Legend of Millie Durgan Indian Captive
Millie
Durgan
Sain-Toh-Oodle
(Kills with Blunt Arrow)
|
I am most grateful to the many Kiowa cousins that have contacted me and provided me with valuable information about the life and times Sain-Toh-Oodie-Goombi and her descendants. This page is being updated on a daily basis as I continue to put all the information together into chronological order. This page was last updated on April 15, 2003 Millie Durgan
Lottie Durgan
(NOTE: several historians have reported that Charlottie's name was Charlotte. However her correct name is Charlottie thus the nickname "Lottie" as indicated by the original record of birth.) THIS IS AN ONLINE BOOK
This book is © copyrighted 2001-2003 all rights
are reserved Table of Contents:
Charlottie Elizabeth Susannah (Lottie) Durkin About the Kiowa, Kiowa- Apache and Comanche Events leading up to the Capture at Elm Creek Rescue of Elizabeth Fitzpatrick
Charlottie Elizabeth Susannah (Lottie) Durkin
Note: Read more about Joseph Bishop on my Bishop page
Note: See my
Edmund J. Carter Page for additional information on the Carter family
In 1841
the 25-year-old Alexander J. Carter married 16-year-old Elizabeth Ann
Bishop in Red River County, Texas. This inter-racial marriage apparently
did not sit well with Joseph Bishop and Elizabeth's stepmother and siblings.
There was very little contact with the Bishops after that and Elizabeth was
left out of Joseph's will when he died. In fact Elizabeth Carter engaged the
Bishop family in litigation when she filed a lawsuit against Joseph Bishops
estate and lost. On October 21, 1857 Owen Durkin married 14-year-old Mildred (Susan) Susannah Carter at Fort Belknap. In February 1858, the 7th Infantry Regiment Departed Fort Belknap bound for Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. On February 10, 1858, the Regiment bivouacked about 30 miles from Fort Belknap. Owen deserted and returned to his new bride. Owen was apprehended on September 1, 1858 and retained at Fort Belknap pending disposition of his case. On February 4, 1859 two 2nd Cavalrymen, Private Burkett D. Sublett of Company F and Sergeant William Frederick Campbell of Company G in the town of Belknap shot Owen Durkin to death. Military records state Private Owen Durkin was killed in a "drunken brawl". One can only imagine that the brawl, which took place in Henry Valentine’s store, was most likely the result of rivalry between the Calvary and the Infantry or perhaps Owens standing in the Army as a former deserter. In any event, Owen being his typical Irish self had a fondness for the drink and being very small in stature probably had a small man's complex and was a scrapper. The second Calvary having recently been assigned to nearby Camp Radziminski were most likely considered intruders on the territory of the troops already established at Fort Belknap. When the troopers of the Calvary entered the store where Owen sat drinking, words of an uncomplimentary nature were probably exchanged and the fight was on, which tragically resulted in Owen Durkin's demise.
Owen
was buried at the Fort Belknap cemetery. In 1907 the bodies interned at Fort
Belknap were moved to the Fort Sam Houston military cemetery in San Antonio,
Texas.
About the Kiowa,
Incorporated with the Kiowa and forming a part of their "tribal circle” was
the Nadi-isha Dena. The Pawnee and early French explorers and settlers
called them Ga ta ka, which is the name they appear as in their first treaty
with the United States. They had a distinct language and later became known
as the Katakas, Prairie-Apache or Kiowa-Apache. Neither tribe has any
tradition of a time when they were not associated together. The Kiowa Apache
were mistakenly thought to be a part of the Apache tribes of the
southwestern territories, as their language
was in the same language group as these tribes. However, there is no
known connection between the Kiowa Apache and the Apache of the southwest.
The
most highly respected tribe was the Kata and their place in the camp circle
was the first space to the south of the entrance followed by the Kogui, Kaigwu,
Kinepor, Semat (or Kiowa-Apache) and the Kontalyui.
Kiowa
tribal society was male oriented. Polygamy was an economic necessity to the
Kiowa because the surplus of women and children in their fighting and
hunting population had to be cared for. The only way a woman could gain
prestige was through the achievements of her husband, son, or father. A
woman's personal glory was achieved through attractive appearance and
learning skills such as tanning, skin sewing and bead working. A Kiowa woman
was a woman with a strong personality. If she was weak she could not survive
with these strong men of the Plains. By the middle of the eighteenth century the Apache and Comanche had totally frustrated the Spanish in their attempt to colonize the Texas plains and reduce the Indian population into forth class citizens and create a meaningful work force to assist them in building their colonies.
