San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 117, Ed. 1 Sunday, April 27, 1913 Page: 15 of 67
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EDITORIAL, TELEGRAPH, MARKETS
SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 27, 1913
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VERSTER. MM5ACR£
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Jce*. »//Uj^ert- /y/fan 4re Outre# if mtrtidf fig oost
'OMAN nearing
century mark.
still able to do her
own housework.
if
"takes pen in hand"
to correct history
through newspaper
published where
she. naked and
abused, fell at door-
step of a city of
friends and was re-
stored to the world
after three-hundred-mile
journey through portion
of Texas which was then
menaced by savages.
Ml Oil: only living survivor of the Webster massacre, on which histories
differ, has been found. She is Martha Virginia (Webster) Simmons.
At the age of 76 she has written for The Express the authentic story of
a day of blood in Texas, now marked by a monument on the north bank
of Bushey Creek, a mile east of the prosperous little city of Leander, In
Williamson County. Where this grave is marked a wagon bed was low-
ered many, many years ago. The box contained the bodies of fourteen
brave men of the East, who came out to serve the cause of independence
in Texas. Mrs. Simmons saw the battle v^ich wiped out the Websters, saw
her father fall, saw trusted friends die, saw the Indians break up the
trusty sword of her father and distribute the pieces among their three chiefs
—Guadaloupe, Buffalo Hump and Yellow Wolf. She saw her mother's sil-
ver plate hammered into trinkets to decorate the braves—and then her
clothes were snatched from her back and, until she fell at the doorstep
of San Antonio, weary of life and ready to die, she never had another dud
to her back.
What would a mother in these days of peace and freedom feel if her
3-ycar-old babe were snatched from her bosom, stripped of clothing, beaten,
bruised, burned, cruelly whipped because—because the baby cried? Would
her mother heart break? That was the experience of the mother of Mar-
tha Virginia (Webster) Simmons, who writes this story.
What would a modern day of plenty wife feel if she were stripped
of clothing and forced to sit at tba campfire of a naked host and, when that
host so chose, she were forced to stand helpless while the merry-makers
passed in review; and from each spearhead hang a ecalp, and the scalp
of her husband, still warm and pulaaling, were thrust to her face that the
company gathered there might enjoy her horror? Would it break a heart?
That was the scene which broke the heart of the mother of Martha Vir-
ginia (Webster) Simmons, who now asks that the Commonwealth of Texas
hunt out the descendants of the men who died for independence and offer
each a rose in his declining years—and then forever keep green his grave.
To die in peace is something. Fourteen trusted friends and relatives fell
at Bushey Creek. Dayt after their bodies were gathered from the prairie,
and the hand that made their common coffin was the hand which realized
the independence of the State. But what of the brave pioneer who received
no reward here on eurth below ?
\
fks!
x
* V
Z/4L
Tba atory of the mwrn of the W*b-
Mcr party and tto captivity of Mra. Web-
ater and tier chlMasa, na told bjr Vir-
ginia Webster, tbe only aurrlver of that
terrible tragedy.
I will first give you a nketeli of tn.v fa-
ther's life before he csuue to Texas, a*
told to Die by iny mother, and by lay
iiuclin and auntH. My father, known na
Copt. John Webster, something like a
hundred year* ago now, owned a farm,
or plantation aa It was then called, on
the Potomac River In the State of Vir-
ginia. t'n the farm he hud 110 negro
«lnve*. Heating ranch about the new Ite-
|Hilill<* of Talus auil the poi.lbllltiea of
Ibla new country, he thought be couM
better tils condition, and ao lie aold hi*
plantation, and all of bin slaves except
toA Put before finally decldlug to come
to Texas. being n lawyer and a good
buslnesa man. he waa Induced to go Into
the bunking bualneai at Wheeling, w. Vn.,
ami at tlie aame time lie bonght a farm
In Hai-rleon County, Wert Virginia. On
t hi* farm he put up a store and built a
aawmfll an<| n u-rlatmlll. M.v fattier, lie-
in t of a InarleSN ami adventuroua dla-
poaJtlon. ignored all the atorle* told blm
of the nltd ami dangernns renditions then
•exihtiug In Texan, lie sold part of hi*
pimxeaalona In Harrison County, West
Virginia, drew all hla money out. of tbe
Wheeling bank except $10,000, which lie
left there In ea*e he met with misfortune
In the new country. He made tip a corn-
puny of forty-four picked men and In-
duced Ihpm to come to Texan with him.
