KILLOUGH MASSACRE

The Killough Massacre
From Tragedy to Historic Turning Point

The following Story did not take place in Dallas County, but it involves many early Dallas County pioneer family descendants and has been included in our library collection.

The Killough Massacre

You have heard that truth is stranger than fiction. The story of the Killough Massacre surely fits into that category and was much more than a family tragedy: it provided a turning point in Texas history that has had a significant and lasting impact on Texas and U. S. history.

Let's start with a list of dates to help you put events into perspective.
ò 1818 Cherokees "relocated" from Carolinasù"trail of tears"
ò Feb. 23,1836 Gen. Sam Houston/Chief Bowles - Cherokee Treaty
ò March 2,1836 Texas formally declares independence from Mexico
ò March 11,1836 Alamo falls to Santa Anna. Gen. Houston at Gonzales, 60 mi. east
of San Antonio with a relief column
ò March 16,1836 David Burnett made Provisional President of Texas
ò April 21,1836 Texas victory over Santa Anna at San Jacinto (E. of Houston)
ò Oct. 1836 Sam Houston becomes President of Republic of Texas
Power struggle in Texas government
ò Dec. 24, 1837 Killoughs arrive in area south of Neches Saline
ò Dec. 26,1837 Texas Senate refuses to ratify Houston's Cherokee Treaty
The Indians can occupy the land but without a title
ò July 1838 Council of Cherokee and Mexican agents
ò Aug. 4,1838 Vicente Cordova Rebellion in Nacogdoches area. Cordova the
self-styled "Commander of Mexican forces in Texas"
ò Oct. 5,1838 Killough massacre south of Neches Saline
ò Oct. 8,1838 Survey party of 25 attacked by Kickapoo Indians SW of Corsicana, TX- 19 killed
ò Oct. 16, 1838 Battle of Kickapoo Town near Frankston,TX. Nathaniel Killough wounded in shoulder
ò Nov. 1838 Nathaniel Killough leads group to bury massacre dead. Only
Samuel identified via gold tooth.
ò Dec. 1838 Mirabeau B. Lamar becomes President of Republic of Texas
ò July 15,1839 Cherokees defeated N of Neches Saline and chased out of Texas

Note that General Houston covered his flank with the Cherokee Treaty. Also note that Houston was moving rapidly (for those days) around south and east Texas.

From the above, you can see that Texas was hi a state of turmoil in the 1836ù 1838 period. This was particularly so in the area of Nacogdoches, the Mexican capital and administrative center for northeastern Texas. It was the bastion for keeping the Anglos from encroaching into Mexican territory from Louisiana and Arkansas. Consequently, many Mexican nationals who had been removed from influence and power following the Texas revolution were unhappy with their treatment and loss of status. The Indians, particularly the peaceful Cherokees, were concerned by the encroachment of Anglos into their new lands, having been there for only a few years after their forced removal over the "Trail of Tears" from the Carolinas. Then there were the new settlers from the south and east that had been enticed to come and populate the largely empty new nation by offers of free land. Malcontents from many Indian tribes, runaway blacks and renegade whites were opportunists and were looking for ways to "strike it rich" or just "get even." It was into this climate that Isaac Killough, Sr. and his family arrived on the scene from Talladega County, Alabama.

The winter of 1837ù38 was a harsh one with many severe "northers" to send the temperature plunging. The Killough land grants were originally in the areas south and west of the present Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in what early maps showed as "an immense level prairie." These areas were considered too dangerous for settlement at that time because of marauding plains Indians. So the Killough party decided to occupy some land south of the Neches Saline in Cherokee Territory buying it with gold received from the sale of their lands in Alabama. The Killoughs arrived on this land situated close to the Neches Saline Road on December 24,1837. The Killough settlement site is about 7 miles north of Jacksonville, TX and 3 3/4 miles west on County Road 855. The Neches Saline Road (also called the Cherokee Road) was first an Indian trail but had been used as a road to haul salt from the Neches Saline to Nacogdoches for at least 70 years previous to the Killough arrival. Upon arrival, the Killough children were delighted to have the freedom to romp and play after the arduous trip while the adults cleared their land, built cabins and in the spring planted crops. Meanwhile bachelor Barakias Williams became enamored with the comely 19-year old Elizabeth Killough.

