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- On June 30, 1839, "A group of about 30 men headed by John Webster along with his wife Dolly and their two children, Booker, 10, and Virginia, 3, traveled from Hornsbys Bend on their way to land they had purchased in Burnet County.
"They had reached what is known as the dividing ridge between south and north San Gabriel when they came upon a band of Comanche Indians making their way in the direction of the settlements. The Webster party altered its course hoping to be undiscovered. They traveled late into the night, until one of the wagons broke an axle while crossing the San Gabriel River. After working for hours repairing the wagon, the party continued its retreat and reached Brushy Creek at sunrise.
"The Comanches, with about 300 warriors, attacked the Webster party during the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 1839 at a spot two miles east of Leander. The party circled their wagons and fought valiantly until about 10 a.m. when the last man fell. The Indians broke up the wagons and provisions that were being carried, including Mrs. Websters fine china. They scalped all the men except John Webster, possibly excluding him because he was older and had white hair.
"Soon after the massacre some of the Websters stock found its way back to the Hornsbys Bend settlement with Indian arrows stuck in their sides. The group that had remained at the settlement were worried and immediately sent out a search party. They found the bodies at the site of the massacre and buried them in a common grave, using the bed of one of the wagons as a coffin.
"The Comanches took Dolly Webster and her two children into captivity. The three were separated at times, but after several months of imprisonment, Dolly and Virginia were able to escape. Eluding their captors for 12 days, the Websters eventually found their way to San Antonio in late March 1840. In a treaty agreement the Indians voluntarily returned Booker Webster six days after his mother and sister arrived.
"Booker Webster later served in the Mexican War with the Texas Mounted volunteers. He was wounded in service and died in Mexico City Jan. 16, 1848 at age 18. Virginia Webster had a full life after eventually settling in California."
Source: Jim Dawson, Community Impact Newspaper, Dec 1 2006.
http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/leander-cedar-park/family-attacked-by-comanche-indians/
Photos and more details:
http://www.williamson-county-historical-commission.org/Leander/Webster_Massacre_1839_leander_williamson_county_Texas.html
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/simmons-martha-virginia-webster-strickling
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1770 - 1839 (69 years)