all being, like hlniaelf. ready for adven-
ture. anil expecting to *«il*t Texas In
gaining her Independence frem Mexico.
Captain Webster, with hi* family, eon-
slating of nir in"!her. one brother 10 year*
<>ld. and myself, J year* old. and two or
three negro nerranla and bis company of
forty-four man, lauded at OalTaatxaa to
Norember of 1S8«. Tlie fighting with Mel-
Indlaua waa still going »n and
my fatherand his company waa In the
amico of Texas from .lanuary, 1887, until
tho first of March, 1839. anil Iwentv-one
*o_ hla men were killed In battle and irninv
of them wounded. A Mrs. Boom-, who
lived with na after my father's service
It' the Texas army, and whom I was with
after my return from captivity, told me
al, about my father's aervice In the Texan
army -and It «o Unpledged inv mind that
I never forgot it. My father's lntentlou
wa* not primarily to serve In the army,
but to speculate In land. He brought hie
surveyor with blm from Virginia, expect-
ing to locate land, anil the oilier members
of Ills company were to assist htm and
protect him from the Indians, and were
to have ii part of ihe land. This Is what
my uncle, I'aul neeher, who kept me aft-
er l escaped from the Indlnna told me.
Alter my father's aerrlce In the array he
went with hla family and bla men to
Homsby1* Rend, a short distance below
Austin. We .were at Webbervllle, In Has
trop Coonly. In the spring of 18.K), wliere
my father had bought some three hun-
dred beeves and cows, Intending to start
to the home he had selected and build a
f<rt as n protection against the Indians.
HUE CORRHOTS HISTORY
"About June 13 the party atsrted, con-
sisting of our finally, uiy father anj
mother, my brother and rayaclf. a negro
sen-ant. aud twelve men of mv fathw'a
nmpau>. making fourteen men. Tliere
were four wagona with four yoke of oxen
t' each wagon. We also had one ■annun.
The wagons were londed with provlsiima,
nmmunltlon, gun*, clothing and other sup-
plies. The place selected on which my
father Intended to mnke hi* home was on
the North (labrlel In what la now Ritinnt
County, near what I* now called Strick-
land. When the Webster party got with-
in about six mile* of its destination In-
diana were discovered In great numbers.
asi lt«a»ttN|kt ttat tHe Wsbatar part;
vns not strong enough to engage the In-
dians In buttle, so It was determined that
the best Kilug to do would lie to turn
l-a< k. us Colonel Burleson was expected to
follow us in a few days with a hundred
men. My fathi r ulso expected to incet
some of hie men, who were following n*
with the herd of cuttle. But we after
ward found that the men driving the
lord of cattle were delayed by a stuin-
11de. The party turned back about sun-
eel, and. In driving in the dark. Hie nxle
ol one of the wagons was broken. The
men worked until about II o'clock in the
^.Jntivnlng repairing the wagon. Tbe pari>
reached a point on Brushy Creek, near
what i* now ihe town of Leander. in Wil-
liamson Counly. about sunrise. This was
on the twelfth day of June, and not the
twenty-seventh day of August as has been
erroneously stated In Brown's nud other
bletorlea of Indian depredatlous In Texas.