The outbreak of the Vincente Cordova Rebellion in August of 1838, which was supported by Mirabeau B. Lamar, plus threats by the mean Indian Dog Shoot caused the Killoughs to leave their land, livestock and maturing crops to retreat to the safety of Nacogdoches. When peace returned, the Killoughs made a treaty with the Cherokees and returned to their lands to gather whatever crops were left and to round up livestock left behind. The treaty allowed them until "the first white frost" to complete their task. General Houston helped arrange this with Chief Philip Bowles.

The gathering was completed except for "two hauls of Uncle Nathanial Killough's corn." The men returned from the fields to have lunch in their various homes. One report relates that the women were busy preparing a wedding feast for Barakias Williams and Elizabeth Killough, the 19-year old daughter of Isaac, Sr., who were to be married as soon as the crops were laid in. The women had used some of the valuable cloth they had brought with them to sew a trousseau. The men planned to build another cabin for them, and a big celebration was planned. About one o'clock p.m. the men started back to the fields and since there had been no signs of trouble and there was only a little work to be done, they left their guns in their cabins. Many of the men were crossing the swamp just before the creek when they were suddenly attacked by a band of "Mexicans and wild Indians." They were all killed. Nathaniel, whose house was on the southwest side of the creek, was watering his horse at a spring when he heard the gunfire. He mounted his horse, ran to his cabin and tried to get his wife and one year old daughter mounted. The attackers were pressing so they abandoned the horse and hid in the cane. When things quieted down, they made their way to the home of a friendly Indian, got another horse and escaped to Lacey's Fort most likely via the Neches Saline Road.

Isaac, Sr. ran out of his cabin on hearing the attack and was shot dead. Ursey, his wife, ran to his side and demanded that the attackers shoot her too, but they refused. Later, Ursey, Jane (Isaac, Jr.'s wife), and Narcissa (Samuel's wife) tried to move Isaac, Sr.'s body back into the cabin. He was a very large man and they could not move him, instead they covered his body with quilts and pinned them to the ground with fence rails. The Indian Dog Shoot found the women and ordered them to follow him to the house of Chief Benge, a two-mile walk. They refused and Dog Shoot said he would get a gun and come back and kill them. The three women with baby Billy, then thirteen months old, and a small fice (fiesty?) dog hid in tall grass and watched the enraged Indians ransack and burn their houses. At dark they set out on foot for the safety of Lacy's Fort, some 40 miles distant, traveling only at night for fear of being spotted. Narcissa had recognized one of the attackers as a Mr. Hawkins from their Talladega, Alabama community and a known troublemaker among the Indians.

On the third morning, not having eaten since the massacre, the women decided they were far enough away to chance travel by daylight. Soon they were accosted by an Indian with an unloaded rifle who forced them to take a side path from the Neches Saline Road to his cabin. There they were guarded, fed and after a day's rest given horses and sent on to Lacy's Fort by the friendly Indian who informed them they had been searched for since the massacre in order to help them. Upon arrival at Lacey's Fort at night, the women were almost shot by the nervous sentries before identifying themselves as "women of Saline." One report said the gift of the horses probably saved Jane's life since she was soon to deliver her first child.

Back to the massacre -- due to a severe attack of rheumatism, Owen C. Williams had remained at his cabin on the outer edge of the settlement with his wife Polly (nee Mary Killough) and 3 children. Owen's brother, the bachelor Elbert, was also there and hearing gunfire, saddled three horses allowing the group to escape. Owen's other brother, bachelor Barakias, in one account ran to help Narcissus, a small (97 pounds) weak woman, with baby William and was subsequently missing. Another account says Barakias went to Narcissus' aid and was shot dead shortly after the women insisted he flee since they had been told by the attackers they would not be harmed. Before fleeing, Polly managed to save three pocketbooks belonging to Owen, Elbert and Barakias from a trunk in their cabin. Those keepsakes remained in the family for several generations. Owen's 17-year old sister Elizabeth joined the Alien Killough group trying to escape and disappeared with them. George Wood's family were either all killed or spirited away. His wife Jane was a daughter of Isaac, Sr.

