George Washington Campbell

GEDCOM Note

[familyMain 7.20.2002.FTW]

[Chas[1].C.CampbellFamily.FTW]

July, 1999 - The following true story of the Campbell massacre was copied by Joyce P. Frost, from a copy of the thesis of Edna McDonald Wylie, presented to the Faculty of Sam Houston State Teachers College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree, Master of Arts. It was presented August, 1958 and was entitled: THE FORT HOUSTON SETTLEMENT. Her sources for the facts are also, listed. Only portions of this thesis are given here, as it relates to our CAMPBELL family. This copy of the original thesis is in the Palestine Public Library, Palestine, Anderson Co., TX, under the call letters: AC 623.1 WYLIE

pg. 49-51 Judge A. J. Fowler's account of the Campbell massacre agrees with the facts given in the McDonald letter but gives more detail. Charles C. Campbell had settled one mile southwest of Fort Houston in 1837. It would seem that he had no fear of the Indians for his family did not go into the fort at night when there wre Indian signs about as other settlers did. The family consisted of Campbell, his wife, a son, Malathiel, about 20 years of age, Pamelia, 17, Hulda, 14, Fountain, 10 or 12, and George, aged 4. Mr. Campbell had two Negro men servants. Early in 1839, Mr. Campbell died. A week after his death the raid occurred. About ten o'clock on a bright moonlight night the approach of intruders was signaled by the disturbed neighing of the horses. Moments later, the Indians began their attempts to force open the door being held close by the members of the family, finally chopping at it with tomahawks. Mrs. Campbell, pulling up one or two loose puncheons from the floor, directed Permelia to take little George and go beneath the house, charging her to take good care of the baby. The family made a valiant fight, but the Indians succeeded in breaking in the door and carrying out their evil purpose. Mrs. Campbell was killed first, then Huldah, and Fountain. Malathiel, attempting to escape through the open door, was shot down a hundred yards from the house. Under cover of the partial darkness of night, Pamelia with her small brother made her escape, though she received an arrow wound in the head which she carried through her long life lived out in the vicinity of the fort. These two reached the safety of the fort that night and were cared for by the women there. The two Negro mean also made their escape through the hole in the floor, though it is said that Indians seldom harmed Negroes. The Indians ransacked the Campbell house, ripping open six feather beds and scattering the feathers far and wide. They took with them clothing, bedding, a trunk containing four hundred dollars in silver and some paper money, and a keg of gunpowder. A hastily-organized pursuit party were unable to follow the trail of the fleeing red men, but about a mile from the Campbell house they found the abandoned trunk, scattered paper money, but no trace of the silver. Nearby was the empty keg, its gunpowder missing. [32] ____________________________________________________________________________________ [32] A. J. Fowler, Kate Efnor (ed.), "Historical Sketch of Anderson County," in THE AMERICAN SKETCHBOOK, VOLUME V, 77-79. Judge Fowler is said to have had this story from Pamelia Cambpell after she was married and living in the neighborhood. Judge Fowler was married in the Campbell house just one year later. ____________________________________________________________________________________ pg. 133-134 APPENDIX K From Wortham Papers, in possession of Mrs. Hortense Sweet, Crockett, Texas. Addressed to the people of Houston County ......... Fort Houston Jan'y 23rd, 1839 Captain Slater, Sir ........................... This day some of our citizens discovered the tracks of horses in different directions in the neighborhood of this place, and about 2 hours ago, which was 10 o'clock P. M., Mrs. Campbell's Negro man alarmed the citizens by giving a relation as near as he could relate of the massacre of Mrs. (left blank but presumably "Mrs. Campbell") family. The eldest daughter and youngest son of Mrs. Campbell have reached this place without any serious injury, except a slight wound the young lady received from an arrow on her forehead in attempting to make her escape. There are yet four of the family missing. The Negro man gives an account of one of the women that is missing, being shot and falling and suppose he heard her agonizing and struggling. He thinks the remainder of the family that are missing were killed. The young lady informs us that she remained in the house until the Indians, about fifteen in number, burst open the door, when she made her escape by getting under the floor. She thinks that the missing members of the family were all in the house when she left it, and if so, we have no doubt that they were all killed. .................................... Your friend W. S. McDonald ................................... Awful Massacre

