REMINISCENCES OF MARY CROWNOVER RABB
January 1875
Travels and adventurs in 1823 of the erly settling of Texas.
I left Jones Burrow, Red River, Miller co Arcan with my husban John Rabb and my little Babe to coum to Texas. we started October the 1 1823. We also had Mr. Rabbs Father and Andrew Rabb and Thomas Rabb. Mr. Rabb had also a sister with her husban Mr. Newman and her childrn. Mrs. Newmans childerns names were Polly, William, Eliza, Manerva, Sarah, Thomas, and Eli all come to Texas the same way.
Now my childern and gran childern I am goin to try to tell you somethin about the way your Pa and me had to do to get land for you. Evry famely had a few cattl. Your Pa had abot 16 or 18 head of small cattl being onley two grown cows with them and two or three tollerable large one that would make oxen. We also had six head of horses which was all we had withot any other means whatever. One of horses was large iron gray, he was very tall. His name was Tormenter and that horse I road to Texas. Your Pa got me a mesican cide sadle. Now I will try to tell you how tha ar made with the hornes about four inches higher than common Emarican cide saddl. Tha ar made in this way in order to carry a pack on thous mecican cide saddles. Thare has to be a sack full of some thing to throw a cross the seat of thous saddles or els fould up quilts and blankts enough to fill the saddl up level with the loer part of the horns. In this way we was inabl to cary a purty good peck on Tormenter becids myself and the littl one.
Well we was mounted and set out for Texas we traveled on a bout one hunderd and fifty miles and or two hunderd and fifty miles and oer cattl got sick and commenst dying and we had to stop driving them. Your uncle Thomas Rabb sayd with the cattl. The ballance of ouer companey drove on. After we had drove on a few days we met up with the James Gilliland and his famely tha was on ther way to Texas, a wife and littl Babe, and John Ingrim and a little orfent Boy I dis remember what his name was. I took brecfast with Mrs. Gilliland that mornin and then we drov on we got a quanity of nice graps on the road and we found one bee tree we got some nice homey. I do not remember of any more that took plais untell we got to Colarrado we come to it where LaGrange now is but thare was no houses thare then nore nothin but wilderness not eaven a tree cut down to marke the plais . we met two gentlemem at the river. it was fordawle but it looked full and to run swift thous men said thare was no daingr and your Pa took the Babe and rode to my left. one of thouse men road to my right and your Pa told me to take my riding swich in my teeth and said so your head will not swim and while your Pa and thous men had to hold ther feat up out of the water did not com neer me. well we all got safe over the colerrado on the South cide.
Thare we met with your gran ma Rabb and your uncle Ulisus who had come to Texas in 1822. we went up abot six miles above Lagrange to a place she called Indian Hill at Mr. Caselmans. we got thare about the 15 of decembr 1823. thare we was got to oer garneys and sat thare safe. Mr. Rabbs father and mother and two sons Thomas and Ulisus and Andrew Rabb and his family, a wife and child, Mr. Newman and his famely, a wife and seven children. as Mr. Rabbs father and brother had bin in Texas one year before, he had a hous bilt but was not larg enofe for all of us to live in so your Pa got John Ingrim to help him work awhile and your Pa and him bilt a hous in a week. the hous was made of logs. tha made a chimny to. it and the door Shetter [shutter?] was made of thik Slabs split out of thick peaces of timber and the way we fastened the door-- tha bored a hole in one of the logs in cide clo [close] to the door sheter and then we had a large pin or peg and that was drove in hard and fas of nights and then the indins could not get in. we had a erthing floor in ouer hous and then I was in my firs Texas hous and Andrew Rabb made me a spining wheel and made me a preen of it then I was vary much pleasd and I soon got to work to make clothing for my famely
In a few days Thomas Rabb come on with what few cattl the muren had left. we had 8 or 9 head left and with them one milchcow then your Pa and John Ingrim went in the rich land in the colerrado botum to clair land to make a fieald. that claid a bout six acres and come to the house one Satterday eavening leaveing ther axes and malls and irn wedges exspecting to return to ther work on monday morning. but as tha had made a good many railes, the indains thaught it would be a good way to make a pin out of thous railes and ceth ouer horses. so when Mr. Rabb and Ingrim went to ther work tha found that ther axes was gon and a pin was maid and ouer horses was all gone. all we had but Tormenter was gon and he would have bin gon but Mr. Rabb put a chain a round his neck evry nite and locked him to the hous with a pad lock. a day or too before the indins come down thare was a drove of