Misreading the Comanche, the Spanish believed that the Comanche resistance
was because of Spanish tolerance of the Apache. The Spanish embarked on
an extermination campaign against the Apache. Between the Comanche and
the Spanish, the Apache presence was eliminated from the Texas plains and
pushed into southern Arizona and parts of New Mexico. The Comanche continued
resistance of Spanish colonization, which ultimately resulted in the Spanish
withdrawal from east Texas in about 1772. They abandoned all their missions
and presidios except for the San Antonio De Bexar region and La Bahia.
In
about 1790 somewhere in the vicinity of Los Vegas or Santa Fe New Mexico, a
party of Kiowa arrived at a Spanish trading station. When they arrived they
found a band of Comanche dismounted and involved in trading. The European
host, friendly to both tribes, persuaded the Kiowa that this was their
chance to make a lasting peace with the Comanche and offered to act as
mediator. The Kiowa leader was Guik-ate ( Wolf lying down ) and he was the
next in authority to the principal chief of the tribe who expressed a desire
to the Comanche for peace. The Comanche leader was Pareyia (Afraid of water)
and he indicated that this was a grave matter that must be decided by the
whole tribe. Pareyia invited the Kiowa to accompany him to their tribal main
camp. Guik-ate went by himself with the Comanche to their camp and the two
tribes made a treaty and became allies .
Events leading
In 1819
The United States entered into a treaty with Spain and agreed to renounce
it's claims to Texas in exchange for the acquisition of Florida. President
Madison ordered American citizens not to enter Texas. Five years later trouble again erupted. In April of 1858 there was a Comanche Indian Raid near Fort Belknap that extended up into an area known as Lost Valley in neighboring Jack county. This was the first real bad Indian Raid since the removal of the Indians to the reservations. The Thomas Mason and James Cameron families were two families living in a joint or double log cabin. These cabins were built to accommodate two families and were actually two cabins joined together by a breezeway or passageway about 10 to 12 feet long. The Masons and the Camerons were all killed. Mrs. Mason was found dead with her infant still alive and nursing on her dead body and her other three-year-old child was also still alive. The Indians had taken the Cameron's son captive but he was rescued several days later by pursuing Texas Rangers. The Camreon boy described his ordeal to his rescuers and told of an Indian who was a redheaded man that spoke English and carried him on the back of his horse. The red headed man threw the boy off the horse to make his load lighter as the Indians fled from the pursuing Rangers. Note: There are six additional reports by survivors of other Indian raids on the Texas frontier from 1859 to 1867 that indicate an English speaking redheaded man who rode with the Indians including Elm Creek. During the spring raid of Bell County in 1859, Mr. and Mrs. Riggs were murdered and their two daughters Margaret and Rhoda were taken captive. When pursuing whites began to chase the Indians the two girls escaped from the backs of the Indian's ponies. They reported there was a redheaded white man who spoke English riding with the Indians. In early 1860, Two Primitive Baptist preachers, Jesse J. Griffin and John S. White who lived six miles east of Hamilton, Texas encountered Indians trying to steal their horses and were pursued by them. They reported that a redheaded white man was riding with the Indians. On November 27, 1860 in Jack County Indians attacked the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Sherman. Martha Sherman was tortured, stabbed scalped and left for dead. She survived and told of a "Big old redheaded Indian". Perhaps the most significant of all the raids where a redheaded white man was involved was the March 13, 1861 raid that took place fifteen miles north west of Uvalde on the Nueces River near Camp Wood. The Henry Robinson and Henry Adams families were attacked. Robinson and Adams were both killed. Mrs. Robinson was seriously wounded and died several days later. On her deathbed she stated that there was a redheaded white man that took a major part in the raid. Mrs. Robinson stated she knew the redheaded man quite well as he was a former friend whom they knew at Fort Inge and that he had dinned at their home on many occasions. She also indicated that Mr. Robinson had had some problems with Mr. Boyd in the past. It was later discovered that Boyd was a deserter from the Army at Fort Inge after he had been left for dead on the battlefield during an engagement with Comanche on the Salt fork of the Arkansas River. On July 11, 1867 in the Warlene Valley northeast of Hamilton along the Leon River, Indians attacked a schoolhouse and several other citizens who were in the area. It was reported that a white redheaded man wearing a broad rimed hat was riding with the Indians. With the exception of the July 11, 1867 raid, this series of raids and others in the Parker, Young and Jack county areas mostly concentrated around the Weatherford area in Parker County, resulted in the death of about 23 settlers. This prompted what later became known as the "Ross Expedition. Camped near Fort Belknap, Jack Cureton began organizing a massive campaign into Indian country. Cureton had recruited about seventy men and in December of 1860 Sul Ross who commanded forty-seven Rangers joined him and Camp Cooper sent him twenty-three Dragoons under the command of a Sergeant Spangler. On the 18th of December they found the Indians camped along Mule Creek where it joins the Pease River. During