by Stan Mason
As it came to pass, one of the Quaker brethren, an Abraham Beckingham, had set out for the far West just over a year earlier and he had settled in a small town called Amarillo in Texas which was fast becoming one of the major areas in the State for zinc smelting and oil refining. Texas had been part of Mexico until 1836 when for ten years it enjoyed the status of an independent republic. It did not become part of the United States of America until 1845 and so was relatively new to people who wanted to move there. Beckingham sent a message to New York indicating that there were large areas of land available for settlers to build their own houses. There were also many opportunities for any brethren who took the trouble to ride out there and join him and his family where they could live and pray together in harmony. Strutt thought long and hard about the invitation. It was 1872 and he was becoming stifled by the small but steady flow of immigrants moving to New York from Eastern Europe. If he was to grasp any opportunities available in the West now was the time to do so before everyone climbed on to the bandwagon. Consequently, after discussing the matter in depth with his wife and his friends, he decided to heed the words of Brother Beckingham and join him in Amarillo. He terminated his employment, hired a wagon and three horses, one of which trailed behind, packed all their belongings, which were little enough, and climbed on to the wagon with his wife and two children. They were to be yet another statistic recorded on the number of people leaving the East Coast to settle in the far West.
The journey took place in the Autumn of 1872 and the Strutts were delighted not to have to suffer another cold harsh winter in New York. However, although the climate improved the further they drove southwards they began to encounter other difficulties... in the form of Red Indians! As their wagon made its way slowly towards their new destination, they could see signs of marauding tribes following them for long periods. Not that they were subject to any attack but it was unnerving to see them on the horizon or above them in the mountains tracking their progress. The Abnaki, the Sokoki and the Massachuset had long been driven out of the main towns. Most of them had been removed to distant reservations on influential promises relating to food, shelter and future prospects... treaties which were never kept by the white colonists. Some of the natives had integrated into the population which comprised the metropolis of New York but it is only fair to say that they were very few in number. The problem was that the concept of selling land was totally foreign to the Native Americans. They perceived it was impossible for anyone to own and sell the air, the wind, the water or the land. It was there for all to use. However, although the white man could do nothing with regard to the air, wind or water, the land was systematically taken by force, by trickery, or by unfulfilled treaties.
The new states which were becoming discovered by the white man towards the south-west were large, wild and untamed. They were part of a great wilderness with no police force to administer law, safety or justice. Indeed, there were very few major towns safe from an attack by the Red Indians especially as the vague promises by the white men had failed so many times in the past. The natives had decided it was time to defend their land and possessions and their food stocks. Subsequently, they gave vent with war upon the white people as they came through the country in their wagonloads. How the Strutts managed to get so far without being attacked was a matter of good fortune. After all, America is an enormously large country and one single wagon could go a long way before being discovered. Nonetheless, they eventually reached Texas enjoying the warm sunshine when they knew that it was freezing cold in New York. They soon arrived at Fort Worth which had been erected in 1849, built with long wooden tree trunks buried deep into the ground, reaching up to a height of twenty-five feet. The site was based on the Trinity River just over one hundred and seventy miles North East of Austin, the capital of Texas. The newcomers entered the fort through the large wooden gates late one evening which were shut quickly behind them.
It was Commanche country and reports had been received that Thunder Cloud was on the warpath. He was the chief of a large tribe comprising more than three thousand men, women and children and it was his responsibility to make certain they always had shelter and sufficient food. All had gone reasonably well until the arrival of the white man who soon began to make it impossible for him to carry out his duties and he had become very angry about it. The number of new white immigrants in the region continued to grow daily; there seemed to be an eternal flood of them and they just kept coming. Surely they realised there would soon be insufficient food in the region to feed them all. Before they arrived, there were plenty of deer and skins while the coves were full of fish and fowl. Now the newcomers had taken the land, they had cut down the grass, felled the trees with axes, allowed their horses and cows to eat the grass to extremely low levels, while their hogs had spoiled the clam banks. The buffalo were being slaughtered by them in great numbers mainly on account of bloodlust and short-sighted greed. Starvation for his tribe and himself stared him straight between the eyes! It was not his idea to fight the intruders but he was being forced to take up arms against them to protect his tribe and their future.
