Battle of Brushy Creek
Taylor, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A skirmish between Comanche raiders and a local militia near here in mid-winter (1839) led to the last major battle between Anglo settlers and Indians in Williamson County. The Comanche retaliated on February 18, 1839, by attacking several area homes, including those of Mrs. Robert Coleman and Dr. J. W. Robertson. Mrs. Coleman and her son, Albert, were killed. Another son, Tommy, and seven of Robertson's slaves were taken captive. The ensuing battle along nearby Brushy Creek claimed the lives of Jacob Burleson, Edward Blakely, the Rev. James Gilleland, and John B. Walters. (1993)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the winter of 1839, the young Republic of Texas was still contesting its frontier with the Comanche, whose horseback raiders ranged across the Blackland Prairie. After a retaliatory raid on area homesteads killed settlers and carried off captives, a hastily gathered militia pursued the raiders to Brushy Creek, where the fighting cost the lives of Jacob Burleson and several companions. It proved the last major clash between settlers and Native people in Williamson County.
Why it matters
The battle marks the violent edge of Anglo settlement in central Texas and the long, tragic struggle between expanding settlers and the Comanche who had long dominated the southern plains.
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Related people
- · Jacob Burleson
- · Edward Blakely
- · James Gilleland
- · John B. Walters
- · Mrs. Robert Coleman
Related events
- · Battle of Brushy Creek
Themes & tags
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