the ensuing fight most of the Indians were killed and a wife of one of the chiefs along with her nursing infant were captured. She turned out to be a blonde blue-eyed white woman who was hysterically grieving over the death of her Indian Chief husband. She was taken to the Belknap settlement where she was latter identified as Cynthia Ann Parker who was captured at the age of six years old in 1834 on the Navasota river in what is now Limestone county and was the daughter of Elder John Parker. At the the onset of the civil war in 1861 the western most settlement in young county Texas was located about 4 miles west of Fort Belknap and there was nothing west of there all the way to the Rocky Mountains. After the Secession Convention in Austin in January 1861, The Confederacy and Texas began a campaign to form alliances and treaties with the Indian tribes on the reservations with in Texas. In May 1861 Colonel Henry E. McCulloch with a small detachment of about 15 men left Fort Belknap and met with Kiowa chiefs Set-t'ainte (White Bear) AKA: Santana and Set-angya (Sitting Bear) AKA: Satank and Comanche leaders Lone Wolf, Red Bear and Eagle Chief in the Buck Creek area of the Panhandle north of the Red River and attempted to negotiate a peace treaty between Texas, the Confederacy, the Kiowa and Comanche. The Indians flatly refused to join the confederacy and turned them down stating that they preferred to continue to fight the Texans and steal there Horses and cattle.
These tribes were considered allies of the Federals and encouraged by the Union army officials to wreck havoc upon the Confederate State of Texas. Thereby forcing the Texas Confederates to hold back some troops to contend with the Indian depredations. This also created a source of supply for horses and cattle to transport and feed the Union troops. Hostilities between the Union and the Kiowa and Cheyenne Nations were non-existent until July of 1864.
Note: The observation of the French horn or bugle owned by Se-T'ainte will become a significant factor in providing authenticity to the claim that Sain-to-oodle was Millie Durgan. Also Se-t'ainte was well known as an excellent bugler. He often used the bugle as a signal on special occasions.
In
July of 1864, both the Set-t'an and the Anko calendars recorded an incident On November 29, 1864 Cheyenne Chiefs War Bonnet, Lean Bear and Standing in Water were murdered at The Massacre of Sand Creek by Union Soldiers while Lean Bear was peaceably approaching them wearing the peace medal he was awarded by Lincoln in 1863. In 1867 well after the end of the Civil War, the Chiefs of the Kiowa agreed to surrender all of the white captives of the United States over to the US Government and end all difficulties. The government report of this agreement states "In regards to the raids into Texas, they distinctly stated that they had been told by the military officers of the government to do all the damage they could to Texas, because Texas was at war with the United States (referring to the recent rebellion), and that until now they were ignorant that peace had been established". (Calendar History of the Kiowa Indians by James Mooney) As a result of these negotiations, the treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed on October 21 1867. The Kiowa Comanche and Kiowa-Apache were confederated and agreed to occupy their reservations. In 1859 the Penatekas on the Comanche reservation near Fort Belknap were moved into Indian Territory in Oklahoma and the need for the existence of Fort Belknap was somewhat diminished. The 7th Infantry moved out in February the previous year. The town began to dissipate and only a small detachment of troops remained at the fort. At the onset of the civil war the Overland Butterfield Stage which went through Fort Belknap on it's route from St. Louis Missouri to California, closed it's way station in Belknap, the remaining federal troops were sent to Kansas and the decline of the town of Belknap was well underway. The Texas Rangers and most of the area young men left to fight for the Confederacy. The Elm Creek settlement was located where Elm Creek empties into the Brazos River about ten miles north of Fort Belknap. There were about fourteen families living in the settlement. Peter Harmison and family lived on the east bank of the Brazos opposite the mouth of Elm Creek. Roland Johnson and family lived on their ranch located about 1-1/2 mile down river from the mouth of Elm Creek. Judge Harry D. Williams and his family lived on their ranch on the bank of Elm Creek about one mile where it empties into the Brazos. Elizabeth Carter Fitzpatrick, the widow of Alexander Carter and Thomas Fitzpatrick lived on her ranch located at the mouth of Elm Creek where it empties into the Brazos. Elizabeth's son 13 year old Elijah Joseph Carter and her 19 year old daughter Mildred (Susan) Susannah Durkin (the widow of Owen Durkin) and Millie's two daughters 5 year old Charlottie (Lottie Durgan) Durkin and two year old Millie Jane (Millie Durgan) Durkin lived with her. Britt Johnson (Nigger Britt), a freed slave, his wife Mary and their four children Sally, Jube, Cherry and Charlie also lived on Elizabeth's ranch. Several other families lived on the other ranches in the area. About two miles from the Carter ranch, George Bragg had a ranch, which was on the west end of the settlement. Between the Bragg ranch and the Carter ranch was the Thomas Hamby ranch and the William Bragg place. Also living on the Hamby ranch was Thomas J (Doc) Wilson and his family. The son of Thomas Hamby, Thornton Hamby was home on furlough from the Confederate Army. Isaac McCoy's ranch was on the north side of Elm Creek near Fort Murray on Boggy Creek about