We have learned since I wrote the foregoing that the fate of the widow Campbell's family that was not know of or what had been their fate, were all killed in the house or near it. I saw them myself, and such a scene I never saw before. W. S. McDonald Jan 24th 1839 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An account similar to the one above was found and copied by Joyce P. Frost, in PIONEER FAMILIES OF ANDERSON COUNTY PRIOR TO 1900, produced by Anderson County Genealogical Society. This copy is found at the Clayton Genealogical Library, Houston, TX, with the call letters of: TEX GEN 976 .4229 P662, pg. 41 and 42. It was written by Eva Freeman and she does not list her sources. [I disagree with the date of Charles C. Campbell's death and the date of the Indian raid, based upon the above listed account by Judge Fowler and W.S. McDonald's letter. Joyce Frost] Her account:

In the year 1837, CHARLES C. CAMPBELL and his family, consisting of his wife and five children, (Malathiel, age 20; Pamelia, age 17; Hilda, age 14; Fountain, age 11; and George, age 4) arrived at Fort Houston. They settled in what is now called Town Creek, about three miles west of Palestine, Texas. He also had brought two negro men with them. They labored faithfully, built cabins and opened a field. In 1838, they made a bountiful crop. Mr. Campbell became ill and died in February, 1839. About three weeks later, during a moonlit night, the house was raided by hostile Indians, soon after the family had retired. The only weapon in the house was an old rifle with a defective flint lock. With this, Malathiel heroically endeavored to defend his mother and sisters and little brother. The negro men, having no means of defense managed to escape. Mrs. Campbell told Pamelia to take refuge with her little brother George, under the puncheon floor. To insure that George would not cry out and give away their presence, a stocking was stuffed in his mouth. Malathiel, realizing the grave danger the family was in, seized a knife and went to work while his mother attempted to ignite the gunpowder with a brand of fire. She was standing near the door, and an Indian forced it open enough and nearly severed her arm. The Indians were then able to rush into the cabin and tomahawked Mrs. Campbell, Hilda and Fountain to death. Malathiel rushed from the cabin, but was immediately slain by the Indians in the yard. While all of this was happening, Pamelia, with little George, stole from their hiding place and almost reached the thicket nearby, but she was hit with a glancing blow from an arrow to the back of her head. She still managed to reach Fort Houston to report the disaster. The Indians robbed the house of its contents, including six feather beds, (leaving the feathers), a keg of gunpowder, four hundred dollars in silver, and a considerable amount of paper money (which like the feathers, were cast to the wind). At daylight, when a group of men tried to catch up to the Indians, they were about eight miles away. At this time the west side of the Trinity River teemed with hostile Indians. The last raid in the vicinity was either 1841 or 1843, but both accounts agree that the Indians stole some horses. They were pursued by Mr. Frost (who had escaped the Parkers Fort Diaster in 1836) and three other men. They came upon the Indians swimming the Trinity River at West Point. They cross-fired and killed an Indian. Mr. Frost, reaching the bank a little before the others, was instantly shot to death by a warrior. The other three men poured a volley of shots into the enemy, yet under the bank and four more Indians were killed. The rest of the Indians fled. George Campbell grew up to be married and to serve in the Civil War. While in service, he died. Pamelia married a Mr. Moore and lived in the Cedar Creek area and was much respected by her family and friends. by Eva Freeman

George W. Campbell's death date was gotten from the Guardianship Papers of his minor sons, Charles M. and Wilson L. Campbell. His wife, Martha Evans Campbell Wright, stated in the papers that George died in 1862, intestate, in Anderson Co., TX. No mention was made of the cause of his death. Also, I have not been able to prove that George W. Campbell served in the Civil War. However, the time period is right and it is possible that he did. J. Frost
[Chas[1].C.CampbellFamily.FTW]

