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An Early Settler of 1820s Brazos County...
a glimpse into early Montgomery County
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This 1822 description of what today is Brazos County may be of interest
to Texas Aggies, and to you folks residing in west Montgomery County. A
vast land teeming with large herds of buffalo, bear, wild horses and
wild flowers… |
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The attached letter
from Henry Mayo, Chairman of
the Brazos County Historical Commission that
was provided to him by Bill
Page with the A&M Library System. Henry's transmittal says:
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"This week’s
history item actually predates Brazos County’s creation, but gives
great, first-hand descriptions of what this area was like when Stephen
F. Austin’s first colonists arrived. Dewees first mentions their
arrival at the OSR crossing on the Brazos River, and ends the
first paragraph with mention of “a few families...near the old LaBahia
crossing”. These two locations later became the
upper and lower limits of Brazos County, along the Brazos River.
His last paragraph begins with a well-written description of vast fields
of Texas wildflowers. In a few months, I will share another first-hand
account very similar to this." |
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This is a very
interesting account of what the earliest Texans encountered and
experienced upon arriving in our area. Hope you enjoy this early glimpse
of our home county. |
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Mervin Peters
Secretary, WJB Chapter, SRT |
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Brazos River, Coahuila and Texas,
July, 16, 1822 |
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Dear Friend – After a long and toilsome journey I arrived at this point
from Red river, in company with three or four families from that
country, on the first day of January, last. We encamped at the crossing
of the old San Antonio road, two miles above the mouth of the Little
Brazos river. We were several months in getting here, there being
several families in company, among whom were quite a number of women and
children. A part of the time we were detained by the sickness of one or
another of the company, besides this, we lost several horses on the way,
and in fact we seemed to meet with a great many misfortunes. We carried
our luggage entirely upon pack‑horses, the roads being perfectly
impassable for a vehicle of any description. I believe I have already
given you a description of the country, between Pecan Point and
Nacogdoches, in a former letter. From the latter place to the Brazos the
county is high and dry; the land is generally poor, though well timbered
between Nacogdoches and the Trinity, from there on, we met with large
prairies. On arriving at the Brazos we found two families, Garrett and
Hibbings, who had got there a few days before us, and were engaged in
erecting cabins. We were, all of us, much pleased with the situation of
this place, and decided to remain here for the present. The settlement
now consisted of seven families; there is no other settlement within
fifty miles. About the time of our arrival here, a few families settled
below us on this river, near the old La Bahia crossing. |
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As far as we have seen, we are well pleased with this part of the
country. As high up as we have explored, the Brazos has the appearance
of being a large navigable river. The land is very rich and fertile! The
timber is good, and in places, particularly on Little river, the white
oak and cedar reminds me very forcibly of the timber in Kentucky. |
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Our mode of living, particularly for the women and children, has been a
rough one since our arrival on this river. About that time our
bread‑stuff gave out, and we had no chance of obtaining more till we
could raise it, and we have been obliged to subsist entirely upon the
game which we take in the woods and prairies. We have no reason to fear
suffering for food, as the country is literally alive with all kinds of
game. We have only to go out for a few miles into a swamp between the
Big and Little Brazos, to find as many wild cattle as one could wish. If
we desire buffalo met, we are able to go out, load our horses, and
return the same day. Bears are very plenty, but we are obliged to use
great care when hunting for them, lest the havalenas (meaning the
peccary) kill our dogs. |
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The families have saved a few pecks of corn which we planted, but on
account of the dry weather and the want of culture, it will yield but a
small amount. |
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The only cows we have, are a few which were brought out by Cherokee John
Williams. This of course will prove a good stock country, for the
prairies are teeming with wild horses and cattle. There are a vast
quantity of bee trees about here, so that we have no want of honey; one
might almost give this country the same description as was anciently
given of Canaan, "a land flowing with milk and honey," but we are rather
short off for the milk just now. |
