Cynthia Ann Parker E-Book

JAMES T. DeSHIELDS

• Herausgeber: Charles Fred
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Cynthia Ann Parker : the story of her capture at the massacre of the inmates of Parker's Fort; of her quarter of a century spent among the Comanches, as the wife of the war chief, Peta Nocona; and of her recapture at the battle of Pease River, by Captain L.S. Ross, of the Texian rangers (1886)

Leseprobe

CYNTHIA ANN PARKER

 

JAMES T. DeSHIELDSCHAPTER I.

The Parker Fort Massacre, Etc.

Contemporary with, and among the earliest of the daring and hardy

pioneers that penetrated the eastern portion of the Mexican province

of Texas, were the “Parker family,” who immigrated from Cole county,

Illinois, in the fall of the year 1833, settling on the west side of

the Navasota creek, near the site of the present town of Groesbeck, in

Limestone county, one or two of the family coming a little earlier and

some a little later.

The elder John Parker was a native of Virginia, resided for a time

in Elbert county, Georgia, but chiefly reared his family in Bedford

county, Tennessee, whence in 1818 he removed to Illinois.

The family, with perhaps one or two exceptions, belonged to one branch

of the primitive Baptist church, commonly designated as “two seed,” or

“hard shell” Baptists.

In the spring of 1834 the colonist erected Parker’s Fort,[1] a kind of

wooden barricade, or wall around their cabins, which served as a means

of better protecting themselves against the numerous predatory bands of

Indians into that, then, sparsely settled section.

[1] The reader will understand by this term, not only a place

of defense, but the residence of a small number of families

belonging to the same neighborhood. As the Indian mode of

warfare was an indiscriminate slaughter of all ages, and both

sexes, it was as requisite to provide for the safety of the

women and children as for that of the men.

Dodridge’s faithful pen picture of early pioneer forts, will

perhaps give the reader a glimps of old Fort Parker in the

dark and bloody period of its existence. He says:

“The _fort_ consisted of cabins, blockhouses, and stockades. A

range of cabins commonly formed on one side at least of the

fort. Divisions, or portions of logs, separated the cabins

from each other. The walls on the outside were ten or twelve

feet high, the slope of the roof being turned wholly inward.

A very few of these cabins had puncheon floors, the greater

part were earthen. The blockhouses were built at the angles

of the fort. They projected about two feet beyond the outer

walls of the cabins and stockades. Their upper stories

were about eighteen inches every way larger in dimension

than the under one, leaving an opening at the commencement

of the second to prevent the enemy from making a lodgment

under their walls. In some forts, instead of blockhouses the

angles of the fort were furnished with bastions. A large

folding gate, made of thick slabs, nearest the spring, closed

the fort. The stockades, bastions, cabins, and blockhouse

walls, were furnished with port-holes at proper heights

and distances. The whole of the outside was completely

bullet-proof.

It may be truly said that “necessity is the mother of

invention”; for the whole of this work was made without the

aid of a single nail or spike of iron; and for this reason

such things were not to be had. In some places, less exposed,

a single blockhouse, with a cabin or two, constituted the

whole fort. Such places of refuge may appear very trifling

to those who have been in the habit of seeing the formidable

military garrisons of Europe and America, but they answered

the purpose, as the Indians had no artillery. They seldom

attacked, and scarcely ever took one of them.”

As early as 1829 the “Prairie Indians” had declared war against

the settlers, and were now actively hostile, constantly committing

depredations in different localities.

Parker’s colony at this time consisted of only some eight or nine

families, viz: Elder John Parker, patriarch of the family, and his

wife; his son James W. Parker, wife, four single children and his

daughter, Mrs. Rachel Plummer, her husband, L. M. T. Plummer, and

infant son, fifteen months old; Mrs. Sarah Nixon, another daughter, and

her husband L. D. Nixon; Silas M. Parker (another son of Elder John),

his wife and four children; Benjamin F. Parker, an unmarried son of

the Elder[2]; Mrs. Nixon, sr., mother of Mrs. James W. Parker; Mrs.

Elizabeth Kellogg, daughter of Mrs. Nixon; Mrs. ---- Duty; Samuel M.

Frost, wife and two children; G. E. Dwight, wife and two children; in

all thirty-four persons.

[2] Elder Daniel Parker, a man of strong mental powers, a son

of Elder John, does not figure in these events. He signed

the Declaration of Independence in 1836, and preached to

his people till his death in Anderson county in 1845.

Ex-Representative Ben. F. Parker, is his son and successor in

preaching at the same place. Isaac Parker, above mentioned,

another son, long represented Houston and Anderson counties

in Senate and House, and in 1855 represented Tarrant county.

