Mrs. W.T. Williams, who sat up during the preceding night with Mrs.
Austin Morris, sick with pneumonia, about daylight, started to her own
residence about one half mile away. Mrs. Williams had only gone about
four hundred yards, when Austin Morris heard her scream. Without waiting
to ascertain the trouble, he grabbed his guns and started in his stocking
feet in her direction. Mrs. Williams was being chased by the savages
toward the Morris home; and was being almost weighted down with arrows.
Austin Morris, however, met her on the half way ground, and drove the
savages away. One arrow penetrated Mrs. Williams' back and it went in
so deeply, Austin Morris extracted the weapon from Mrs. Williams' chest.
Two more arrows were sticking in her shoulder and one or two more had
wounded her in the arm. Mrs. Williams was then moved to the Morris home.
Dr. Thomas Bailey, who lived about twenty miles away, on Clear Creek,
in Cooke County, was expected that morning to be at the bedside of Mrs.
Morris. Fortunately, he arrived within a few minutes after Mrs. Williams
reached the house. The doctor dressed her wound, and in due time both
she and Mrs. Morris recovered. Fifteen soldiers and two citizens from
Capt. Totty's company took the trail of the Indians, and followed them
during the remainder of the day. When night came the soldiers camped.
The citizens returned home.
The next morning the rangers were reinforced by a detachment of seven
men from Capt. Main's Company, stationed at Red River Station. It was
soon discovered that the twenty-five Indians and fifteen whites camped
within one and one-half miles of each other during the preceding night.
In a short time the soldiers encountered the savages, and a short fight
followed.
Note: Author interviewed W.A. (Bud) Morris, a nephew of Austin Morris;
Joe Bryant, and others who were in Montague and adjoining counties at
the time.