Elisha ANGLIN

                   Historical information included in notes

Elisha, Catherine and family moved to Texas in 1833 in the company of t he Parker's and members of the Predestination Baptist Church. Two of t heir children died in infancy.Elisha was granted 25 labors of land on 28 Feb 1835. the property comme nces at the corner of Silas Drake.

Moved to Kentucky sometime before 28 Dec 1817 when his son, Abram Anglin, was born. Moved to Illinois sometime in late 1818 to early 1819 and was found in Edwards Co, IL in 1820. Moved to Clay Co, IL sometime before 20 Oct 1826. Found in Edgar Co, IL in 1830. Probably accompanied the Rev. Daniel Parker who brought a group of 25 Primitive Baptist families from Illinois to Texas in 1833 after consulting with Stephen F. Austin about starting a protestant church in Texas (Mexican law at that time required all Texas colonists to convert to Catholicism.) The church called itself the Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church and settled on the San Pedro Creek, near what is now the town of Grapeland, Houston Co, TX where they built what was called Brown's Fort. Elisha probably also accompanied Elder John Parker, Rev. John Parker's brother, and two other families 75 miles west to the headwaters of the Navasota River to establish Parker's Fort. (Becky Grimes, A Short History of Anderson County, Texas, www.rootsweb.com/~txanders/history.html (April 7, 1998).). The story of Parker's Fort Massacre (Elisha and his son, Abram Anglin were a couple of the few survivors of the massacre):The following biographical sketch has been kindly furnished us by Mr. Anglin, with the privilege of using it as we choose. We give it almost in his own language; and no one who knows him will doubt his statements:Abram Anglin was born in Kentucky, December 28, 1817. His father moved to Illinois when he was one year old, and came to Texas in 1833. They settled on the frontier, now Limestone county, many miles from any white habitation. The little colony with which they came consisted of about eight families. In 1835 he enlisted in the service as a Texas Ranger. As the Indians and Mexicans were, at that time, becoming troublesome, they built Fort Parker, near the present site of Groesbeck. These families were the advance-guard of civilization. Fort Houston, in Anderson county, was the nearest protection, except their own trusty rifles.In 1835, the hostility of the Indians and Mexicans compelled this little band of brave men and women to abandon Fort Parker. Among those who were compelled to flee before the invading army of Mexicans, was the father of Mr. Anglin. His son Abram accompanied him to the Trinity River, intending to see them safe over, and return for the purpose joining our forces. They were delayed at the river in consequence of an overflow.Before they could cross the river, the joyful news reached them that the Mexicans had been defeated at Jacinto. Going on to Fort Houston, and remaining there a few days, he returned to Fort Parker, in company with Seth Bates, his son Silas, David Faulkenbury and his son Evans; to look after the crops and stock. These hardy sons of toil spent their nights sometimes in the fort and sometimes on their farms.On the night of May 19, 1836, they slept at the fort, and left early next morning to work on their farms, as was their custom. About eleven o'clock, the 19th, a lady brought them news that a force of six hundred Indians had attacked the fort, murdered the few men left, and had taken the women and children prisoners, except those who had escaped by hiding in the brush. Mr. Anglin gathered up his comrades, David Faulkenbury, his son, and Plummer; and picking the flints of their trusty weapons, started to the scene of conflict, resolved to rescue the women and children, even against such fearful odds. On their way they encountered several Indians, who had a Mr. Nixon, Mrs. Silas Parker and two of her children, prisoners. They followed them to the fort and there recaptured the prisoners. Seeing the fort had been destroyed, and finding such a large force of Indians, the brave little band retreated; Mr. Anglin carrying a child in his arms, and another one of the company another. Nixon fled the field as soon as he was released. The Indians from whom they had taken the prisoners, returned to the main body which was collected about two hundred yards from the fort containing the hapless women and children, whipping 
them and maltreating them in every conceivable way. About thirty mounted Indians, armed with bows and arrows strung and drawn, would charge them, uttering the most unearthly yells, but on the presentation of their guns they would halt, right-about wheel, and retire to a safe distance. This continued until they had passed through a forty-acre field and entered the woods, when they ceased to pursue, supposing that they were being led into an ambuscade. They carried Mrs. Parker and her children about five miles, stopping several times for the exhausted mother to rest. Mr. Anglin was compelled to dip water in his shoe to give her drink. On the way to a place of safety, the party met with old man Bates, his son Silas, and old man Lunn. They carried Mrs. Parker and her children into the Navisota bottom; left them with Mr. Bates, agreeing upon a signal - the hooting of an owl - on their return.Mr. Anglin, David and Evans Faulkenbury, and Silas Bates started back to the fort to succor the wounded and those who might have escaped. The party had to pass by the farm of Mr. Anglin's father. Being himself in front of the little company; he saw the first and only ghost he ever saw. It was dressed in white, with long white hair streaming down its back. He admits that he was scared worse then than when the Indians were yelling and charging. Seeing him hesitate, his ghost beckoned him to come on. Approaching the house, it proved to be old Granny Parker, whom the Indians had abused, stabbed, and left for dead, because of her age and infirmity. She had made her way to this house from the fort by walking and crawling. Mr. Anglin took some bed clothing, carried her some distance from the house, made her a bed, covered her up and left her until the party should return from the fort. On their arrival at the fort they could not see or hear a single human sound. But the dogs were barking, the cattle bellowing, the horses neighing and the hogs squealing, making hideous medley of sounds. Mrs. Parker had told Mr. Anglin where she had thrown some silver, one hundred and six dollars and a half. This he found under a hickory bush, by moonlight. Finding no one at the fort they returned to where they had hidden Granny