Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Page: 352 of 894

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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.

side and Smith, seeing around the fallen chief's a
waist a red belt holding a sword that Gen. Houston a
had given him (Bowles) in former days, stooped
over to jerk it off. As they tugged at the belt i
Bowles rose and Smith shot him through the head s
and the noted Indian warrior tumbled forward upon f
his face and expired without a groan. In the two l
days' fight one hundred and eight Indians were 4
reported killed. Two of the whites were killed and
twenty-eight wounded. ]
In February, 1841, the Indians made a raid
through the Nacogdoches country and murdered a
man named Jordan. A party of settlers, fifty-two ]
in number, Judge Blake among them, hastily
assembled and started in pursuit. They had a
severe experience, having to walk a greater part of
the time, as the roads were so boggy they could
not use their horses. They were three days without
food and at the end of that time had only succeeded
in traversing a distance of seventy-five miles.
The expedition proved fruitless. This was the last
expedition against the Indians in which Judge
Blake participated. The only change in use in the
country from 1835 to 1838 was made by cutting a
Mexican dollar into quarters. These circulated as
twenty-five cent pieces. Judge Blake says that it is
just to state that the Mexicans never to his knowledge
cut a dollar into more than four pieces,
while Americans in many instances would make
five and put them into circulation as twentyfive
cent pieces. He recounts an amusing incident
that marked his acquaintanceship with Gen.
Houston.
In 1835 the cholera epidemic that then prevailed
made its way to Nacogdoches and several citizens
fell victims to the scourge. Everybody, who could,
left town and Judge Blake with eight companions,
among the number Gen. Houston, went to Niel
Martin's, eight miles from town, where they secured
board and lodging and comfortably established
themselves. The entire party slept in the same
room. The first night, and a number of nights
thereafter, Gen. Houston sat up and read until
midnight and then went to bed and called his negro
Esau, to pick ticks off him. These performances,
however agreeable to the General and improving to
Esau, were not at all edifying to the General's
room-mates and they decided to try the effects of
a practical joke. Accordingly they gathered all
the ticks they could find and put them in a box and
while Houston was eating his supper scattered them
in his bed. The General had not long retired
before he called loudly for Esau, who literally had
his hands full until some time near daylight.
Houston never disturbed the rest of his companions

igain and the stay at Martin's proved delightful to
ill concerned.
Judge Blake was honored by his fellow-citizens
vith office almost continuously from 1837 to 1876,
serving as justice of the peace, member of the Confederate
Legislature in 1863-4, county judge, and
member of the constitutional convention of 1875.
Confederate money was worth very little when he
was in Austin as a member of the Legislature and he
paid $100.00 per day for board and lodging for the
sixty-five days of the session. During his terms of
service as justice of the peace and county judge,
he tried seven thousand civil suits and five hundred
criminal cases. A great many appeals were taken
from his decisions but not one was ever reversed.
Judge Blake for many years has refused to be a
candidate for any office.
He has been married three times: first in New
Hampshire in 1833, to Miss Mary Lewis, who died
a short time after their union; next, in Montgomery
County, Texas, in 1849, to widow Harrison, who
died in 1852, and in 1853 in Nacogdoches to Miss
Ella Harris, who died in 1886. Three children
were born of the latter union; Bennett Blake, a
prominent farmer in Nacogdoches County; Myrtle,
wife of Judge James I. Perkins of Rusk, and Addie
Louisa, widow of Mr. W. E. Bowler of Nacogdoches.
Miss Ella Harris, who became the wife of
Mr. Blake and mother of his children, a noble
Christian lady, was born in Georgia in 1832. Her
father was Dr. Eldridge G. Harris, and mother
Mrs. Mary (Hamilton) Harris. She was brought
to Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1836, by her mother,
who was joined at that place by Dr. Harris, who
had preceded them. Dr. Harris was a surgeon in
the Texas revolutionary army and a pioneer greatly
beloved by his fellow-soldiers and neighbors. He
died in 1838 and his wife in 1872, at the home of
Judge Blake in Nacogdoches.
Judge Blake has seventeen living grandchildrenHe
is a member of the Democratic party and Royal
Arch degree of the Masonic fraternity.
Judge -Blake has been successful in a financial
way, having accumulated a considerable fortune.
He has passed through many stirring and thrilling
scenes, scenes that can have no counterpart in the
after history of the country, and always bore himself
as an upright, manly man. Privation and
misfortune only nerved him to stronger exertions
and danger but caused his blood to run swifter and
his nerves to steady themselves as he encountered
and overcame it
not his the spirit to become
dejected, nor the heart to quail. His virtues,
abilities and services to the country entitle him to the
place accorded him upon the pages of its history