July, 1999 - The following true story of the Campbell massacre was copied by Joyce P. Frost, from a copy of the thesis of Edna McDonald Wylie, presented to the Faculty of Sam Houston State Teachers College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree, Master of Arts. It was presented August, 1958 and was entitled: THE FORT HOUSTON SETTLEMENT. Her sources for the facts are also, listed. Only portions of this thesis are given here, as it relates to our CAMPBELL family. This copy of the original thesis is in the Palestine Public Library, Palestine, Anderson Co., TX, under the call letters: AC 623.1 WYLIE

pg. 49-51 Judge A. J. Fowler's account of the Campbell massacre agrees with the facts given in the McDonald letter but gives more detail. Charles C. Campbell had settled one mile southwest of Fort Houston in 1837. It would seem that he had no fear of the Indians for his family did not go into the fort at night when there wre Indian signs about as other settlers did. The family consisted of Campbell, his wife, a son, Malathiel, about 20 years of age, Pamelia, 17, Hulda, 14, Fountain, 10 or 12, and George, aged 4. Mr. Campbell had two Negro men servants. Early in 1839, Mr. Campbell died. A week after his death the raid occurred. About ten o'clock on a bright moonlight night the approach of intruders was signaled by the disturbed neighing of the horses. Moments later, the Indians began their attempts to force open the door being held close by the members of the family, finally chopping at it with tomahawks. Mrs. Campbell, pulling up one or two loose puncheons from the floor, directed Permelia to take little George and go beneath the house, charging her to take good care of the baby. The family made a valiant fight, but the Indians succeeded in breaking in the door and carrying out their evil purpose. Mrs. Campbell was killed first, then Huldah, and Fountain. Malathiel, attempting to escape through the open door, was shot down a hundred yards from the house. Under cover of the partial darkness of night, Pamelia with her small brother made her escape, though she received an arrow wound in the head which she carried through her long life lived out in the vicinity of the fort. These two reached the safety of the fort that night and were cared for by the women there. The two Negro mean also made their escape through the hole in the floor, though it is said that Indians seldom harmed Negroes. The Indians ransacked the Campbell house, ripping open six feather beds and scattering the feathers far and wide. They took with them clothing, bedding, a trunk containing four hundred dollars in silver and some paper money, and a keg of gunpowder. A hastily-organized pursuit party were unable to follow the trail of the fleeing red men, but about a mile from the Campbell house they found the abandoned trunk, scattered paper money, but no trace of the silver. Nearby was the empty keg, its gunpowder missing. [32] __________________________________________________________________________ __________ [32] A. J. Fowler, Kate Efnor (ed.), "Historical Sketch of Anderson County," in THE AMERICAN SKETCHBOOK, VOLUME V, 77-79. Judge Fowler is said to have had this story from Pamelia Cambpell after she was married and living in the neighborhood. Judge Fowler was married in the Campbell house just one year later. __________________________________________________________________________ __________ pg. 133-134 APPENDIX K From Wortham Papers, in possession of Mrs. Hortense Sweet, Crockett, Texas. Addressed to the people of Houston County ......... Fort Houston Jan'y 23rd, 1839 Captain Slater, Sir ........................... This day some of our citizens discovered the tracks of horses in different directions in the neighborhood of this place, and about 2 hours ago, which was 10 o'clock P. M., Mrs. Campbell's Negro man alarmed the citizens by giving a relation as near as he could relate of the massacre of Mrs. (left blank but presumably "Mrs. Campbell") family. The eldest daughter and youngest son of Mrs. Campbell have reached this place without any serious injury, except a slight wound the young lady received from an arrow on her forehead in attempting to make her escape. There are yet four of the family missing. The Negro man gives an account of one of the women that is missing, being shot and falling and suppose he heard her agonizing and struggling. He thinks the remainder of the family that are missing were killed. The young lady informs us that she remained in the house until the Indians, about fifteen in number, burst open the door, when she made her escape by getting under the floor. She thinks that the missing members of the family were all in the house when she left it, and if so, we have no doubt that they were all killed. .................................... Your friend W. S. McDonald ................................... Awful Massacre