The fort contained one hundred and eighty seven officers and men all dressed in uniform with the exception of the three cooks. It was commanded by Colonel James Widdicombe who had served the army with honour and distinction for no less than thirty nine years. Although he was of Southern extraction having been born in the State of Georgia, most of his troops came from the East Coast, mainly from Pennsylvania. They had fought with the North in the American Civil War all the way down to Texas and, when it was over, they decided to stay there until they finished serving their term. Ultimately, they would take their final severance pay and stake a claim on a piece of land, settling there for the rest of their lives. It was a transition all of them desired to make, especially as it would be far harder to return to the metropolis to set up home there, trying to find a new job which was far different to army life. The Colonel invited the two newcomers to his quarters to dine there after putting the children to bed.
‘How is New York these days?’ he asked, after finishing chewing on a tough piece of steak.
‘It’s getting busy and very full of people,’ related Strutt amiably. ‘Brooklyn’s now considered to be the third largest town in the United States with four hundred thousand inhabitants. One cannot walk the streets because there are so many vehicles of all kinds. Wooden planks constantly split under the pressure of heavy traffic and cobblestones are torn loose faster than they can be replaced. When we left, there was a virus striking down most of the horses which caused havoc in terms of traffic. We were lucky; we got out just in time. Oh, yes, a city ordinance issued a few years back excluded swine from built-up sections of the city. The place is becoming far too congested. And people have started coming in by shiploads from Eastern Europe. It’s chaos everywhere.’
‘Mah, mah!’ exclaimed the senior officer. ‘Ah’m glad ah have no truck with the place. Georgia’s where Ah was born an Ah’m proud of it despite the set-back we had with the North.’
‘What’s the situation with regard to the Indians?’ asked Alicia sweetly. ‘I’ve heard some rumours which concern me.’
‘You’re right to be concerned, ma’am,’ returned Widdicombe brushing his long curling moustache with the back of his hand. ‘We’re in Commanche country. At least they think it’s their country, that is. The main man is Thunder Cloud, their chief, with two or three thousand braves in his tribe and Ah can tell you he’s pretty mad at us.’
‘Why is he so angry?’ asked Strutt naively.
‘Well it all boils down to what was promised him and what was not. You see, Thunder Cloud claims he was promised land full of buffalo to the north of Texas if he and his tribe moved there from the south. He says he accepted the terms of the treaty and moved about eighty miles north. Now he’s in barren land without buffalo and claims his tribe are starving.’
‘Are they?’ questioned Alicia
, with her forehead ruffling as wrinkles appeared. ‘Are they starving?’
‘Ah’m ‘fraid it’s the truth, ma’am,’ he replied candidly. ‘Those promises were pretty empty to say the least. They shouldn’t have been made an’ Thunder Cloud is madder than a hornet’s nest. He’s on the warpath and it’s only time before he attacks this fort. But don’t worry your pretty head, ma’am. We’ve got a few scouts on our side who’ll tell us the score before anything happens.’
‘It all sounds very ominous,’ declared Strutt concerned. ‘Why tell them lies if it ‘aint so?’
‘Mr. Strutt,’ continued the Colonel calmly, ‘let me tell you something. Human nature, bein’ what it is, is sump’n no one can fathom when the chips are down. What we have here is land ready for the takin’. It has everything anyone could wish for in a lifetime. Good soil, plenty of it, lots of wood and grassland. It’s the perfect place to graze and rear cattle. And it’s all waitin’ here for someone to take it. Ain’t that why you came to the West... to settle here on some land, building your own home, and grazing cattle?’
‘I have to admit that’s the truth,’ stated Strutt suddenly as, for the first time, he became undeniably ashamed of his actions as he realised he was taking it away from the natives. ‘I didn’t look at it quite in that vein. I mean, I believed that the land was free, untamed, unploughed, ready for anyone willing to become a pioneer. I never intended to steal it from the Commanches or anyone else.’
