History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 122

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122 HISTORY OF TEXAS.

languished until Ittirbide's dethronement,
when he was released. For his services in
the republican cause he received in 1828 a
grant of eleven square leagues of land in
Texas, but he located it by mistake in Arkansas,
and obtained from the government of
the State of Coahuila and Texas an einpresario
grant. He was in ionclova at the
time of Viesca's deposal, and was captured
in company with him. Milam escaped from
prison at Monterey by winning the confidence
of the jailer, and, being supplied with
a fleet horse and a little food by a friend, he
traveled alone for 600 miles, journeying by
night and concealing himself by day, till he
reached the vicinity of Goliad, almost exhausted.
After the capture of that place lihe
enlisted in the ranks, and was soon afterward
killed by a rifle ball from the enemy, when
he was about forty-five years of age.
ERASTUS SMITH, who, on account of his
being "hard of hearing," was generally
known as "Deaf Smith," was born in New
York in 1787, moved to Mississippi in 1798,
and to Texas in 1817. He was a most indefatigable
observer of the movements of the
Mexican army daring the war; and his perfect
knowledge of the country and astonishing
coolness and bravery made him an invaluable
scout for the Texan army. He married
a Mexican lady in San Antonio, and had
several children. He died at Fort Bend in
1839, and is buried at Richmond. A county
is named in his honor, "Deaf SmitlI."
JOSIAH WILBARGER, brother of the author
of the work entitled "Indian Depredations
in Texas," was one of the earliest settlers in
this State, coming here from Missouri in
1828, locating first in Matagorda county for
a year. Early in the spring of 183? he removed
to a beautiful location he had selected
at the mouth of the creek named in his honor,

ten miles above the point now occupied by
the town of Bastrop. At that time his nearest
neighbor was about seventy-five miles
down the Colorado, and he was not only the
first but also the outside settler of Austin's
colony until July, 1832, when Reuben Hornsby
went up from Bastrop, where he had been
living a year or two. He located about ninu
miles below the present city of Austin.
Early in August, 1833, Mr. Wilbarger
went to Hornsby's, and, in company with
Messrs. Christian, Strother, Standifer and
Ilaynie, rode out in a northwest direction to
look at the country. On Walnut creek, five
or six miles above Austin, they discovered an
Indian, who ran away and disappeared. The
'white party gave chase but after a time abandoned
it. While eating their dinner, however,
after returning from the chase, they were suddenly
fired upon by Indians. Strother was
mortally wounded, Christian's thigh bone was
broken, and Wilbaiger sprang to the side of
the latter to set him up against a tree, when
the latter received an arrow in the leg and
another in his hip. Soon he was wounded
in the other leg also. Three of the Wilbarger
party then ran to their horses, which had
been been tied out for feeding, and began to
flee. Wilbarger, though wounded as he was,
ran after them, begging for .an opportunity
to ride behind one of them, but before
reaching them he was wounded in the neck
by a ball. He fell apparently dead, but
though unable to move or speak he remained
conscious. He knew when the Indians came
around hin, stripped him naked and tore the
scalp from his head. The character of the
wound in the neck probably made the Indians
believe that it was broken, and tbat
Wilbarger was dead, or at least could not sur;
vive, and they left him. They cut the throat.
of Brother and Christian.

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HISORYOF TXS