The Battle of Stone Houses was a skirmish between
Texas Rangers and a band of
Kichai Indians which took place on November 10, 1837. The skirmish, which took place ten miles south of what is now
Windthorst, Texas, was named for three stone mounds near the battlefield which appeared to the Indians to be small houses.
Background
A group of Kichai raided Fort Smith, Texas on the
Little River
Little River may refer to several places:
Australia Streams New South Wales
*Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River
* Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...
sometime early in October 1837. On October 13, a company of
Texas Rangers led by Captain William Eastland pursued them up the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
; however, the Rangers soon lost the trail. Eastland then began quarreling with Lieutenant A. B. Van Benthusen, and as a result the company separated. Van Benthusen took 17 men north with him and located the Indians' trail on November 1. They then continued north to the
Brazos River.
On November 3, near what was to become
Fort Belknap, the Rangers found a band of
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
and
Delawares
The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...
being led by a Kichai guide, who was immediately killed. The others were spared when they claimed to be friends to all Texans and enemies of the
Comanches.
Skirmish
On November 10, the Rangers encountered the Kichais, who had stopped fleeing and were primed instead for an attack. It is said that some of the Cherokee and Delawares who were present attempted to mediate peace, but one of the Rangers, Felix McClusky, attacked and killed an Indian. McClusky was immediately reprimanded and replied that he would kill any Indian for a plug of
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
; he then proceeded to show one which he had taken from the dead man. This infuriated the Indians, who attacked them.
The Rangers abandoned their horses and ran to a shallow ravine, where they sought protection. The Kichais lost their leader in their first attack but retired to elect a new one and soon took up the battle again. Close-quarter combat continued for two hours, after which the Kichais decided to set the prairie on fire and thus smoke out the Rangers. The Rangers charged through the smoke and the Indians, escaping into woods nearby. Four died in battle before the fire; six more were killed while fleeing. The eight that survived arrived at the settlement on the
Sabine River on November 27. Having lost all of their horses and equipment, they had walked the entire way.
The site of the Skirmish of Stone Houses received a historic marker in 1970.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone Houses
Stone Houses
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
Texas–Indian Wars
Stone Houses, Battle of
Conflicts in 1837
1837 in the Republic of Texas
November 1837 events