MARY A. MAVERICK AND CHILDREN jWemotrs of JWarp arranged by Jfflabertcfe r son (ieo. JWabtsion JUabertcfe Edited by Etna JWaberttfe <6reen (Illustrated) Alamo Printing Co. San Antonio, Texas 1921 Copyright 1921 By RENA M. GREEN, All Rights Reserved. DEDICATION. c4 There are twelve of us in all, my husband and I, and ten children six living and six in the Spirit-land. To the memory of the dear ones who have gone before, ^ I dedicate these reminiscences of by-gone years. MARY A. MAVERICK PREFACE. This little book is written for my children they have often requested me to put into shape the notes and memo- randa which I have jotted down during the early days. I have based the following history of my family, and of events .transpiring near us, upon my own, and upon some of Mr. Maverick's notes, which were made at the time. I have drawn somewhat from family tradition, from letters written contemporaneously, occasionally from books of authority for dates, and I have not failed to consult with many of the survivors of those early days. I have in some instances relied on my memory, but not often. I trust it will be of use in cementing my descen- dants together in the distant future, as they are now united in the spirit of kindly kinship. I am so impressed with the idea that the work will be useful in the influence indicated, and that my allotted time on earth is drawing toward its ending, that in my old days I have roused my- self up, have experienced again the joys and the sorrows of those dear old times, and now, my dear children, the work is finished. Jesus said : "I must work the work of Him that sent me, while it is day ; the night cometh, when no man can work." MARY A. MAVERICK. San Antonio, Texas, March, 1881. Contents Chapter Page I. Family History Ancestors 7 II. Early Married Days 10 III. Ho, For the Lone Star 12 IV. Tonkawa Indians , 18 V. San Antonio de Bexar ,..21 VI. Comanche Indians ...27 VII. Doctor Weideman 38 VIII. Comanches and a Duel , 42 IX. Family History Resumed .52 X. Flight 60 XL Perote 68 XII. Colorado River Bottoms 78 XIII. Life on the Peninsula 85 XIV. The Angel of Death 96 XV. Our New Home on Alamo Plaza 107 XVI. Conclusion 119 Letters, etc. ..123 Chapter I. FAMILY HISTORY ANCESTORS. Y maiden name was Mary Ann Adams. I was (born March 16th, 1818, in Tuskaloosa County, Alabama. My parents were William Lewis Adams, of Lynchburg, and his wife Agatha Strother Lewis, of Botetourt County,* both of the state of Virginia. My father was son of Robert Adams, from Massachu- setts, and his wife Mary Lynch, of Lynchburg, Virginia. John Lynch, brother of Mary Lynch, was one of the lead- ing men of Lynchburg. My mother was a member of an extensive and well known family in Virginia. John Lewis, the founder of the Lewis family in America, married Margaret Lynn, daughter of the Laird of Loch Lynn, Scotland. General Andrew Lewis was the second son of the union. He was a prominent man in Colonial days, and a particular friend of Washington.* His wife was Elizabeth Givens. He commanded the Colonial forces at the great Indian battle of Point Pleasant, where the savages were totally over- thrown, and where his younger brother, Colonel Charles Lewis, distinguished for gallantry, was killed. Upon the suggestion of General Washington, General Andrew Lew- is was appointed a Brigadier General in the American Army, on the breaking out of the Revolutionary war. He was then prematurely old, and died in 1780, having passed his sixty-second year. His statue was placed in the well known group, by the Sculptor Crawford, in the Capitol Grounds at Richmond, Virginia, where my son George Madison and I saw it in 1876 *Now Roanoke County. *See Theodore Roosevelt's, The Winning of the West, Vol. 1, Chapters VII, VIII, IX. 8 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK William Lewis, of Fincastle, Botetourt County, Virginia, my grandfather, was the youngest son of General An- drew Lewis. He married Lucy Madison, in Washington County, Virginia, in 1788. Lucy Madison's parents were John Madison and Agatha Strother Madison. John Madi- son was first cousin of James Madison, President of the United States. A son of John Madison, James Madison, was President of William and Mary College, and Bishop of Virginia. Another son, George Madison, married a sis- ter of Chief Justice Marshall of the United States Su- preme Court and became afterwards Governor of Ken- tucky. John Madison had another son, Rollin, and several daughters, one of whom was Lucy, as above stated. From this marriage of John Lewis and Lucy Madison were born two children, Agatha Strother, my mother, and Andrew. My grandmother died in 1792, and by a second marriage, with Ann McClanahan, my grandfather had other chil- dren. Samuel Augustus Maverick, my husband, was born July 23rd, 1803, at Pendleton, South Carolina. His parents were Samuel Maverick and his wife Elizabeth Anderson. She was the daughter of General Robert Anderson, of South Carolina, and of Revolutionary note, and his wife Ann Thompson of Virginia. Samuel Maverick was once a prominent merchant of Charleston, S. C., where he had raised himself from the almost abject poverty, to which the war of the Revolution had reduced his family, to a position of great affluence. It is said of him that he sent ventures to the Celestial Empire, and that he shipped the first bale of cotton from America to Europe. Some mer- cantile miscarriage caused him subsequently to withdraw from, and close out, his business, and he retired to Pendle- ton District* in the north west corner of South Carolina, at the foot of the mountains. Here he spent the balance of his days, and invested and speculated largely in lands in South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. The Mavericks entered America at three prominent points Boston, New York and Charleston, South Caro- *Now Oconee County. MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 9 lina. It seems the New York family came during the American Revolution, and were not related to the others. The Mavericks of Boston and Charleston were probably closely related, at any rate they must have been of the same family in England. Samuel is a family name with them the Boston family had many Samuels, as also the Charleston family. A Samuel Maverick was shot by the British, in the Boston massacre March 5th, 1770 s15 . Much of the history of the Boston Mavericks is to be found in a book entitled "History of East Boston" by William H. Sumner, published 1858. In that book is the following statement: "With the destruction of the town records, at the burning of Charlestown on June 17th, 1775, were lost the only means of making a full genealogical account" of the Maverick family. The Charleston, South Carolina, branch of the family preserved no regular records some few facts and some traditions are all we have left. Samuel Maverick, father of my husband displayed a coat of arms, and he occasion- ally spoke of an ancestor, Margaret Coyer, who was a Huguenot, banished from France, and from whom he in- herited the privilege. He called his place in Pendleton, Montpelier, for her ancestral home in Southern France. I have no doubt Samuel Maverick had many old family papers and memoranda in his house, which were destroy- ed when the house burned down in 184 Many incidents in my husband's life I do not allude to in this book, for they are mentioned in the "Eulogy on the Life and Character of Honorable Samuel A. Maverick" delivered October 1870, before the Alamo Literary Society of San Antonio, Texas, by George Cupples, M. D. *The Commonwealth of Massachusetts erected a monument which stands on Boston Common to the memory of the four men killed in the " Boston Massacre," one of whom was the youth, Samuel Maverick, 10 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK Chapter II. EARLY MARRIED DAYS. ON Thursday, August 4th, A. D., 1836, at my wid- owed mother's home and plantation, three miles north of Tuskaloosa, Alabama, I was married to Samuel A. Maverick, of the Republic of Texas, formerly of Pendleton, South Carolina, Reverend Mathews, of Christ's Episcopal Church officiating. On the 8th, we left for a visit to Shelby Springs of one month, thence to Talladega Springs, and a few days visit to Judge Short- ridge's. Here we met his daughter, my classmate and in- timate friend, Mrs. E. A. Lewis, wife of Dr. Hamilton Lewis of Mobile. Maggie Shortridge, sister of Mrs. Lewis, soon after married Dr. Philip Pearson of South Carolina, and they moved to Victoria, Texas, and thence settled on Caney, near the Hardemans. From Talladega we went to Florence and Tuscumbia, and visited on the plantation six miles from Florence, Mrs. Joseph Thompson, sister of Mr. Maverick. We spent three or four days there, and one day with my aunt, Mrs. John Bradley, also one day with Uncle John Lewis, re- turning to mother's in October. January 1837 we went to Mobile and New Orleans, and rode eight miles on the railroad from Lake Pontchartrain to the City of New Or- leansthe first railroad I ever saw, and the first built in the south. We returned to mother's on February 28th. On March 12th, 1837, we left mother's again, this time in our own carriage, to visit Father Maverick in South Carolina. We arrived at "Montpelier," Father's place on 19th, and had a most joyful reception. Father had not seen his only son "Gus," for such was he called by his relatives, and by the colored people, "Mars Gus," for MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVEEICK 11 several years. He had in fact, at one time, counted and mourned him as lost in the ''fall of the Alamo" in Texas. We were treated with the greatest affection. Father fond- ly hoped to induce his son to settle there. He offered to give him "Montpelier" mills, vineyards, orchards, lands, and shops if he would accept them or another place, "Gibbs," a new style house and improvements: but all in vain, for my husband dreamed constantly of Texas, and said : "We must go back." Poor father looked sad and afflicted at the mention of our going, and so we said very little about it, and agreed to stay as long as Mr. Maverick could. Here, on Sunday, May 14th, 1837, was born our son Sam. We spent a pleasant summer with father, who was very fond of us all, and especially of baby. Father had three children living at this time my husband, his only son, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Lydia. Elizabeth mar- ried Mr. Joseph Weyman and had three children by that marriage Elizabeth, now Mrs. Dr. G. J. Houston, living in San Antonio, Texas, Joseph B. and Augustus. Her hus- band died and she married Mr. Thompson, from which union were born Samuel and Josephine, now Mrs. Hardin, of Memphis, Tennessee. His other daughter Lydia married Mr. William Van- Wyck, of New York City. But, notwithstanding the endearments held out to us by Father, my husband adhered, without flinching, to his purpose of uniting his destiny with Texas. At last he set the time for departure and made every preparation for a great journey by land to the new El Dorado. 12 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK Chapter III. HO, FOR THE LONE STAR! ON the 14th day of October 1837, baby five months old, we bade goodbye to "Montpelier" and the servants and set off for Texas. Father accom- panied us half a day, and it was a sad sight to witness his grief when he at last parted with his son. My heart ached for the dear old man. We travelled in a carriage, Mr. Maverick driving and nurse Rachel and baby and myself the other occupants. In a wagon with Wiley as driver was Jinny, our cook to be, and her four children. Reached Mother's about the last of October, and stopped with her about six weeks, making final preparations. Mother con- sented to let my youngest brother Robert go to Texas with us he was fifteen, but slight and pale, having been quite sick during the fall. My brother William was already in Texas. December 7th, 1837, we set off for Texas. With heavy hearts we said goodbye to Mother, and my brothers and sister. Mother ran after us for one more embrace. She held me in her arms and wept aloud, and said : "Oh, Mary, I will never see you again on Earth. " I felt heartbroken, and often recalled that thrilling cry; and I have never be- held my dear Mother again. Our party was composed of four whites, counting baby, and ten negroes. The negroes were four men, Griffin, Granville, Wiley and Uncle Jim two women, Jinny and Rachael, and Jinny's four children, Jack, Betsy, Lavinia and Jane. Uncle Jim was Robert's man, Griffin, Gran- ville and Rachael belonged to me, a gift from my Mother, and the others were Mr. Maverick's individual property. We had a large carriage, a big Kentucky wagon, three extra saddle horses and one blooded filly. The wagon carried a tent, a supply of provisions and bedding, and the MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 13 cook and children. We had a delightful trip all through, with the exception of four days' journey across a prairie swamp and one night's adventure with Indians, which I will mention in their order. We occasionally stopped several days in a good place, to rest, to have washing done, and sometimes to give muddy roads time to dry, and we had no serious trouble or accident throughout. We crossed the Mississippi at Rodney, and Red River at Alexandria, and came through bottoms in Louisiana where the high-water marks on the trees stood far above our carriage top, but the roads were good then. We cross- ed the Sabine, a sluggish, muddy, narrow stream, and stood upon the soil of the Republic of Texas,* about New Years day, 1838. 