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Upon the whole we spent our time very pleasantly; when we get tired of
lying about camp, we mend up our moccasins, and start up the Brazos
hunting buffalo, more for pastime than for anything else. We frequently
are gone out for two or three weeks; we generally go up as high as we
dare go, on account of the Whaco Indians. You would scarcely believe me,
were I to tell you of the vast herds of buffalo which abound here; I
have frequently seen a thousand in a day between this place and the
mouth of Little river. |
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In May, some six or seven of us took a trip as high up as Little river
by water. We constructed a small canoe, and about the time we were ready
to start, a young gentleman, who had just arrived here from the States,
desired to make the trip with us. To this we consented. On our way, we
would amuse ourselves by going out and shooting wild cattle, which are
in great abundance here. It was dangerous for us to encamp at night, on
the east side of the river, on account of the cattle coming in for
water, the night being the only time they go to water. We made our
station camp at the mouth of Little river on the beach! there we stayed
two weeks, killing and drying buffalo meat. We went out every day,
killed a buffalo or two apiece, and brought the choice pieces,
particularly the tongues, into camp. Our young friend, whom I mentioned
as having just come out from the States, had informed me that he was a
minister of the gospel. When one kills a buffalo, he generally lays
claim to the tongue as private property, it being a very choice piece;
the other portions are shared equally. Our little yankee preacher seemed
to enjoy himself very well during the trip, though he was greatly
disturbed by our profanity, for we were a rough set. My reason for
calling him a yankee, by the by, is on account of the way he managed to
get our buffalo tongues. About the time we got our canoe loaded with
meat ready to start home, he proposed a plan to break us from swearing,
to which we all very readily agreed. The first one who used an oath, was
to give whoever first reminded him of it, one of his dried buffalo
tongues. Oaths being so common with us, we, of course, did not notice
them, and in less than three days, the minister was possessor of our
dried tongues. |
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Perhaps a description of the wild rye, which grows very plentifully here
in the bottoms, might not be uninteresting to you. Indeed, I know if I
can give you half an idea of its beauty, you cannot fail to be
delighted. The bottom of the Brazos is very wide and level, and in the
summer season, rye grows here spontaneously, about four feet high. It
would, were it not for the timber standing in the midst, present the
same appearance which a cultivated rye field in the States presents, for
miles and miles. In fact, it far surpassses the common rye fields in
beauty, being much larger and thicker. |
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I have never witnessed a sight of the kind, which, in my opinion, was
more beautiful than this. The color of it is far deeper and richer than
any grain I have ever before seen. I always admired the sight of a fine
wheat field at home, but when I look at this, I sometimes wonder how I
could ever have thought that beautiful; it seems so insignificant when
compared with this rye. The timber, in the midst of which it grows,
renders the sight the more imposing. There is not in these wild rye
bottoms any undergrowth to the timber. The trees are large and tall! The
long moss waves from their thick branches, and mixes with the heads of
the rye; all seems still, solemn and beautiful, beyond the power of pen
to describe. One must see it to get even a faint idea of its beauty. |
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You, in Kentucky, cannot for a moment conceive of the beauty of one of
our prairies in the spring. Imagine for yourself a vast plain extending
as far as the eye can reach, with nothing but the deep blue sky to bound
the prospect, excepting on the east side where runs a broad red stream,
with lofty trees rearing themselves upon its banks, and you have our
prairie. This is covered with a carpet of the richest verdue, from the
midst of which spring up wild flowers of every hue and shade, rendering
the scence one of almost fairy‑like beauty. Indeed, it is impossible to
step without crushing these fairest of nature's works. Upon these
natural flower gardens feed numerous herds of buffalo, deer, and other
wild animals. Here and there may be seen beautiful clumps of trees, and
anon, a little thicket comes in view. The flowers of the prairie are
certainly the most beautiful which I have ever beheld. Our ladies in
Kentucky would feel themselves amply repaid for all the labor, which
they bestow upon their beautiful flower gardens, could they but afford
one half of the beauty of one of our prairies.
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Yours truly, W. B. D. |
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Dewees, W. B.,
Letters from an Early Settler of Texas. Louisville, KY: Morton &
Griswold, 1852, pages 23‑28 |
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