Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Steve Johnson

My daddy Bob Johnson was first a slave of a man by de name of John Johnson who sold him to Massa Willis Lang , who was a Captain in de Confederate army, an' who cum to Texas from Missippi long time before dis war an' settled in de Brazos bottom 'bout nine miles across de river from what is now de town of Perry. He was an old bacheler an' so he sent back to Missippi for his nephew James Boliver Billingsly to cum an' help him wid de plantation. W'en he cum from Missippi he brought some of his slaves wid him an' dey lived on de plantation after he died an' Massa Billingsly owned hit. Massa James Billingsly had a family an' had several chillun, but dey all died w'en dey was little but one an' dat was de baby boy dey named Boliver after his daddy. De Brazos bottom was low an' swampy an' dey had de malaria so de folks used to die wid hit more dan dey do now. De first dat I kin 'member hearing 'bout was de Indians, de tales dat was told by de w'ite folks an' my folks too, was mostly 'bout how dey did in de days befo' de war dat freed de niggers. Dese tales was 'bout Captain Willis Lang ,

I does not know any thing 'bout how dey fought wid de Captain. So I will try to tell you de story 'bout how he tells 'bout his wild chase after de Indians w'en he belonged to de ranger company dat some of de Waco men was in an' was organized in Waco  In de year 1860, w'en Governer Houston had Col. M. T. Johnson to raise a regiment to go to de frontier of Texas to keep de Indians from dey depredations, dey was a man by de name of Smith dat organized a company at Waco on de fifth day of April, an' Massa Lang went as a private, dey was some of de Brazos bottom folks dat went too an' one was Frank Dunklin . I 'member dey was Pat O'Brien , an' W. McDermott an' Cliff Jackson , I think dey was from Waco. De ladies of Waco gi'v dem a banner an' hit was presented by Miss H. Earle an' Lieutenant Ross received hit. Dey has a big company an' de first camp dey make is at Hog Creek, Captain Erath joins dem an' goes wid em as scout untill dey find de best place to camp in de Bosque Hills. Dey stake dey ponies an' de first thing dat dey do is to go out an' shoot some wild game for dey dinner. Dey has to wait for de Bosque river to go down so dey kin ford hit, so dey stay here a few days an' w'en dey ford de river, dey goes on towards de Stephenville country. Captain Erath stay wid 'em untill dey reach dey campin' place on Barton's Creek, twenty miles from Stephenville, den he goes on in another direction. While dey is camped at dis place for awhile, de men hunt de wild mustang ponies. Dey was lots of dese horses in Texas, an' dey is supposed to be wild horses dat de Indians had let git away from dem in dey drives to Mexico whar dey traded dem for supplies. Some of de men killed some deer an' some wild turkey. Dey crossed de Palo Pinto, a little muddy river, on de other side of hit, dey was mountain an' hit was a more beautiful country, wid a little spring on top of de mountain. But I will tell you more 'bout de wild horses. Hit was de story dat de Indians had herds of de wild mustang's dey drive to Mexico an' some of dem escaped an' so dis is de way de wild Texas mustangs git started. After de Texas folks had fenced de land wid barb wire, if de ponies git caught inside de pasture wid de wire fence dey was not so hard to ketch, for w'en dey was pressed by de rider dey would git so skeered dat dey would turn dey head first one way an' den another an' so dey could not run so fast, den dey was easy to rope, but in de days w'en dey had not fenced de country den hit was a real huntin' to ketch de wild mustang. De rider's would carry several rawhide hobbles on dey saddles an' w'en de pony was thrown, de rider would jump from his horse an' hobble de wild horse by his front feet, den dey would turn dem loose in de pasture an' later on dey would have de boys who break de horses to ride dem. Dey could not stake dem out wid a rope for dey would break dey necks right den, most of dese ponies would pitch every time de rider would try to ride dem, for a long time. W'en dey commenced to fence de land to raise cattle an' sheep, dey did'nt want de wild horses to eat de grass, so dey commenced to kill dem an' to run dem clear off to de other prairies farther away. But I must tell you more 'bout Massa Lang's wild Indian hunt, as he called hit. W'en I was tellin' you 'bout dis company dey was camped near what is now de town of Stephenville, on Barton's Creek. Dey leave dis place an' cross de Palo Pinto River an' dey find a mountain whar dey camps wid a spring of fine water an' how dey camp at Captain Ross ranch. W'en dey is here, de scouts bring de news dat de Indians has killed two men on Elm Creek an' so dey send 'bout thirty of de men to go after de Indians. Dey go to a place called Braggs an' find dat a man by de name of Newhouse had been killed an' a Mexican. All de w'ite settlers had brung dey families here to stay together while de men went on de Indians trail, but de Indians had gotten away an' de rangers did'nt find dem either. So dey took up dey march again untill dey git to Camp Cooper whar dey stay for some time. Dey set up dey tents an' scout 'round for something to eat an' de wimmen of de neighborhood send butter an' eggs an' milk to de men. Dey chase de deer an' de antelope, an' wild turkey an' cattle is plentiful.