two miles away. The Charles Newhouse's ranch was about fifteen miles up Elm Creek in Throckmorton County. A young and ambitious Comanche war chief named "Little Buffalo" noted that the settlements in the Young county area were particularly vulnerable due to the reduction in military forces at Fort Belknap and there were large herds of cattle and horses tended by the settlers in the area unprotected. He and his band of Comanche were camped along the Canadian River near Red Bluff next to the encampments of his allies the Kiowa, and Kiowa Apache. He saw this as an opportunity to gain prestige as a great war chief as well as increase his wealth and status in the tribe. He told of the great herds of live stock and of the defenseless settlers and convinced not only the Kiowa, Kiowa Apache camped next to him but the Kiowa and Cheyenne tribes to the north along the Arkansas River were convinced as well to join forces with him in a raid of the area around Fort Belknap. They carefully planned the raid hoping to drive the stolen herds of horses and cattle across the plains of the Texas panhandle to the Canadian River to trade their plunder with the Comancheros who in turn would sell the beef and horses to the Federal Troops. Little Buffalo and Se-t'ainte put together a large contingent of warriors forming the equivalent of a small army of regimental proportion. This was seen as the largest war party ever assembled by these tribes. Set-t'ainte a Koi-eet-sen-ko warrior (Dog soldier) and one of the 10 most elite and bravest men of the Kiowa Nation was accompanied by his fellow Koi-eet-sen-ko warriors. Among this elite group of Koi-eet-sen-ko warriors was Au-soant-sai-mah (Kind of a Quiet Fellow) also known to the whites as "Aperian Crow" who had promised his wife Ahma-te (Medicine Hunt Girl) he would find her a child to raise as her own because she was not able to bare children. With Aperian Crow was another young warrior named Mo-keen who was actually a Mexican who had been captured as a small child and raised as a Kiowa. Unbeknownst to Little Buffalo, there was a new fort recently constructed in the area. Fort Murrah or more commonly called Fort Murray had been built by the area families of Bill and Cole Duncan, Bill Powell, Bob Matthews, Bill Mullins, David Peveler and his two sons John and Francis. They organized as a defensive force of local militia (similar to the old minute men of New England during the revolutionary war). Additionally, Second Lieutenant N. Carson's 22 Rangers of Company "D" of the Border Regiment from Gainesville were garrisoned there. This fort was of Picket construction as was Fort Belknap. Elizabeth Fitzpatrick's hired hand, "Nigger Britt" Johnson and her neighbor, Harry Williams and another neighbor had left Elm Creek several days before the 13th of October bound for Weatherford in Parker county to obtain much needed supplies. Weatherford was the nearest community where supplies were available. Weatherford was more that 100 miles from Elm Creek. Therefore, there were no men at the Carter place to assist in their defense for several days. It was very early in the morning on October 13, 1864 when Joel Meyers set out from his place in the town of Belknap headed north towards Elm Creek in search of his yoke of oxen. George Bragg's two grown sons had left that morning on a hunt. Britt Johnson's daughter Sally had gone to the Bragg home to try on a new dress. Peter Harmison and son Perry were at California Creek rounding up cattle and Thomas Hamby, his son Thornton, , and Tom Wilson were branding cattle at their cattle pens near their home. Isaac McCoy and his son Miles were away from their home out near the Bragg place, hunting rails to build a corral. Francis Peveler was returning to Fort Murray from Fort Belknap along with Old Seth who was his brother John's Negro slave driving a wagon and oxen. Lieutenant Carson and his troopers were out on patrol a few miles to the north returning from the area of the Pease River where they had been in pursuit of another band of Indians from an earlier raid. It was about 11:00 AM as they were crossing California Creek about six miles from Fort Murray when Old Seth pointed out to Francis Peveler that there was signal smoke coming from nearby hills. At this point they made the decision to make hast the rest of the way to Fort Murray. A small band of Indians encountered Peter and Perry Harmison west of California Creek. The Harmisons escaped into some cross-timbers near Rabbit Creek they made their stand. When they dismounted, Peter's six-shooter was buckled to his saddle, as was his brand new coat his wife had made for him. The horse, which had been wounded, got away from him but he managed to keep his double-barreled shotgun. At this point an Indian took a shot at Peter and the bullet hit the double-barreled shotgun and passed through his hand. This gave Perry an excellent shot at the Indian and from the edge of the brush, Perry sighted the Indian who shot at his father and noted he was wearing a blue shirt with shiny brass buttons. He perceived this to be the leader. Using his new repeating six shot rifle he took careful aim. With one shot the Indian fell dead off his mount. At this the remaining Indians retreated but took Peter's horse jacket and six-shooter. Peter and Perry then mounted up on Perry's horse and took off for Fort Murray. Later it was determined the victim of Perry's superb marksmanship was the Comanche Chief Little Buffalo The Indians continued traveling south along the Brazos and crossed the river at a point just south of the mouth of Elm Creek. There they found Joel Meyers hunting for his oxen. Joel was killed, scalped striped of his clothing and left lying where he died.