As soon as possible, after It was seen
that the Indians were going to rnukn an
attack, the wagon* were formed Into a
hollow Kiuore and immediately tho bat-
tle began Thta wa* n most unequal bat-
tle, for my mother often told me that
the number of ludluns were estimated by
my father and Ills men to be fully threw
hundred, my fat bor a party being only
fourteen men. The buttle lasted from
sunrise uritll 10 o'clock at night, when
the last man of the Webster party fell.
"By Ihe time the battle was ended six
hundred more of the savages had ar-
rived, swelling tbelr number to nine bun-
dled, tbo Indiana leaving the scene of the
maaaacre after dark. There were ten
ja"ks of eotfee Id the wagons sod they
penred that out on the ground. They
a ma shed the crate that, contained my
mother's flue china nod silver, thnt she
hud brought with h«r from her home In
Virginia, tnkbig the silver and making
trinkets out of It, with which they orna-
mented themselves, stringing them around
their necks, their arm* and their ankles.
Sly father had bis nword with blm, and
they broke it up Into small pieces, break-
ing the bill Into three pieces for tba three
chiefs -(lutilalupe. Buffalo Hump and
Yellow Wolf. While I was very young,
scarcely 4 years old, yet 1 can well re-
member seeing these old Cnmanebia
breaking up tho sword, and cutting up
the allver on that awful day. Oh, that
awful day that ntlll haunts my memory,
bul I feel happy that such sorrow can
never come to uie again. Oh, It wa* a
horrible sight, to see all those brave and
Sood men fall lit the hands of the savage
rmons. I well remember bow I cried, aud
how my little brother fought the savages
after the battle wu* over, when they
would npproneh Idm. Neither tongue nor
pen could describe the awful suffering*
of my dear mother, nor can liny reader
of this story Imagine her horror at seeing
her beloved husband and trusted friends
cruelly smilped find niuttlsled. with only
two small children with her and even-
moment expecting to see them, too. killed
and scalped. My brother, who was In his
thirteenth yoar, could distinctly remember
all the dotalla of the horrible day and
night. After the ssvages had completed
their work of destruction nud death they
started to tholr great camping place,
which was a good many days' txnvel from
tbl* bloody scenr, taking mother, brother
and myself with them.
"WImiu we reached the camping grounds
of the Indians they took all our clothing
from us, dressing my mother in the gm-b
of the Indian women, and my brother like
the Indian boys. Aa for myself, I never
hud a stitch of any kind of clothing at
any time while I was In the poaseitaloii
of the red devils. .Tust think about me. a
little child, going without clothing iu
winter's cold and snmmer'a sun, lu sleet
snd In snow. If any mother who read*
thla story win only think of her own
tender babe belug placed in the situa-
tion that I was in she cnn. imagine the
feelings of tuv mother, and will wonC-r
doubtless, as I often do now. how- a little
child could endure auch hardships and
live to be 7tl year* old, a* I have. And
to think of tlie brutal torture I hud to
undergo at the hands of these brutes In
hutniin form- for the red devils burnt me.
snd whipped roe because I cried. They
wonld sometime* tie a rope sroiind nty
body and throw me Into the river, and
then drag me out. 1 still have scars ou
m.v body that were made hy these savages
'/
/
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; Xe<
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M
Just Ihluk of uie being stark nuked and
lore nil over «od in the winter nt that.
INDIAN AMUSEMENTS.
"At one time, for their amusement, they
tied ine on l lie back of a wild horse and
turned it loose, and a lot of Ihe Indian
I i.eks put In after the wild horse and
tun htm until he waa tired out aud all of
this to torture me, a little helpless rhlld.
Oh, It is Impossible for ma to tell all
the fright and torture and suffering I en-
dured. Tbev treated me wrorse than they
did my mother, and (iod knows they
United her cruelly. They treated my
brother much better than mother an:l- I
for soroo reafcon. and he would fight theiu
whenever the occasion offered.