bufelow come and crosst over the river about one hundrd yards above ouer hous. thare was about thirty in number tha took a strait cors threw the prarie, not turning to the right nor to the left. on that went South word as fair as we could see them then after the indins stole ouer horses. your Pa said he would not sta at Indin Hill but your Gran pa was sorry for that and did not want your Pa to moov a way from that plain. he wanted to keep his childen all too gether but your Pa tole your gran Pa the indins was too bad. then your gran Pa wanted to gave your Pa a pony but your Pa did not want to tak it and your gran Pa led the pony up to the door and my Babe was siting in the door and he put the bridle in his hand and said he gave the pony to the Babe. the ponys name was Nickety Poly so then your Pa rode Nickety Poly and went off to hunt a plais for us to moov to where the indians would not be so bad. your Pa went over to the Brases about 15 mils below Richmon Texas. thare he got a leage of land, his head right. he was gon about ten days. I was left alone with my little Babe and I thaught that ten days and nights was so long as I could hear the indins walking arond the hous many times of nights as I had to tak a pad louk and chain and fasten Tormenter to the hous and I thaught the indians was tryin to get the horse frum the hous. some times I thaught that they would cut his head off gust becaus tha would not git him. Now lonely as I wus after rising early in the morning and attending to making a meal for the day I kep my spining wheel whising all day and also a good part of the night for while the wheel was rowering it would eep me from hearling the indians walking around hunting some mischieaf.
now my little gran children I am going to tell you a funny tale about some little pigs. when we got to Texas up on Indian Hill your grait gran Pa gave to your gran Pa a Sow and she had nine pigs and while your gran Pa was gon after I got tyard spining at night thare was under the botum log of the hous clos in the corner of the chimny a little plais the pig coul croll threw so when I put the wheel a way and got redy to go to bed I wold shel some corn over the flor and under the bed and open the littl plais and by the time I got redy and in bed all of them little pig would be in the hous chaking corn untel I would go to sleep and the Indins gon and the pigs gon in the morning would git up and sweep out my littl hous and stop the pigs out and get my brekfas and make a meal for the day and then to my wheel agin.
Now your Pa coms home and he thanks god that we was protected and he said he thaught thee Savage indins had bin stayd in awncer to his prairs altho he was not religious. then your uncle John Cronover come over home with your Pa and broght a horse with them to pacl ouer goods on your Pa had bin to your gran Pa Crownovers. he kild a bair thare he had jist come to Texas and had got a camp made neer to your Pas legue of land. Well we made quick hast and got redy to pack up and start we put all ouer ramont and things on the old horse that your Pa and uncle had led up to Indian hill for that purpos. the old horse name was Flucus so after the most delicat part of the pack was put on first then Ouer pervishon then our little kittle which was hardley large enofe to cook a boiled dinner for three persons than the skillit and led was put on top then my spining wheel was put on top all but the hench. we had a small yoak of oxen which had a small yoak or neking stick on and wheel bench was tyd to that then we had ouer a few little cattl and ouer so and pigs all put together me on Tormenter your Pa on Nickety Poly and your uncle John Crownover on his horse. he called him Shack. we set unmolestd altho the indians in the wood was looking at us start that day wee got to Cummins Creek and camt for the night thare your Pa kild a larg duck or brant. it maid part of ouer brekfas next morning then we paked up puting every thing on old Flucus in the exat same manner wee did the morning before. we drove on vary peasibly untell some of the cattle trode on one of the pigs and brok off its huff and made it lame that it could not evn travvle. then we thaught it would not do to leve the pig so your Pa caugyt it and tyd it on top of old Flucas pack close under the wheel wrim them we went on. but the pig got tiard an commenst to squeel and scramble to get down off of old Flucas he git scurd and run off and made a sompleet stompeed and kept on piching and kicking untell he got every thing off and the rezult was the pigs brains was smasht out and the dinner pot broke all to bits then we had to pick up the ballance of the furnture the best we could and lash them all on old Flucus agin and set out . we got to my Pas about 4 or 5 days after we had left Indian Hill. I found my father and mother well and well plesed we had come thare we had plenty of corn bred and bair meet and venson and huney and milk and butt . well we staid thare a few weeks.