Tom and Thornton Hamby and Doc Wilson could see and hear the attack on the Carter place. Seven Indians in advance of the main party were approaching the Hamby place and they sent Doc Wilson to the Bragg place to spread the alarm while Tom and Thornton gathered the Hamby and Wilson families and hid them in a cliff of rocks along the bank of Elm Creek near their house. Then as the 7 Indians got closer to them they engaged them for a short time while the alarm was being spread. This gave the William Bragg family and the Williams families a chance to escape. Then they ran to join Doc Wilson who had made it as far as the Williams place. Here they made another stand. Then they mounted their horses and ran for George Braggs’ place. The Indians gave chase but they had already run their horses about three miles and the Hamby's and Doc were able to out run them because their horses were fresher mounts. When they arrived at the Bragg ranch they dismounted and rushed inside. Before they could close the door to the two-room picket house Tom Doc Wilson was shot in the chest with an arrow. He told Tom Hamby that he was a dead man and Hamby told him to lay down on the bed. Doc laid down as he was told and died immediately. George Bragg was also shot with an arrow. Thomas Hamby received three gunshot wounds two in the arm and one in the side. The Indians had charged the house and remained on horseback surrounding the house for several hours with out any further damage. Then they fell back about 300 yards dismounted and just stood there for about half an hour. Then they sounded a bugle charge. There were several families of women and children inside the home but with Doc Wilson dead there were only three men remaining and two of them were badly wounded. Thornton Hamby did most of the shooting with the women reloading the guns for him. At one point an Indian was attempting to dig up some of the pickets with a pick he found in the barn. Thomas Hamby although badly wounded was able to shoot the old boy in the head and this discouraged any further attempt to dig out the pickets. Then a little before sundown the Bugle sounded retreat and the Indians left the Bragg ranch in great hast. Note: We know Perry Harmison killed Little Buffalo a short time earlier. We have established the fact that Se-t'ainte owned a French horn or a bugle and was proficient in its use. Based on the fact that there were bugle calls made by the Indians during the attack on the Bragg place would indicate it was Se-t’ainte leading this group. Further in the article there will be another battle where Se-t'ainte uses a bugle. This will become a relevant factor in the true identity of Sain-to-oodle. In the mean time the Rangers from Company D were camped about thirteen miles west of Belknap. Two of their Rangers, Fields and Jones, came across two Indians about two miles from camp and based on their actives the two rangers surmised that there were more Indians nearby so Jones returned to camp and requested assistance. Lieutenant Carson left six men in camp and departed with fourteen men in pursuit of the Indians. Carson reached a high point and discovered the two Indians and ran them for a mile and a half into Elm Flats. At this point he discovered a large body of about 300 Indians concealed in a semi circle laying in ambush for him about fifty yards away from him. Part of his report reads as follows: "...While I was forming my men in line the Indians were advancing and firing on me. I ordered my men to fall back some 100 yards to gain better position, in slow order, to save the men that were on weak horses, fighting them from one position to another until five of my brave men were killed. I received two flesh wounds. We killed some seven or eight Indians, and saw a number fall. The retreat was continued some one quarter of a mile to McCoy's house, where two women were taken behind the men, and I gathered my men and horses that were in camp and crossed over to Ft. Murray, one mile and a half. The Indians followed in hot pursuit, came up to McCoy's house, destroyed and carried off everything that was in it, then advanced on to the camp, which was half mile from the house. They took all tents, blankets, and clothing