San Antonio de Bexar: A Guide and History Page: 100
vi, 166 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 27 cm.View a full description of this book.
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SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAR.
" The young Indians amused themselves shooting arrows at pieces of money
put up by some of the Americans.
" I adjourned over to Mrs. Higginbotham's, whose place adjoined the Court
House yard, and we watched the young savages through the picket fence.
" This was the third time the Indians had come for a talk, pretending to seek
peace and trying to get ransom money for their American and Mexican captives.
Their present proposition was that they should be paid an enormous price for
Matilda Lockhart and a Mexican they had just given up, and that traders be sent
with paint, powder, flannel, blankets and such other articles as they should name
to ransom the other captives. This course had been adopted once before, and when
the traders reached the Indian camp the smallpox broke out amongst them, and
they killed the traders, alleging that they had introduced the disease to kill off the
Indians. After the slaughter they retained both the captives and the goods. Now,
the Americans, mindful of the treachery and duplicity of the Indians, answered as
follows :
" 'We will, according to a former agreement, keep four or five of your chiefs
and the others of you shall go to your Nation and bring all the captives here, and
then we will pay all you ask for them. Meanwhile, the chiefs we hold we will
treat as brothers, and not one hair of their heads shall be injured. This we have
determined upon, and if you resist our soldiers will shoot you down.'
"The above ultimatnm being interpreted, the Conmanches, instantly, and as
one man, raised a terrific war-whoop, drew their bows and arrows and com-
menced firing with deadly effect, at the same time endeavoring to break out of the
Council Hall. The order, 'Fire !' was given by Capt. Howard and the soldiers
fired into the midst of the crowd. The first volley killed several Indians and two
of our own people. Soon, all rushed out into the public square, the civilians to
procure arms, the Indians to escape and the soldiers in close pursuit. The Indians
generally struck out for the River. Some fled southeast towards Bowen's Bend,
some ran east on Commerce street and some north on Soledad. Soldiers and citi-
zens pursued and overtook them at all points: Some were shot in the River and
some in the streets. Several hand-to-hand encounters took place, and some
Indians took refuge in stone houses and closed the doors. Not one of the sixty-five
Indians escaped; thirty-three were killed and thirty-two taken prisoners.
" Six Americans and one Mexican were killed and ten Americans wounded.
Our killed were Julian Hood the Sheriff, Judge Thompson an attorney from
South Carolina, G. W. Cayce, from the Brazos, and one officer and two soldiers
and one Mexican whose names I did not learn. Those severely wounded were
Lieutenant Thompson brother of the Judge, Captain Tom Howard, Captain Mat.
Caldwell a citizen volunteer from Gonzales, Judge Robinson, Mr. Morgan Deputy
Sheriff, Mr. Higginbotham and two soldiers. Some others were slightly wounded.
"When the deafening war-whoop sounded in the Court Room, it was so loud
and shrill, so sudden and inexpressibly horrible, that we women, looking through
the fence cracks, for a moment could not comprehend its purport. The Indian
boys, however, instantly recognized its meaning, and turning their arrows upon
Judge Robinson and other gentlemen standing near by, slew the Judge on the spot.100oo
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Corner, William. San Antonio de Bexar: A Guide and History, book, 1890; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143549/m1/152/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.