We have learned since I wrote the foregoing that the fate of the widow Campbell's family that was not know of or what had been their fate, were all killed in the house or near it. I saw them myself, and such a scene I never saw before. W. S. McDonald Jan 24th 1839 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An account similar to the one above was found and copied by Joyce P. Frost, in PIONEER FAMILIES OF ANDERSON COUNTY PRIOR TO 1900, produced by Anderson County Genealogical Society. This copy is found at the Clayton Genealogical Library, Houston, TX, with the call letters of: TEX GEN 976 .4229 P662, pg. 41 and 42. It was written by Eva Freeman and she does not list her sources. [I disagree with the date of Charles C. Campbell's death and the date of the Indian raid, based upon the above listed account by Judge Fowler and W.S. McDonald's letter. Joyce Frost] Her account:

In the year 1837, CHARLES C. CAMPBELL and his family, consisting of his wife and five children, (Malathiel, age 20; Pamelia, age 17; Hilda, age 14; Fountain, age 11; and George, age 4) arrived at Fort Houston. They settled in what is now called Town Creek, about three miles west of Palestine, Texas. He also had brought two negro men with them. They labored faithfully, built cabins and opened a field. In 1838, they made a bountiful crop. Mr. Campbell became ill and died in February, 1839. About three weeks later, during a moonlit night, the house was raided by hostile Indians, soon after the family had retired. The only weapon in the house was an old rifle with a defective flint lock. With this, Malathiel heroically endeavored to defend his mother and sisters and little brother. The negro men, having no means of defense managed to escape. Mrs. Campbell told Pamelia to take refuge with her little brother George, under the puncheon floor. To insure that George would not cry out and give away their presence, a stocking was stuffed in his mouth. Malathiel, realizing the grave danger the family was in, seized a knife and went to work while his mother attempted to ignite the gunpowder with a brand of fire. She was standing near the door, and an Indian forced it open enough and nearly severed her arm. The Indians were then able to rush into the cabin and tomahawked Mrs. Campbell, Hilda and Fountain to death. Malathiel rushed from the cabin, but was immediately slain by the Indians in the yard. While all of this was happening, Pamelia, with little George, stole from their hiding place and almost reached the thicket nearby, but she was hit with a glancing blow from an arrow to the back of her head. She still managed to reach Fort Houston to report the disaster. The Indians robbed the house of its contents, including six feather beds, (leaving the feathers), a keg of gunpowder, four hundred dollars in silver, and a considerable amount of paper money (which like the feathers, were cast to the wind). At daylight, when a group of men tried to catch up to the Indians, they were about eight miles away. At this time the west side of the Trinity River teemed with hostile Indians. The last raid in the vicinity was either 1841 or 1843, but both accounts agree that the Indians stole some horses. They were pursued by Mr. Frost (who had escaped the Parkers Fort Diaster in 1836) and three other men. They came upon the Indians swimming the Trinity River at West Point. They cross-fired and killed an Indian. Mr. Frost, reaching the bank a little before the others, was instantly shot to death by a warrior. The other three men poured a volley of shots into the enemy, yet under the bank and four more Indians were killed. The rest of the Indians fled. George Campbell grew up to be married and to serve in the Civil War. While in service, he died. Pamelia married a Mr. Moore and lived in the Cedar Creek area and was much respected by her family and friends. by Eva Freeman

George W. Campbell's death date was gotten from the Guardianship Papers of his minor sons, Charles M. and Wilson L. Campbell. His wife, Martha Evans Campbell Wright, stated in the papers that George died in 1862, intestate, in Anderson Co., TX. No mention was made of the cause of his death. Also, I have not been able to prove that George W. Campbell served in the Civil War. However, the time period is right and it is possible that he did. J. Frost

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry.com Public Member Trees Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006; @R2@ Record for Selah Carter http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=310138944265&i...

GEDCOM Source

familyMain 7.20.2002.FTW Source Medium: Other Date of Import: Oct 10, 2002

GEDCOM Source

familyMain 7.20.2002.FTW Source Medium: Other Date of Import: Oct 10, 2002

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry.com Public Member Trees Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006; @R2@ Record for Selah Carter http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=310138944265&i...