We give a detailed account of this horrilde massacre, for
two reasons :
First — It demonstrates the unparalleled suffering and un-
dying courage of the early Texas pioneers.
Second — It demonstrates the inhuman demoniac brutal-
ity of the Indians. And shows that like the ancient Sodomites
818 The Life and Writings of
and Canaanites their cup of iniquity was full, and cried to a
just and merciful God for their extermination, from the face
of the earth, which is now well nigh accomplished,
Parker's Fort was built in 1833 by a colony from Illinois,
consisting of the Parker family and their relations. The
Parker family was originally from Tennessee, but had been at-
tracted to Illinois by its celebrity as a wheat growing coun-
try. But they soon became dissatisfied with the freezing win-
ters — the ice and snow covering the ground for months. And
they resolved to seek a home in the genial sunny clime of
Texas, the Paradise of America.
The Parker family was remarkable for honesty, courage
and strong native talent. They were all Hard Shell or Primi-
tive Baptists. And violently opposed temperance, missions
and Sunday Schools. Elder Daniel Parker is widely known
as the father of "the two-seed doctrine." Which is that the
whole human family, by an eternal decree of God is divided
into the elect and the non-elect, or the seed of God and the
seed of the devil.
The colony consisted of thirty-three persons. These
all combined and built a fort or block house, including
over an acre of land. And cottages adjoining the wall.
The whole fort was conveniently arranged for the sepa-
rate families and also arranged with portholes and every con-
venience for repelling an attack. All the colonists slept inside
of the Fort, and kept all the gates and doors securely barred
and guarded. The fort stood on a beautiful hill near a clear
cool spring of Avater, overlooking the fertile valley of the
^avasota and the boundless prairie covered with vast herds of
cattle and buffalo and wild game of every description. Some
remains of the old fort are yet to be seen two and a half miles
from the beautiful town of Groesbeck. When the men went
to their fields to work or on the prairies to hunt then-
daily supply of meat, they carried with them guns and went
in sufficient numbers to repel an attack of the Indians, always
leaving two or three men at home to guard the women and
children.
On the 18th of May, 1836, just twenty-seven days after
the battle of San Jacinto, when Santa Anna and his invading
De. Kufus C. Burleson. 819
army had been conquered and driven from Texas, and all
things promised peace and prosperity, the newly risen sun
was shining brightly, the birds were singing, the flowers were
blooming over the vast prairies covered with carpets of unend-
ing green. The men, except a few, had gone to work in the
field. The women were busy at their dairies, wheels and looms.
The merry children were shouting and laughing in their
sport. When suddenly as an outbursting volcano, about five
hundred Comanche and Kiowa Indians made their appearance
on a hill three hundred yards from the fort. The frightened
children flew to their mothers. The men on guard seized their
guns, but the deceitful demons raised the white flag as a token
of peace and friendship. Mr. Ben Parker went forth to see
what the Indians wanted. They professed to be very friendly
and asked him to show them a good camping place near the
springs and asked him for a beef as they were very hungry.
Mr. Parker fearing to offend them promised they should have
w^hat they wanted. Ketuming to the fort he told the trembling
women what the Indians said, but added, "I fear they intend to
fight.-'' "But by kindness I will try to dissuade them from
fighting." His brother, Silas, and all the women begged him
not to go out to them again. But he went and immediately
the bloody monsters surrounded and murdered him. And
then with horrid yells and death dealing clubs, axes and toma-
hawks they rushed upon the fort, and battered down the doors.
Then began one of the bloodiest tragedies known even in
Texas Indian warfare. Mr. Silas Parker was murdered trying
to rescue his sister, Mrs. Plummer. She made a desperate
effort, but was knocked down with a hoe and captured. Sam
Frost and son were killed Avhile heroically defending the
women and children inside the fort. Old grandmother Parker
was stabbed and left for dead. Elder John Parker, aged 79,
and his wife and Mrs. Kellogg were making their escape, but
when about three-quarters of a mile from the fort were over-
taken and the venerable preacher was brutally murdered and
stripped, scalped and horribly mutilated. His aged wife was
knocked down, speared, stripped, but feigning to be dead she
was left lying on the ground. Thus in one short hour, the
happy, prosperous colony was deluged in blood and filled with
820 The Life and Writings of
desolation and mourning. Elder John Parker and Silas M.