‘But hellfire, sir,’ Widdicombe went on, ‘that’s exactly the way it is. And that’s the way they see it. They’ve been shunted forwards and backwards, lied to, bullied, shot and killed by every white man who comes out here. Now they’re gonna make their last stand. An’ God help any white man who stands in their way!’
They discussed their predicament at length during dinner and left after Captain Masters came to discuss the strategy required for the next day. The Strutt’s were allocated quarters next to the Colonel’s quarters and they were able to hear every word spoken.
‘Latest reports suggest that Thunder Cloud left Lubbock three days ago picking up more of his tribe as he went,’ related Masters pointing to a map which he produced from his pocket. ‘They arrived at Wichita Falls late last night which is about seventy miles to the north. In my opinion, he’s going to ride through Gainesville in the next twenty-four hours and then attack the fort. I understand he’s more than two thousand braves at his command and they’re all ready to die for their cause. We’re kinda outnumbered by more than ten to one.’
‘Hm, that’s a problem. We can’t outgun them, there’s too many of them for that. And we won’t get any support from Headquarters, not that there’s sufficient time for them to get here anyway,’ reflected the Colonel sadly. ‘We’re left to our own devices... on our own.’
‘What do you suggest?’ asked the Captain thoughtfully.
‘Ah suggest we take a positive strategy,’ came the answer. ‘A positive one.’
‘You mean we stand and fight them?’ asked the Captain.
‘Hell, no! We may be able to take about seven hundred of them down but we’d all die. I don’t consider that positive, Masters. Think about it. What if we left ‘em with nothing to gain? Leave ‘em with nothing. Let’s face it, their natural habitat is to live in the open air under a cloudless sky. They’re not interested in livin’ in the fort. It’s no use to them. When they come, they’ll attack, enter, find the place empty, burn some of the huts and go. If we leave the fort unattended, with no one here, no one’ll get hurt or be killed. We can come back when Thunder Cloud starts to cool down in say a month or so.’
‘Is that wise, Colonel?’ demanded the Captain impertinently. ‘I mean, if we leave the fort they may destroy it.’
‘What’s best, Masters? For them to destroy an empty fort which can be rebuilt or for them to destroy the fort and kill all of us at the same time?’
‘I take your point, Colonel,’ agreed the Captain. He was the last man willing to risk his skin when the odds were so much in favour of the enemy.
On the following morning, the bugler sounded reveille and the whole camp stirred. The soldiers were quickly advised to fall in sharply on the parade ground after breakfast because the Colonel wished to address them accordingly.
‘The injuns outnumber us by more than ten to one,’ he announced calmly to the men who were standing to attention before him, ‘so we’re goin’ to leave the fort unattended. The enemy can come in an’ do whatever damage they want but Ah’m not prepared to lose the life of one man in this army for principle or for any other reason. I repeat this so that you all understand what Ah’m saying. Ah ‘ain’t riskin’ the life of any soldier to defend this fort. So Ah’m asking you to get everything you can lay your hands on. Take all the guns and ammunition, the food, an’ anything else, and load it on to the wagons. I want this fort to be deserted by the time the sun goes down. We’ll travel on to San Antonio until the dust settles. Are there any questions?’
There were a few minor questions which the Colonel dealt with efficiently and then the men went off to carry out his orders. Eight hours later, they were all lined up ready to move out of the fort. The Colonel approached Strutt and his family on his horse looking down at them with a serious expression on his face when he realised they were not ready.
‘Ah’m disappointed you’re not yet ready, Mr. Strutt,’ he advanced trying to hold his temper. The mission was precise and could not be jeopardised... certainly not by a civilian! ‘You’ll be going on the sixth wagon. There’s enough space for you, your family and your belongings.’
‘I don’t think you understand our position,’ replied Strutt point-blank. ‘We’re not going with thee. We’re staying here.’
‘You’re what?’ spat the senior officer. ‘Are you out of your mind. This place’ll be overrun by injuns tomorrow morning.’
‘We’ve come here under the hand of God,’ preached Strutt firmly. ‘We place our lives in his hands and ask that he gives us the courage to believe in his power and wisdom. He clearly meant for us to be here at this time and we trust him.’