that were left in camp, breaking up and destroying all the vessels belonging to the company, the boys saving but little of their clothing, and the most of them are now entirely destitute, having nothing left them except that on their backs. The names of the men killed are J. Jones, Private Henry Snodgrass, Robert Neathrey, J. G. Walker, and Erastus Blue. These men fell fighting bravely, disputing, inch-by-inch, until shot from their horses, and yielded only with their lives. Samuel Brison's horse was shot from under him and lost. Henry McGiire's horse was wounded. J. Wallis', George Wimberly's and my horse were slightly wounded. J. Buckingham was thrown from his horse, but made his escape to Fort Murray. Fields was shot through his pantaloons with an arrow across the thigh, grazing the skin. My men were cool, and acted with unexampled bravery. As far as I have been able to gain information, there has been eleven citizens killed, seven women and children carried off, eleven houses robbed. It is estimated there were 350 or 450 on the raid...” Note: Other estimates of the size of the raiding party were between 700 and 1500 Indians. By this time Lieutenant Carson and his men along with most of the locals had returned to Fort Murray and forted up in a defensive mode. While Mrs. McCoy was safely inside the fort with the others Francis Peveler and Perry Harmison went up on the roof where they could observe the actives of the raiding party. From there they could see the Indians killing Isaac and Miles McCoy near the Bragg ranch. All through the night large campfires were observed across the countryside. The settlers feared that they were to encounter further Indian attacks. Runners were sent to Fort Belknap for reinforcements and none were available so a runner was dispatched to Veal's Station in Parker county no reinforcements were available there as well so a message was sent to Major Quale at Decatur. He sent 250 men but they arrived to late as the Indians had already departed when Quale's troops arrived. The day following the raid Thornton Hamby and Rubin Johnson went to the Fitzpatrick ranch to investigate what had happened there. They found Mildred (Susan) Durgan dead and scalped laying across the lifeless body of Britt Johnson's son Jube. The house had been ransacked and the bedding scattered all over the property. The Indians had removed all the ticking from the beds and the feathers from the mattresses was spread all over the country side and the house had been burnt down.
The captives were so dehydrated from lack of water after traveling so far; they drank contaminated water from a small stream nearby making them very sick. On the second day of travel, little 13 year old Elijah Carter became so sickly that he was unable to travel so the Indians made a large pile of brush and set it afire then threw the boy onto burning pile of brush. They instructed Elizabeth to go to the fire and watch " Papoose Burn" and when she refused they beat her with their quirts and pierced her with their lances forcing her to watch the live cremation of her young son in horror. After a week of travel, they arrived somewhere along the Canadian River, where they camped and hunted for several days. Then they moved up the Canadian to Guadal-doha (Red Bluff) on the north side of the south Canadian up river from what was later called Adobe Walls and between Adobe Walls and Mustang Creek in the Texas Panhandle. It is here that they set up their winter camp because of the early winter. They called this winter the Tsenho Sai "Muddy traveling winter" because of all the mud caused by the early heavy snows made traveling very difficult. The first Kiowa camp was situated near the ruins of the old Bent trading post constructed of logs and built in about 1842 by K-odal-aka-I (“Wrinkled-neck”) who was a clerk employed by Bents. The first village furthermost up river was located on the Canadian near where the creek emptied into the river. The creek is now known as "Kit Carson Creek" in what is now Hutchinson County, Texas. The remaining allied Kiowa, Kiowa Apache and Comanche chiefs set up their villages’ sequentially down river creating numerous villages along the river short distances apart.