Parker and John Parker, Samuel M. Frost and his son, Rob-
ert, were killed. Mrs. John Parker, Grandma Parker and
Mrs. Duty were dangerously wounded. Mrs. Rachel Plum-
mer, daughter of Jas. Parker, and her son, James, 2 years
old, Mrs. Elizabeth Kellogg, Cynthia Ann Parker, 8 years
old, were taken into captivity as prizes to be redeemed by lov-
ing and sorro^ving friends at home.
The fiends, after murdering Silas Parker overtook his
wife fleeing with her four children from the fort, and com-
pelled the terror-stricken mother to lift her daughter, Cynthia
Ann, and her son, John, 6 years old, up on horse-back behind
two mounted Indians, and the Indians on foot were driving
the mother and her two little children back to the fort, but they
were rescued by the men who came rushing from the fields as
soon as they heard the screams of the women and children.
The terror-stricken men, women and children, seeing their
once happy home in the possession of five hundred bloody
Indian murderers, escaped to the dense timbers of the N'ava-
sota bottoms. When night came and spread her dark mantle
over the scene of horror, Abraham Anglin and Evan Faulk-
enberry started back to see if they could give any succor to the
wounded, and examine the extent of the ruin. The only liv-
ing being they could see was old Grandma Parker whom the
Indians had speared and stripped, except her undergarments
and left her feigning to be dead on the ground. She had
crawled to a deserted cabin and concealed herself. They took
her some bed clothing and carried her to a place of conceal-
ment until they could return from the fort. On reaching the
fort no living human sound could be heard. All was silent
in death, but the dogs were barking furiously, the cattle wero
lowing, the horses neighing and the hogs squealing, making
a hideous medley of sounds. The next morning Messrs. Bates,
Anglin and Eaulkenberry went back to the fort to get if pos-
sible, some provisions and horses on which to retreat and also
to look after the dead. On reaching the fort, they found five
or six horses, a few saddles, some venison, bacon and honey,
but fearing an attack from the Indians who might still be
lurking in the thickets they left without burying the dead.
Dr. Eufus C. Burleson. 821
They all concealed themselves in the thick timbers of Nava-
sota nntil they could set out for Eort Houston, ninety miles
away, near the present town of Palestine and on the present
farm of Hon. John H. Keagan. We give the description of
that moumful journey in the language of Mr. James W. Par-
ker, who says, "'We were truly a forlorn set, many of us bare-
footed and bareheaded, a relentless foe on the one hand and
on the other a trackless and uninhabited wilderness infested
with reptiles and wild beasts, entirely destitute of food and
no means of procuring it, added to this the agonizing grief
for the death and capture of our dear relatives and the expecta-
tion of meeting at any moment a like fate, utter dispair al-
most seized us.
I took one of my children on my shoulders and led the
other, the grown persons followed my example. Our mourn-
ful party, consisting of eighteen persons left for Port Houston.
Our journey lay through thickly tangled briars and under-
brush. My wife was in bad health, Mrs. Prost was in deep
distress for the loss of her husband and son, and all were bit-
terly mourning for the loss of loved ones, and being bare-
footed except my wife and Mrs. Prost, our progress was very
slow. Many of the children had nothing on but their shirts
and their sufferings from the briars, tearing their little legs
and feet were almost beyond human endurance.
We traveled until about 3 o'clock in the morning, when
the women and children being worn out with hunger and
fatigue, we lay down on the grass and slept till daylight when
we resumed our perilous journey. The briars tore the legs and
feet of the children until they could have been tracked by the
blood that flowed from their wounds. At dark of the second
day after' leaving the fort, the children, and especially the
women who were nursing infants began to suffer intensely
from hunger, but alas, we had not a morsel of food. But
providentially at that moment a polecat came near us. I im-
mediately pursued him and caught him just as he jumped into
the river. The only way I could kill it was by holding it imder
the water until it drowned. Fortunately, we had the means
of striking a fire and we soon had it cooked and equally divided
among the women and children, the share of each being small
822 The Life and AVkitings of
indeed. This was all we had to eat until the fourth day, when
we were lucky enough to catch another polecat and two small
terrapins, which we also cooked and divided, giving the women
and children the larger share. On the evening of the fifth
day I found that the women and children were so exhausted
that it would be impossible for them to travel much farther.