we had no nabers neerer than 8 miles and the muscatoes was so bad it was almost imposable to do any work like sowing or churning unles we was in a muscato bar and the flys was eating the cattle and horses up so we concluded we would leave thare and go to hier up the Brases river and as the flyes and muscatoes was so bad we new we would have to travel purty much all together in the nite. so we had every thing pact up redy to start about a half houer befor sunset and made a start but the flyes was still so bad the horses cut up so your Pa had to run to me and get me off of the horse and then he run to your gran ma and to your ant Lissa and get them down then we went in the camp and stayed untell sun down and then made another start and got a few steps. we had every thing packed on Nickety Poly-- the spinning wheel rim on top and two chickens tyd to the wheel and the wheel and the bench tyd to the oxen. then we thaught we could go on but we had three purps and your Pa began to think that was too young to travl threw the high grass in the prarie. the purps was all one age but one of them was larger than the other two then I told your Pa to get down off of his horse and go back in the camp and git a pair of lether legons that was left and tye them on Nickety Poly behind his pack under the wheel and your Pa said the big purp could walk. so evrt thing was arange and we made a start in the twilight. we traveled on some distance without any trouble but at last the big purp tyrd a travelin in the high grass and it would keep rinnin under my horses feet and at last Tormenter trode on it and it scurd him and he raired rite strait up and I thot the hors was a going to fall back word on me and the child. but he creened arond on his hind feet and come down on his fore feet brusht your gran Mas lap as she had gust got along side of me wheil Tormenter was a standing on his hind feet. well then we went on fer some distance by the moon light without any trouble but them the two purps got tyard being confind in the lether legons thrown acrost Nickety Polys pack and tha begun to scrable and crack to git down and Nickety Poly thauht he could not stand sich cracking and scrablin as that and he run off and commenst to pich and gump untell the legeons broak apart and one purp fell on the one side and the on the other. then it was that Nick run off and it was sum time before we could find Nickety Poly. I do not think we wuold have got him untill day light but we had two chickens tyd to the top of the pack a hen and a ruster and as it begun to get the time of night fur chickens to crow, ouer ruster crabble up on the whel and gave a big crow and then we found Nickety Poly al rigt he was eatin grass had all of oeur goods bedin and provishion spinning wheel and the chickens then and only then was we redy for anuther start
Well we traveled nerly all night. we did not take but a little rest that night and we on this way travelin the most of ouer time in the nite and we stopt a bout six mils be low St Phillip and thare your Pa commenst to bild a frame hous and I was spinnin under a tree He got the hous up and coverd then your Pa thaught he wuld moov one mile and a half to Brases river on two labors of land he had thare. thare we had no camp. we put up a quilt and a heet fur a tent. I culd get the hed of my wheel under the tent. I got to spinning again . after we stayd thare a few days we thaght we wuld go visetin to see your Pas peple over to Coloreaddo which I think was abut 50 miles. Well we had nobudy to leave oeur things with so your Pa took all of ouer goods off in a thick part of a cain brak to hid them all under a yearling beef hide which would pertect them from the rain.