1838. January 7th, 1838, we occupied an empty cabin in San Augustine, while the carriage was being repaired. This was a poor little village, principally of log cabins on one street, but the location was high and dry. We laid in a supply of corn and groceries here and pushed on through Nacogdoches to the Place of Col. Durst, an old acquain- tance of Mr. Maverick's. Mrs. Durst was a Virginia lady and a fine housekeeper we spent a day or two there. There we met General Rusk,* also an old friend of Mr. Maverick's and formerly of Pendleton, S. C. We now had to travel in occasional rains and much mud, where the country was poor and sparsely settled and provisions for man and beast scarce. On advice we selected the longest, but the best road, namely the road leading via Washington, high up on the Brazos. From *Las Tekas: Name of the home village of the Nassonite Indians, on the East bank of the Neches River. The Frenchman La Harpe claims the Province of Las Tekas as part of Louisiana in 1719, in contending with the Spanish Governor D'Alarconne. *Thomas J. Rusk was of Irish descent, a brave soldier, lawyer and statesman. He came to Texas in 1834 signed the Declaration of Texas Independence, was the friend and advisor of Sam Houston and fought gallantly at San Jacinto ; in this battle Colonel* Almonte surrendered to Colonel Rusk. Rusk filled many public offices and was elected United States Senator by Texas' first Legislature. 14 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK Washington we went to Columbus, on the Colorado, and thence about due south towards the Lavaca River. Now came a dreadful time; about January 26th, we entered a bleak, desolate, swamp-prairie, cut up by what were called "dry bayous," i. e. deep gullies, and now al- most full of water. This swamp, crossed by the "Sandy," "Mustang" and the head branches of the Navidad, was fourteen miles wide. We had passed Mr. Bridge's, the last house before we got into this dreadful prairie, and had to cross the Navidad before we got to Mr. Keer's, the next habitation. Every step of the animals was in water, sometimes knee-deep. We stalled in five or six gullies, and each time the wagon had to be unloaded in water, rain and north wind and all the men and animals had to work together to pull out. The first Norther I ever experienced struck us here this norther was a terrific howling north wind with a fine rain, blowing and penetrating through clothes and blank- ets never in my life had I felt such cold. We were four days crossing this dreadful fourteen miles of swamp. The first day we made three miles and that night my mattress floated in water which fell in extra quantities during the night. The baby and I were tolerably dry; all the others were almost constantly wet during the four weary monotonous days but no one suffered any bad effects from the great exposure, and Mr. Maverick kept cheerful all the while and was not a bit discouraged that we could see said that water was better than mud to pull in and that we were only .eight or nine miles from Keer's. Our corn had given out and our provisions were about gone when, on the 30th, we reached the Navidad. The men "hollooed" at a great rate and, after long continued call- ing men appeared on the opposite bank. Soon we were ferried over, and were all warmed, comforted, fed and treated like kinfolk. Mrs Keer and Miss Sue Linn were ever so nice to us. February 4th, we reached "Spring Hill," Major Suth- erland's on the Navidad, where we all, except Mr. Maver- MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 15 ick, remained until 2nd of June. Mr. Maverick went on to see whether it was safe to take us to San Antonio. He also visited Cox's point on Matagorda Bay, opposite La- vaca, with a view of possibly locating there. There he owned land, but he decided in favor of San Antonio. In February, at Sutherland's, two of our horses froze to death in a norther. April 18th, Mr. Maverick went to New Orleans to purchase furniture, clothing, provisions, etc., for beginning housekeeping, and returned to us in May. At Spring Hill, boarded Mrs. Roylston, a young widow with her son, also Captain Sylvester, from Ohio, who had captured Santa Anna after the battle of San Jacinto,* and Captain Peck of the Louisiana Greys,* who was engaged to be married to a niece of Mrs. Sutherland, Miss Fannie Menifee, who lived beyond the Navidad and was the belle of Jackson County. Fannie and I attended a San Jacinto ball at Texana, on April 21st. Her broth- er John Menifee, one of the heroes of that battle, escorted us, and there was quite a gathering. Miss Fannie received great attention. In April, Major Sutherland's corn gave out, and he went over to Egypt for a supply. Egypt is on the Colorado, near Eagle Lake. We called Mrs. Suther- land "Aunt Fannie" her eldest son William, a young man of nineteen, just home from school, went to San An- tonio to learn Spanish, and was killed with Travis at the "Fall of the Alamo"* March 6th, 1836. I learned from *See Gen. Houston's official report of San Jacinto battle. Thrall's His. P. 265. *Two companies fitted out by the citizens of New Orleans to help the Texans' cause. *The Alamo or Church of the Mission of the Alamo, "Alamo" being Spanish for cottonwood tree, was formerly surrounded by cottonwoods. The corner stone was laid 1744. It was also called Mission San Antonio de Velero, because it was removed by order of the Viceroy of New Spain, the Marquis de Velero, May 1st, 1718, from the banks of the Rio Grande. "The famous siege began February 22nd, 1836. The 'Fall of the Alamo* took place March 6, 1836." One hundred and seventy Texans with such courageous leaders as Travis, Bowie, "Davy" Crockett and Bonham determined never to surrender or retreat to Santa Anna's overwhelming forces, (some 4000), and all were killed. Kendall writing in 1841 says, "The Alamo is now in ruins," and so it re- mained for thirteen years or so after "the fall." In about 1849 Major Babbitt, D. S. A., made use of it as a Quartermaster's Depot and in order to do this had almost to rebuild it. "Deep down in the debris were found two or three skeletons that had evidently been hastily covered with rubbish after the 'fall,' for with them were found fur caps and buckskin trappings, undoubted relics of the ever memorable last stand." See Wm. Corner in San Antonio de Bexar, p. 11. 16 MEMOIES OF MARY A. MAVERICK her and the other ladies many thrilling tales of the run- away times of '36 when women and children fled in terror before the advancing forces under Santa Anna savages who burnt and plundered and committed all kinds of outrages. They told me it rained almost every day for six weeks of that dreadful time. One day, Old "Bowls," Cherokee chief, with twelve or thirteen of his tribe, coming from Houston, camped at Spring Hill, near the house. After tea, we were dancing, when "Bowls" came in dressed in a breech-cloth, anklets, moccasins, feathers and a long, clean, white linen shirt, which had been presented to him in Houston. He said the pretty ladies in Houston had danced with, kissed him and given him rings. We, however, begged to be excused and requested him to retire, when he in great contempt stalked out, and our dance broke up. Bowls told us Presi- dent Houston had lived in his Nation, that he had given Houston his daughter for his squaw and had made him a "big chief;" but that now he was no longer Cherokee, but "The Great Father" of the white men. On Saturday, June 2nd we set off from "Spring Hill" for San Antonio de Bexar, in those days frequently called simply "Bexar,"* which is now the name of the county only. Ten miles to Texana and three miles to Dry Branch on 3rd, 12 miles to Natches and three miles to De Leon's rancho, on the Garcitas on the 4th, six miles to Casa Blanca and nine miles to Victoria, a village on the Guad- alupe. On the 5th, eight miles to Arroyo Coleto 6th, twelve miles to Arroyo Manahuilla, where a wagon wheel broke, and Mr. Maverick went to Goliad to have it mended, but failing, we mended it as well as we could with rawhide* and false spokes. It was two or three miles north of the main road and east of the Manahuilla, on Easter Sunday, March 27th, 1836, that Col. Fannin was surprised by the Mexican Gen- eral Urrea. Urrea surrounded Fannin's forces with a *The name San Antonio de Bexar seems to have been used only in connection with the presidio or military post of San Antonio about 1733 in contrast to th village of San Antonio de Velero. See S. A. de Bexar, Wm. Corner. *Texas cowboyg used to say "Texas is bound together with rawhide." MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVEBICK 17 largely superior force, (lately victors of the "Alamo" and Travis) and, then offering honorable terms of capitula- tion he induced Fannin, thinking to spare bloodshed, to surrender as prisoners of war his whole force, consisting of four hundred and eighty men in all. They were march- ed to Goliad, and the next morning were formed into line and shot down in cold blood. Santa Anna had so ordered Urrea refused to perform the bloody deed, but Colonel Gavrie, infamous name be it forever! executed the order. Fifty-five escaped. On June 3d, 1836, General Thomas J. Rusk collected and buried the bones, which had been left bleaching on the plain after the bodies had been burnt. Gen. Rusk delivered a moving address over the ashes, bones and charred human flesh; and "there was not a dry eye in the soldier ranks." June 7th, we travelled five miles to Goliad, on the left bank of the San Antonio River, and camped in the old mission of La Bahia. 18 MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK Chapter IV. TONKAWA INDIANS. ON June 8th, we went eighteen miles to Ojo de Agua, and nine miles to Harris's on the Ecleto. On the 9th, we went nine miles from Harris's place and our wagon broke down. Mr. Maverick was hunt_ ing in the San Antonio River bottom for wood to mend the wheel, when he met Mr. Harris, who, being a wheel- right, agreed to mend the wheel if we would take it back to his place. Some of our people were sick, and Robert, Griffin and Jinnie had chills every second day, so we left the main party tented and went back with the wheel to Harris's. He was very kind, but had very poor accommo- dations and his cabin swarmed with fleas. He had two very nice little daughters. Some weeks later, while the girls were off visiting relatives, the Indians killed Mr. Harris, burnt his home and took off his horses. June 12th, late in the afternoon, we reached camp again, and were loading up to move on two or three miles further to a better camping place for the night, when sev- eral Indians rode up. They said "Mucho Amigo," (dear friend) and were loud and filthy and manifested their in- tention to be very intimate. More and more came until we counted seventeen! They rode in amongst us, looked constantly at the horses, and it is no exaggeration to say, they annoyed us very much. They were Tonkawas, said they were just from a battle, in which they were victors, on the Nueces River, where they had fought the Comanches two days before. They were in war paint, and well armed, and displayed in triumph two scalps, one hand, and several pieces of putrid flesh from various parts of the human body. These were to be taken FIRST PAGE OF DIAEY KEPT BY S. A. MAVERICK AT YALE MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVEEICK 19 to the squaws to eat and dance around when these warriors rejoined the tribe . I was frightened almost to death, but tried not to show my alarm. They rode up to the carriage window and asked to see the "papoose." First one, then another came, and I held up my little Sammy, and smiled at their complaints. But I took care to have my pistol and bowie knife visible, and kept cool, and declined most decidedly when they asked me to hand the baby out to them that they might "see how pretty and white" he was. I knew, and so did we all, though we did not tell each other till afterwards, that they, being cannibals, would like to eat my baby, and kill us all and carry off our horses. But we had six men fully armed and determined and all hands kept steadily loading the wagons, saddling the horses and preparing to move. I kept telling Griffin to hurry the others, and Mr. Maverick worked coolly with the rest. Jinny said "Let's cook some supper first," and grumbled mightily when Griffin order- ed her into the wagon and drove off. Imagine our con- sternation when the Indians turned back, and every one of the seventeen rode along with us ! It was a bright moon- light night, and Griffin and one other on horseback acted as our rear guard. About midnight, some of the Indians, finding we were so unsociable and seeing that we were dangerous, commenced dropping behind, and one by one they turned back, until at early dawn, when we reached the Cibolo, having travelled eighteen miles during the night, only two Indians were still attendant. Here we camped and the two Indians sat down, not far off, in an observant attitude. I went into my tent to lie down, and Griffin said "Don't be afraid, Miss Mary, but go to sleep," and I saw him sit down in front of the tent, with his gun, and an ax in his hands which he shook at the Indians, and said: "Come this way if you dare, you devils, and I'll make hash out of you!" I went to sleep with the baby and when I waked, all the vile Indians were gone, everybody rested, and my breakfast and dinner were both waiting for me. That certainly was a narrow escape from a 20 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK cruel death. The Tonkawas were treacherous and cruel and noted thieves and murderers. It was well we did not trust them. I will give an op- posite illustration of Indian treachery in an event which happened only about two weeks after this experience of ours. On June 27th, or 28th, 1838, whilst a party con- sisting of a surveyor, chain bearers and others was sur- veying on the Rio Frio, a party of Comanche Indians came to their camp saying "Mucho Amigo," and asking for food. They were welcomed and sat down with the whites, and whilst all were eating together, the Indians sprang up suddenly, killed the surveyor, wounded an- other man and stampeded and stole every one of their horses. MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVERICK 21 Chapter V. SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAR. 