"1 don't know how many days we trav-
eled before we reached the camp of the
whole Irlbo of Comanches. When a-e did
reach them they held a great war dance,
displaying during tl>« ilandng the scalps
of the men, women and children they
had murdered on their expedition, hold-
ing them on their sneer* and boops, while
dancing around a big fire, and when they
would pnes my mother, they would dash
Ihe sculps lu her face, mid In the faces
of the other women captives. Indeed. It
was a most horrible scene for all of us.
'iTitsc orgies lusied perhaps for ten day*
or more, and ut the conclusion of their
ui.nirn and the celebration of their vic-
tories, they divided op into hand*, one
band taking mv mother, another took my
brother, aud I was tnken by another,
there being stout thirty women and chil-
dren captive* belug taken by the baud
that took me These bands went In dif-
ferent direction*, and I never s«w my
mother and brother but three times afld
this separation I was the only sdiuli
while child in the bunch that took uie.
and I was given to *>nie of the old
Kliinws. 1 for oue having ii savage "maui-
mc." The first time the whole (omanche
trlhe got together after holding their
great war dance, soon after we were cap-
tured, »*« at the enchanted rock In
l.laiio County. The next time wus at
>nnta Ke, N M., nnil the last time wus at
Hie head of Devil'* River. Eaeh time the
whole tribe cainu together my mother stole
me out and tried to make her escape, bill
wus unsuccessful, the Indians recaptur-
ing us At the Isat gathering of the
tribe, which wa* on the head of Devil'*
River, and lu the month of February, the
Comanche* were preparing to mnke a
treaty with the white people, anil hud
promised for a certain siUount to deliver
all the captives they then held, and the
delivery of the captives wa* to be nude
at San Antonio Mother told me that at
that tune they had thirty-throe white
prisoners, including my mother, brother
ami myself. During the time the tribe
wa* together ou Devil's River, nrevloua
to starting to Han Antonio, mother said
she snw the Indians murder six whlu
girl nrlaouera, and, being able to uuder-
ataiirl and upeak the Indian language ana
Spanish, too, she learned that, under cer-
tain circumstances, all the captives were
to ht killed.
DASH FOR LIBERTY.
"Knowing full wel1 what, our fate would
he If their treaty with the whites did not
go to suit them, iny mother decided to
tusks another effort to cm-apo. A* soon
lis she determined to escape sh« "began
preparation* She wa* able to get only a
►mull (mount of dried buffalo tongue,
snd this, with the exception of a few
sir,nil fish thai *lie caught, ind some roots
that she could dig uti with a all'k or
with her hands. w*s *11 Ihe food we had
on our three hundred mile Journey. The
flsli were eaten raw, as we had no means
of making a lire to cook them. My
milliet1 carried me nearly nil the way, t
most 4 solid iota all over iny body when oi.ly belug atrusii enough to walk short
nt atothu aa4 I reached feat Antonio, distances. We traveled altogether at
by burning unfl whipping inr f wu* nl
m mm i - *
night, hiding during tlie day. avoid in tr tl»«
tj'iiilM and watering plrnvs. for mother
» new I but many of ili«' warrior8 wore
then on their way to San Antonio to at
ti-ud tln» treaty meeting and that wo might
nt any time li - dlKeo>eie«l and mapniro I,
vhloh meant death to uh. When we got
i.ear San Antonio I wus told afterward
ihat 11 was thr«»e mlioH fronr. the city—we
were ho weak and ho near starved to
death that mother had almost given up
to Ho down and die. and I was too weak
ti> rry We wore sitting under a live oak.
nnd happily for uh it was on a small rlso
nnd nosr a road. Mother happened to set'
u train of Meikan rarts coming alont; -
the road We were within two hundred
yards of the road, hut did not know it.
Mother saw from where we were that the
man. or boss, in charge of ihe train was
white. As soon p« she saw It was a white
man her Joy knew uo bounds. She wa»
too weak to call him, hut began waving
her hands, and. as soon a« he saw her he
stopped tlie train, aud he and all tho Mex-
icans eame to us.