tham we sit out on Tormenter an Nickety Poly but before we left this plais we heard that your gran Pa and Ma and all his relation was packed up redy to make ther excape from Indin Hill and thare was 2 hundred wacows come up to them gust as they was redy to driv off and then your Pa went to see what had become of them. Your Pa found it was true the indins had stpt your Pas Pa and Ma and all his relations gust as tha was redy to starte. tha had to re treat back in the hous and stay all day and nite and the indins was all around the hous and sittin all round the cow lot a speering the cattl to see then gump. gust befor night they kild the largest beef tha could see and et it all up that nite and left next morning. as soon as tha got out of site ouer folks started down after them. ouer folks got in a fort that nite at Mr. Jesse Burnums. the indians campt in a half a mile of the same plais.
as I told your Pa went to see what had becum of his foks and as your Pa come back he got lost and lay out in the Benard river botum three days and nites without anything to eat and without water. your Pa looke like he had bin sick a long long time when he got home and he said his hors had liked to have died for want of water and somehing to eat as well as hisself. he sayd thare was nothin in the Benard botum. your Pa said he had to hack his way threw that botum for him and his hors to git threw. He saud if it had not bin for his big hack knife that they wuld have died and perhap never bin found. We found oeur friends all well. we spent about two weaks with them and returnd and found all rite as wether was worm we stayd thare some time with out shelter. I was spining under a tree. the mussketoes and the sand gnats was so bad that it was all most imposible to git any sleep but at last your Pa said let us go to the river and sleep on the sand beech which was some distance from the syayd at and the Babe and bed close was to cary down and when we got thare and got the bed made the wind would blow the gnats off but then I was a fraid the alegaters would come up out of the river takein my Babe and then I could not sleep and thare was dainger of the river takein a suden rise in it and wash us off while we stayd at this plais.
Tormenter died before it was rite cold wether. your Pa got us a camp covered with [not legible]. we thoght we wold get a hous by first of december but I was confined before your Pa could git the hous dun but we got to go to camp that belong to one of my bruthers. it was a vary good camp. it had a fier plas. when Washie was about sic weaks old your Pa put me and the two childern on a slide and hit Nickety Poly to it. it took us out to Mr. Newmans. his wife was your Pas sister tha had a hous. after we had stayd thare a few days, one night I woke up and I thaught from the nois the river must be riseing. I put out my hand and I found the river had rose and was nerely level wit the ege of the bed plase I lay on. then I was affraid the children would fall out and get drowned. [not legible] day the men folks took Nickety Poly and hald all of the hous logs out of that water and bilt the hous upon the cide of the hill I think that we stayd thare untell March 1825. then we went al the way to the Benard. thare your Pa bilt a little hous . your Pa got three hundred feet of plank and put a floor in it. he gave a nice heffer for it then your Pa left me and the childern and the cows and the hogs and went over to the collerrado and burnt of a cain brake and he raised five hunderd bushel of corn that year. I got a vary long well with the cows but the hogs run off as I had no corn to gave them. I stayd all summer by myslef onley my two littl childern to be with me. as your Pa had no fense around his corn he could not take his stock thare so I stayd on the Barnard wheile your Pa raist corn on the colorrado. I would pick the cotten with my fingers and spin six hunderd thred a round the [not legible] evry day and milk my cows and pound my meat in a morter and cook and churn and mind my childern. but one eavening while I wus at the cow pin and had gum with me to open the gait, Washia crald off some one hunderd and fifty or perhaps two hunderd yards off&emdash;I could hardley find him. when I fond him one of oeur dogs was just a standing over him and licking his head. I did not whip the dog because he wanted to pertect him. the dog was one of the pups that we had packed in the lether legons.