'E were now travelling up the valley of the San Antonio River, occasionally passing along the left bank of the river itself. June 13, sixteen miles to the Marcelino Creek and three miles to Aroche's rancho near Erasmo Seguin's 14th, eight miles to Jesus Cantu's rancho on the arroyo Calaveras, passing several other ranches, eleven miles to the Salado. June 15th, 1838 nine miles to "El Presidio de San Antonio de Bex- ar." Senor Don Jose Casiano, whose rancho we passed, had offered us his city house until we had time to secure another. This polite offer we accepted and immediately occupied Mr. Casiano's house, when we entered the town. This place fronted on the Main Plaza (Plaza Major), was bounded south by Dolorosa Street and extended half way back to the Military Plaza. It is now covered by the east half of the Hord Hotel.* The front room of the house was then occupied by my brother William Adams as a store. He was so much af- flicted with the "Texas fever" that soon after my wedding he set out for San Antonio, travelling on horseback from Galveston. Before reaching San Antonio, he dreamt several times of the town and its surroundings, and when he reached the hills east of town he was struck with the faithful resemblance between the reality and his dreams. He looked upon it as something marvelous and frequently spoke of his prophetic dreams. He was twen- ty-two then, and he immediately determined to establish himself as a merchant in San Antonio. He bought a horse *At present, Southern Hotel. 22 MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVERICK which he named Mexico or "Mex" and rode him all the way back to Tuskaloosa. William turned all his available property in Tuskaloosa into money, bought goods, brought them to San Antonio, rented the room of Casiano, and set up as a merchant. He rode back on the horse "Mex," which horse by the way, Mr. Maverick afterwards bought, and we used "Mex" in the "run-away" of '42 and when We removed from La Grange to the Peninsula in 1844, Mr. Maverick, after our arrival, put in some money with William. Dr. Launcelot Smithers was William's clerk and success seemed certain, but Smithers sold large amounts on credit to Mexicans in Coahuila ; and, though the Mex- icans were well to do, they never paid, and after eight- een months merchandizing William closed up without realizing the capital invested. William left February 1st, 1839, for Mother's to bring out his negros and try farming. He returned with brother Andrew October, 1839. We lived in the Casiano house until about September 1st, when we moved into a house north of, and adjoining, the historic Veramendi place. The house we rented be- longed to the Huisars. Huisar, the ancestor, carved the beautiful doors for the San Jose Mission he had quite a number of workmen under him and was employed several years in the work. In the latter part of December, Mr. Maverick went to Mobile to get some money in the hands of John Aiken, his attorney. Aiken was then in Tuskaloosa, where, as Mr. Maverick's agent, he had sold to a Mr. Brown for sixteen thousand dollars Mr. Maver- ick's business stores in that place. Part of the money was paid down and Mr. Maverick returned to us in Jan- uary. 1839. Early in February, 1839, we had a heavy snow storm, the snow drifted in some places to a depth of two feet, and on the north side of our house it lasted five or six days. Anton Lockmar rigged up a sleigh and took some girls riding up and down Soledad Street. Early in Feb- MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 23 ruary, we moved into our own house, at the north east corner of Commerce and Soledad Streets, being also the north east corner of the Main Plaza, (Plaza Mayor.) This house remained our homestead until July '49, over ten years, although five of the ten years, from '42 to '47, we wandered about as refugees. It was known as the Bar- rera place, when Mr. Maverick purchased it, and the deed dated January 19th, 1839. The main house was of stone, and had three rooms, one fronting south on Main Street and west on Soledad Street and the other two fronting west on Soledad Street also a shed in the yard along the east wall of the house to- wards the north end. This shed we closed in with an adobe* wall and divided into a kitchen and servant's room. We also built an adobe servant's room on Soledad Street, leaving a gateway between it and the main house, and we built a stable near the river. We built a strong but homely picket fence around the garden to the north and fenced the garden off from the yard. In the garden were sixteen large fig trees and many rows of old pomegranates. In the yard were several China trees, and on the river bank just below our line in the De la Zerda premises was a grand old cypress, which we could touch through our fence, and its roots made ridges in our yard. The magnificent old tree stands there today. It made a great shade and we erected our bath house and wash place under its spreading branches. Our neighbors on the east, Main or Commerce Street, were the De la Zerdas. In 1840, their place was leased to a Greek, Roque Catahdie, who kept a shop on the street and lived in the back rooms. He married a pretty, bright- eyed Mexican girl of fourteen years, dressed her in jewel- ry and fine clothes and bought her a dilapidated piano he was jealous and wished her to amuse herself at home. The piano had the desired effect, and she enjoyed it like a child with a new trinket. The fame of her piano went through the town, and, after tea, crowds would come to *Sun dried bricks, often in San Antonio, soft stone, usually plastered on the outside to protect from the weather. 24 MEMOIRS OP MARY A. MAVERICK witness her performance. One night Mrs. Elliott and I took a peep and we found a large crowd inside laughing and applauding, and other envious ones gazing in from the street. Our neighbor on the north, Soledad Street, was Dona Juana Varcinez, and I must not omit her son Leonicio. She had cows and sold me the strippings of the milk at twenty- five cents per gallon, and we made our butter from this. Mrs. McMullen was the only person then who made butter for sale, and her butter was not good, although she re- ceived half a dollar per pound for it. Old Juana was a kind old soul had the earliest pumpkins, a great deli- cacy, at twenty-five cents and spring chickens at twelve and a half cents. She opened up the spring gardening by scratching with a dull hoe, some holes in which she plant- ed pumpkin seed then later she planted corn, red pepper, garlic, onions, etc. She was continually calling to Leoni- cio to drive the chickens out of the garden, or bring in the dogs from the street. She told me this answered two pur- poses it kept Leonicio at home out of harm's way, and gave him something to do. She had lots of dogs one fat, lazy pelon (hairless dog) slept with the old lady to keep her feet warm. When we returned from the coast in '47, Sam S. Smith had purchased the place from her and he was living there. He was a good and kind neighbor. We moved into our home in good time, for here on Sun- day morning, March 23d, 1839, was born our second child, Lewis Antonio. All my friends have always told me, and, until quite recently I was persuaded Lewis was the first child of pure American stock born in San An- tonio.* But now I understand a Mr. Brown with his wife came here in 1828 for two years from East Texas, and during that time a son was born to them in San Antonio. Mr. Brown, the father, died about the same time of con- sumption, and his wife moved away further East. The son named John Brown, is now said to be a citizen of Waco, *Lewis Antonio Maverick, however, was the first child born in San Antonio of American parents to "grow up" in San Antonio and Mary A. Maverick the first American born woman or United States woman to make San Antonio her home. MEMOIES OF MARY A. MAVERICK 25 During the summer, Sammy had difficulty teething. Dr Weideman, a Russian scholar and naturalist, and an excellent physician and surgeon, took a great liking to Sammy and prescribed for him with success. This sum- mer, William B. Jacques brought his wife and two little girls, and settled on Commerce Street. In the latter part of August, Mr. William Elliott brought his wife and two children, Mary and Billy, to San Antonio. They bought a house on the west side of Soledad Street, opposite the north end of our garden, and we were a great many years neighbors and always friends. This year our negro men plowed and planted one labor* above the Alamo and were attacked by Indians. Griffin and Wiley ran into the river and saved themselves. The Indians cut the traces and took off the work animals and we did not farm there again. Mr. Thomas Higginbotham, a carpen- ter, with his wife, came to San Antonio and took the house opposite us on the corner of Commerce Street and Main Plaza. His brother and sister settled in the country, on the river below San Jose Mission. This year the town of Seguin on the Guadalupe thirty-five miles east of San Antonio, was founded. In November, 1839, a party of ladies and gentlemen from Houston came to visit San Antonio they rode on horseback. The ladies were Miss Trask of Boston, Mass., and Miss Evans, daughter of Judge Evans of Texas. The gentlemen were Judge Evans, and Colonel J. W. Dancey, Secretary of War, Republic of Texas. They were, ladies and all, armed with pistols and bowie knifes. I rode with this party and some others around the head of the San Antonio river. We galloped up the west side, and paused at and above the head of the river long enough to view and admire the lovely valley of the San Antonio. The leaves had mostly fallen from the trees, and left the view open to the Missions below. The day was clear, cool and bright, and we saw three of the missions, includ- ing San Juan Capistrano seven miles below town. We * Labor: Spanish land measure of about 177 acres. 26 MEMOIES OF MARY A. MAVERICK galloped home, down the east side, and doubted not that Indians watched us from the heavy timber of the river bottom. The gentlemen of the party numbered six, and we were all mounted on fine animals. SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL, MAIN PLAZA (Present Front Added 1873) MISSION CONCEPCION (First Mission) MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 27 Chapter VI. COMANCHES. The experiences of my first years in Texas led me to think the Comanches were an active and vigorous tribe of Indians. At that time they were about the only In- dians who infested the country in the vicinity of San An- tonio, and I must mention here some of their deeds which held our attention at the time. June 29th, 1838, thirty-eight Comanches came into the edge of town and killed two Mexicans and stole one boy on the 30th they killed a German and a Mexican. July 1st, the flag of Texas waves on the Plaza in front of the Court House, and a company of volunteers are assembling for pursuit of the Indians. Later, our company of volun- teers fell in with a considerable party of Comanches, at- tacked them, killed two and wounded many others but the wounded were carried off by the others, all of whom beat a hasty retreat. Our people captured all their horses and provisions. The Mexicans of Mexico have not forgotten us. About this time, a party of Mexicans, 200 strong under Agaton, learning that valuable goods had been landed at Ca- pano, and were being carted by friendly Mexicans to the San Antonio merchants, crossed the Rio Grande at Mata- moras, captured the train and compelled the cartmen to haul the goods to the Nueces river where the cartmen were dismissed. Of the two Americans who were with the train when it was captured, one was killed and the other was wounded, but escaped. During July, 1838 many rumors from the west came to the effect that an army of centralists was marching to capture Bexar also that the Comanche Nation had en- 28 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK tered into a treaty of alliance with the Mexicans and would act with them for our extermination. But in a day or two, it was ascertained that Aristo had pursued the "President of the Republic of the Rio Grande," General Vidauria, who having been defeated in battle had fled to Texas for refuge. Aristo turned back at the Nueces. But I have promised to speak of the Indians. In the stable We built on our home lot, Mr. Maverick kept a fine blooded horse, fastened by a heavy pad-locked chain to a mesquite-picket. The door of the stable was securely locked also, for every precaution was necessary to pre- vent his being stolen. This was the "war horse." Mr. Maverick was a member of the Volunteer Company of "Minute Men" commanded by the celebrated Jack Hays* who is now an honored citizen of California. Each vol- unteer kept a good horse, saddle, bridle and arms, and a supply of coffee, salt, sugar and other provisions ready at any time to start on fifteen minutes warning, in pursuit of marauding Indians. At a certain signal given by the Cathedral bell, the men were off, in buckskin clothes and blankets responding promptly to the call. They were or- ganized to follow the Indians to their mountain fastnesses and destroy their villages, if they failed to kill the Indians. *John Coffee Hays or "Jack" Hays was born January 28, 1817 at Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tenn., close to the "Hermitage," which was originally * part of the Hays property. His father and grandfather distinguished themselves in Creek wars under Jackson. Hays left home at the age of fifteen to survey land in Mississippi. At the age of nineteen he joined the Texan Army at Brazos River just after San Jacinto battle. Besides leading the "Minute Men" in San Antonio he commanded in numerous battles against Mexico, and was commissioned by the Texas Congress, in 1840, first Captain of the Texas Rangers. He distinguished himself repeatedly in the Mexican war and later crossed the plains to California in '49 where he filled courageously many positions of public trust. He died in Piedmont, Califor- nia, April 28, 1883. John Hays Hammond was a nephew. HittelTs History of California gives the following incident in connection with Hays' election as first sheriff of San