‘Whew!’ The Colonel whistled through his teeth. ‘Faith is one thing but the sharp end of an injun arrow or a spear is quite sumthin’ else. You must know you won’t survive if you stay. Think of your kids. I strongly suggest you pick up your belongings and ride with us to San Antonio.’
‘I don’t think so,’ returned Alicia supporting her husband, as her children tugged on her skirt. ‘There are two reasons. Firstly, as my husband says, we place our trust in God. Secondly, if we go with thee, we’ll be headed in the opposite direction to Amarillo. It’s not what the Lord wants us to do.’
The Colonel shrugged his shoulders. ‘As I say, you’re both out of your minds but if you insist there’s nothing Ah can do. You’re both civilians... out of my jurisdiction.’
‘Don’t concern thyself, Colonel,’ responded Strutt firmly. ‘It’s our decision to stay. We shall trust in the Lord.’
‘On your own heads be it then. Do you want me to leave a gun and some ammunition?’
‘We’re pacifists, Colonel,’ responded Alicia sharply. ‘We don’t believe in violence.’
The senior officer shook his head in disbelief. ‘Well Ah’ll tell yuh what Ah’ll do. Ah’ll leave you one horse and a small gig in case you decide to change your mind at any time,’ he told them mercifully. Then, after cutting a small horse from the rear of one of the wagons and tying it to a stave, he waved to them finally and rode to the head of his troops. The great wooden gates were opened and the officers and the men filed out some of them on horseback, some on wagons, and the rest on foot. They were on their way, to travel two hundred and thirty miles distant, to San Antonio.
The Strutts watched them go... all one hundred and eighty seven of them. Guy was forced to admit to himself that there was a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Two thousand Red Indians were out there ready to attack the fort and all that remained were himself, his wife, two children and enough food for them for one whole month. Colonel Widdicombe promised he would return with his troops at that time although it was obvious from his expression that he didn’t expect to find the Strutts alive when they got there. The family spent the rest of the day quietly in solitude, praying and reading, believing wholeheartedly in the divine presence that would protect them.
On the following morning, a few minutes after sunrise, Strutt went to the main gates of the fort. With great effort, he moved the left gate back and then turned his attention to the other one. Normally it took at least two men to open each gate but his strength was such that he accomplished the task on his own. Then, with the fort wide open, he climbed one of the ladders to the parapet to look out. There on the horizon were grouped thousands of Red Indians. They were so many in number that the Quaker gasped as he saw them. Many of them were on horseback and each brave had war-paint daubed all over his face and body, carrying a weapon in one hand. Every sinew, every muscle was tensed ready for their chief to give them the order to attack. However, even from afar, it could be seen that the gates of the fort were wide open. This was a new situation as far as the Red Indians were concerned. Normally, they attacked wagons which always formed in a circle and whenever they came to a fort, they would keep charging at it, firing their weapons, until they either took it, killing all the occupants, or retreated to nurse their wounds and pray for their dead. Finding a fort open and ready for taking was totally unexpected and quite contrary to all that had happened in warfare between the two factions before. Instead of their usual yelps and whoops to scare their opponents, and a wild charge towards the fort waving their weapons and firing their guns, they assumed an orderly canter towards it, keeping their eyes open for any sudden onslaught that might shock them. To their surprise, not one shot was fired, not one soldier was seen, not one hand was raised against them. This was extremely strange to them causing them great concern. They were there to do battle with the white man. They had never come up against a fort like this before... not one that was empty, inviting them to go inside. Eventually, the chief, Thunder Cloud, dressed finely in his best warrior’s skins, with a tremendous head-dress of various coloured large feathers starting at one foot and going all the way up around his head and down the other side, stood at the entrance of the fort. There in the centre stood Guy Strutt, Alicia, and their two children. They were clearly unarmed and the man stood tall with his arm around his wife as she held the two children closely to her body. Thunder Cloud stared directly into Strutt’s eyes. The Quaker stared back. Alicia trembled slightly but her husband instilled a new spirit in her.
