Jackson Massacre
Goldthwaite, Mills County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Settlers Moses and Lydia Jackson set out one morning in October of 1858 with four of their seven children to spend the day with friends. As they neared their destination they encountered a small party of Indians, possibly Comanches. Louis and I. J. Jackson and their parents were killed immediately. The two middle children, Joshua and Rebecca, were abducted, only to be abandoned after almost two weeks. They walked for two days before being recovered by a search party of settlers and Texas Rangers near Sweetwater. The Jackson family was buried where they fell, a short distance from this site. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On an October morning in 1858, settlers Moses and Lydia Jackson set out with four of their children and met a small party of Indians, possibly Comanches. The parents and two sons were killed at once; the middle children, Joshua and Rebecca, were carried off, abandoned after nearly two weeks, and walked two days before a party of settlers and Texas Rangers found them near Sweetwater. The family was buried where they fell, close to this spot.
Why it matters
The episode marks the violent frontier of 1850s Texas, where settler expansion and Comanche resistance collided on the edge of Anglo settlement.
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Related people
- · Moses Jackson
- · Lydia Jackson
- · Joshua Jackson
- · Rebecca Jackson
Themes & tags
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