History of Coryell
     
 

INDIAN RAIDS IN CORYELL

In 1857 Indians made a raid on Owl Creek and committed several murders. In that year two men named Brown and Pierce and a little boy named Dave Elms, were hauling rails from the cedar brakes when they were attacked by Indians. The two men were killed and scalped. The little boy was severely flogged and permitted to escape. The little boy was a relative of Mrs. Elms, who came to that part of the county in 1860 and lived there until her home was taken over by the government to be made a part of Camp Hood in 1942.

Mrs. Elms lived in the Sugar Loaf Mountain community when an Indian raid was made there. In this raid the Riggs family was murdered, according to Mrs. Elms. Together with their children they had been hauling wood and were unarmed. Mr. and Mrs. Riggs were murdered and their home set on fire. The two girls 7 and 9 years old were made captives by the Indians, but were soon released and abandoned. They found their way to an abandoned house where they spent the night. The next morning a neighbor found the children and carried them to safety.

In 1860 Elder J. C. White of the Primitive Baptist church of Coryell county and Elder Griffith of Hamilton county, were attacked by Indians near Rainey Creek church, which had been established by Elders Samuel Wheat and Jesse Graham in 1857. They escaped to the brush, but Griffith was so badly wounded that he soon afterward died.

In 1863 a Mr. Williamson and a Mr. Hendrickson were going to their home on the Cowhouse River when they were attacked by Comanches. An Indian horseman ran a spear thru Mr. Williamson, killing him instantly. he was scalped and his body left where it fell. The body was recovered by the settlers. Mr. Hendrickson escaped.

In 1864 Captain Gideon Graham's little boy was captured by the Indians near Sugar Loaf Mountain. To prevent him from being recaptured by Captain Burleson, the Indians pierced his body with a lance. Captain Burleson returned the boys dead body to Mr. Graham.

In the years from 1866 to 1871 Indians made several raids into the western and northern sections of the county stealing horses and making their escape.

Many parties of rangers pursued raiding Indians into

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the vast prairies of the west. United States Infantry companies, stationed at the frontier forts, were of little value as protection to the settlements, and it fell to the Rangers to chastise the, marauding bands of Comanche horsemen.

It is recorded that many Indians visited the settlements on� friendly missions. Mr. Pidcoke, for whom the town of Pidcoke is named, lived among the Indians for many months. He won their undying friendship. The Chiefs, Yellow Wolf, War Loop, and Buffalo Hump, were his steadfast friends, and often visited his home where the village of Pidcoke now stands.

The red man no longer stalks these cedared hills, and his raiding the settlements is but a memory of a once proud race, driven into eternal exile.

CHAPTER IV

LOCATING AND EXPLORING OF LANDS

The territory now known as Coryell County, had, while it was yet a part of the Mexican province of Coahuila and Texas, begun to attract bold pioneers who were seeking new lands.

In 1835 James Coryell and Andrew Cavitt came up from Robertson colony, whose headquarters were at Viesca, at the Falls of the Brazos, and made locations at the mouth of Coryell Creek. In the same year a Mr. Follett made a location in the Coryell Territory. In 1836, the year of Independence, a Mr. Hudson made a location. Then, for two years, while Texas was in the turmoil of revolution and national organization, there was little movement for land seeking beyond the well settled sections of the colonies.

In 1838, Captain George B. Erath came up with a company of Rangers and resumed surveying and locating lands for prospective settlers; to be occupied later when conditions would warrant settlement. In that year, locations were made for the following:

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N. Robertson, C. Searingen, W. C. McCain, R. D. Hicks, F. Grimes, Ed Norton, Chris Casanoba, Alfonzo Casenoba, Antonio Arocha, W. H. King, David Mumford, James Robinett, Benjamin Bryant, Stephen Easton, William Isaacs, John Teal, A. D. Orr, David Ayers, H. L. Marshall, Richard Graham, Elias Marshall, Benjamin Granville, John Yows, William Townsend, Benjamin Doolittle, J. B. Linch, A. S. Thurston, C. Cruse, Joseph Simmons, R. C. Rockwell, Francis Zelener, Squire Haggard, J. M. Hill, Thomas Bertrong, N. W. Hackworth, Joseph Robbins, Sam Lawrence, G. W. Rowel's heirs, L. Hanum, John Logan, A. S. Austin, James Butterworth, F. Zelener, W. Y. McFarland; George Buchanan and W. F. Ken.

The 1840's showed an increase in the search-for western lands for settlement. In 1840 came J. C. Reed, W. Coony, Robert Brown, M. R. Harris, M. Hoop, W. Marshall, Jesse Powers, G. S. Stokes, Benjamin Richey, F. A. Wilson, T. Norris, T. J. Muse, J. Aviola, T. Hemsworth, H. W. Jones, W. R. Curry, F. W. Thornton, S. Gordon, J. Hollingsworth and J. R. Cradick.