After your Pa gathered his corn, we mooved to the colarredo, in the fall of 1825. we stayd thare all winter in a camp gust a few bords over us. all the frunt and cides was open to the wind. the first of April on the 26th day we went to the Brases, though I forgot to tell you your Pa sold his cairn very well. he got a fine Emarican make for some of it as we went on. at dinner time the 10th of April I found some wripe dew barys. then one day we was going on ouer oxen got so worm hot that we runned to the shaid. in spite of all your Pa could do and your Pa got caught betwixt the body of the cairt and the tree standing thair. as soon as I saw the trubbl your Pa was in I took my Babe under my left airm and gumped down and run to your Pa but as the oxen was so vary hot and had thare tunges hung out after that got in the shaid and had stopt the cart your Pa tha fell back a little to pant and your Pa dropt down from be twit the body of the cart and the tree. by this time John Ingrim and me had got to him. Your Pa said for us to cord his knee and arms as soon as we could and as your Pa yous to say my garter never failed so his arm and knee was soon corded and your Pa took a little ole pocket knife and bled his self. as soon as your Pa was able to travl we went on to oeur leag of land over our head right that we got fur cuming to Texas.
Poor thing, how bad that was fur us thare. your Pa got the old bords that was where your gran Pa Crownover and us yous to live in camp --whare the hors flyes and muscaeotoes was so bad we had to leave and travl in the nite. Then your Pa made a camp and coverd it with thos ole bords. I went to spining and spun enuf to thred to make forty five yards of muscaeto baring and wove it out in the open air and sun with out any coverin or nuthin. your Pa made the loom in two days then I wove a nother peas of cloth that was good and thik for cothin befor we got any shelter for the loom. then your Pa bilt a good littl ole hous. he made it twenty foot squair. he hued the logs down to about sic inchs thick and then he made a shed for the little ole loom. Mellisa was born thare May 26, 1827. your Pa raise corn on the river a bout three or four mils off, but we had a garden at the hous.
but we did not stay thar very long. I think it was the fall of 1837 your Pa took a nocien that he coul not sta thare as we had no nabers neerer than eight miles. so in the firs of Septembr we left oeur littl ole hous and loom and garden an potaters and all and went to agypt (Egypt a small community). thare your Pa baught one hunderd acors of land frum your uncle Andrew. thare your Pa bilt a hous and maid a fieald thare. the indins was no trubbl agin that kild ouer cattl and hogs and I was so a frad of them when your Pa was gon frum home at nite some times I would blow out the candel and run on to bed with my little ones for fer the indins would shoot us threw the craks of ouer littl log cabn. and at other times as nite woul cum on I would be fraid I wuld tak my littl one twixt sun down and dark and go nerly a mile to where your uncle Andrew livd to sta the nite. and one morning Gum and Wash went out the rode a few yards from the door and tha tuk thare pups with them and we had a grown dog and he went with them to watch them. it was but a few minites untell I saw sevn indins cum ridin to the childern. I hollared to the childern to run in the hous so I culd shet the dor. Gum left his pup an run in but Washie would hang on to his, an by the time he got his pup to the door the indins wus in the hous. but when the indins got purty clos to the childern, the big dog whish wus wit the childern stript the old Chieaf of his bufalow robe and left him nerly naced. then them indins begd evry thing they culd see thet was fit to eat at all an that thet wus not fit. it happend that the dog treed one of thos wild, mean leperd cats close to the hous and I took the gun and went and kilt it and and when your Pa come and brung it to the hous to look at it. on the day befor your Pa chance to kill two deer clos to the hous and he brot them whol to the hous to dres them he hung the haslett up to keep the hogs frum geting them. Them indins took them haslett and rold them in the fier and them ashes and eat them and the blud was workin out of their mouths (It was in the winter) then they got that wild cat to eat an al most all of the deer meet and sum beef bones.
then thare was one at anuther time rode up on a nice Emerican mare. he also had on an Emerican vest an he had nuthin els on him at al He saw a turkey under a shed out dors I had cut the brest off to fry (it was winter). that indin ast for it. he took it on his hors before him and stuk out at a gallope. those was Tonkaway indins. after beggin all they could, went off but was not too good to kil a man if tha could git him off by himself. after this thare was a correnkway camp found on the river and the tonkways was in pardner ship and that wus so trubbl some. your Pa an your uncles and as many others as they culd git to help to drive them off further in the frunteer.