Au-soant-sai-mah and his wife Ahma-te kept Little Millie Durgan with them in as their adopted daughter in the camp of Chief Set-t'ainte. Elizabeth was taken to the camp of the Kiowa Chief Pai-Talyi or Sun Boy as he was known to the White Man. Because of the incident at Fort Larned the previous July Colorado Governor Evans had requested the use of Union Troops to assist him in eliminating the hostilities with the Indians along the Santa Fe Trail. Troops were in short supply due to the current civil war. However, in November of 1864 he was finally granted assistance from Colonel Christopher (“Kit”) Carson who was in command of the First New Mexico Infantry which consisted of about three hundred and thirty five volunteer soldiers and about seventy five Ute and Jicarilla Apache Indian Scouts. Colonel Carson believed that if he could take the Indians by surprise in their winter camps along the Canadian, he could eliminate them. He departed Fort Bascom, New Mexico and proceeded to lead his troops down the Canadian River in search of the hostiles. Kit Carson and his troops came upon the first of the Kiowa Indian villages. This was the village of the old Chief Dohasan (“Little Mountain”) they counted one hundred and twenty six tepees in this village alone. At dawn on November 25, 1864 Carson’s troops commenced their attack on the village. According to the Set-tan and the Anko calendars some of the warriors of this village were out on another raid leaving their women, children and older population in the care of the ageing Chief Dohasan and early that morning some of the men were out searching for their ponies when they discovered the approaching soldiers and were able to rush back to the village and sound the alarm causing Colonel Carson to lose the element of surprise. The Indians were quick to react. The women who were busy fixing breakfast grabbed up their children and hid them in the tall grass as the men mounted up on their horses to defend themselves from the assault. The Indians put up heavy resistance. Stumbling Bear a leading warrior in this village distinguished himself by killing one soldier and a Ute then killing or wounding another soldier who fell from his horse. Set-tadal ("Lean Bear") distinguished himself by singing the war song of his order the "Tonkonko” as he charged into battle according to his military obligation that forbade him from saving himself until he had killed an enemy. The Kiowa put up heavy resistance until they were forced to retreat down river where the warriors of the other allied Kiowa, Kiowa Apache and Comanche villages reinforced them, and they returned to the first village and fiercely engaged the New Mexico troops. The battle lasted all day Carson was being soundly defeated and as he retreated the Indians followed him so closely that the only thing that saved him from total inhalation was his battery of two howitzers commanded by Lieutenant George Pettis who held the Indians at bay while Carson and his troops escaped. Had it not been for the howitzers this would have been a disastrous defeat greater than that of Custer's at the Little Big Horn. Kit Carson knew that there were several captive women and children but he was not able to rescue them. The Indians were able to save all their horses. However, all their winter provisions; tepees and dressed buffalo skins in the first village were burned and destroyed. In the testimony of an army officer a few months later the following account was given: "I understand Kit Carson last winter destroyed an Indian village. He had about four hundred men with him, but the Indians attacked him as bravely as any men in the world, charging up to his lines, and he withdrew his command. They had a regular bugler, who sounded the calls as well as they are sounded for troops. Carson said if it had not been for his howitzers few would have been left to tell the tale. This I learned from another officer who was in the fight.” The following is an account extracted from Lieutenant Pettis’ Testimony, which was given years later. Note that Adobe Walls was not built until about 1873. When Pettis is referring to Adobe Walls he is actually talking about the ruins of Bent's trading post. Although this battle took place in the same location as the much later battle at Adobe Walls they should not be confused. “Quite a number of the enemy acted as skirmishers, being dismounted and hid in the tall grass in our front, and made it hot for most of us by their excellent marksmanship, while quite a larger part of them, mounted and covered with their war dresses, charged continually across our front, from right to left and vice versa, about 200 yards from our line of skirmishers, yelling like demons, and firing from under the necks of their horses at intervals. About 200 yards in rear of their line at Adobe Walls, was stationed one of the enemy, who had a cavalry bugle, and during the entire day he would blow the opposite call that was used by the officer in our line of skirmishers; for instance, when our bugles sounded the “advance” he would blow “retreat” and when ours sounded the “retreat” he would follow with the “advance;” ours would signal “halt” he would follow suit. So he kept this up all the day, blowing as shrill and clearly as our very best buglers. Carson insisted it was a white man, but I have never received any information to corroborate this opinion. The enemy was not disposed to allow us to return without molestation, and in a very few minutes was attacking us on every side. By setting fire to the high, dry grass of the river bottom, they drove us to the foothills, and by riding in rear of the fire, as it came burning toward us, they would occasionally get within a few yards of the column; being enveloped in the smoke, they would deliver the fire of their rifles and get out of harms way before they could be discovered by us.
At one of the discharges the shell passed directly through the body of a horse on which was a Comanche riding at full run, and went some 200 or 300 yards farther on before it exploded. The horse, on being struck, went head foremost to earth throwing his rider, as it seemed 20 feet into the air, with his hands and feet sprawling in all directions, and as he struck the earth, apparently senseless, two other Indians who were near by proceeded to him, one on each side, and throwing themselves over on the sides of their horses, seized each an arm and dragged him from the field between them, amid a shower of rifle balls from our skirmishers. This act of the Indians in removing their dead and helpless wounded from the field is always done, and more than a score of times were we eyewitnesses to this feat during the afternoon." (Lt. George Pettis)
Note: Here once again we have two accounts of the use of a bugle in battle by the Kiowa, indicating that Set-t'ainte was there.. We now know that these Indians were the same Indians that were at Elm Creek several weeks earlier as described by Thornton Hamby and that the captives taken in Elm Creek were present during this battle.
