Miss Effie Cowan,
"Strike the tent, the
sun has risen, Not a vapor streaks the dawn, And the frosted prairies
brightens, To the westward far and near.
Prime afresh the trusty
rifle, Sharpen well the hunting spear, For the frozen sod is trembling, And the
noise of hoofs I hear." (Bayard Taylor)
Nelson Taylor Densen was
brought with his parents to
"I was born near
"We stayed with this
owner Mr. Densen until he became involved in debt and sold us ter Mr. Felix
Grundy whose body-guard I was during the Civil War. He kept us until freedom
was declared and part of us stayed with him and part worked fer the near-by
neighbors after freedom.
"I kin remember hearin'
my parents tell of their life as slaves in their home state, and many incidents
of their lives, they lived the average life of the plantation slaves, they were
taught to read and write, hence my being able to be a minister of the
Gospel.
"My first clear memory
is playing as a child on the banks of the river near whar I lived in Arkansas,
and the work on the plantation, they raised little patches of cotton and grain,
and lots of strawberries, apples, dewberries and blackberries, as well as other
fruit and vegetables. Also cowpeas which they fed to the stock.
"The timber made it a
good place for cattle and hogs for at that time they run out in the woods free,
and we did not have to buy our wood. The old Master had an easy livin' but the
folks everywhar was a cumin ter Texas, the land was very clean an they was
bringin' in settlers and colonizing the new state, so our Master decided to
throw in his fortunes with it too.
"Dis was right after the
war with
"Sometimes dey had ter
swim de horses an make several trips ter git dey things across, an den dey had
de cattle ter git across too, an dey mos always swim de river's if dey not too
big.
"W'en dey make de camp
de wagons was set in a circle an de camp fire in de center, dis was ter have a
place ter keep a breaswork, in a way as protection from Indians, and de wild
animals, de wolves was de worst ter smell de cookin an cum ter de camp.
Sometime de camp guards would see two big eyes er lookin' out at dem from de
trees an brush an' hit would be a wolf or bear, dey shoot de gun off an dat
skeer dem away.
"Sometimes hit not an
animal but an Indian an den dey goes an makes de peace sign and dey sit down an
has a pow-wow wid dem, pretty soon de Master get up an cum an git some beans er
some bright dress goods er beads er maybe little gunpowder, fer dey had learned
ter shoot by den, an trade wid dem fer moccasens er leather breeches somethin
dat dey make.
"De East, Texas Indians
was called de Timber Indians, but dey was known mostly as de Cherekee's an de
Alabama Tribes, de settlers crowed de Indians out an lots of dem had gone
furder west, dey had about dis time given dem a Reservation in Polk County, of
about a thousand acres of land. Some of dem are still dar to dis day.
"De Plains Indians,
among dem de Comanche, get so bold dat dey made raids in Texas, an de Texas Rangers
was 'bout all dey was ter keep dem back, untill finally de Government built
forts ter station de soljers an de Rangers ter live an be ready ter go after
dem if dey made a raid, or watch fer dem, dey was not friendly like de
Cherekees an de Alabama Tribes.
"W'en we cum ter Texas
in 1854, dey had jes started de Reservation in
"I have learned too dat
de Government had 'nuther Reservation at Ft. Belknap in Young County, an one on
de Clear Fork ob de Brazos 'bout sixty miles from dis one, but hit did'nt work
out bery well so dey moved dem ter de Indian territory dat we call Oklahoma
now.
"I has some dates of
things dat happened, I has kept all dose years an one is 'bout Cynthia Ann
Parker, how she was captured at Parkers Fort on May de nineteenth 1836, near de
town of
"Dis was in May befo'
Santa Anna was placed on de Texas war schooner ter be sent ter Vera Cruz. A
Company of volunteers dat had jes arrived at Velasco forcibly took him an
brought him on shore. Dey gib him ter Gen Paaten of de army an dey takes him up
de river ter a Dr. Phelps house whar dey kept him until a company of Bucheye
Rangers cum an helped ter sneak him away ter de Mississippi river whar dey took
de ship ter Washington an den President
"Yer ask me ter tell yer
things dat happened in de early days dat we talked 'bout den, dis was w'en we
first cum ter Texas, an dey not talkin' den 'bout de slavery question so much
as de Mexican an de Indians, but dey did have some trouble wid de Mexicans
befo' de Civil War 'bout de slaves, de Mexicans would try ter git dem ter run
away an stay across de border wid dem an some ob dem did, however de nigger
mos' afraid ob de Mexicans an so dey 'fraid ter do dis much.
"Dar was one Mexican name
Jaun Cortena an his band dat robbed an stole from de Texas people until finally
Gen Robert E. Lee of de United States Army run him back across de border. I
hear dem talkin' bout dis in de war w'en Gen Lee was in command of de
Confederate army.