After holding a consultation it was agreed that I should hurry
on to Fort Houston for aid, leaving Mr. Dwight in charge of
the women and children, and early next morning, I started for
the fort about thirty-five miles distant which I reached early
in the afternoon. I have often looked back and wondered
how I was able to accomplish this extraordinary feat. I had
not eaten a mouthful for six days, having always given my
share of the polecats and terrapins to the women and children,
and yet I walked thirty-five miles in about, eight hours. But
the thought of the suffering women and children I had left
behind inspired me with strength and perseverance, and above
all, God in his bountiful providence upheld me in that trj-ing
hour.
The first person I met on reaching Eort Houston was the
generous and brave Captain Carter. He soon had five horses
saddled and other means of conveyance, and he and Jeremiab
Courtney went with me to meet our little band of starving,
bleeding women and children. We met them just at dark,
and, placing the women and children on the horses, we reached
Captain Carter's hospitable home about midnight. Every
preparation had been made to receive the mournful company
of sufferers. The hungry, weary women and children with
their bleeding feet were tenderly cared for. The following
day, on the 25th of Msij, my son-in-law, Mr. Plummer, reached
Fort Houston, he had given up all for lost. After so many
long years, I look back over that scene of unparalleled suffer-
ing with inexpressible horror, yet with devout thanksgiving
and praises to God for his merciful support and protection."
Mrs. Elizabeth Kellogg, Mrs. Rachel Plummer and her
son, James, 2 years old ; Cynthia Ann Parker, 8 years old and
her brother, John, 6 years old, children of Silas Parker, were
carried into captivity to be slaves or to be redeemed by sor-
rowing relatives with large sums of money. The bloody
Dr. Rufus C. Burleson. 823
Kiowas and Comanches having heard no doubt of the uttei
defeat of their bloody ally, Santa Anna, at San Jacinto, beat
a hasty retreat to their hiding places in the Wichita Moun-
tains on North Red River. They traveled till midnight, and
camped near where AVaxahachie now stands, to hold their
bloody war dance to commemorate their horrible victory at
Fort Parker. They staked out their horses and picket guards
and brought their helpless prisoners together and tied their
hands behind their backs, and their feet together so tight that
the rawhide ropes cut the flesh. And then threw the help-
less captives on their faces. The savage demons with scalps
dripping in blood tied to their wampum belts began their
usual "war dance." The demons screamed and yelled and
danced around their helpless prisoners, beating them on their
backs with their bows and stamping upon them with their feet
till their own blood came near strangling them. And the help-
less women and children remained in this position of torture
weeping and bleeding during the night. The mothers endured
the unutterable horrors of listening to the screams of their
little children with no power to aid them. Oh what prayers
ascended to heaven for mercy on their little ones and the
avenging judgment of God on their bloody persecutors.
Early next morning they hurried on their retreat, fearing lest
Gen. Burleson with his brave "minute men" should fall on
their rear and inflict bloody vengeance on them for their
crimes. They soon found an opportunity to sell Mrs. Kellogg
to the Tveachies and Delawares, who, after six months sold her
to Gen. Sam Houston for $150.00, and he conveyed her imme-
diately to her sorrowing relatives.
Mrs. Plummer remained a captive about eighteen months,
and we give the following extract from her diary :
"In July, and a portion of August we were among some
very high mountains, on which the snow remained for a greater
part of the year, and I suffered more than ever in my life. It
was very seldom I had any covering over my feet, and but lit-
tle clothing for my body. I had a certain number of Buffalo
skins to dress every day, and the horses to mind at night. My
feet would often be frost bitten. In October I gave birth to
my second son. It was a beautiful healthy baby, but it was
824 The Life a^t> Writings of
impossible for me to secure suitable nourishment for myself,
and infant. I had been mth them six months and had learned
their language and would often beseech my mistress to advise
me what to do to save my child, but she turned a deaf ear to
my supplications. My child was 6 months old, when my
master thinking that it interfered with my work, determined
to put it out of my way.
One cold morning five or six Indians came to where I
was suckling my babe. As soon as they came I felt sick at
heart; my fears were aroused for the safety of my child; my
whole frame convulsed with sudden dread. My fears were
not ill-grounded. One of the Indians caught my child by the
throat, and strangled it until all appearances of it was dead.