The initial reports of Indian losses were greatly exaggerated. They reported the Indian loss at about 100 killed and 150 wounded. The actual count of Indian losses was four old crippled or decrepit men killed in their beds by Ute women searching for plunder during the initial assault and their were 56 wounded. The Army losses was reported to be "twenty-one wounded several mortally, two soldiers killed together with one Ute killed and four wounded.".
Taking Lottie Durgan and Britt Johnson's family with him the Comanche Chief Ta-sawi (Silver Broach) took his band down the Canadian into Indian territory somewhere north of where present day Anadarko Oklahoma is located.
Au-soant-sai-mah and Ahma-te kept Millie Durgan as their adopted daughter and remained with Set-t'ainte and his band on the plains until the treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed on October 21, 1867 and the Kiowa, Comanche and Kiowa-Apache were confederated and agreed to occupy their reservations.
Moses Johnson his wife Nancy (Bragg) Johnson and their family came to the area from Hernando, Mississippi and purchased land near Fort Belknap. (George and William Bragg were Nancy's brothers.) Originally they left Mississippi in route to the gold fields in California but stopped in Corsicana, Texas and remained there for two years. Moses Johnson was afflicted with rheumatism, nearly crippled and used crunches to get around. Moses Johnson owned several slaves on his large farm in Mississippi and brought them with him to Fort Belknap. Among his slaves was Britt Johnson or old "Nigger Britt" as he was called. Moses allowed Britt to roam free as any other free man and make his own way. Britt soon became associated with the Carter family being that Edmund and Alexander Carter were considered free men of color. He worked for the Carters as a teamster and ranch hand and moved his family onto their ranch where he remained as a loyal employee to Elizabeth after the deaths of Edmund and Alexander. As a teamster working for the Carters Britt was well known by all the settlers in the Fort Belknap area. Additionally, he frequently delivered supplies to the Penateka Comanche reservation near Fort Bellknap until the Government in 1859 moved them to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. As a result the Penateka Comanche knew Britt Johnson Well. During the raid on the Elm Creek settlement Britt Johnson, Harry Williams and another of their neighbors (possibly Allen Johnson) were returning to Elm Creek from Weatherford with their teams and wagons loaded with supplies when they got word of the raid. They left their wagons and teams at a nearby ranch mounted their horses and headed for home fearful of what may have happened to their families. They rode day and night with out rest until they arrived home. When Britt arrived home his worst fears were realized. He found his home destroyed, His son dead his pregnant wife Mary and his two other children were carried off into captivity along with his long time friend and employer Elizabeth and her two grand daughters Lottie and Millie Durgan. The only good news was that his beloved daughter Sally was spared when she left the home before the raid to try on a new dress at the Bragg place. Determined to find his family and bring them home, Britt began to make preparations for a long journey in search of them. He made arrangements for the care of his daughter Sally at Veal’s Station in Parker county, strapped on his gun belt with two six-shooters packed his best mount grabbed his new repeating rifle and departed for parts unknown. A man named David White had a son named Alonzo who was also captured by the same Indians in an earlier 1864 raid during the preceding summer. Mr. White also focused his attention on the recovery of his young son. So both Britt Johnson and David White were independently on the same missions to rescue their loved ones from the same Indians.
In late February 1865 Britt succeeded in raising the requested fee and began his return trip to the Indian Territory. In route he met up with David White who was also in route to ransom his son Alonzo. They joined forces and proceeded to Smith-Paul Valley Agency on the Washita. Then they waited for some period of time in order to meet up with General J. W. Throckmorton who was on his way to council with the Comanche and Kiowa on the Canadian River. When the General arrived Britt and David White joined in with them as they proceeded on their march to meet with the Indians on the Canadian River. The counsel commenced on May 26, 1865. There were about 1000 Indians and 500 confederate troops attending the counsel. They counseled with the Indians for about a week then the Indians began to advice them of the various villages where captives were being held. Throckmorton made an agreement with the Indians to allow Chief Essa-haba escort White and Johnson to the villages where the captives were being held and negotiate the ransom necessary to gain their release then escort them back to the Smith-Paul Valley agency. They spent months traveling to the various villages. They went from village to village working their way up to the northern edge of Comanche country and into Kiowa territory. As they located captives they made several trips back and forth going into their various communities to raise the ransom. They went to Gainesville where General McCullock assisted in obtaining necessary trade goods to meet the Indian demands, and to Bonham where Colonel Bourland assisted in the same manner. They were successful in negotiating with the Kiowa for the release of several captives including David’s son Alonzo White and the son of a Mrs. Rolland from Jack County who was captured in 1864 as well. After his success in the rescue of these captives Britt continued his relentless search for for his family M |