Francisco it seems his opponent was a saloonkeeper who represented the lawless element of the town; on the day of election the latter opened to the public free of charge his choicest liquors, to curry favor and secure votes. Wishing to hear how the elec- tion was going, on the afternoon of the election day, Hays rode into the public square on his splendid mettlesome steed, whereupon the crowd, carried away by his noble appearance, cheered wildly and elected him forthwith. Some buildings and the original fence of Hays' San Antonio home still stand on N. W. cor. of Presa and Nueva Sts.. San Antonio. MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 29 Jack Hays came from Tennessee to Texas just after the battle of San Jacinto and when he came to San Antonio he was nineteen years of age, at which time he was ap- pointed a deputy surveyor. The surveying parties fre- quently had "brushes" with the Indians, and it was on these occasions that Hays displaced such' tare mili- tary skill and daring, that very soon by consent of all, he was looked upon as the leader and his orders were obey- ed and he himself loved by all. In a fight he was utterly fearless and invincible. There were many remarkable young men in San An- tonio at that time who were attracted by the climate by the novelty, or by the all-absorbing spirit of land speculation. They volunteered from almost every state of the Union to come and fight in the short but bloody struggle of '35 and '36 for the freedom of Texas. Many came too late, i. e., after San Jacinto, but were drawn to the west by the wildness and danger and dar- ing of the frontier life. They were a noble and gallant set or "boys" as they styled each other and soon the In- dians grew less aggressive, and finally Hays' band drove them farther out west, and made them suffer so much after each of their raids that they talked of wanting peace, and thus it went on for several years. On June 10, 1839, a party of Americans under Hays and a company of Mexicans under Captain Juan N. Se- guin set off in pursuit of the Comanches, who just then were very bold, and were constantly killing and scalping and robbing in every direction. The Indians fled and were chased into the Canyon de Uvalde, where our men found and destroyed their villages, newly deserted. They saw numbers 6f Indians all the time in the distance, amongst rocks and hills, but scattered and hiding or flee- ing from danger. They had been away from San Antonio ten days, when Captain Seguin returned reporting the woods full of Indians and predicting that our men would surely be killed. Mr. Maverick was with Hays, and after five more terribly anxious days, I was gladdened by his re- turn. Our men had killed only a few savages and return- 30 MEMOIES OF MARY A. MAVERICK ed with some Indian ponies, dreadfully ragged, dirty and hungry. At the close of the Fall Term of the Court in 1839 or 1840, a number of gentlemen who had attended from a distance, wished to ride out to the west of town and see the country before they returned home. A party was made up of ten Americans and about as many Mexicans. They were well mounted and armed and rode out about three o'clock in the afternoon. After sunset, Mr. Campbell, ''Talking Campbell," one of the party, returned alone and reported the Indians had got between the party and town, cut off retreat, and killed all but himself, who rode a very fine horse and had fled at once ; he advised the others, he said, to cut their way back because the Indians greatly outnumbered our party. Campbell was hotly pursued by the Indians, and he made a detour to the south, where his horse distanced the pursuers finally, and he came into town with the dreadful news. Next morning, early, a strong party left town with carts, and by noon returned with eighteen bodies. They were taken to the Court House and laid out. They had been found naked, hacked with tomahawks and partly eaten by Wolves. The following day, the nine Americans were buried in one large grave west of the San Pedro, outside of the Catholic burying ground, and very near its S. W. corner. The nine Mexicans were buried inside the Catholic cemetery. It was believed some Indians had been killed too, but as they always carried off their dead, their loss was never ascertained. In the spring of 1840, my brothers William and An- drew Adams leased land of J. A. de la Garza, at the mission of San Francisco de la Espada, and put in a crop. But the Indians were so bad, and corn so dear, selling then at two or three dollars per bushel, and their plow animals were so constantly stolen, that they broke up in the fall, and moved to San Marcos, and bought land of a Mr. Mathews, where they made fine crops for two years. MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVEEICK 31 A DAY OF HORRORS. On Tuesday, 19th of March, 1840, "dia de San Jose" sixty-five Comanches came into town to make a treaty of peace. They brought with them, and reluctantly gave up, Matilda Lockhart, whom they had captured with her younger sister in December 1838, after killing two other children of her family. The Indian chiefs and men met in council at the Court House, with our city and military authorities. The calaboose or jail then occupied the corner formed by the east line of Main Plaza and the north line of Calabosa (now Market) Street, and the Court House was north of and adjoining the jail. The Court House yard, back of the Court House, was what is now the city market on Market Street. The Court House and jail were of stone, one story, flat roofed, and floored with dirt. Captain Tom Howard's Company was at first in the Court House yard, where the Indian women and boys came and remained during the powwow. The young Indians amused themselves shooting arrows at pieces of money put up by some of the Americans; and Mrs. Higginbotham and myself amused ourselves looking through the picket fence at them. This was the third time these Indians had come for a talk, pretending to seek peace, and trying to get ransom money for their American and Mexican captives. Their proposition now was that they should be paid a great price for Matilda Lockhart, and a Mexican they had just given up, and that traders be sent with paint, powder, flannel, blankets and such other articles as they should name, to ransom the other captives. This course had once before been asked and carried out, but the smallpox breaking out, the Indians killed the traders and kept the goods believing the traders had made the smallpox to kill them. Now the Americans, mindful of the treachery of the Comanches, answered them as follows : "We will according to a former agreement,* keep four or five of your chiefs, whilst the others of your people go to your *With Chief Muc Warrak. 32 MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK nation and bring all the captives, and then we will pay all you ask for them. Meanwhile, these chiefs we hold we will treat as brothers and 'not one hair of their heads shall be injured/ This we have determined, and, if you try to fight, our soldiers will shoot you down." This being interpreted, the Comanches instantly, with one accord raised a terrific war-whoop, drew their ar- rows, and commenced firing with deadly effect, at the same time making efforts to break out of the council hall. The order "fire" was given by Captain Howard, and the soldiers fired into the midst of the crowd, the first volley killing several Indians and two of our own people. All soon rushed out into the public square, the civilians to pro- cure arms, the Indians to flee, and the soldiers in pursuit. The Indians generally made for the river they ran up Soledad, east on Commerce Street and for the bend, now known as Bowen's, southeast, below the square. Citizens and soldiers pursued and overtook them at all points, shot some swimming in the river, had desperate fights in the streets and hand to hand encounters after firearms had been exhausted. Some Indians took refuge in stone houses and fastened the doors. Not one of the sixty-five Indians escaped thirty-three were killed and thirty-two were taken prisoners. Six Americans and one Mexican were killed and ten Americans wounded. Our killed were Julian Hood, the sheriff, Judge Thompson, advocate from South Carolina, G. W. Cayce from the Brazos, one officer and two soldiers whose names I did not learn, nor that of the Mexican. The wounded were Lieutenant Thompson, brother of the Judge, Captain Tom Howard, Captain Mat Caldwell, citizen volunteer from Gonzales, Judge Robinson, Mr. Morgan, deputy sheriff, Mr. Higginbotham and two soldiers. Others were slightly wounded. When the deafening war-whoop sounded in the Court room, it was so loud, so shrill and so inexpressibly horrible and suddenly raised, that we women looking through the fence at the women's and boy's markmanship for a mo- ment could not comprehend its purport. The Indians how- MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK 33 ever knew the first note and instantly shot their arrows into the bodies of Judge Thompson and the other gentle- man near by, instantly killing Judge Thompson. We fled into Mrs. Higginbotham's house and I, across the street to my Commerce Street door. Two Indians ran past me on the street and one reached my door as I got in. He turned to raise his hand to push it just as I beat down the heavy bar; then he ran on. I ran in the north room and saw my husband and brother Andrew sitting calmly at a table in- specting some plats of surveys they had heard nothing. I soon gave them the alarm, and hurried on to look for my boys. Mr. Maverick and Andrew seized their arms, al- ways ready Mr. Maverick rushed into the street, and Andrew into the back yard where I was shouting at the top of my voice "Here are Indians!" "Here are Indians!'' Three Indians had gotten in through the gate on Soledad street and were making direct for the river! One had paused near Jinny Anderson, our cook, who stood brave- ly in front of the children, mine and hers, with a great rock lifted in both hands above her head, and I heard her cry out to the Indian "If you don't go 'way from here I'll mash your head with this rock!" The Indian seemed regretful that he hadn't time to dispatch Jinny and her brood, but his time was short, and pausing but a moment, he dashed down the bank into the river, and struck out for the opposite shore. As the Indian hurried down the bank and into the river Andrew shot and killed him, and shot another as he gain- ed and rose on the opposite bank, then he ran off up Soledad street looking for more Indians. I housed my little ones, and then looked out of the Sole- dad Street door. Near by was stretched an Indian, wounded and dying. A large man, journey-apprentice to Mr. Higginbotham, came up just then and aimed a pistol at the Indian's head. I called out: "Oh, don't, he is dying," and the big American laughed and said: "To please you, I won't, but it would put him out of his misery." Then I saw two others lying dead near by. Captain Lysander Wells, about this time, passed by rid- 34 MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK ing north on Soledad Street. He was elegantly dressed and mounted on a gaily caparisoned Mexican horse with silver mounted saddle and bridle which outfit he had secured to take back to his native state, on a visit to his mother. As he reached the Verimendi House, an Indian who had escaped detection, sprang up behind him, clasped Wells' arms in his and tried to catch hold of the bridle reins. Wells was fearless and active. They struggled for some time, bent back and forward, swayed from side to side, till at last Wells held the Indian's wrists with his left hand, drew his pistol from the holster, partly turned, and fired into the Indian's body a moment more and the In- dian rolled off and dropped dead to the ground. Wells then put spurs to his horse which had stood almost still during the struggle, dashed up the street and did good service in the pursuit. I had become so fascinat- ed by this struggle that I had gone into the street almost breathless, and wholly unconscious of where I was, till re- called by the voice of Lieutenant Chavallier who said: "Are you crazy? Go in or you will be killed." I went in but without feeling any fear, though the street was al- most deserted and my husband and brother both gone in the fight. I then looked out on Commerce street and saw four or five dead Indians. I was just twenty-two then, and was endowed with a fair share of curiosity. Not till dark did all our men get back, and I was grate- ful to God, indeed, to see my husband and brother back alive and not wounded. Captain Mat Caldwell, or "Old Paint," as he was familiarly called, our guest from Gonzales, was an old and famous Indian fighter. He had gone from our house to the Council Hall unarmed. But when the fight began, he wrenched a gun from an Indian and killed him with it, and beat another to death with the butt end of the gun. He was shot through the right leg, wounded as he thought by the first volley of the soldiers. After breaking the gun, he then fought with rocks, with his back to the Court House wall. Young G. W. Cayce had called on us that morning, w^ i4t*4i. . &<^ /^ **t v.4. PAGE OF MARY A MAVERICK'S MEMOIRS MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 35 bringing an introductory letter from his father to Mr. Maverick, and placing some papers in his charge. He was a very pleasant and handsome young man and it was re- ported, came to marry Gertrudes Navarro, Mrs. Dr. Alls- bury's sister. He left our house when I did, I going to Mrs. Higginbotham's and he to the Council Hall. He stood in the front door of the Court House, was shot and instantly killed at the beginning of the fight, and fell by the side of Captain Caldwell. The brother of this young man afterwards told me he had left home with premoni- tion of his death being very near. Captain Caldwell was assisted back to our house and Dr. Weideman came and cut off his boot and found the bullet had gone entirely through the leg, and lodged in the boot, where it was