From dis place dey goes on to de Fort Balknap an' some of de boys git drunk so dey has dey orders to go an' spill de whiskey, Massa Lang takes some of de men an' go an' spill de whiskey in five miles of Belknap. Den dey tell 'bout how dey had de 'lection of officers, dey think dat Lieutenant Ross should be promoted an' so he was made de Captain of de company an' Massa Lang was made de Lieutenant. Massa Lang tell how, 'bout dis time he went to town wid Captain Ross to settle a difficulty wid a man by de name of Pete Murphy . He find him an' dey settle hit peaceful, den dey all took dinner at Murphy's an' how some of de boys got drunk again; Dick Harris shot Frank Dunklin thro' de thigh, but hit was not serious, so dey start back to de camp an' one of de boys has disappeared, so dey has to stop to hunt him, but finally after several days he rides into camp, dis was Pat O'Brien . Massa Lang tell 'bout how w'en dey reach de Little Wichita river dey find Captain Burleson camped at dis place an' dey stay there for a week or two an' scout for de Indians, but dey don't find any an' so dey goes on to de Big Wichita whar Captain Burleson is again camped close to whar dey is an' dey all join together in dey hunt for de Indians. Dey don't find any Indians here but dey find a herd of Buffalo, so de men go on a buffalo hunt. Dey tell how dey dash into de herd an' pick out de buffalo dey wants an' den ride by him untill dey kin fire into him low down between de shoulders, after he is shot dey keep on a runnin' by his side untill he begin to bleed at de mouth, den he is 'bout gone an' de hunter kin ride another one down. Dey tell 'bout runnin' into another herd an' Massa Lang pick out de head of de herd an' when he is shot, how he rises up to his full height an' holds his tail out straight, an' he shakes his shaggy mane wid rage an' his eyes glare fire at him wid his tongue out he rushed at him an' drops dead before he kin git to Massa Lang . W'en dey camp on de Red River dey tell 'bout passin' thro' what dey call de prairie dog towns. De holes whar de dogs lived was dug 'bout twenty feet apart an' dey was in rows like de houses in a town. Dey sit up on top of de holes untill dey see some one cumin' den dey jump down in dey holes or houses an' stay untill what-ever dey see is gone, den up dey cum an' sit up on de top of dey holes agin, de rattlesnakes an' de owl lived wid dem sometimes. Dese prairie dogs live in de north an' de west part of Texas, an' dey made hit hard w'en dey started to farmin' for dey eat up de crops, so de folks put poison out an' has killed most of dem out.

After dey leave de Red River, dey camp at a place called Camp Cooper, dis is a military post an' dey has de tents made wid de pickets driven in de ground an' sound tents stretched over dese pickets. Dey was some storm houses under de mountain on de clear fork. Dey goes down de river to a place dey called Shirleys an' eats dey supper. While dey was at dis camp Captain Smith , who had been made a Colonel, cum in from de Indian hunt an' he is had some trouble wid dem in gittin' dem to go on w'en dey is near de Indians, dey has turned an' cum back an' is very angry wid dem. Dey has a fight in de camp an' Cliff Jackson whips a man by de name of Randolph . W'en de news of de Kickapoo Indians cum, dat dey had killed two families, den Captain Ross wid twenty men go to hunt dem an' takes fifty friendly Indians. Dey leave de camp at sunrise an' eat on Cache creek, after dinner dey discover de prairie on fire, dey has to stop again on de creek for de fire to die out. Dey meets de whole regiment at de ole Wichita Village fourteen miles below de agency, account of de prairie fire dey has to turn back. Captain Smith an' de officers of de regiment decided to abandon de expedition an' dey scatters to different places. Captain Ross an' a few of de men was sick, so dey went back to de agency an sent Massa Lang an' Lieut. Kelleher wid thirty-one men up de Canadian Ribber. Dey follow de divide, dey find hit dry an' like a desert, den dey go up a little hollow an' find a timbered valley an' birds, wild game an' fresh grass. Dis was in de valley between some mountains an' dey find de bigges' walnut an' pecan an cotton wood trees dey ever saw, over seventy five an' a hundred feet high. Dey find whar de Indians had an' ole camp, but no Indians. Dey go on up between de mountains to hunt for de spring an' found de spring. Hit was cumin' out of de rock in de side of de cliffs dat rose from fifty to a hundred feet. Dey called hit Langs Spring. Den dey opened a bottle of whiskey an' drink hit to dey good luck, w'en dey did dis, dey cut dey names, wid dey sweethearts names on de rock de spring was cumin' from. Dey camp here an' find a bee tree full of honey an' kill a buck deer. W'en dey leave dis place, dey goes on up de valley of de Canadian, whar dey find de branch an' goes to de head an' find's a hole or what dey called a basin of water pourin' over de rock 'bout forty feet long an' thirty feet wide an' fifteen feet deep. Den dey goes back to de bottom an' finally cum's to a Comanche village, whar dey camp close by. Dis was close to a trading post too. De Indians had been brought to dis place by de traders an' dey was 'bout de filthiest tribe dat de rangers had run across, so Massa Lang say; de chief was fat an' lazy, no danger from dese Indians. Before I quits tellin' you 'bout dis Indian hunt dat Captain Lang was in I must tell you 'bout de way dey had fun w'en dey was in camp an' not busy.

