Battle of Plum Creek

Duane's take

Now, I'm gonna tell you this one the way the official marker lays it out — so hold on. You want to talk about a moment that changed the shape of Texas forever, you start here, on Plum Creek, in the summer of 1840. But to understand what happened on August 12th of that year, you have to back up a little.

Because this story doesn't begin in a meadow. It begins with policy, and grudges, and blood. President Mirabeau B.

Lamar had a hard line when it came to the Comanche people — harsh, the marker calls it, and that word is doing a lot of work. Add to that Mexican efforts to weaken the Republic of Texas, and you had Indian hostilities already running hot before things got truly ugly. Then came March 19, 1840.

San Antonio. A gathering meant to be a council. What it became was a fight — the Council House Fight — and when it was over, twelve Comanche chiefs were dead.

Twelve chiefs. You can imagine what that did to the temperature of things. The Comanches regrouped.

They made plans. And in early August of 1840, a war party of six hundred Comanches and Kiowas — men, yes, but also women and children among them — moved across central Texas like a storm front rolling in off the plains. They hit Victoria.

Then they hit Linnville, a prosperous seaport a hundred and twenty miles southeast of where we're standing. They raided it. And they came away loaded down with plunder.

Now here's the image I want you to hold in your mind, because the marker gives it to you and it's something. That war party, stretching for miles across the open prairie, adorned with everything they'd taken from Linnville. Miles of it.

That's not a raiding party anymore — that's a procession. But about two hundred Texans had something to say about that procession continuing. They gathered at a place called Good's Crossing on Plum Creek, under Major-General Felix Huston — born 1800, died 1857 — and they dug in to make a stand.

Among the volunteers under Edward Burleson — born 1793, died 1851 — were thirteen Tonkawa Indians fighting as Texan allies, marked so nobody would mistake them in the confusion of battle, wearing white armbands. And one more name you need to know. Mathew Caldwell — born 1798, died 1842 — the man for whom Caldwell County itself was named.

He had been injured back at the Council House Fight. Injured. And he showed up anyway.

He took part in this battle. Let that sit with you for a second. The Battle of Plum Creek opened on August 12, 1840, out on a stretch called Comanche Flats, five and a half miles southeast of here.

It pushed and it moved and it fought its way to Kelley Springs, two and a half miles southwest, with skirmishes running as far as present-day San Marcos and Kyle before it was done. When the smoke cleared, Texan casualties were light. The Indians lost over eighty chiefs and warriors.

The marker says this battle ended the Comanche penetration of the settled portions of Texas. Not slowed it. Ended it.

Right here, on Plum Creek, on a hot August day in 1840, with a man fighting through his wounds and thirteen Tonkawa warriors wearing white armbands so their allies would know them — the shape of Texas shifted. Some days just land different than others. This was one of those days.

What the marker says

The harsh anti-Indian policies of President Mirabeau B. Lamar and Mexican efforts to weaken the Republic of Texas stirred Indian hostilities. Hatred increased after the Council House Fight in San Antonio, March 19, 1840, where 12 Comanche chief were killed. After regrouping and making plans for revenge, 600 Comanches and Kiowas, including women and children, moved across central Texas in early August. They raided Victoria and Linnville (120 mi. SE), a prosperous seaport. About 200 Texans met at Good's Crossing on Plum Creek under Major-General Felix Huston (1800-1857) to stop the Indians. Adorned with their plunder from Linnville, the war party stretched for miles across the prairie. The Battle of Plum Creek, August 12, 1840, began on Comanche Flats (5.5 mi. SE) and proceeded to Kelley springs (2.5 mi. SW), with skirmishes as far as present San Marcos and Kyle. Mathew Caldwell (1798-1842), for whom Caldwell County was named, was injured in the Council House fight but took part in this battle. Volunteers under Edward Burleson (1793-1851) included 13 Tonkawa Indians, marked as Texan allies by white armbands. Texan casualties were light while the Indians lost over 80 chiefs and warriors. This battle ended the Comanche penetration of settled portions of Texas.