I exerted my feeble strength to save my child, but the other
Indians held me fast. The Indian who had strangled my
child, then threw it up into the air repeatedly, and let it fall
on the frozen ground until life seemed to be extinct. They
then gave it back to me. I had been weeping incessantly while
they were murdering my child, but now my grief was so great
the fountain of my tears dried up. As I gazed on the blue
cheeks of my darling I discovered some symptoms of return-
ing life. I hoped that if it could be resuscitated, they would
allow me to keep it. I washed the blood from its face, and
after a time, it began to breathe, but a more heart-rending
scene ensued. As soon as the Indians ascertained that the
child was alive, they tore it from my anns and knocked me
down. They tied a plaited rope around its neck, and threw
it into a bunch of prickly pears and then pulled it backwards
and forwards until its tender flesh was literally torn from its
body. One of the Indians who was mounted on a horse, then
tied the end of the rope to his saddle, and galloped around in a
circle until my little innocent child was not only dead, but
torn to pieces. One of them untied the rope, and threw the
remains of the child in my lap. I took a butcher knife, and
dug a hole in the earth and buried my child. After perform-
ing the last sad rights for my dear babe I sat down and gazed
with a feeling of relief on the little grave I had made for it
in the mlderness and could say with David : "You can not
come to me, but I can go to you." Anri then, and even now.
Dr. Kufus C. Burleson. 825
as I recall the dreadful scene I rejoice that my babe passed
from the sorrowing and sufferings of this world. I shall hear
its dying cries no more and relying on the righteousness of
Christ, I feel that my innocent child is with kinder spirits in
the world of joy. After the death of my child I was given to
be the servant to a very cruel old squaw who treated me in a
most brutal manner. My other son had been carried off by
another party to the far West. I supposed my husband and
father were killed at the massacre of Fort Parker. Death
seemed to me but a sweet relief. Life was a burden and
driven to desperation I resolved no longer to endure the cruel
treatment of the intolerable old squaw.
One day she and I were some distance from, although
still in sight of the camp, she attempted to beat me with a
club. I wrenched the club from her hands and knocked her
down. The Indians who had witnessed the proceedings from'
the camp came running up, shouting at the top of their voices,
I expected to be killed immediately, but they patted me on the
shoulder crying, "Bueno," "Bueno," ''good; well done;" 1
now fared much better and soon became a great favorite and
became known as the "Fighting Squaw."
Mrs. Plummer was afterwards ransomed through the
assistance of some Mexican Santa Fe traders by a noble-hearted
American, Mr, W. M. Donahue. She was then made a mem-
ber of her benefactor's family. She accompanied Mr. and
Mrs. Donahue on their visit to Independence, Missouri, where
she met, and embraced her brother-in-law, L. D. Nixon, and
by him was brought back to her people in Texas. On the 19th
day of February, 1838, she reached her father's house. Twenty-
one months from the horrid massacre of Fort Parker and her
capture. She died on 19th of February, 1839, just one year
after reaching home. Her son, James Pratt Plummer, after
six long weary years of captivity, was ransomed and taken to
^ort Gibson late in 1842 and reached home in Februaiy, 1843,
in charge of his grandfather.
He became a respected citizen of Anderson county, but
he and his father also are now dead.
. Cynthia Ann Parker and her brother, were held by
separate bands. The brother and sister thus separated gradu-
ally forgot the language, manners and customs of their own
826 The Life axd Writings of
people and became thorough Comanches. John grew up with
the semi-nude Comanche boys of his own age and played an
hunting and war. When just arrived at manhood, John
Parker accompanied a raiding party of Comanches down
the Eio Grande into Mexico. Among the captives taken,
was a beautiful young maiden, whom the young warrior
felt his heart go out in tenderness to — the fair Dona Juanita.
And the t^vo were soon engaged to be married as soon as they
arrived at the Comanche village. Each day as the cavalcade
moved steadily along the yovmg lovers could be seen riding,
and discussing the anticipated pleasures of conjugal life, when
suddenly John was prostrated with an attack of smallpox.
The cavalcade could not tarry so it was decided the poor
fellow should be left alone on the vast plains to die or recover,
as fate decreed. But the beautiful Juanita refused to
leave her lover and insisted on her captors allowing her to
remain and care for him. With Dona Juanita to nurse and
cheer him up, John lingered, lived, and ultimately recovered,
when the young people with as little ceremony as was per-
formed amid the bowers of Eden became husband and wife.