discovered. The wound, though not dangerous, was very painful, but the doughty Captain recovered rapidly and in a few days walked about with the aid of a stick. After the captain had been cared for, I ran across to Mrs. Higginbotham's. Mr. Higginbotham, who was as peaceful as a Quaker to all appearances, had been in the fight and had received a slight wound. They could not go into their back yard, because two Indians had taken re- fuge in their kitchen, and refused to come out or surrend- er as prisoners when the interpreter had summoned them. A number of young men took counsel together that night, and agred upon a plan. Anton Lockmar and another got on the roof, and, about two hours after midnight dropped a candlewick ball soaked in turpentine, and blazing, through a hole in the roof upon one Indian's head and so hurt him and frightened them both that they opened the door and rushed out to their death. An axe split open the head of one of the Indians before he was well out of the door, and the other was killed before he had gone many steps thus the last of the sixty-five were taken. The Indian women dressed and fought like the men, and could not be told apart. As I have said thirty-three were killed and thirty-two taken prisoners. Many of them were repeatedly summoned to surrender, but numbers refused and were killed. All had a chance to surrender, and 36 MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVEEICK every one who offered or agreed to give up was taken prisoner and protected. What a day of horrors! And the night was as bad which followed. Lieutenant Thompson, who had been shot through the lungs, was taken to Madam, Santita's house, on Soledad Street, just opposite us, and that night he vomited blood and cried and groaned all night I shall never forget his gasping for breath and his agonizing cries. Dr. Weide- man sat by and watched him, or only left to see the other sufferers, nearby; no one thought he would live till day, but he did, and got to be well and strong again, and in a few weeks walked out. The captive Indians were all put in the calaboose for a few days and while they were there our forces entered into a twelve days truce with them the captives acting for their Nation. And, in accordance with the stipulations of the treaty, one of the captives, an Indian woman, widow of a chief, was released on the 20th, the day after the fight. She was given a horse and provisions and sent to her Nation to tell her people of the fight and its result. She was charged to tell them, in accordance with the truce, to bring in all their captives, known to be fif- teen Americans and several Mexicans, and exchange them for the thirty-two Indians held. She seemed eager to effect this, and promised to do her best. She said she would travel day and night, and could go and return within five days. The other prisoners thought she could in five days return with the captives from the tribe. The Americans said "very well we give twelve days truce and if you do not get back by Thursday night of the 28th, these prisoners shall be killed, for we will know you have killed our captive friends and relatives." In April, as I shall mention again, we were informed by a boy, named B. L. Webster, that when the squaw reached her tribe and told of the disaster, all the Comanches howled, and cut themselves with knives, and killed horses, for several days. And they took all the American captives, thirteen in number, and roasted and butchered MEMOIES OF MARY A. MAVERICK 37 them to death with horrible cruelties; that he and a little girl named Putman, five years old, had been spared be- cause they had previously been adopted into the tribe. Our people did not, however, retaliate upon the captives in our hands. The captive Indians were all put into the calaboose, corner Market Street and the public square and adjoining the courthouse, where all the people in San Antonio went to see them. The Indians expected to be killed, and they did not understand nor trust the kind- ness which was shown them and the great pity manifested toward them. They were first removed to San Jose Mis- sion, where a company of soldiers was stationed, and afterwards taken to Camp "Cook," named after W- G. Cook, at the head of the river, and strictly guarded for a time. But afterwards the strictness was relaxed, and they gradually all, except a few, who were exchanged, escaped and returned to their tribe. They were kindly treated and two or three of them were taken into families as domestics, and were taught some little, but they too, at last, silently stole away to their ancient freedom. 38 MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVERICK Chapter VII. DOCTOR WEIDEMAN. HATE in the afternoon of the Indian fight, of the 19th, I visited Mrs. Higginbotham's, as I have before stated. While I was there, Dr. Weide- man came up to her grated front window, and placed a severed Indian head upon the sill. The good doctor bow- ed courteously and saying, "With your permission, Mad- am," disappeared. Soon after he returned with another bloody head, when he explained to us that he had viewed all the dead Indians, and selected these two heads, male and female, for the skulls, and also had selected two en- tire bodies, male and female, to preserve as specimen skeletons. He said : "I have been long exceedingly anx- ious to secure such specimens and now, ladies, I must hurry and get a cart to take them to my house/' and off he hurried all begimed with dirt and blood, (having been with his good horse one of the foremost in pursuit.) Now he was exulting for the cause of science in his "magnifi- cent specimens" and before it was quite dark, he came with his cart and its frightful load, took his two heads and disappeared. His house was the old Chaves place, on the side of Acequia Street, (now Main Avenue,) north of Main Plaza. Dr. Weideman, a Russian, was a very learned man of perhaps thirty-five years of age, was a surgeon and M. D., spoke many living tongues and had travelled very extensively. In former years, he had buried a lovely young wife and son, and becoming resless, had sought and secured employment under the Russian Gov- ernment. In fact the Emperor of Russia had sent him to Texas to find and report anything and everything, vege- table and animal grown in Texas and he had selected a MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVEEICK 39 worthy man, for Dr. Weideman was a devotee to science. He grew enthusiastic over our Western Texas and her cli- mate and constantly accompanied the "Minute Men" on their expeditions and numerous surveying parties. Dr. Weideman took the Indian heads and bodies to his home as I have mentioned, and put them into a large soap boiler on the bank of the "esequia," or ditch, which ran in front of his premises. During the night of the 20th he emptied the boiler, containing water and flesh from the bones, into the ditch. Now this ditch furnished the drinking water generally for the town. The river and the San Pedro Creek, it was understood, were for bathing and washing purposes, but a city ordinance prohibited, with heavy fines, the throwing of any dirt or filth into the ditch for it was highly necessary and proper to keep the drinking water pure. On the 21st, it dawned upon the dwellers upon the banks of the ditch that the doctor had defiled their drink- ing water. "There arose a great hue and cry and all the people crowded to the mayor's office the men talked in loud and excited tones, the women shrieked and cried they rolled up their eyes in horror, they vomi- ted, and many thought they were poisoned and must die. Dr.Weideman was arrested and brought to trial, he was overwhelmed with abuse, he was called "diabolo," "de- monio." "sin verguenza," etc., etc. He took it quite calmly, told the poor creatures they would not be hurt that the Indian poison had all run off with the water long before day paid his fine and went off laughing. The doctor had a Mexican servant who had been pretty good, and lived with him two years but Jose would steal and one day he stole the doctor's watch, a valu- able gold timepiece. Dr. Weideman after inquiring and waiting several weeks in vain, determined to have his watch, if he had to use magic to get it. He had several Mexican men servants, for he kept horses, wild animals, snakes and birds and also cultivated a fine garden with wild flowers, etc., he satisfied himself that Jose was 40 MEMOIES OF MARY A. MAVERICK the thief. He invited several gentlemen to come to his house a certain evening about full of the moon, and he told his servants that he would summon the spirits to point out the thief- When the appointed time came, he caused a fire to be built on the flat dirt roof of his house, over which he placed a pot filled with liquids. Hither he brought his company and the servants. He was dressed in a curious robe or gown covered with weird figures, and a tall wonderful cap rested on his head. In his hand he held a twisted stick- with which he stirred the liquid in the pot, uttering the while words in an unknown tongue. He was very solemn and occasionally he would turn around slowly and gaze upward into space. Finally he told all present that he would put out the fire, and cool the liquid, and then each person in turn should dip his hand in, and the thief's hand would turn black. Each one advanced in due order and submitted his hand to the test, and after each experiment the doctor would stir and mutter and turn around again. Jose waited until the very last, he came up quite unwillingly, and when he withdrew his hand from the pot it was black. Jose was terribly frightened, he fell upon his knees and acknowledged the theft then and there and begged for mercy. The Doctor got his watch back and did not discharge Jose, who never after stole again. The Mexicans when they saw the doctor on the streets would cross themselves, and avoid him they said he was leagued with the devil ; he claimed that the spirits of the Indians, whose bodies he had dissected, were under his enchantment and that he could make them tell him any- thing. He set his skeleton Indians up in his garden, in his summer house, and dared anybody to steal on his prem- ises. It is needless to say, everything he had was sacred from theft. Dr. Weideman was very good to the sick and wounded. He would not take pay for his services, and saved many lives by his skill and attention. He was universally re- spected and liked by the Americans. In 1843 or '44 he was drowned in attempting to cross Peach Creek, near MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 41 Gonzales when the water was very high his horse and himself and one other man were carried down by the rap- id current and drowned, whilst the others of the party barely escaped. During the summer of this year, 1840, Colonel Henry Karnes* upon returning from Houston when yellow fever was prevailing there, was taken down with yellow fever. The Colonel and Dr. Weideman were great friends, and the Doctor hardly left his room till he was out of danger. Karnes thought though his business required him in Hous- ton, and contrary to the doctor's advice, he started back before he was strong enough. He travelled stretched out in a light wagon took a relapse after the first day and came back to his friends. But his case was now hopeless, and he died from his great imprudence, and the good doctor put on the deepest mourning for his friend. Colonel Karnes was a short, thick-set man with bright red hair. While he was uneducated, he was modest, gener- ous and devoted to his friends. He was brave and un- tiring and a terror to the Indians. They called him "Capi- tan Colorado" (Red Captain) and spoke of him as "Muy Wapo" (very brave.) Four or five years before he died, he was taken prisoner by the Comanches, and the squaws so greatly admired his hair of "fire" that they felt it and washed it to see if it would fade ; and, when they found the color held fast, they would not be satisfied until each had a lock. *Karnes came from Tennessee and joined the Texas forces at Conception '35, while very young. Yoakum refers to an amusing incident of this same battle. "One who was often with him, (Karnes), and by his side at Conception, says he never knew him to swear before or since that day. But when he came into th lines, after being shot at so often, and began to load his rifle, he exclaimed with some wrath, 'The d > d rascals have shot out the bottom of my powder horn.' Karnes was quit sober and temperate ... he had remarkable gentleness and. delicacy of feeling." 