e d to i n clud e yo u r s e cti on o f c o u n t r y i n his ci r cuit o f r a n gi n g a n d t a or a ll h r o te t o i o e r T h r e e n t o ff d y o u t e p c i n n his p w . e P sid h a s a o r tte n n i a t o n o o r e n th o o r a o to ls w i i d vidu lly o J h H . M o e C l d o r n w a N o r e c a fo r r a is e tw hu n d e d m e n to r a ge o u t yo u r y . o f c n n a o a e t o t h e pr e s e n t b e m a d e s ta ti o r y a t y u r pl c , a l h ugh this will b e a tte n d e d to a s s o o n a s r e cr uits m a y b e h a d fr o m th e U n ite d

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VE MEMOIRS OF MARY A . MA RICK

t r e a n h o e b a tl e chi g e r a n d th e fe w Me xica n w m n i n sid e th e Al a m o . O n th e d a o f th a n a h e r a n y e f ll , Su d y , husb d kisse d h e r goo d b e i n t o r n n e y h e m i g , a n d s h e n e v r sa w him a ga in .

r o e n . P o b a bly s h e a n d th e Me xica n w m , wh o w e r e h e r c o m p a n i on s a w th e a o ne t o t a t e r a n e t oot s , b y in g f h e l s Am ic ; wh n h e sh i n wa o e r o e r e nto r oo e t e g s v , a s ldi r c a wl d i th e m wh r e h e y w r e , n o t to e e r e e b u t t a r r u o r e r r e o e n s k fug , o c y o t a n d p vi usly g iv , a n e n e r a n e r o wa t a th a r r o te ll d g lly u d st o d , which s h t if e g is n s o me o n e wa s t o tr y to fi r e th e p owd e r supply ; a n d this m a n n a e a n o n e a n n t e a r n e wa s k e m d Ev s , w u d d d sp e t wi h w i ss , ill d e a n a n wa t th e o e r r oo whil m ki g his p i ful y o p wd m . O n r a o Mr s e o f th e e a n e a t t . M xic o ffic s , lw ys h ugh by Di c ki ns on t o b e e n e r a o n te e o ta t a n n n a w o G l Alm , Chi f f S ff o S ta A , h o s p k e r o e n n t e t th o or th oo i th e b k E glish , s e pp d o e d o f e r m n which r wo m e n w e e , a n d a sk e d : “ Is M r s Dickin s on he r e s h e e a r e to a n e r a n e t e t h r e e a te As f d sw d k p qui , e p d : M r s i n on $ e a t fo a tte e Is . D cki s he r e Sp k ou , r i t is a m r o f lif a n d de a th . e a n r e e wh o h e s i n Th e n s h swe d , t lli n g s wa , a n d h e to ok h e r r r a a r h a n h e e ch a ge o v e to M a i n Pl z . H e e s e d r child w r e h e l d a nd ca r e d for s o m e da ys wh e n s h e wa s gi e n a h o r s e a n d a b a g , v , f n a n o t Sh e a n d e r a a n d o or e m a n o p r ovisi o s d t ld o g o . h b by a c l d t a r th e a n se r va n t j o u r n e ye d s a fe ly e a s w d to to wn o f W shin gt o , r e o e a r te r t r n th e n th e C a pita l , wh e e s h e liv d s m e y s , l a r e u in g to n visit i n Sa n An to i o .