They settled on a stock farm in the far West where John
Parker, with his beautiful Dona Juanita became a great stock
king. But after the most diligent search of weeping and loving
relatives for Cynthia Ann Parker nothing could be learned.
Large sums of money were offered for the recovery of the lost
children. In 1840, Col. Len Williams and ;^L.^ Stout an In-
dian trader, and a Delaware Indian guide made a trading tour
on the Canadian river when they fell in mth P-a-h-a-u-k-a-a
band of Comanches and Cynthia Ann Parker was with this
tribe. From the day of her captivity five years before, she had
never seen a white person. Colonel Williams proposed to re-
deem her, but the Comanches replied, "All the goods of the
white man could not ransom her."
MEXICAN WAK.
I propose to give a brief history of the war between Mex-
ico and the United States. For, as this war otcw out of the
Dr. Kufus C. Bukleson. 827
annexation of Texas and began on our soil, and thousands of
Texans acted a noble part in the war, it becomes a part of
Texas history. Texas, after ten years of heroic struggling
against 8,000,000 Mexicans and 60,000 Indians, found annex-
ation to the United States a necessity. Great and far-seeing
patriots, both in Texas and the United States combined to ac-
complish this glorious result. Mexico, aided by England and
France opposed annexation by all possibles means. When the
resolution for annexing Texas was introduced in congress by
John C. Calhoun, Gen. Almonte, the greatest, wisest and pur-
est of Mexican statesmen gave the United States formal
notice that Mexico would regard the annexation of Texas
as an unlawful seizure of her ten-itory and equivalent
to a declaration of war. And when annexation was ac-
complished, on the 4th of July, 1845, by action of Texas,
and in March, 1846, by the United States, Almonte, with
a sad heart, demanded his passport, and declared all
friendly and commercial relations between the United States
and Mexico ended, and declared Mexico would immediately
occupy Texas with an armed force. And it was soon fully
known by reliable private and public information that Mexico
was marshalling an army of 8,000 men under Gens. Arista and
Ampudia to recapture all Texas. They also sent agents to the
savages on the northern border of Texas, as they sent Cordova
and Flores to arouse the bloody savages to warfare against
Texas. Our gallant Governor, Pinkey Henderson, imme-
diately gave President James K. Polk notice of these dark
storm clouds hanging over Texas, and requested an armed
force be sent at once to the Rio Grande and to our Indian
frontier. The mad action of Mexico in attempting to conquer
Texas, when aided by the army and navy and wealth of the
United States, when she had signally failed to conquer alone
in ten years, can never be fully understood. Many supposed
she had secret assurance of aid from England and France. But
the more reasonable solution of the mystery is that "God who
causes the wrath of man to praise Him and the remainder of
wrath He restraineth" in His mysterious providence allowed
Mexico to commit the folly which he over-ruled for extending
the territory of the United States from the shores of the Atlan-
828 The Life A^^D Writings of
tic to the waves of the Pacific and adding untold millions of
gold and silver to our treasury, and thus preparing the United
States to become the grandest, the richest, the "wisest, the
purest nation on eai^:h. A nation that shall bear the banner
of liberty, civilization and Christianity around the globe.
"Whatever was the cause of Mexico's delusion, as soon as it
was fully known that she was gathering a grand army to
invade Texas, President Polk ordered Gen. Zachary Taylor to
collect an army of at least 3,000 men at Corpus Christi and on
the Rio Grande, the acknowledged boundary between Texas
and Mexico. As soon as the details of annexation were fully
consummated in March, 1846, Gen. Taylor marched towards
the Rio Grande. Three miles east of Matamoras a small de-
tachment of Mexicans met him, and their commander formally
protested against his further invading Mexican soil. Gen.
Taylor replied that the Rio Grande was the boundary
line, and he intended to camp on that border, and
desired only peace and good will to Mexico. The Mexicans
withdrew, and Taylor marched on to the Rio Grande, opposite
Matamoras, and began at once to construct a fort, afterwards
known as Port Brown. Gen. Parades, the President of Mex-
ico, ordered Gen. Arista to attack the Americans without
delay, and on the first day of May the first act of the bloody
drama of the Mexican war began. Several small skirmishes