He died in Parker county, not long since, not far from 88

years of age. Isaac D. Parker of Tarrant is his son.

Besides those above mentioned, old man ---- Lunn, David Faulkenberry

and his son Evan, Silas Bates, and Abram Anglin, a boy, had erected

cabins a mile or two distant from the fort, where they resided.

These families were truly the advance guard of civilization of that

part of our frontier. Fort Houston, in Anderson county, being the

nearest protection, except their own trusty rifles.

Here the struggling colonist remained, engaged in the avocations of

a rural life, tilling the soil, hunting buffalo, bear, deer, turkeys

and smaller game, which served abundantly to supply their larder at

all times with fresh meat, in the enjoyment of a life of Arcadian

simplicity, virtue and contentment, until the latter part of the

year 1835, when the Indians and Mexicans forced the little band of

compatriots to abandon their homes, and flee with many others before

the invading army from Mexico.

On arriving at the Trinity river they were compelled to halt in

consequence of an overflow. Before they could cross the swollen stream

the sudden and unexpected news reached them that Santa Anna and his

vandal hordes had been confronted and defeated at San Jacinto, that

sanguinary engagement which gave birth to the new sovereignty of Texas,

and that TEXAS WAS FREE FROM MEXICAN TYRANNY.

On receipt of this news the fleeing settlers were overjoyed, and at

once returned to their abandoned homes.

The Parker colony now retraced their steps, first going to Fort

Houston, where they remained a few days in order to procure supplies,

after which they made their way back to Fort Parker to look after their

stock and to prepare for a crop.

These hardy sons of toil spent their nights in the fort, repairing to

their farms early each morning.

On the night of May 18, 1836, all slept at the fort, James W. Parker,

Nixon and Plummer repairing to their field a mile distant on the

Navasota, early next morning, little thinking of the great calamity

that was soon to befall them.

About 9 o’clock a. m. the fort was visited by several hundred[3]

Comanche and Kiowa Indians. On approaching to within about three

hundred yards of the fort the Indians halted in the prairie, presenting

a white flag; at the same time making signs of friendship.

[3] Different accounts have variously estimated the number of

Indians at from 300 to 700. One account says 300, another

500, and still another 700. There were perhaps about 500

warriors.

At this time there were only six men in the fort, three having gone

out to work in the field as above stated. Of the six men remaining,

only five were able to bear arms, viz: Elder John Parker, Benjamin and

Silas Parker, Samuel and Robert Frost. There were ten women and fifteen

children.

The Indians, artfully feigning the treacherous semblance of friendship,

pretented that they were looking for a suitable camping place, and

enquired as to the exact locality of a water-hole in the vicinity, at

the same time asking for a beef to appease their hungry--a want always

felt by an Indian, when the promise of fresh meat loomed up in the

distant perspective; and he would make such pleas with all the servile

sicophancy of a slave, like the Italian who embraces his victim ere

plunging the poniard into his heart.

Not daring to resent so formidable a body of savages, or refuse to

comply with their requests, Mr. Benjamin F. Parker went out to them,

had a talk and returned, expressing the opinion that the Indians were

hostile and intented to fight, but added that he would go back and

try to avert it. His brother Silas remonstrated, but he persisted in

going, and was immediately surrounded and killed, whereupon the whole

force--their savage instincts aroused by the sight of blood--charged

upon the works, uttering the most terrific and unearthly yells that

ever greeted the ears of mortals. Cries and confusion reigned. The

sickening and bloody tragedy was soon enacted. Brave Silas M. Parker

fell on the outside of the fort, while he was gallantly fighting to

save Mrs. Plummer. Mrs. Plummer made a most manful resistance, but was

soon overpowered, knocked down with a hoe and made captive. Samuel M.

Frost and his son Robert met their fate while heroically defending

the women and children inside the stockade. Old Granny Parker was

outraged, stabbed and left for dead. Elder John Parker, wife and Mrs.

Kellogg attempted to make their escape, and in the effort had gone

about three-fourths of a mile, when they were overtaken and driven

back near to the fort where the old gentleman was stripped, murdered,

scalped and horribly mutilated. Mrs. Parker was stripped, speared and

left for dead, but by feigning death escaped, as will be seen further

on. Mrs. Kellogg was spared as a captive.

The result summed up, was as follows:

Killed--Elder John Parker, aged seventy-nine; Silas M. and Benjamin F.

Parker; Samuel M. and his son Robert Frost.

Wounded dangerously--Mrs. John Parker; Old Granny Parker and Mrs. ----

Duty.