"Six of the Mexican* came near eitougn
I bat they could bear ray mother speak,
but.tbey could not understand 1-iiigHsh,
nnd iny mother then spoke to them In
Spiinisli
■ My mother had on what little was
left of hpr Indian garb, which certainly
wns scant enongh, and Ihe Mexicans did
not know what t<» make of ;jh. iter moc-
casins were gone and her feet were worn
to the hone and were bleeding. The boss
of the train took off hla coat and wrapped
mother la it. aud a Mexican picked n>M
up ami carried me to the carts and
wrapped me In a blanket. They at once
vnloaded one of tho carte and put us In
it. and started with us into San Antonio.
"The boss rode along beside the cart
talking: to mother and nearing her etory.
and when near the city he rode off a*
fast as his horn could go and told the
storv of our rescue.
"When w«e readied Ihe city tt seemed
that every bell In Ihe town was ringing,
all rejoicing at our escape from the Tn
uiuus. Ureat crowds of people, Mexicans
nn well an white people, came to the cart
to see us. It was about 11 o'clock in
the morning when we got into the city.
"My mother was so nearly dead from
hunger she cried fyr something to *at,
and tbe doctors only allowed a table
spoonful of beef broth to he given uh at
Intervals. I was too weak to walk with-
out fsslatuoce-
THW COUNCIL BOUSE FIGHT.
"My brother was hrougut In by the
Indians about six days after we- reacUoJ
Hon Antonio. I think this was In March.
1840, and about the time of what 1« known
as tho 'Council House Iflghl.'
"1 con remember u man of tbe name of
f'ookstjr going with mother, brother aud
1 to seethe dead Indians. 1 wns not a
l it scared at tin1 sight of the dead In-
dians. Mr. Cooksev saying that 1 was
the "nerviest" child he ever saw
"Mr. Oooksejr said blood and brains
were scattered on the floor and walls, and
It made htm shudder to look at it, but nc
raid 1 looked around at tbo dead Indiana
nnd called some of them by name. While
be held me in his arms. I waa told that
nearly a thousand warriors came to this
treaty meeting, nnd It was the refusal
of Ihe Indian* to give up all their cap-
tives. and their treachery, that brought on
the flglil.
"The people of Han Antonio were very
kind to us. made uu money for us aud
gave us clothing, we stayed In San An-
lonlo three months, so nn to get able io
go to our home In Virginia We went
Into the ballle on Brushy Creek rich, but
came out without a rag to our back*. All
we possessed of. cattle and negroe* dis-
appears!. Tfc* men who wtjr* left with
A\
the cattle gathered what I hey could and
traveled oue day and met some of ihe
oxen that we had had nt ihe time of the
battle. Bona of tie oxen still had the
jokes on. and one pair had the fore wheels
of the wagou to them.
"The men knew at once what had bap
pened to my father and his party, went
hick to Austin and reported, nnd Col. Ed
liurle*oiu with one hundred men, went iu
pursuit of the Indian*. But It was too
Inte to overtake them Burleson's men
went to the scene of the insHHacre, hut
the bodies were decomposed and it was
impflffwible to handle them, but the burial
party could recognise each oue Not find
lug the bodies of mother, brother anu
myself among the slain, they took the
trail of the Indians In hopes of rescuing
us Tbev followed the trail ten days,
ii ut II the trail showed that they separated
into several bands.
"The men sent to bury the remains of
the massacred party scattered over Hie
prairie, gathered tbern up and dug a
grave the be*! they could with hatchets
and hunting knives, and used oue of Ihe
wagoaheds for a coffin.
"Several of the Burleson* were along
when they burled the dead, and they
were friends of tuy father, and they told
me all I know about the burial of my fa
titer and hi* party. It U Had to think
that all thoso pioneers, good and brave
men. have passed away, never enjoying
the pleasures of the victories they fought
so bravely to win.
"They are at rest. May their memory
over be cherished bv those who are en-
Joying Ihe fruit* of their battle* and
labors!