Dey would throw a ranger in de creek one at a time, four of de men would take de one dey is going to throw in, holdin' him by his arms an' legs; he is swearing dat he is going to kill dem if dey don't turn him loose, but dey keeps right on, an' as dey cum to de bank of de creek dey sing  On Jordans Stormy Bank I Stand" an' "cast a ranger in", den dey count, "one, two, three," dey swing him high, den low, den dey count "one, two, three" again an' dey throw him into de creek, w'en he cum's up his hair is standin' on on end, his eyes is glarin' mad at de rest of de boys, as he opens his mouth to call out "damn" de water rolls in, den w'en he git to de bank his good humer cum's back an' he laughs wid de rest of de boys an' so den he helps to enjoy de fun out of de next one. De way dey pass de time at night w'en dey is on a hunt an' not tired, dey pull off a old timey dance. De moon is shinin' an' de night is still an' beautiful, dey is feelin' a little homesick, Gimeyby one of de rangers has a violin an' yer kin hear de tunes a cumin' from his tent, one by one dey joins in de songs of de home an' dey sweethearts, den he strikes up de old Virginia reel tune an' w'en he goes to playing Forward four, ladies change, dis was echoed an' answered by de yelpin' of de wolves, an' de night hawks of de wilderness. Den de boys can't stand still any longer an' dey grabs one another an' starts de dance to de tune of de fiddle an' de bow. One is such a big hurry dat he rolls out of bed wid out his pants on, in his night clothes, one cum's out wid a blanket around his waist an' a bandana handkerchief on his head, an' at de tune of de fiddle he bounces off an' sings in a high voice like a woman an' he is tryin' to act a young widow. W'en dey has finished dey scoutin' trip, dey returns home to de Brazos bottom an' de company is disbanded untill after de Civil War is over.

De rangers was called back right after de war to help keep de Indians on de reservation, Captain Ross cum's back an' give his report of de trip, an' den de war cum an' dey organize a company to go to hit. W'en de Civil War started in 1861 Captain Lang organized a company of cavalry at Marlin, Texas an' dey was sent to New Mexico whar he was killed at de battle of Val Verde. He had a brother named Willis Lang who was de Grande Master of de State Grange an' de Patron of Husbandry in de reconstruction days. After de Captain was killed, den de plantation in de Brazos bottom was inherited by Massa James Boliver Billingsly who lived on hit untill he died in 1881. His son Boliver Billingsly is now livin' in Marlin, Texas. Massa Billingsly had a nephew who cum from Missippi too an' lived on de plantation on de Brazos for many years, he had several chillun one is Mrs. Dr. Walter Allen of Marlin, she was named Falconer . Hit was her husband, Dr. Allen of Marlin dat went under wid de bridge on de Brazos w'en hit was swept away, in de flood 'bout twenty years ago. An'se dey lives on, jes as de Brazos keeps a rollin' along. De ole folks dat cum here w'en de country was new, keep a rollin' along untill dey time, an' de most of dem stays close by de ole man river dat has helped dem to raise dey families, untill dey time cum's to go on wid de flood of de years. De story 'bout dem is another one to tell you.


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