I think that we lived thare until Marion was born in 1829 and then mooved up to Rabbs prarie where we had a mill on the Colloreado river. I think that the mill was bilt in 1831 and we mooved up in 1832, then in 1833 that high over flow come. I could see the water cumin up. stayd in that hous til the water was all over the flor. Mr. Rabb and sum of the littl ones had to be carried to the wagon as the water was over a foot deep and about anuther half foot deep in the yard. I was skered then. we had to hurry and git out to them hills. then your Pa and a french man by the name of Pat East hurryd back to try to save ouer goods-- ouer beds and clothin that was there. got to the hous and pulld the things up in a old sedar tree that was in the yard not rit in the frunt of the hous but to one cide. the Sedar tree is cut down, but when I go a fishing I viset that old stump and the plais where the old hous youst to be. after your Pa and Pat East got the goods put up in the [tree], tryd to go to your uncle Andrews hous which was about a half mile above the river. tha had to swim nerly most of all the way sometimes [holding] to lims and twigs of the tops of the bushes. your Pa got to the hous but Bates took the cramps and could not swim. he caught a Sedar lim and puld up in the tree and stayd all of that nite. Your Pa made a hole in the ruff of the hous and went down on the upper flor. thare he found a cloak and a churn of cream that had been sit up out of the water so he had cream to drink and a cloak to cover him. But pore Bates was in that old Sedar tree and swinging back and forth as the water would swell and heave against the old Sedar tree every once and a while your Pa would call to Bates threw the night to know if he was still yet a live an if he still felt able to hold on to the tree he would awnsor mity cold.
As soon as it was day laight your uncle Andrew went to work to make a conow. he worked hard all day tryin to get it dun so he culd go see what had becum of your Pa and Bates. gust before sun down we saw a vesel comin in Rabbs prarie then towards the hous. it was none other than Mr. Caselman. he lived whare Mr. [not legible] lives now. He went to the hous and got your pa and then he went to the Sedar tree and got Bates and brote them out to the hills where we was. then we was all safe out of that over flow on the river. When the water got down low enoufg your Pa went back to the hous and got ouer clothin and the bed and evry thing out of the Sedar tree and brot them all out to the hills.
but on the river thare your Pa wanted to settle but then your uncle Andrew said he also wanted to settle thare himself and as your uncle was the oldest your Pa gave up to him and your Pa said that he would go and hunt anuther plais and settle thare an. but it wus onley a little while untell your uncle Andrew said he wanted to go thare too. well your Pa said for him to come on but your Pa did not give up his bilding plais to him at all but your uncle went on two or three Hunderd yards along the cide of the hill and thare he rebilt his hous. We hold ouer houses out of the over flow and mud and rebilt his hous.
Your Pa dug a wel at the Pope plais it was free stone water. I yous to hang sheats on them live oaks that is now in the yard at the Pope plais. I could still bend them trees down in 1833. well we stayd thare fur some time but was always trubled with the indins steeling ouer hoses and ouer corn out of the old crib. your pa tole me that he had lost a thousand dollars worth of horses to those old indins. I remember at one time the indins come to ouer hous in the middl of the nite and tryd to steal a hors that we had tyde close to the door under the galery ruff as we had no flor in the galery nor not even a shetter to the door we brought the horse rite close to the door as your Pa was gon so the childern and me culd hav a betr chance to run the indins off and keep them frum giting him. Your uncle Andrews black boy, Frank, had come to stay with us all knight with my little boys as tha thaught he would pertect them Well at bed time I went to bed and the little ones went to thare bed and Frank spred his pallet on one side of the fier plais and as we had no sheter to the door. the little dog Trusty come in and lay down on the other side of the fier plais but we had not been stil but a littl whil untell the indins come an was tryin to git the hors loos. but I was a sleep and Frank come to me and calld me and ast me wher is that gun said he. i said what do you want with that gun? then said he the indins is tryin to git that horse Wehh. Frank got the gun and i got up and run to the door to see what was going on and the hors was so a frad and was pulin back to git loos. as thare was no sheter on the door Trusty had nothin to do but to run out an git after them indins. Tha run and got out of the yard fense and went then to the corn crib and got corn and then tha went to the [not legible] plais and got a little pot and some clothin that had been left thar. Then tha went to your Uncle Andrews plais and got in his work shop and got what tha could. Your aunt Peggy and me and Ouer children track them indins fur a half a mile that mite haf been in one of them thikets and kild us all.