The Killough massacre shocked the entire area as the news spread like wildfire. President Houston ordered General Rusk to raise a militia and on October 16,1838 there was a battle with the Kickapoo Indians several miles west of the Killough property near the present town of Frankston that drove those unfriendly Indians out of the area. Nathaniel Killough suffered a shot through the shoulder in this engagement. Several weeks later, Nathaniel Killough led a group to the massacre site and buried the dead they could find, some say four, others report six or seven.

These bodies were buried under a large oak (since fallen) "some few hundred yards east of the Samuel Killough home." This is the site of the Massacre Memorial and cemetery.
Mirabeau B. Lamar was now President of the Republic of Texas and directed a campaign to drive the Indians out of East Texas to make it safe for Anglo settlers. Sam Houston was in Tennessee visiting and old friend, Andrew Jackson, and was unable to intervene. When the notorious agent/provocateur Manuel Flores was killed by Texas Rangers on the San Gabriel River near present day Georgetown, Texas , papers found on his body implicated the Cherokees with the Cordova Rebellion. This information coupled with the outrage over the Killough massacre was used by Lamar to give the Cherokees an ultimatum: leave or be forcefully removed. Cherokee War Chief Bowles asked to be allowed to remain until the crops were harvested, but Lamar refused this courtesy earlier offered by the Cherokees to the Killoughs. Bowles consulted with another Cherokee Chief, Civil Chief Big Mush, as well as other chiefs and his own braves. Following these consultations and against his personal wishes, Chief Bowles said the Cherokees would fight rather than leave under those conditions. The Cherokee War resulted and during the Battle of July 15,1839 Chief Bowles was killed while wearing the handsome sash and sword given him by Sam Houston. His body was then mutilated by the Texans. Thus, the removal of the Cherokee Indians into Indian territories in western Arkansas and Oklahoma was completed. Former Cherokee lands in Texas were now open to Anglo settlers. The giant East Texas oil field, major salt deposits, timber and low grade iron ore are some of the natural resources found hi these former Cherokee lands.

What became of the remnants of the Killough family? Nathaniel returned to the area, repaired Samuel's (or Allan's) home which had been damaged rather than destroyed by fire, and lived there for many years. He was the administrator of his families' estates. Nathaniel made claims to the Republic of $4,300.00 for himself and $15,400 for his dead relativesùlarge sums in those days. The town of Larissa was founded eleven years after the massacre. He helped found the Presbyterian Church in Larissa. When Larissa College was chartered in 1855, Nathaniel was one of two men who contributed $1000 each for its founding and was its president. Nathaniel contributed $2000 per year for the remainder of his life for its maintenance. He died on April 15,1864 and was buried beside the graves of the massacre victims. His daughter Eliza, who survived the massacre as the youngest child in the group, attended Larissa College as well as her younger sister, Julia, who was born after the massacre. Also attending Larissa College was G. W. Matthews whom Eliza fell in love with and later married. He was a medical doctor and they lived in the Garden Valley and Van Zant communities and are buried there. Julia also married a doctor, John Alien Shamblin.Narcissa, wife of Samuel, returned to Alabama shortly after the massacre with Billy, always known as "the child of the Massacre." She returned to Texas hi 1850, became the wife of John R. Sammons, lived on the tract of land that was Samuel's grant and was buried in Larissa.

Ursey, wife of Isaac, Sr. also returned to Texas in 1850 and lived with Nathaniel.
Billy, grew up in Larissa and attended Larissa college at age 22. He was buried in the Larissa cemetery not far from the massacre sight. He died on October 5,1918, exactly eighty years after the massacre. Jane (nee Jane Williams), wife of Isaac, jr., became the wife of John N. Sullivan and settled at Larissa.

In 1934, the Civil Works Administration enclosed the Killough Cemetery with a rock fence and built a 25-foot high rock monument. According to the Texas Almanac, it is recognized as one of the Texas shrines. Larissa College, chartered in 1855, was famed for having the largest astronomical telescope west of the Mississippi River. The college grew and served the area well until it met its demise because of the Civil War and its assets were moved to the small town of Tehuacana southwest of Corsicana in 1869. The college was again moved to Waxahatchie in 1902 and in 1942 moved to San Antonio where it is now known as Trinity University.
Every surviving Killough returned to live on the land! They were industrious, prosperous, refined, and active in the community by sponsoring churches, schools and culture. What a legacy they have left to all of us!