4:2 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK Chapter VIII. COMANCHES AND A DUEL. v -j-^SIMANICA. Several incidents occurred soon after the fight of the 19th, which, together with ^m. ^ other incidents much later, I will narrate. On March 28th between two hundred and fifty and three hundred Comanches under a dashing young chief, Isimanica, came close to the edge of the town where the main body halted and chief Isimanica with another war- rior rode daringly into the public square, and circled around it, then rode some distance down Commerce Street and back, shouting all the while, offering fight and heap- ing abuse and insults upon the Americans. Isimanica was in full war paint, and almost naked. He stopped longest at Black's saloon, at the north east corner of the square ; he shouted defiance, he rose in his stirrups, shook his clenched fist, raved, and foamed at the mouth. The citizens, through an interpreter, told him the soldiers were all down the river at Mission San Jose and if he went there Colonel Fisher would give him fight enough. Isimanica took his braves to San Jose,* and with fear- less daring bantered the soldiers for a fight. Colonel Fish- er was lying on a sick bed and Captain Redd, the next in rank, was in command. He said to the chief : "We have made a twelve day truce with your people in order to ex- change prisoners. My country's honor is pledged, as well as my own, to keep the truce, and I will not break it. *Mission San Jos, (St. Joseph), or Second Mission, named also for the Gov- ernor of the province of Texas at the time, "de Aguayo," was founded in 1720 and completed about 1730 the same year Mission Concption was begun. San Jose is said by many to be the most beautiful of all the Missions in this country though it has been badly neglected, and the wonderful carvings broken and defaced by relic hunters. The South window of the Baptistry is considered by good judges the finest gem of architectural ornamentation existing in America today." Wm. Corner S. A. de Bexar. (See cover sketch.) LEWIS ANTONIO MAVERICK MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVEEICK 43 Remain here three days or return in three days and the truce will be over. We burn to fight you." Isimanica called him liar, coward and other opprobrious names, and hung around for some time, but at last the Indians left and did not return. Captain Redd remained calm and unmoved, but his men could with the greatest diffi- culty be restrained, and in fact some of them were ordered into the Mission church and the door guarded. When Captain Lysander Wells, a non-commissioned of- ficer, who was in town, heard of it, he wrote Captain Redd an insulting letter in which he called him a "dastardly coward," and alluded to a certain "petticoat goverment" under which he intimated the Captain was restrained. This allusion had reference to a young woman who, dressed in boy's apparel, had followed Redd from Georgia and was now living with him. This letter of Wells' was signed, much to their shame, by several others in San An- tonio. About this time Colonel Fisher removed his entire force of three companies to the Alamo in San Antonio; Redd challenged Wells to mortal combat, and one morn- ing at six o'clock they met where the Ursuline Convent now stands. Redd said : "I aim for your heart," and Wells answered: "And I for your brains." They fired. Redd sprang high into the air and fell dead with a bullet in his brain. Wells was shot near the heart, but lived two weeks, in great torture, begging every one near him to dispatch him, or furnish him a pistol that he might kill himself and end his agony; Dr. Weideman nursed him tenderly. In Captain Redd's pocket was found a marriage license and certificate showing that he was wedded to the girl (be- fore mentioned) also letters to members of his own and her families, speaking of her in the tenderest manner, and asking them to protect and provide for her. She was heartbroken and went to his funeral in black . . and soon returned to her family. These men were both brave and tried soldiers ! What a sad ending to their young and promising lives, and that too, when cruel and relentless savages daily committed atrocities about us. 44 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK Captives. Matilda Lockhart, who came in as I have mentioned, on March 19th, had been about two years in captivity. When she was captured, two of her family were slain, and she and her little sister were taken pris- oners. At that time she was thirteen and her sister not three years of age. They were taken off to the tribe. Just before her release, she came along with the Indian party, as a herder, driving a herd of extra ponies for the Indians. The Indians thus could exchange their horses from time to time for fresher ones. She was in a frightful condition, poor girl, when at last she returned to civilization. Her head, arms and face were full of bruises, and sores, and her nose actually burnt off to the bone all the fleshy end gone, and a great scab formed on the end of the bone. Both nostrils were wide open and denuded of flesh. She told a piteous tale of how dreadfully the Indians had beaten her, and how they would wake her from sleep by sticking a chunk of fire to her flesh, especially to her nose, and how they would shout and laugh like fiends when she cried. Her body had many scars from fire, many of which she showed us. Ah, it was sickening to behold, and made one's blood boil for vengeance. Matilda was now fifteen years old, and, though glad to be free from her detested tyrants, she was very sad and broken hearted. She said she felt utterly degraded, and could never hold her head up again that she would be glad to get back home again, where she would hide away and never permit herself to be seen. How terrible to comtemplate ! Yet her case was by no means solitary. She told of fifteen other American captives, all children, then in the Nation, and two adopted captives, her little sister and Booker Webster. After a few days, Matilda's brother came and took her home. On March 26th, Mrs. Webster came in with her three year old child on her back. This poor miserable being was hailed by the excited Mexicans as "India," "India," as she trudged along to the center of the town. She came into the Public Square from the west, and was dressed as MEMOIKS OF MAKY A. MAVEBICK 45 an Indian in buckskin. Like the Indians, her hair was cut short and square upon her forehead, and she was sun- burned and as dark as a Comanche. She called out in good English, however, and said she had escaped from Indian captivity. She was taken into John W. Smith's house, and we American ladies soon gathered there to see her and attend her wants. She said she was very tired and hungry and appeared much ex- hausted. After listening to a part of her story, Mrs. Smith gave her some food, which she and her little one ate in a famished manner. Five of us ladies, Mrs. Jac- ques, Mrs. Elliott, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Higginbotham and myself, agreed to unite in caring for the unhappy fugi- tives. We got her some clothing, and, having prepared a bath, we helped her to undress and found her skin yet fair and white beneath the buckskin. We bathed and clothed her and left her to sleep and rest. The stench of the poor woman's clothes was so dread- ful, while we were undressing her, that Mrs. Jacques fainted away, and Mrs. Smith told me to get a bottle of cologne on her mantel in the adjoining room. I picked up the only bottle there, and hastily sprinkled the contents on Mrs. Jacques's face, which caused her to revive instant- ly, and she screamed : "Stop, stop, that is pepper vinegar!,* And so it was indeed, and had gotten into one of her eyes, whereupon Mrs. Jacques was accused of "playing 'pos- sum," and we had a great laugh. Mrs. Webster remain- ed a week with Mrs. Smith, a week with Mrs. Jacques and two weeks with us. She was treated with great kind- ness by every one, and money and clothes given her. Her story was as follows : She came from Virginia to Texas early in 1838 with her husband, who she claimed, was a relative of Daniel Webster. They built a house northwest of Austin, and in August of that year her husband was removing her and her four children to this wild home -they had also in the party two negroes and one white man. One eve- ning they camped on Brushy Creek, not far north of Aus- tin, when a large party of Comanches suddenly attacked 46 MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVERICK them. Their three men fought bravely, but were over- powered and killed. Mrs. Webster's infant was taken from her arms, and its brains dashed out on a tree and her second child was killed. She and her eldest boy of ten years, Brooker Webster, were tied upon horses, and she held her child of two years so tightly and plead for it so piteously, that the Indians left it with her. They were taken by rapid marches to the mountains, where they stripped Booker and shaved his head. He was attacked with brain fever, and an old squaw, who had just lost a son of his age, adopted him and nursed him very tenderly. The Indians allowed Mrs. Webster to keep her little girl, but prohibited her from talking with her son. They made her cook, and stake out ponies, and they beat her very badly. She had been nineteen months in captivity when she seized a favorable opportunity to escape. It was one night after a long day's march when, having learned the general direction of San Antonio, she quietly and noise- lessly slipped out of camp with her child in her arms, and bent her steps toward Bexar. She spent twelve terri- ble days on the road without meeting a human being- sustaining herself all this while on berries, small fish which she caught in the streams, and bones left at Indian camps, which she followed, hiding and sleeping in the day, and travelling at night by moon and starlight. She several times gave up to die, but gathering courage and determination, she would trudge on. The early morning of the 26th she lay down despairing on a hillside in a fog, not able to drag one foot after the other. When the sun shone out, looking to the east she saw a "golden cross shining in the sky!" Then she knew her prayers had been answered and that cross surmounted the Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio. She said she felt her weariness melt away and she grew strong and hopeful and again took up the march with a thankful heart. She was about thirty-two years old. April 3rd. Two Indians, a chief and a squaw, the man with his bow strung and arrows in his hand, came into the public square and, remaining mounted, called out to MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 47 the Americans that about twenty warriors were holding all the American and Mexican captives three miles from town, and that they were prepared to make the exchange proposed or agreed upon in the twelve days' truce. The Amerirans sent scouts, who reported the Indians to be numerous and the captives few. Two companies of soldiers and nine captive Indians were ordered up from San Jose. The Americans declined to go with the chief to the Indian camp, but they gave him bread, peloncillos and a beef and agreed to talk "manana," (tomorrow.) On the 4th, the chief returned and asked the Americans to take out two captives and exchange for two, and the answer was: "Bring two captives to the edge of town and we will meet you." They came with a little Ameri- can girl, Putman's child, and a Mexican boy, and received two Indians. The Americans being desirous of securing all the captives, not knowing they were murdered, asked why they did not bring American captives, and the In- dians answered they had only one more with them, and if they gave him up they wished to choose a^ Indian in exchange. The boy proved to be B. L. Webster, "Book- er," the son of Mrs. Webster mentioned above, and they brought a Mexican boy with him and said these were all they had with them. The chief selected in exchange for Webster a squaw whose arm had been broken in the fight of the 19th. When asked why he chose her, he answered she was the widow of a great chief who had been killed in the fight, and he wanted her for his squaw, because she owned "muchas mules," "muchas mules." The squaw did not seem t and clothed her in white robes. Then I asked to see Agatha, and she stood in the window, a little taller than in life I clasped her in my arms. They told me they were very happy, and said we should be together in Heaven. Singular how real it was, and how happy and thankful it made me. September 30th, I heard an excellent sermon by Mr. Fish, the Army Chaplain, on the parent's duty of training their children in the way they should go with the bless- ed promise, "and when they are old they will not depart 108 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK from it." October 21st, Reverend Ambrose Smith preach- ed his farewell sermon I Thes. XL, 11. November 4th, Reverend Mr. Fish preached a splendid sermon II Cor. IV, 7. September 5th, Mr. Maverick's nephew, Augustus W. Wayman, died of cholera at West Point his four years' cadetship nearly completed. November 5th, Mrs. Elliott, Susan Hays and I had our daguerrotypes taken at Whitfield's gallery Mrs. Hays is going to California to join her husband. Susan and I had joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in '48, during our husband's absence on the expedition to open a better route to Chihuahua. She preferred that church, but I only joined till my own, theProtestant Episcopal, should be established here, and we had been great friends, and "sisters" ever since, though she was so much younger. On Christmas Day, Mr. Young, the local Methodist minister for two years past, dined with us and said goodbye. He was going home to Mississippi an earnest and zealous Christian and much beloved here. 1850. Wednesday, February 6th, at ten p. m., was born our seventh child, John Hays. John was an old name in the Maverick family Hays was in honor of our friend the Colonel. The baby and Willie were baptized on April 4th, by Bishop G. W. Freeman, of Louisiana. Sam, Lewis, Agatha, Augusta and George had been baptized at De- crows Point by the Reverend Caleb Ives of Matagorda. Johnnie looked so delicate that scarcely any one thought he could live. But I hoped on, and devoted my time day and night to him, and he was seldom out of my arms. July 19th, he had a sudden attack of cholera infan- tum, and died before night "Thy will be done." . . . In July, Mr. Schmidt commenced building our new house of stone and built very fast. September 10th, Bombre began the carpenter work. September 15th. Susan Hays spent a day and night MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 109 with me. She was as lovely and lovable as ever. She was to start in two weeks to join her hero-husband in California. 25th, Mary Bradley returned with Major Tom Howard and wife and baby Fannie. 