Wednesday, May 10, 2006

As fine a crew of killers as you'd ever wanna meet...



In the spring of 1840, a party of Comanche was invited to parley in San Antonio to arrange a captives' exchange. Once the were disarmed, they were escorted into a tent, which was then quickly surrounded by an unofficial militia, consisting of hunters and other frontiersmen who detested the Indians. The militia then opened fire through the sides of the tent, killing a number of the Comanche leaders. It came to be known as the Council House Fight (if you're a Texan; "massacre" if you're a Comanche), in which at least 30 Natives were killed, including women and chilldren. Seven Texans died. The event marked the absolute end of any possibility for peaceful negotiations with the Comanche, and set the tone for the Indians' regard for the trustworthiness of Whites. It was the primary motivation for the Buffalo Hump Raid, in which 600 Comanche and Kiowa warriors descended through the Trinity and Brazos valleys, killing settlers and stealing livestock. The Indians even attacked Austin, killing many, burning buildings and running of stock. Texans are accustomed to considering this an "invasion."

We , the motley band of background artistes pictured above, portrayed the members of that murderous militia (yours truly is standing third from the left). For the record, my costume consisted entirely of ('authentic') leather garments, and weighed about 30 lbs...

6 comments:

Vicki said...

All y'all look like you're headed to a ZZ Top Conference!

Love your blog, Woody.

I'll be a regular visitor, if that's okay with you.

Anonymous said...

What, no women?

Ruth

Anonymous said...

Now see here WGG, by bringing up that ancient history stuff, you're being a "Blame Amurka Firster".
And to judge those people's actions is being a Monday Morning Quarterback on top of it!!!

(Righteous beard, by the way)

Anne Johnson said...

Ancestor of mine did somethin similar in PA before the Rev War.

If not for smallpox, we Immigrant Mericans would all have starved to death in Europe.

(Or in my case, woulda been burnt at the stake or hung or buried alive.)

Anonymous said...

Nice idea with this site its better than most of the rubbish I come across.
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Anonymous said...

Although better dressed, from ancient photos they really do look like my grandfather and his brothers tearing up the Cimmaron a century or so ago.