In 1841: Sam Bluff, J. W. Healer, C. Freeland, Joseph Merrill, B. D. Smith, S. Huffman, C. G. Manning, A. Reeder, L. B. Weedin, James Cooper, F. Wilhnuer, J. Clements, F. W. Taylor and J. Guiser.

In 1842 came McCosley heirs, T. W. Taylor, H. Wilson, C. M. Hubby, S. Rice, J. Smith, J. Seckill, J. Murry and J. Walmsley.

Skipping to 1844 then came William Thompson, P. Kindall, A. S. Flury, S. Cornwall, J. Winn, Joseph Vannoy, W. J. Wells, Benjamin Bustin, F. Lopez, M. Remires, D. Rodriqurz, G. M. Carmonia, Luther Smith, Arthur Wells, B. E. Bee, Jess Cliff, W. J. Scott, H. Holcomb, Alex Thompson, Hugh Wilson, R. G. McCutcheon, I. S. Roberts, D. Sherman, T. McKernon, J. P. Rice, N. R. Mullen, H. Higgins, N. A. Gee, H. Reiley, J. Grey, S. Sherman and Phile Cole.

In 1845 surveys were made for the following men by A. Caruthers: J. Humrick, E. C. Woodruff, J. Smith, T. J. Cozley, N. P. Mounding, W. B. Munn, W. D. Thompson, N. Kavanaugh, J. O. Whitefield, C. J. C. Lockhart, H. V. Roberts, William Conely, R. P. Oden, J. W. Adkins, H. M. Schley, J. C. Rogers, E. Curd, H. M. Gunter, J. Y. Savage, W. B. Tate, J. M. McLaughlin, Robert Brewster,

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Ann Gun, John Vermillion, J. P. House, A. W. Moore, H. Smith, James Bailey, B. M. McDaniels, Green DeWitt, H. Mordorf, T. W. Nibbs, Washington Anderson, J. F. Bueno, J. T. P. Irvine, T. H. Eaten, R. W. Cavitt and George Bond.

In 1846 came M. H. Breedlove, G. Casuelas, Mary Helms, A. S. Lewis, W. L. Sawyer, B. McClure, A. H. Jordan, Arcy Wynns, W. Jolly, S. G. Hart, Arthur Lynne, L. J. Latham, Matt Burke, J. W. Saunders, J. Shackeford, G. H. Kellogg, J. W. Benedict, J. K. Booker, H. H. Collier, J. W. Cruger, H. Hubbell, Richard Carter, Paul Philon, David Cameron, V. Hazil, Daniel Young, E. J. Parker, J. B. Woods, C. J. Williams, W. Whitehead, J. Houston, J. W. Asberry, A. W. Gates, J. H. Barnard and T. W. Carter.

Many of the men who acquired land in what was later to become Coryell County had borne arms in the Texas Revolution which brought about Texas Independence from Mexico, and the establishment of The Republic of Texas in 1836. Also a great number of family names in this county may be traced back to these hardy pioneers.

No settlements were made by the pioneers at the time their headrights were located. The country at that time was unprotected. The nearest military posts at that time were at Fort Milam at the Brazos Falls, and at Fort Griffin at the Three Forks on the Little River. The Mexican war came on in 1846-48, and pioneering ceased until Ft. Gates was established in 1849.

In 1845, by her own choosing, Texas became a member of the sisterhood of the United States. The proposition of annexation was left to a popular vote of the citizens of Texas. At the time of the election, Captain Erath had been scouting up the Brazos, also surveying, and returned by way of Hog Creek. Let us now quote Captain Erath: "On our return, the day of the election for annexation and adoption of the Constitution came on. We had an order from the Chief Justice with us, and we opened the polls high up on Hog Creek in a part of the country now Coryell County." Thus before Coryell county had a white population, political elections were being held within what is now her borders.

The close of the Mexican War saw the vast territory of Texas without frontier protection.

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Upon the return of U. S. Troops from that war, Col. Robert E. Lee was detailed to establish a chain of forts across the frontier extending from the Rio Grande River on the southwest to the Red River on the north. This was to protect the settlements from the relentless opposition of the Comanche and Kiowa Indians, who held prior claims to all of the western country.

In the fall of 1849, a detachment of United States soldiers marched to the Leon River to establish Ft. Gates. We will here quote from a letter received from the Adjutant General, James F. McKinley, bearing date of March 19, 1935 in answer to our request for information regarding Fort Gates.... " the records show that Fort Gates, Texas, was situated on the north bank of the Leon River above the mouth of Coryell Creek, north of Austin, Texas. It was established October 26, 1849. It was authorized on September 2, 1849, per orders No. 62, 8th Military Department.

 
 

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