29th, we and all old San Antonios bid Mrs. Hays good- bye Bob Hays and Mr. Randall go with her. Saturday October 5th. Lewis was gathering pecans, when a rotten limb broke with his weight and he fell to the ground breaking both bones in his right arm, just above the wrist. Although it was a mile below town, he walked home accompanied by Joe, Mrs. Elliott's black boy. Dr.Dignowity set his arm. Lewis suffered much pain and I sat by him all night pouring cold water over his arm. The next day, Sunday, Dr. Dignowity put his arm in a tin sheath and he slept little Monday night no sleep Tuesday night the same. Wednesday he was bet- ter, slept some and enjoyed seeing the children at their play. Thursday he walked some with his arm in a sling. Friday the pain returned and sleeplessness feverish and groaning again I poured cold water all night. Monday 14th; the bandages and tin sheath were taken off, and we found an abcess below the elbow. I was frightened ; it looked like gangrene. But the doctor said it was all right, applied a poultice with "number six" and gave a "course." The swelling subsided and he slowly got over his suffering but not before the 30th of November did he have any use of his arm and it is not straight. December 1st, 1850. We moved into our new house and found it very nice, after the old Mexican quarters we had occupied over a year. The new house, considerably enlarged, is standing today, and is now known as the Maverick Homestead.* 1851. Mr. Maverick took Lewis to the Army Surgeon, Dr. Wright, to have his arm straightened, but it was too late. Where Gibbs Building now stands, Avenue D and Houston Streets. 110 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK March 16th. I am thirty-three years old today, and am trying to keep Lent. Sunday April 13th, after evening service, I was confirmed by Bishop Freeman of Louisiana. A New Daughter. On Tuesday, June 17th, 1851, at eight a. m. was born our third daughter, Mary Brown. How glad and thankful were Mr. Maverick and I to have a daughter. She was named for Father Maverick's "bless- ed grandmother "Mary Brown."* Soon after Mary's birth, I wasted until I fainted twice and grew quite helpless and almost speechless. This was caused by the mid-wife Mrs. D., wilfully giving me lobelia telling me it was raspberry tea. I felt my hold on life very slight, but in my fainting had felt an indescribable peace. For two weeks I could scarcely move without fainting, but after that I grew strong very fast. My pre- cious baby grew thin the while, and Mrs. Beck, who had a baby born on the same day with mine, nursed Mary twice a day. Mary was sent to her each morning and afternoon for five or six weeks. When Mary was seven weeks old, we had to commence feeding her, and I began drinking ale and porter myself to see whether I could provide the proper nourishment and I recovered my strength rapid- ly. Baby however, was thin and fretful. Mr. Maverick had been elected to the Legislature, and he wished to visit his father who had been stricken with paralysis, but he did not see how he could leave us. August 23rd. We call in the services of a goat feed it well and milk it four or five times a day for baby, and she improves some. Bone Soup Bath. August 28th, Mrs. Salsmon, an ex- perienced German nurse, came to see baby, and persuad- ed me to bathe her daily in bone soup. The bone soup * Samuel Maverick (1772-1852) always spoke of this grandmother, Mary Tur- pin Brown of Providence, R. I., as his "blessed grandmother Mary Brown" and at mention of her name bared his head; this gratitude was well deserved for during Revolutionary days when his father was a prisoner on the Jersey Prison ghip and their home destroyed by the British, his mother took the family to this same grandmother who cared for them tenderly until it was possible for their return to Charleston. She was a Quaker, as were her people. MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVERICK 111 is made by boiling beef bones four hours, and then cool- ing to a temperature of about one hundred, and the bath is ready. Daily I put her into the bath, and kept her there some time, and then, while wet from the bath, rolled her in a blanket and put her to sleep. And when she awaked, I rubbed her well and dressed her. At first the bath did not seem to do any good. But Mr. Maverick asked me to try it one month, and then we saw she had steadily improved. The treatment was kept up for about six months. Mr. Maverick bought a horse and buggy and drove us out into the country every evening. September 28th, baby is rosy and playful and good. November 2nd, Mr. Maverick weighed baby before leav- ing on the morrow for Austin she weighed ten and half pounds, and we were happy over it. She was growing good sized like any other baby, and I began to feed her rice and hominy water in her milk also soup. Mr. Mav- erick writes often and is always solicitous about his daugh- ter. The Houstons Come. November 31st, Dr. Houston and Routez Houston, his wife, with their three children, Han- nah Jane, Mary Elizabeth and Augustus W., and with wagons and negroes, arrive from North Alabama to settle in Texas and they stay with us until after the holidays. Ross Houston with his household camped on the Cibolo. December 30th, Mr. Maverick came over from Austin to spend Christmas with us, and we all enjoyed the holi- days and the children Santa Claus' visit. 1852. January 3d, 1852, Dr. Houston took his family to the new house on the Cibolo about twenty-seven miles E. S. E. from San Antonio. Ross Houston built his house one mile nearer San Antonio. January 5th, Maley caught cold and became quite sick and was not well again until the 26th, when she recover- ed her health and became playful and fat, and weighed 112 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK thirteen and a half pounds. How miserable and frighten- ed I was when she was ill. During January, we stopped using the bone soup bath. February 15th. Baby and I were out riding and Lewis was driving the mare, when some one discharged a gun near us which frightened the mare and she ran away kicking and charging wildly. We, Lewis and I, together, turned her head against a fence, when she reared and fell back on the buggy and broke a shaft. I jumped out with baby and the men who had been shooting ran to our as- sistance. Mr. Teagle helped us to repair the shaft and drove us home. February 16th, Maley cut her first tooth and was not sick. 17th, weighed fourteen and a half pounds. 20th, had another tooth. 22nd, Mr. Maverick got home. March 17th, Maley weighed fifteen pounds. April 17th, six- teen pounds. May 17th, seventeen pounds. On April 20th, Maley not very well. 22nd, Mary Brown was baptized by Bishop G. W. Freeman. May 1st, we all attended a picnic at San Pedro Springs. Willie narrow- ly escaped being run over by Judge Paschal's coach. Father Maverick's Death. May 7th, received a letter from Mr. Maverick's sister, Lydia A. Van Wyck, saying father was better and could whisper. 15th, another let- ter said he was very sick. 22nd, Mr. Maverick received a letter from a cousin, Robert Maxwell, giving the sad tid- ings of father Maverick's death he died April 28th, 1852. The poor old man suffered over two years before he died. His son never ceased to regret that he did not go on to see him, ere he died but he seemed to be tied here all the while, still hoping to start soon, and yet finding something to detain him. June 17th, Mary, one year old, weighs seventeen and a half pounds. Mrs. Samuel made her a pretty dotted swiss dress. Mary can stand alone is happy and play- ful. Sam and Lewis went down to Cibolo to visit the Houstons. MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 113 July 5th, Routez came up to see us. July 13th, my sister with her two girls, Kate and Alice, and nurse, came up from the coast to pay us a good long visit. October 6th, Mr. Clow came up, spent a week with us and took his family home. Lizzie sent me an old china bowl, an heirloom in our family, which has descended through five generations that we know of, each time to the youngest daughter . Mrs. Agatha Strother owned it, and it is said in our family tradition she inherited it. From Agatha Strother it descended to Mrs. A. Madison from her to Mrs. Lucy Lewis from her to Mrs. Agatha L. Adams from her to Mrs. Elizabeth Clow from her to Ada Clow, her youngest daughter. (Lizzie wanted me to keep it in my family, but in 1879 I sent it to Ada Clow by my son Willie H. Maverick.) 1853. January 4th, 1853, Mr. Maverick being away at the Legislature in Austin, I took all the children and left on the stage at ten p. m. for Dr. Houston's. There we had a delightful visit. Heard of Fleming Bradley's death, and his mother's great grief and distress. February 8th, we returned from the Cibolo, and found the heavy snow of the 6th, still unmelted. The excessive cold and the snow together had cracked our cement roof and it was leak- ing badly. February 13th, thermometer down to twelve degrees above zero at three a. m. Mr. Maverick got home on the stage quite ill with bilious colic. Althoug he had been quite ill at Austin for two weeks, he continued, with- out complaining, to attend to his legislative duties. He now submitted to a "botanic course" and kept in bed for several days wonderful for him. March 9th, Mr. Maverick went with John McDonald surveying to Fort Mason and the Llano, and to Fort Chad- bourne and the Red Fork of the Colorado. March 18th. X. B. Saunders held an examination at his school and our boys received prizes. We gave Mr. Ill MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK Saunders his board to help him and he to help our boys fair exchange. Judge Saunders is now residing at Bel- ton, Texas. George tells me that Mr. Saunders used to spank him daily, never omitting a school day, but that he did not "lay it on hard." April 25th, Mr. Maverick returned in good health. May 1st, Sam and Lewis attend dancing school. May 17th, Colonel Dancy took dinner with us, and in the evening we all had a gay time trying "table rapping/ 7 Colonel Dancy was a spiritual medium and he told me I was a medium also. May 18th, George had the mumps. June 5th, Mary had mumps but she was not sick, and she laughed at "mamma's baby" in the glass. June 21st, Willie makes his first trip to school with George. June 28th, sat up all night with Mrs. Cox who is dying. She is mother of Mrs. Ogden. In July, a committee of six ladies were chosen to get up a church supper, in order to raise funds to complete the Methodist Church on Soledad Street. On July 28th, our supper came off we worked very hard, and the supper was renewed the second night. The sum of $617.00 was netted, and turned over to the build- ing committee of which Elder Whipple was president, and Miss Harriett Richardson treasurer. August 21, we heard that yellow fever was very bad in New Orleans. November 4th, Mr. Maverick attended the Legislature at Austin. Sam and Lewis came back from a long visit to the Cibolo they had beaten all hands picking cot- ton. General Rusk, United States Senator from Texas, visited San Antonio, in November. He dined with me we went to the Theatre at the Casino, then on south side of Dolorosa Street, near the present location of Hord's Hotel, and saw the laughter-provoking play of "Bombas- tes Furioso." December 22nd. An Episcopal supper was given in MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK 115 the old Alamo Chuch the weather was bad, and the ven- ture brought us no return. 1854. January 1854. Sam, Lewis and I joined Professor Ry- an's class in Psychology. March 15th, Mary Elliott mar- ried Russell Howard. I received a letter from brother Andrew, written at Huepac, Sonora, Mexico. Conquista Ranch Established. On March 29th, Mr. Maverick with Sam and Lewis, and Granville and four Mexicans set off for our old Tiltona Rancho on the Mata- gorda Peninsula, with the purpose of bringing Jinny and her children and the stock cattle to a tract of land on the left bank of the San Antonio River, about forty-five miles below San Antonio. The new location after- wards called by us the Conquista Ranch, because the noted Conquista ford of the river was on this tract. The tract extended along the river from a point half a mile above the Conquista ford to a point below the mouth of Marcellino Creek. They were gone two months, had a rough, hard time of it and all came back well and hearty on May 24th. On Sunday, May 7th, 1854, was born our ninth child, Albert. I was very weak and did not have milk enough for him. In August Mr. Maverick established Conquista Ranch in due form built a house, fences and pens and left Jack in charge of the place. On August 14th, Sam and Lewis with Mr. Maverick went down to the ranch. Joey Thompson and Lizzie Houston spent December with us and we enjoyed the time very much. 1855. March 1855, Joey Thompson and Lizzie Houston came to pay us a long visit. In April, I gave them a party which the girls enjoyed very much. We had a large company and the girls received great attention. In the latter part of August, our whole family went down to visit the Hous- tons and to partake of a birthday dinner given to Joey Thompson. While at the Houstons, we had a great In- 116 MEMOIRS .OF MARY A. MAVERICK dian scare. A party of some twenty-five or thirty Coman- ches made a raid down the Cibolo, crossed the San An- tonio River at the Conquista ford, and by rapid marches escaped to the mountains with impunity. They killed two persons, stole some horses and killed others. My boys, Sam and Lewis, joined the party which went in pursuit of the Indians, and I became wretched and anxious about them. Sebastopol. Wild rumors came soon after the boys had gone, to the effect that several hundred warriors had been seen not many mles from Dr. Hodston's house. This was a new and startling turn. Dr. Houston's house was a large and substantial stone building and the people for miles around crowded there. We fortified the house and most of us kept awake the whole night. We dubbed the place, in its fortified condition, "Sebastopol," which in- dicated our intention to defend ourselves to the last. But it all proved a mere scare of some easily frightened per- son. While on this visit to the Houstons, we went up to a grand ball at Seguin, and to dinner and speeches the next day. In December, Mr. Maverick was attending the Senate in Austin, when we concluded to pay him a visit. On Decem- ber 20th, I with George, Willie, Mary and Albert and nurse Betsy, accompanied by Joey Houston, went over to Austin to visit Mr. Maverick, and attend the inaugural of Governor Pease. We boarded at Mrs. Newell's and had a nice visit of two or three weeks. Joey made a de- cided "impression." She played and sang well, and was very attractive and lively and she had several offers of marriage to consider and decline before we left Austin. 