"Dar is one more date
dat I would like ter tell yer 'bout dat dey talk 'bout w'en we cum ter Texas,
an dat was 'bout de Rangers under Gen. George Erath havin' a fight wid de
Indians in Robertson County dat not far from whar we lived an how dey killed
Frank Childress and Davie Clarke, dis was de folks dat de town of Childress was
named fer an de Clarkes ar one ob de oldest famblies in Marlin.
"Den I could tell yer
'bout how dey talk 'bout de house of Mr. Morgan six miles above de falls ob de
Brazos being attacked by dem, an five people killed. An' how Mr. Marlin, (fer
whom de town ob Marlin named) on January 10, 1839 de Indians attacked Mr.
Marlin's house, but dey drove de Indians back an den de white people followed
under de command of Benjamin Bryant. Den on de twenty first of April dey had
another battle between de whites an de Indians on Brushy Creek, in de Marlin
country between Waco an Marlin, an some white men by de name of Jacob
Burlerson, James Gilleland, Edward Blakie, an John Waters was killed.
"Dis is 'bout all dat I
have kept on de things dat happened near Marlin between de Indians an de white
folks. But after dey quit being so much trouble de folks lived peacably an dey
was more an' more settlers cumin in. Dey had an iron foundry at Rusk an Jefferson
'bout dis time, an at de penitentiary at Huntsville 'bout dis time dey had a
mill dat dey make cotton an woolen goods fer de soljers, an de folks in Texas
had ter wear some of de goods which helped dem ter have something widout havin
ter spin de thread an weave de cloth like dey has ter do most places.
"In de spring de
bluebonnets an de Indian blanket flowers was in bloom w'en we cum ter Texas an
we never saw dem befo' dey looked like beds of red an blue blankets an dey was
everywhar in April an May. I kin remember how we liked ter fish an de sweet
smell ob de pine trees w'en dey build de campfire out ob de brush, an how we
boys hunted fer de wild haw, de red haw, de pecans an de walnuts dat grew in de
woods ob East Texas as we cum thro' hit. Hit was all wonderful an beautiful ter
us, jes ignorant little niggers, an if so ter us what must it have been ter de
white settlers?
"We did not have de
Buffalo in dis part ob de county like dey had further west, an de Indians more
plentiful out dar. W'en de white men begun ter kill de buffalo, (dis was de
Indians meat dey eat), den dey commence ter fight sure e'nuff, dey do like mos'
folks would fight fer dey life, an widout de buffalo dey think dat dey can't
live.
"Our ole Master stopped
at
"In South Texas de
shippin was in an out ob de bayou's an de rivers ter de coast, an on de Brazos
River Richmon' was de head 'Ceptin' w'en de river was up and den dey ship ter
de ole town ob Washington on de Brazos, dey called hit. De steambots made
regular trips between
"Whar dey was'nt any
rivers fer de boats, den dey trabbel by de stage coach an dey was heavy an
drawn by six or eight horses, dey jes went eight or ten miles an hour an fresh
teams was ready fer dem ter change along de way. Dey had a line down thro
Marlin from North,
"Texas people was jes
begginnin' ter git over de Mexican war w'en we cum ter de state, dey talk 'bout
de Alamo an Gen. Sam Houston, Travis, who was killed at de Alamo an Bowie, an
de battle ob San-Jacinto, w'en dey celebrated dey freedom from Mexico. De
Mexicans had dey own Catholic schools an churches dat was established in de
days ob de rule by Mexico an de Missions dat de Spaniards had built W'en dey
first discovered Texas.
"De Baptist, Methodist
an de Presbyrterians all had dey churches an some had started dey schools, but
dey had not started de free schools until long time after dat. An' dey git ter
know folks from other places at dem fer dey cum an camp two or three weeks. I
has preached at dem an we felt dat de Lord was close ter us, w'en dey got
religion dey git it ter de better an ter live right in dem days seem like we
nearer ter God den we is now.
"Well, dis de way dat we
livin' in
"W'en Runnels was
Governor more an more immigrants cum ter Texas, but he was not popular an w'en
he an General Houston run again in 1859 fer Governor General Houston beat
Runnels.
"De people of Texas
thought dat General Houston would keep Texas from getting into de war, an dat
he could make peace wid de Indians an' dat was why he was elected. I kin
'member how he tells dem in his first message dat "if dey dont stan by the
union dat de nation be destroyed by war." An w'en Lincoln was made de
President, Houston stilled tried ter keep Texas from gittin in de war, an keep
hit in de Union, but dey had a Convention at Austin an voted fer Texas ter
secede, dat was de twenty eighth day of January, 1861.
"Den w'en he refused ter
take de oath ter de Confederacy dey removes him from de Governer's cheer an he
went back ter his home at Huntsville, an never does take hit, but his son Sam
went an fought fer de rebels.
