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kaywoodie,

Again, thank you for the information!

An8’s

Ever seen this little Hall modification?

http://www.lodgewood.com/Hall-Belly...tons-Book-HALLS-BREECHLOADERS_c_251.html

You’re welcome Lonny!

Shout-out to the poster that recommended the online book: The Evolution of a State (or) Recollections of the Old Texas Days by Noah Smithwick.

Been reading it online. For free. Outstanding.

Good read I have the book, another good read is Rip Ford's Texas (Personal Narratives of the West).

Thanks, stxhunter. Hope your back feels better soon. Back injury sucks.

had some poppy seed tea, knocked the edge off the pain.

Mike, seems like I remember reading somewhere that the Comanches murdered what few surviving members of the Tonks that made it to the Reservations in OK.
Just can’t remember where I read it. If it’s true, wouldn’t surprise me if ole Quanah instigated their demise.
I would imagine he hated them like no other tribe.

Yep. Both great reads!!

There was allegedly still a Tonkawa family living here in Bastrop county at the turn of the 19th/ 20th century. Supposed to have lived on a small place about 3 or 4 miles north of Smithville. In the area not far from the current front entrance of Buescher State Park. They farmed in that area. Typical farm with barn, house, etc.

Need to run an email past the archivist at the historical society. See what she can come up with.

There was a reference in the "Carbine and Lance" by Nye I believe that shared the hatred all the tribes had toward the Tonks for their cannibalism . There is an old battle site in Caddo Co OK where a good many met their fate by some of the Keechi band.

George Bent mentions the very same thing in reference to Adobe Walls. That Quanah wanted to go finish off the Tonkawas because of their cannibalistic nature and stay away from Adobe Walls. They had no business being involved in it.

It’s supposed to be in a red rock canyon south and east of Anadarko near Tonkawa creek. I probably drive within a mile of it every day on my way to and from work but I don’t know the exact location.

It would seem the Tonkawas did indeed practice a very dark form of medicine. I do believe disease and combat whittled down their numbers more’n anything tho, the thirty under MaKenzie in the 1870’s being most of what was left of their warriors.

I recall reading mention of the few survivors marrying mostly into the Caddos. FWIW I believe there still is a Tonkawa Tribe existing as a entity in Oklahoma....

http://www.tonkawatribe.com/

I have no idea how the other Indians view ‘em today

Karankawa's down on the coast were cannibals also.

Yes sir that is where it happened. I was born and raised in that country. North and east of Indian City hill near the creek.


Small world I have a farm south of Cement.

Plácido, Head Chief of the Tonkawas, woulda been close to fifty when him and his bunch ran 25 miles overnight to make it to the Plum Creek fight.

The son of a Comanche woman captured and enslaved by the Tonkawas, both of Placido’s wives were likewise Comanche women captured on raids. In common with the Pawnee and prob’ly other tribes, the Tonkawas would customarily raid the Comanches on foot, intending to ride captured horses home,

Wiki has a decent account of his life.....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placido_(Tonkawa_leader)

His name in his own language translates to “Can’t Kill Him”, whereas “Plácido” is Spanish for “calm”, from which we might infer he was cool under Fire.

Kranks were alleged maneaters. De Vaca records that while several of his party were prisoners of that tribe, they appeared appalled when they discovered several of the Spanish prisoners had eaten a portion of a dead Spaniard. While they have always been touted as being cannibals, It’s been difficult to tie down any primary documetation unlike the case of the Tonkawas. Appear most is second or third hand info simply passed from one person to another. If they were indeed cannibalistic, chances were it was tied into some religiously significant custom, as these guys really lived in the breadbasket area of Texas. Having both the Gulf, estuaries, coastal plains, etc teeming with fish, fowl, and game. They had plenty to eat, which probably reflected in their appearance. Smithwick states they were tall and healthy, all the men topping the 6 foot mark. (Many coastal archaeological sites contain remains of the long extinct carribean seal!)

Austin’s colony had some serious run ins with the Kranks. And The first recorded incident of the San Felipe militia being mustered for service was in response to Krank attacks. (1825). Note! Jared Groce showed up with all his male slaves "well armed and mounted" for this muster. I can’t remember their number but it exceeded 40’armed slaves. In a personal conversation this past year with the historical director at San Felipe, he stated that the slaves were armed with firearms and not just cane knives.

Their sister group the Attakapas from SE Louisiana and the portion of Texas adjoining it were also accused of the crime. Their name is a Muskoegean phrase Hatak Upa. Attak (Hatak) = Man. Apa (Upa) = food or the act of eating.

This appears to be a common practice among several groups to brand their enemies as cannibals in order to demonize and dehuman them to some degree.

Most of the group had either been assimilated into the existing Mestizo community or other tribes, killed, or run into Mexico by the end of the Texas Revolution.

Birdy, I didn’t read the wiki page on Placido. But he was supposed to have lived for a time on the Colorado below Bastrop on Edward Burleson’s grant. Like in a dugout or cave in the river bluff. Often wondered where that was. I suspet is was just South of town as the bluff runs out not too far out of town.

This “past” year.