1856. We returned from Austin about January 10th, 1856, and on the 12th, we went with Joey to Dr. Houston's. Sam Thompson, her brother, fifteen years old then, was there. He, on February 20th, 1856, took her back home MEMOIES OF MAEY A. MAVERICK 117 to North Alabama. Colonel and Susan Hays and their two interesting children, Jack and Dickey, visited San Antonio and the Calverts at Seguin. February 14th, Mr. Maverick returned from Austin. While in Austin, to please Jack, he bought Rosetta, Jack's wife, and her three children and brought them along with him in the stage. April 19th, Mr. Maverick went with J. McDonald and eleven others surveying on the San Saba and up on the Red Fork of the Colorado, to be gone two months. Mr. Maverick returned June llth. William McDonald ac- cidentally shot himself in camp. Separation. On June 22nd, 1856, Lewis, then seven- teen years of age, left us to go to college in Burlington, Vermont. I felt as if some dear one had died, and I missed my dear Lewis dreadfhlly. July 3d, George was bit on the left foot by a moccasin snake, whilst bathing above town at the island, now the Grand Avenue crossing. Sam cut the wound and sucked the poison from it. George ran home and we had a great fright. Dr. Herff* gave him whisky, and he got over it in a few weeks. In September, Mr. Maverick sold to Mr. A. Toutant Beaureguard all his cattle, estimated at four hundred head. They were at Conquista ranch and scattered over the country around there. September 24th, 1856, Mr. Maverick set off with Sam; Mr. Maverick on business for the S. A. & M. A. Railway Company, and Sam for college. It was hard to let Sam go he and Lewis so far away. On the day they left, Willie ran a nail into his heel and I was alarmed, but Willie got through safely. Mr. Maverick and Sam visited Lewis in Vermont, and Lewis ran down with them to New York City. On November 8th, Sam sailed for Europe to attend the University of Edinboro in Scotland across the ocean ! *Dr. Ferdinand Herff, skilled physician, came to San Antonio from Germany in 1847, member of an independent political society consisting of young Germans of the upper class. 118 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 18571859. Birth and Death of Our Tenth Child. On October 17th, 1857, our fourth daughter and tenth and last child, Elizabeth, was born, a very delicate baby. We did everything we could to save her life, but all in vain. She died March 28th, 1859, aged one year, five months, and eleven days. MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 119 Chapter XVI. CONCLUSION. task I set out to perform is completed. With the death of my last child, I closed the book of the past the remoter past and the events which have happened since 1859, seem too modern to be incorporated into this book. But in order to connect the remoter past with the actual present I feel that I ought to take a rapid glance over the period of twenty-two years which has intervened. The Civil War soon came on and Mr. Maverick and my sons did not shrink from what they conceived to be their duty. Mr. Maverick had always been a Union man in sentiment, he loved the Union of the states, and although he may have believed (before the question was settled) that we had the abstract right to withdraw from the Union, he thought the Union was sacred, and that the idea of a dissolution of the Union ought not to be harbored for a moment. Having such ideas and convictions, he found life to be uncongenial and unpromising for him in South Carolina, where the doctrines of nullification and ultimate secession were agressively espoused by an overwhelming majority of the ruling class. He came to Texas, but all doctrines and issues of the former time bloomed into life about him when Texas became a member of the union. Creeping beneath the shadow of the manifold blessings of the Union, came the bitter and unceasing strife. At last he came to believe the quarrel was forced upon us, and that there was before us an "irressible ronflict" which we could not escape, no matter where we turned The Secession Convention of 1861 met there was in- tense excitement and, need I say, deep gloom the hour 120 MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK came at last when he was compelled to take his choice for or against his kith and kin. The question was no longer whether secession was right or wrong, wise or unwise, the question was now narrowed down to this Even if you could sever your fate from that of your people, would your heart permit you to do it? Thus it appeared to him, and he did a simple, straight- forward unselfish act, and an act which nevertheless gave him deep pain, when he cast his vote for secession. The boys well, their youthful and warm sympathies were aroused, and a simple sense of duty carried them hand and heart with their state. When the war commen- ced, Lewis was attending Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina he immediately enlisted for six months in the 1st North Alabama Regiment, and was at Big Bethel, the first battle of the war. Sam had returned from col- lege he enlisted in the 1st Texas Cavalry, under Colonel Henry McCulloch, which regiment served on the Indian frontier for one year. In 1862, Sam crossed the Mississip- pi River and attached himself to the 8th Texas Cavalry, the gallant Terry Rangers. With that regiment he served until the war was ended and, whilst with them, he gained many laurels, for tireless devotion and unflinching cour- age. Lewis returned to us at the end of his first en- listment, and raised a company, Company "E", for the 32nd Texas Cavalry commanded by Colonel Woods. When the company was mustered in, April, 1862, George at the age of sixteen was sworn in with the rest as a private in his brother's company. George remained a soldier and a private throughout the war. Lewis was promoted dur- ing 1864, to the staff of General DeBray, with the rank of Major. At the battle of Blair's Landing on Red River, on the day of April, 1864, Lewis received a severe wound in the leg and George a slight scratch on his left ear. Sam was "scratched" once or twice but he seemed amidst perils and dangerous innumerable, to bear a charmed life. Willie came to the front as the war progressed and was MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVERICK 121 mustered in during January 1865. When he was just seventeen, he wore the gray. So that, with the exception of Allie, who was too young, I sent all my boys to the front, and my prayers went with them, and neither they nor I can ever be ashamed of the sense of honor which led them to battle for the Lost Cause. When the war was ended, the sentiment was unanimous in our family, that all the old issues had been settled, and that the result of the conflict was right. The war over, July, 1865, George and Willie left home to attend the University of North Carolina, and afterwards the University of Virginia. In 1865, Lewis A. Maverick and Ada Bradley were married. They settled on the Colorado near Austin. Sam was with his regiment in North Carolina, when the war ended. He remained awhile at Pendleton, South Carolina, with his relatives, and returned to us. Death of Lewis. Lewis became almost an invalid while attending the University of Vermont, and he was com- pelled for his health's sake to prosecute his studies at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and in fact he was never quite well after his second winter in Burlington, Vermont. During the war he bore the seeds of disease visibly on his person and it made him quite unhappy at times to feel that the fatal malady was slowly but surely sapping his vigor, his youth, his life. In the spring of 1866, his maladies developed rapidly, and it soon became evident that he could not live long. No child was born of this union between Lewis and Ada. In 1870, Ada married Major Waelder, a prominent and much respected lawyer of San Antonio. In September, 1869, George returned from college, and in October, 1869, Mr. Maverick took Mary to Staunton, Virginia, where she entered the Episcopal School of that place. Mary afterwards completed her studies in New York City at Mrs. Hoffman's School for young ladies. Death of My Husband. Mr. Maverick was not strong or well in 1869, and it was upon our urgent request that 122 MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK he went with Mary to Staunton, and the trip was of bene- fit to him. He felt that the grave was not far distant, for in the fall of 1869, he wrote his last will and testament; but, while he saw that disease was making inroads upon his strength, he would not heed the suggestions offered by relatives or friends, cautioning him to remove his mind from his cares and his business, and to seek rest and rec- reation by travel, or in the curative properties of the many springs in the Northern States. In the spring of 1870, Mr. Maverick became quite feeble at last in Aug- ust, he became much worse and we no longer had any hopes of his recovery. Mr. Maverick breathed his last on the 2nd day of September, 1870. I shall make no com- ment here upon his pure and noble character, or upon the tender feelings which lay deep in his heart I comfort myself with the sentiment that he is happy now in the company of his beloved Agatha Since the death of my beloved husband, not a death has occurred in our family. My five remaining children have married happily, and I am now the mother of ten children again. If Mr. Maverick were to look in upon us today, he would be gratified at the good will, the good health and the good fortune which have come and re- mained with us during the ten years past. I am thank- ful that God has spared me this long, to see my descend- ants all happy and prosperous and I hope it will be many years before the pleasant scene I am contemplating shall be marred by misfortune or the hand of death. - ; - MEMOIRS OF MARY A. MAVERICK 123 , The Term "Maverick". What a pity to contradict The Century Dictionary, but the fol- lowing letters tell a story of their own: Extract from Letter Written for the St. Louis Republic. St. Louis, Nov. 16 1889. In response to your request I here- with submit an account of the origin of the term "maverick", as applied to unbranded cattle. Hon. Samuel A. Maverick, a citizen of San Antonio. Tex., was, during 1845, temporarily residing at Decrows Point, on Mata- gorda Bay. He was a lawyer with a strong propensity for specu- lation in real estate. In fact, all the . enterprising men in Texas of that day went more or less wild over real estate at 5 and 10 cents per acre. An interesting volume could be written on the land craze of that period. During that year (1845) a neighbor be- ing indebted to Mr. Maveriiek in the sum of $1,200 paid the debt in cattle, transferring 400 animals at $3 per head. Cattle were cheap in those days, the hides only being cashable in the foreign mar- kets. Mr. Maverick did net want the cattle, but as it was a case of cattle or nothing, he passively received them and left them in charge of a colored family, nominally slave, but essentially free, while he and his own family returned to San Antonio. In the year of 1853 the cattle were removed from the Gulf coast to the Con- quista ranch, on the east bank of the San Antonio river, 50 miles below San Antonio. Here as before, under the poor management of the colored family, who really were not to blame, as they 'had no interest in the outcome, the cattle were left to graze, to fatten, to multiply and to wander away. Mr.Maverick was absorbed in real estate and no doubt enjoyed the reflection that he was not encumbered by either the cattle or their managers. About one-third of the calves were branded, and the branding- iron was kept so cold and rusty that in 1856 the entire plant or "brand" was estimated at only 400 head, the original number. To the ingenious minded the explanation will occur when it is stated that the branding of "mavericks" was perfectly "square" in those days, although the occupation had not been distinctly named. Now the neighbors shrewdly surmised these calves to be Maver- ick's, and so they called them "mavericks" but did they continue to recognize them as such? Ah no; they hastened to burn into their hides their own brands, and the beasts were Maverick's, "mavericks" no longer. The reader should bear in mind that before the day of fencing no owner could know his own cattle on the range except by the brand, and so the first brand settled the question of ownership. Thus the unbranded thray calves in those days were dubbed "mavericks," for they were most likely Maverick's, at least in that neck of the woods. The humorous neigh- borss who profited by Mr. Maverick's indirect liberality, thus jok- ingly gave him the credit for it and while they secured the profits he was permitted to acquire the experience. 124 MEMOIRS OF MAEY A. MAVEBICK The name took, and spread, for Texas was then the heart of ihe cattle industry of the United States. About the year 1856, Mr. Maverick sold the entire brand, 400 head, "as they ran/' to Mr. A. Toutant Beauregard, a brother of the distinguished general. Mr. Beauregard, however, paid him $6 per head, and Mr. Maver- ick retired from the venture, thoroughly experienced against similar investments, but with an apparent profit of 100 per cent and the unique distinction of having his name bestowed upon a very dear friend of the human race. The truth is Mr. Maverick, was never a cattle king, for, with the exception of the herd men- tioned and a few necessary cow ponies he never owned any cattle or horses. To the stockmen of the West I submit this account and would re- mind them that of the thousand and one versions of the story only one can be correct. Be assured this is the true account. George M. Maverick. Matagorda 25th Novr. 1849 S. Maverick, Esq., Dr. Sir, Your servant "Jack" has done me the honor t