"I was fourteen years
old w'en Texas seceded, an w'en dey went ter de war my Master Mr. Felix Grundy
went ter fight de Yankees, He was in General Hardemans Brigade an was in two or
three battles den he cums back ter Texas on a fourlough an w'en dat is out an
he goes back I goes with him as his body guard. De first firing he was in
"I was sixteen years old
by dat time an I kin remember de way hit all was at de battle ob
"Just befo' de battle,
Mother, I am thinking most of you, While upon de fiel' we're watchin' Wid de
enemy in view. Comrades brave are roun' me lying, Filled wid thoughts of home
an' God, For well dey know dat on de morrow, Some will sleep beneath de
sod.
"We could see across de
river de Yankees, an could hear dem, de night so still. In de hush befo' de
battle every man was thinking of his mother, wife and fambly. W'en de bugle sounded
taps, every head was bowed in prayer, I kin best describe de attack wid de last
verse of song I has jes told yer dey sing.
"Hark, I hear de bugles
soundin', 'Tis de signal fer de fight, Now, may God protect you, Mother, As he
ever does de right, Hear de "Battle Cry of Freedom." How hit swells
upon de air, Oh, Yes w'ell rally roun' de standard, Or we'll perish nobly
there.
De Yankees sung de Battle Cry
of Freedom, as dey charged on us an we could hear de band er playin' hit as dey
cum, but hit jes made our boys fight de hardest, den we sing dis song,
"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, de
boys are marchin'. Cheer up comrades dey will cum, And beneath de starry flag,
We shall breathe de air again, In de freedom of our own beloved home.
"Dey cum on an' on, an
dey fights. Lord how dey fight's! I is a stayin' close ter my Master. I is jes
as wild as any fer our boys ter win, yer can hear de clash of de bayonet w'en
dey git gray uniforms as dey stood dey groun' an dey went down befo' dey would
retreat,
"In de battle front dey
stood, W'en de fiercest charges was made,
An' dey swept us off a
hundred men an more, But befo' we reached dey lines, Dey was beaten back
dismayed, An' we heard de cry of victory o'er an O'er.
"De rebels, our boys in de
grey, win's an captures 'bout er thousan' Yankees, after dis de Yankees was
mos' of dem taken ter help General Grand at Richmon' an General Sherman on his
march ter de sea.
"De Captain of de
company we was in at de battle of Pleasant Hill (near Mansfield), was John Dick
Morris, dis company was organized near Marlin, Texas, was called Company B.
General J. G. Walker was de District Division Commander, dey was made up in dis
company from de town of Marlin an de country, among dem Captain Carter of Cameron
was wounded in de battle we was in.
"At Yellow Bayou de
commanding officer of de brigade we was in was General Banks. Tom Green was
killed at Blairs Landin' on Red River an General Hardeman took Tom Green's
place.
"Bout de last of de war
de Yankees commenced ter use de nigger's dat had run away ter dey lines fer
soljers. I don't know much 'bout dat, but I does know dat de slaves dat was
left at home ter look after de wimmen an chillun dat mos of dem stayed an' kept
de work on de place in de crops up an helped ter take keer of de ole men an de
wimmen an chillun, dat dey was a whole lot more dat helped ter dis day dey was
dat run away ter de Yankees.
"De most of de slaves
was happy on de plantations, an dey looked on de war like dis, dat de white man
was er fightin' fer his principles, at least de ones dat understood did. I has
seen so much in my long life dat I feels dat God is more an more de Great
Ruler, an dat hit all works out fer de best.
"I knows dat de old
order has changed. Men now must be rich, it seems ter be powerful, once hit was
not so. Once men held themselves more dearly dan dey held dey possessions. In
de days of Ante-Bellum de attitude was fine an bright an glorious, folks
believed in de virtues of truth, chastity, an' chivalry. Dey seem new ter be
old fashioned words, whar is de chivalry dat dey lived in de days which yer is
writin' about? Does dey help ter protect de wimmen like dey did in de days of
old? No, dey worl' of finance will take away er womans home jes de same as er
man's. Whar is de demand fer virtue? In de ole days de ole time southern
gentlemen demands dat his wife be virtues er he would not marry her, does dey
de dis now? No, sad ter say hit looks as if de loose wimmen are de ones dat is
preferred.
"Whar would dey
grandmothers say ter dem smokin? Yes, de ole fashion way is out ob date, de
curtain of smoke swept away, hit seems, de beauty of de past, de sound of de
spinning wheel was lost in de machinery of a later day, jes as de stately
minuet was lost in de jass dances of dese day's.
"I hopes dat in de great
windup dat in de words of de ole song hit will be dat "His truth will go
Marchin' on."
"Mine eyes have seen de
glory of de cumin' of de Lord, He is tramplin' out de vintage whar de grapes of
wrath are stored, He Hath loosed de fateful lightnin' of His terrible swift
sword, His truth is marchin' on.
State:
Miss Effie Cowan,
State:
Densen, Nelson Taylor