Memorial and biographical history of Ellis county, Texas ... Containing a history of this important section of the great state of Texas, from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its future prospects; with full-page portraits of the presidents of the United States, and also full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of the county, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers, and also of prominent citizens of to-day ... Page: 20
573, [1] 123, [1] p. incl. 23 port. front., 2 pl., 28 port. 28 x 22 cm.View a full description of this book.
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HISTORY OF ELLIS COUNTY.
The new settlement was on the San Antonio
river, and the village named San Fernandez.
The Franciscan fathers were also working to
make citizens out of the Indians, but it was a
terribly up-hill task. The red Indian was
then just what he is now,-an Indian, and
nothing more nor less, as he possibly always
has been and always will be. At one of the
principal missions, San Saba, after the kind
and considerate treatment given them by the
fathers, the Apaches rose up one day and
butchered every one at the mission, not even
sparing a servant, either man or woman. At
the beginning of the present century, after a
lapse of over a century, very few missions
had any population to speak of, and Texas
was comparatively an uninhabited wilderness.
San Antonio contained a population
of about 3,000, and the only commerce was
mostly carried on by buccaneers. There
were, possibly, 140,000 cattle and horses.
Very few Americans had then come into the
country. Philip Nolan, an Irishman, in
1797 entered Texas for the purpose of procuring
a supply of cavalry horses for the
army of General Wilkinson, then in Mississippi
Territory, with the consent of the
Spanish authorities; and having a letter from
Baron Carondelet, Governor of Louisiana, he
had no difficulty in procuring what he desired.
He (Nolan) drew an accurate map of
the country through which he had passed
and took notes and observations generally.
SKIRMISHES.
Again visiting Texas, ostensibly for the same
purpose as previously, he was suspected ofplotting against the interests of Spain, and
was finally forbidden to enter the province.
He managed to elude the vigilance of the
Mexicans and made his way into the country
as far as the Tehuacana hills, in what is now
Limestone county. Here, with fourteen
Americans, five Spaniards and a negro, he
took a position and built a block-house, intending
to capture mustangs. He was pursued
by Musquis, the commander at Nacogdoches,
who, with sixty-eight regular soldiers
and thirty-two volunteers, attacked the blockhouse
with a small cannon, killing Nolan at
the first discharge. The fight was kept up
by the rest of Nolan'6 band, under Bean, for
several hours, but they finally surrendered
under promise of being sent to the United
States. The promise was broken, however,
as they were put in irons and sent to San
Antonio, where they were imprisoned and
inhumanly treated. They were then sent
across the Rio Grande, and remained prisoners
for many years, some of them dying,
and three escaping; one was shot. This ex.
pedition and several other matters then in
dispute increased the natural hostility that
a monarchist has against republicanism.
Philip II declared that nothing but Spanish
commerce should be conducted on the Gulf
of Mexico, whilst on land non-intercourse
with the United States was proclaimed. The
claim of France to Texas was renewed on
the part of the United States after that Government
had purchased Louisiana. If Texas
had belonged to France, and was a part of
Louisiana, the United States Government
had purchased it. At this time GeneralI~~~~~~~~~~
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Memorial and biographical history of Ellis county, Texas ... Containing a history of this important section of the great state of Texas, from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its future prospects; with full-page portraits of the presidents of the United States, and also full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of the county, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers, and also of prominent citizens of to-day ..., book, 1892; Chicago. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33018/m1/22/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Public Library.