Parker. One taking her up behind him, they went to where they had left the other parties rescued, and giving the signal, it was answered by the man Nixon, whom they had not seen since his inglorious flight from the fort. In the book published by Jas. W. Parker, on pages 10 and 11, he states that Nixon liberated Mrs. Parker from the Indians and rescued old Granny Parker. Mr. Anglin asserts that this is a mistake. He is willing to be qualified to the statements he here makes, and can prove the same by Silas H. Bates, now living near Groesbeck.The party remained in the bottom the balance of the night, and in the morning, leaving the men of the party with the women, the younger portion went back to the fort to get provisions and horses.On the return of the young men to the fort, they found about five horses, a few old saddles and some bacon and honey. They were forced to leave the dead unburied. They then returned to the party in the bottom, concealed themselves until dark, when they started through the woods to Fort Houston. It took them three days to reach the fort. They raised a company of about twelve men, came back to Fort Parker, buried the dead, and drove off the stock. Mr. Anglin remained in Anderson county until the 28th of January, 1837. He then set out, accompanied by David and Evans Faulkenbury, Douthet, Hunter, and Anderson, to gather up some hogs that had strayed. Finding some on the east side of the Trinity, they sent them back by Douthet and Hunter, who promised to return next day and bring a canoe for the purpose of crossing the river. Being impatient to accomplish their mission, they constructed a raft of logs and crossed over, and searching all the forenoon for the hogs, they repaired to the place where they were to meet the parties with the canoe.The remainder of the story details facts of an interesting nature, and we pre
fer giving them in Mr. Anglin's own language."Arriving at the river we found no canoe, but plenty of Indian sign; and supposing the tracks to have been made by friendly Indians, went near the river where the bank shielded us from the wind, and lay down to await the can8oe. We all fell asleep, and were awakened by the war-whoop and firing of Indians, About thirty of the dastardly red-skins had crept up within fifteen feet of us, some armed with bows and arrows and some with guns, and the first we knew they opened fire on us. David Faulkenbury was the first to rise, handed me my gun and picked up his own. I noticed that he was wounded, as was Anderson also. Just as I arose a ball struck me in the thigh, inflicting a terrible wound. David Faulkenbury said, "Come on, boys, it is time to go;" and throwing his gun into the water, plunged into the river himself. Anderson also jumped into the river. Evans Faulkenbury and myself sprang behind an ash tree, intending to shoot at the Indians, but they had concealed themselves behind a bluff and knowing it to be useless for two of us to fight so many when they had every advantage, I threw my gun in, jumped into the river and swam to the opposite side. As I was swimming, the Indians were discharging their arrows, and while climbing out on the opposite bank I received several other slight wounds. Weak and exhausted, however, as I was, I reached the bank, where I found David Faulkenbury too badly wounded to travel. He told me to make my way to the fort as best I could. I had gone about four hundred yards when I met Hunter coming to carry us in the canoe. He took me up behind him and traveled as fast as he could toward the fort. We soon met the other men, and by their assistance I reached Fort Houston, greatly exhausted and suffering from the wounds. A company of men went back the same night to look for the rest of our party, but did not find them until the next day. They found the corpse of David Faulkenbury near a hole of water. He had cut the long grass and made him a bed on which to die. About two miles further on they found the remains of Anderson, with two arrows sticking through his back. He had run that distance after swimming the river, and fell dead. Evans Faulkenbury was never seen or heard from. We could see his tracks some distance down the edge of the water, and we supposed he was mortally wounded. We searched for his body in the river, but never found it. All my comrades with me on that occasion perished, and I alone was left to tell the tale of our suffering."Mr. Anglin remained at Fort Houston until March, when he again entered the service as a Texas Ranger; came to the frontier, and served six months. In the fall of 1837, he and his father and a few others brought their families to the neighborhood of old Fort Parker. The Indians became troublesome again in the spring of 1838; they had to leave their farms and fall back to Whelock. Here he remained, now following agricultural pursuits, and then shouldering his rifle as his country needed his services. In 1844, he served as a volunteer, and met the wily Indian on these same broad prairies that are now being rapidly filled with peaceable and peace-loving citizens. Mr. Anglin has helped to drive out the Indian, and now lives to enjoy the fruits of his toil and privation. All honor to the veterans of Texas.At the time of the massacre spoken of above, there were only six men in the fort, viz., Elder John Parker, Benjamin and Silas Parker, Samuel and Robert Frost, and J. E. Dwight. These had been left in the fort while the others had gone out for the purpose of working on their farms. Including the men whose names are mentioned, there were thirty-four in the fort eighteen of whom were children. Mr. Dwight was the only man who escaped from the fort; all the rest were killed. Several of the women escaped, and some were subsequently rescued from the Indians, as related above. Mrs. Plummer and her son James Pratt, only about eighteen months of age, Mrs. Kellogg, and the two oldest children of Silas Parker, were captured and carr
ied into captivity. By almost a miracle, old Granny Parker, as she was familiarly known, being left for dead, was rescued by Mr. Anglin and his intrepid party. The Indians plundered the fort, killed all the cattle they could find, fled immediately to the mountains, leaving the dead, and those whom they thought were dead, exposed to the wild beasts of the prairie, until they were buried by the returning party, as narrated above. Their remains now repose near Old Fort Parker. Mrs. Plummer, her child, and others, were carried into captivity, where they remained for eighteen months.(Quoted form Old Fort Parker; see also James T. De Shields, Border Wars of Texas172-181 (Fort Parker massacre) and 223-225 (subsequent adventure)