I have went many times and took my gun and lay in the corner of the fense and helpe your pa wach for indins. And one time your pa and me was a way up abuv thare a huntin bees and I got tyrd an sit down clos to the horses and your pa went on up of for some distanc after a whiloe your pa cum to me in a grate hury. said he, we must be off now in a big hury. i herd guns a fiering and smok is gust a risin said he and I kno the indins has done some mischieaf not very fair from here an tha hav sit the woods on fiere. said he we air in much dainher. Now let us be off. I said help me on my hors and gave me my gun. we went on from thare hardley ever spoke but when we did we would talk laow. we had not got home but a few hors un tell the word come that the indins had kild Me Elexander on the Gocher Trail.
in the Summer of 1835 the indins and Mesicans was so bad we had to go to la Grange. all the sttlement had to go to C. S. Moors (Moore's) and and fort thare. We stayd somr time-- I dia [don't] remember just how long as I was very sik whiloe we camt thare. but how ever we got to come home in the fall some tim of 1835 and stay thare un tell Feburary 1st 1836. Then was we all drove out of our houses with all of ouer littl ones to suffer with cold and hungry and almost nakidness and littl Lorency was not three months old when we startd. he died on the rode (on 22nd 1836).
when the Mesicans was invadin Texas your pa had bin to the servis all the time. but I was sik and your Pa finaly got a furlow to come home a while but your uncle Thomas Rabb was still with the armey as tha retreted on this was from San Antonio and yore uncle Tommy would keep tellin Sam Houston that he had better fite the Mesicans and not let them invae or come any futher. that it would be worse and worse for us but ole Sam was aferd and wuld not fite and when tha had got nerly to the clorreado your uncle tould Ole Sam he had better driv them back and that now. but he just still let them cum on and tha got to the Colerreado river. your uncle toald Ole Sam that if he let them Mesicans cross the Colerreado River that he would certanly loose over half of his men that tha wudl leave him and go on to thare fameleys and he gave him to unnerstand that he fer one would leave him. Old Sam tould your uncle that the Colerreado river would run with blud before tha should ever cross and your uncle said before day light. the very next mornin the Mesicans was crossing the river and youre uncle Tommy got on his hors and went to his famely to moove them on before the armey that lived in Egypt. We all wase called the invadin of Texas the "run a way trip" so your uncle Tommys wife only lived one day after he got home. So there were deths and births on that ride while we was runnin from the Mesicans.
How many tryels and trubbles has we past threw to gether in Texas and in cummin to it and no opperutnity of goin to church even yet. God as mindful of us a blest us and gave us his sparit and made us feel that we was his. Don't you remembr that nite you and me stayd all nite with Rebecca and God blest us an you wantd all the indins and ever budy to love and prais God. The blessin of his Holy Spirit that God gaves to his peple is the most glorius of any thing in the world and the one thing most nedeful toteringas me and you stand on the brink of the grave yet thare may be many things that will drop before we do when you and me yousto be runin from the Mesicans and the indins how would we have thaut we would have lived to be as old as we are Yet God is with us an that to bless us. I think of you many times an I would be mity glad to see you but i don' recon I can . You no when you was all paced up to leve indin Hill thare was two hunderd indins come up to the hous then John Ingrim was sent down to Burnumms to git help. I think he got two men. i want you to tell me how tha was.
I herd you and Thom had geoned the Babtist church, I think that is a mity good church. if I never see you agin in this world&emdash;I expect to meet you both in haven.
