CHAPTER XXIV.

Barnard Settlement Continued-Visits of Friendly Indians- Indian Boys' Friendship and Memory-Skilled Bowmen-Other Settlements Here and On the Brazos and Paluxy-Thos. Parvin-Ragsdale-Lee.

After the settlement of the Whites in the Barnard locality, no invasion of hostile Indians seems to have disturbed them. This fact is probably largely attributable to the great friendship so long existing between the several Indian tribes and Charles Barnard. The Tonkaways and other friendly Indians, however, were occasionally here in small hunting parties, and probably gave more or less occasion for alarm, when seen by the new comers. In about the early part of 1864, a party of about 100 Tonkaways passing through, en route to Waco, suddenly made their appearance at the door of J. L. A. Berry's house, in such an unceremonious way as to give rise for alarm; but Mr. Berry soon learned from them that they were Tonkaways, and had no hostile intentions. In passing through the country they frequently divided into small hunting parties for the purpose of procuring game and provisions; and it was probably a party of these friendly Indians that were seen to pass Maj. Carmichael's on one occasion, and caused alarm in that neighborhood. A similar party of Tonkaways passed through on another visit to Waco, and in their number was a small Indian boy, about the same age of Mr. Berry's son, Jno. H. These boys during the short stay of the Indians in the settlement got on terms of some intimacy, the Indian showing Jno. H. how to shoot with bow and arrow; and though their acquaintance was but for a day, yet after the lapse of two or three years, and after Mr. Berry had moved to Rucker's creek, this same Indian boy, with another band of Indians passing by Berry's house at his new abode, saw his former playmate and recognized him at a distance of some fifty yards, and came running to him, greeting, and showing his great delight at again meeting him. Mr. Berry relates that, when residing on George's creek, on one occasion a party of Tonkaways came into the neighborhood, hungry and begging for provisions, when he and several other neighbors contributed beef for their relief. But in order to test their skill and strength with the bow, they selected a large fat steer in a herd on the prairie and told them they should have it, provided they would chase it on their horses and kill it with bow and arrows. So they soon had it detached from the other cattle, and while in a full run, one Indian, in rapid succession, shot three arrows into its side, each piercing the animal in the region of the heart, and entering within a hand's breadth of each other, the distance being 20 yards away; the steer ran but a short distance till he fell and expired. After seeing this, Mr. Berry when traveling in regions infested by Indians, always carried his 16-shooting Winchester rifle, as his conclusion was that six-shooters were not equal to the bow and arrow in the hands of an Indian.

The Barnard neighborhood, including the several bends in the river, known as Abbey and Herndon bends, and the George's creek country, is doubtless territory in which many other interesting events of the ante war period have occurred; and where persons other than have been mentioned have possibly been prominent in affairs of the locality, but for the present we can but mention, that, here were settled Ash and Wm. Marlin of a noted family of Texans; Wm. died here some 25 years ago, and Ash subsequently removed to Young county, where he died; Martin Nalls, who has been dead some time; the Armstrong's, the elder having died some years ago, the younger members are still here, Dr. Geo. Chadwick, who died here about 1879, and the Pinson brothers, these were all influential citizens of this neighborhood and had settled some time probably subsequent to the war.

Passing now to other settlements along the Brazos and Paluxy, we find that, several years before the war, Thomas Parvin settled on the Brazos, near the southern border of the present county of Somerville. He subsequently moved to the neighborhood of Barnard's Mill, (Glen Rose). Mr. Parvin died in 1894, leaving several sons, who help to people Somervell county, and are all good citizens. Mr. Parvin himself was a man of integrity and influence, good natured and fond of joking, was therefore liked by his acquaintances.

Among the earliest of the lower Paluxy settlers was Mr. Ragsdale, the date of whose settlement is not ascertained, nor important. Many of the earlier people speak of him as having been here several years when they came. He is well spoken of by those who knew him. He was killed at an early date, by his wagon rolling back down the bank of Paluxy and falling back on him. He left several daughters-one the widow of James Lee, another old timer and hunter of this locality, is now living in Somervell county-and two sons, George, who is a prosperous citizen of Kimble county, and Saunders, who yet lives in Somervell. James Lee died at his home near Chalk Mountain in 1894. He had engaged, it is said, in several Indian fights in our territory, and is said to have been a man of natural intelligence and good qualities. He is said to have been in the fight in the western part of our territory when "Doc" Dennis was wounded, and that he distinguished himself by slaying the Indian that shot Dennis.

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