one of the earliest missions planned by captain ramon was that of our lady of nacogdoches (1715). it was built on the lands of the naugodoches indians, not far from the disputed boundary of texas, and nearly on a line with the french post of natchitoches in louisiana. some priests, whose duty it was to convert the indians, were placed there, and with them a small garrison of spanish soldiers to watch the french at natchitoches. this was one of those garrisons surprised in 1718 by st. denis, and driven to the gates of san antonio. the soldiers were brought back and reinstated by aguayo; and from that time on, to the close of the century, the little military post was kept up.
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monsieur de pagès, a french gentleman who in 1766 passed across texas on a voyage around the world, received from the missionary fathers at aes, adaes, and nacogdoches a hospitable welcome. he describes particularly the mission of “naquadock” (nacogdoches) with its “plaza and its pleasant trees,” and says that the “half-savage spanish soldiers” at the presidio, when they were upon their horses, recalled to his mind the ancient chevaliers. the spanish “bold-rider” wore a cuirass of antelope skin and carried a shield, a large sword, a carbine, and a pair of pistols. his arms and the equipment of his horse were very heavy and cumbersome, but he was an “amazing good fighter.” monsieur de pagès, who was an officer in the french navy, was also a correspondent of the academy of sciences at paris. he took careful notes in all the countries through which he passed. he describes the soil and climate of texas and the animals, especially the fine, robust horses. “a good horse,” he says, “may be had for a pair of shoes.” but his greatest interest is in the savages. he mentions the comanches, the apaches, the adaes, and the tehas tribes. the tehas, he says, were a “corn-growing people.” he spent some time at the mission of nacogdoches (“naquadock”) in company with a deposed governor of the province.
de pagès’ map of texas.
in 1778 a stone fort, which still stands, was built at nacogdoches by captain gil y barbo for the accommodation of the spanish soldiers. a few huts were clustered about the presidio, for it was on the old san antonio road and was a stopping-place for travelers; but it was a dull and lonely spot.
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suddenly, with the birth of a new century, it awoke from its long slumber and became, in a way, the starting-point of texas history. it was the gateway through which anglo-american energy and ambition came in to texas. from its plaza unrolled a panorama full of life and vigor: scenes in which adventurers, freebooters, patriots, and dreamers played their parts.
the panorama opens with philip nolan.
philip nolan, a young man of irish descent, obtained in 1797 a permit from de nava, the spanish commandant-general of texas, to collect in that province wild horses for the american army. he entered the province, made friends with the indians, and succeeded in gathering twelve hundred mustangs, which he drove across the border. he drew and brought back with him at this time a map of texas, the first one ever made. this map he gave to baron carondelet, the spanish governor at new orleans.[11]
three years later, with the same permit and ostensibly on the same errand, he started westward from natchez, mississippi. he had with him seventeen white men and one negro. his second in command was a nineteen-year-old lad named ellis bean. the men were all young, most of them being under thirty and many of them hardly more than twenty years of age.
they traveled on horseback across the wilderness, and some months later they encamped in the neighborhood of the present city of waco, where they found “elk and deer plenty, some buffalo, and thousands of wild horses.”[12] in a short time they had caught and penned three hundred mustangs. the indians were very friendly. at one time two hundred comanches visited them in their camp. in return they spent a month in the wigwams of that tribe. then they went back to their business of capturing wild horses.
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but orders in the meantime had come from de nava to musquiz, the spanish captain at nacogdoches, to arrest nolan at all hazards. he had been denounced to the spanish government as a traitor, and it was believed that he had come to texas for the purpose of setting up a republic of his own, or to further the plans of aaron burr.[13]
ellis p. bean.
musquiz left nacogdoches on the 4th of march, 1801, with one hundred soldiers, in search of the supposed conspirator. after a few days’ march he sent for el blanco, a famous indian chief, and offered him a large bribe if he would lead him to nolan’s camp. el blanco proudly spurned this base offer. some indian spies, however, served as guides, and at daybreak on the 22d of march musquiz found the camp. he attacked nolan and his men, who returned his fire from their rude blockhouse. nolan, whose rifle had been stolen from him by a deserter from his own camp, was killed in a few moments. bean took command and the fighting went on desperately for some time. finally, on a promise from the spaniards that they should be set free as soon as they reached nacogdoches, the outnumbered americans surrendered. they buried their gallant leader, whose dream of a republic, if he had one, died with him; and they set out with their captors for the presidio of nacogdoches. there, instead of the promised freedom, they found chains and captivity. they were heavily ironed and placed in close confinement. at the end of a month they were marched into the plaza, bound together, two and two. there was a beating of drums and a fluttering of spanish pennons. the hearts of the poor young prisoners beat high with hope. knowing that they had been guilty of no crime, they seemed already to feel their chains falling off, and they laughed joyfully, lifting their pallid faces to the free blue sky. but a harsh voice gave the order “forward march!” and driven by brutal guards they limped painfully away to mexican dungeons.
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it was six years before the king of spain found time to sentence these prisoners. a royal decree then came (1807) ordering every fifth man to be shot. by this time but nine were left alive, and the officer in charge decided that one only should suffer death.
the nine wretched captives threw dice to determine which of their number should die. the lot fell to ephraim blackburn, the oldest man among them. he was executed without delay.
only one of the others ever breathed the blessed air of freedom again. ellis bean, after many strange and thrilling adventures, finally escaped. his companions, to a man, perished in loathsome mexican prisons, some of them within a short time, others after a wretched captivity of more than fifteen years,—all ignorant to the last of the cause of their imprisonment.
