Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Page: 94 of 894

INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.

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Many of the Indian women, for a little while,
fought as stoutly as the men and some were killed,
despite every effort to save them. In the charge
Isaac Mitchell's bridle bit parted asunder and his
mule rushed ahead into the midst of the Indiansthen
halted and " sulked"
refused to move. A
squaw seized a large billet of wood and by a blow
on his head tumbled him to the ground; but he
sprang to his feet, a little bewildered, and just as
his comrades came by, seeing the squaw springing
at him knife in hand, they sang out, "Kill her,

Mitchell! " With a smile, not untinged with pain,
he replied: " Oh, no, boys, I can't kill a woman!"
But to prevent her killing himself, he knocked
her down and wrenched the weapon from her
hands.
A hundred and thirty Indians were left dead on
the field. Thirty-four squaws and children and
several hundred horses were brought in, besides
such camp 'equipage as the men chose to carry
with them, among which were goods plundered at
Linnville the previous August.

A Raid into Gonzales and Pursuit of the Indians in May, 1841
Ben McCulloch in the Lead.

Late in April, or early in May, 1841, a party of
twenty-two Indians made a night raid into and
around Gonzales, captured a considerable number
of horses and, ere daylight came, were in rapid
flight to their mountain home. It was but one of
oft-recurring inroads, the majority of which will
never be known in history. In this case, however,
as in many others, I am enabled to narrate every
material fact, and render justice to the handful of
gallant men who pursued and chastised the freebooters.
Ben McCulloch called for volunteers; but not, as
was most usual, to hurry off in pursuit. He knew the
difficulty and uncertainty of overhauling retreating
savages, with abundant horses for frequent change,
and preferred waiting a few days, thereby inducing
the red men, who always kept scouts in the rear, to
believe no pursuit would be made, and in this he
was successful.
When ready, McCulloch set forth with the following
sixteen companions, every one of whom was
personally well known to the writer as a brave and
useful frontiersman, viz.: Arthur Swift, James H.
Callahan (himself often a captain), Wilson Randle,
Green McCoy (the Gonzales boy who was in
Erath's fight in Milam County in 1837, when his
uncle, David Clark, and Frank Childress, were
killed), Eli T. Hankins, Clement Hinds, Archibald
Gipson (a daring soldier in many fights, from 1836
to 1851,) W. A. Hall, Henry E. McCulloch,
James Roberts, Jeremiah Roberts, Thomas R.

Nichols, William Tumlinson, William P. Kincannon,
Alsey S. Miller, and William Morrison.
They struck the Indian trail where it crossed the
San Marcos at the mouth of Mule creek and followed
it northwestwardly up and to the head of
York's creek; thence through the mountains to the
Guadalupe, and up that stream to what is now
known as " Johnson's Fork," which is the principal
mountain tributary to the Guadalupe on the north
side. The trail was followed along this fork to its
source, and thence northwestwardly to the head of
what is now known as " Johnson's Fork" of the
Llano, and down this to its junction with the
Llano.
Before reaching the latter point McCulloch
halted in a secluded locality, satisfied that he was
near the enemy, and in person made a reconnoisance
of their position, and with such accuracy that he
was enabled to move on foot so near to the encampment
as, at daylight, to completely surprise the
Indians. The conflict was short. Five warriors
lay dead upon the ground. Half of the remainder
escaped wounded, so that of twenty-two only about
eight escaped unhurt; but their number had probably
been increased after reaching that section.
The Indians lost everything excepting their arms.
Their horses, saddles, equipages, blankets, robes,
and even their moccasins, were captured. It was
not only a surprise to them, but a significant warning,
as they had no dread of being hunted down
and punished in that distant and remarkably