"Mother took my brother and I and
started back to our home In Virginia. At
Galveston my brother was afraid to go
Aboard the vessel and General Houston
took him and placed him In school,
l ot her aud 1 w ent to Virginia aud ar-
ranged affair* there and returned to
Texas to make our home
"Mother never wan herself agaiu aft»r
her suffering* and bereavement, and she
died illy .1*. IS4ft. My brother remains!
Ii< college until the breaking out of the
war between the I nlted Htate* and Mex-
ico, when he enlisted In the army and
went t" Mexico. At Monterey be was
wounded and died there.
IN CAPTIVE COMPANY.
"It will, perhaps, be of lntere*t to rein
tives of some who are living In Texas to
know the name* of smno of the captive*
bold by 1 the Indfcvu* while I was with
them, '■here were four person* of the
Ct lenvm fentlly. the mother snd three
rhllilrsii jind 'l*« of tbe Pullman family.
Tfie/ were takeu b/ the isdlaos before
ri.
ftirihd
W*b}tcr»f
we were captured, hut I do not know
v tlM became of ttieni
The iDiliaoa (ireasctl, If what llttls thef
wore could be called dreaa. prloclpeJIf
of huckskln. the chllijr»u all irolug naked,
nnd i wh8 ilrcaaed like the Indian chll- I
tlrcu Kor bedding, buffalo robe* was all
they hull. Their food was wild meats
and' flail, acorn., pecana and root* of dlf- ,
fcreut kind*. They hud no bread nor any
si.betltuto for It, unless It waa the acorns
I hey nie Tbelr drci-a for both womea
and men waa made of bui kakln. the cWI-
dreu were perfectly naked, sa was I aa
long a" 1 was with thorn snd until t
reached Hun Antonio. Their bedding waa
buffalo robes.
"Tbe C'omanchcH were a toeing tribe of
Indians, tru Tallin over the plains of
Tcxaa and Into Sew Mexico. The nea
were large and portly and were fine
apeclroons of tho human race. They were
alnajs ou the warpath snd would not 1
k<ep a treaty rande with the white peo«
pie Tbev were bloodtfilrety and ear*
aye. nud old not want to remain at peace,
"My mother left ine In Virginia and I
■tnyed there until, In 1S40, elion nir oscla
»ho wu* coining to To*!1 - with hla thai-
Hy, brought rae hsi-k with blui. I was
niarrled at the age of 1" to M. (I. Strick-
land. February 3, 1*5.1, and we mored te
Ihe place where my father waa going te
hullil his fort, which afterward II*
Tillage culled Strickland. Ill Burnet Cona- J
ty Wo rm.nlned there until the death
of my husband, Auguat IJ, InIW In Jnna. a
1HH8. I wn« married to t'harlea Monro 1
Hlmmona. who died In 188U, leaving as# J
with three ao.ia nnd one daughter. Wa 1
afterward moved to Oregon snd tl
to California, uiy preaent home.
llARKINtl BACK AT 'W.
"Iu looking back over my past life, f«R '
of aorrowa and grief. I wonder how I
could have endured it und live to ba ~
c.ld aa I am. 1 know that It eras only '
the protecting care of that I
enabled to go through tt an. Thoea
tear read thla utory cannot appt
Wlint niv mother .uffered while
dragged und driven over the mount
mid plain* of the wild weatern conn
In rain and anew, with no elothlng
Ihiiea. Whnt would a mother In tfe
fiu)« of peace and freedom from dang
that boaet Ibe early pioneers of Tetaa
tf her 3-yen r old liahe waa anatched
her nrma by cruel sovagea. etrlpp
elothlng. beaten, brnleed. burned, e
whipped for crying? Would not
mother'* heart almont break st
thought, snd she not rather knew
her child was dead, than jp
hands of aaeaia Indiana?
■ ■
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San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 117, Ed. 1 Sunday, April 27, 1913, newspaper, April 27, 1913; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth432432/m1/15/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.