The Edens-Madden Massacre
Weches, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A famous tragedy of the 1830s. While able-bodied men where away fighting Indians, six or seven women, some young children, and four elderly men -- most of them relatives -- were at the home of John Edens (2.4 mi. SW of here). Indians attacked, killing several women and setting fire to the house. The men, 4-year-old Balis Madden, and a little girl escaped. Two wounded women, Mrs. James Madden and Mrs. Robert Madden, managed to survive. The Indians may have carried off some of the missing; the fire burned several bodies. Patsy, or Betsy, a Negro woman, rescued some of the survivors. (1971)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the turbulent 1830s, while the able-bodied men of the Edens and Madden families were away, their women, children, and elders sheltered together at John Edens's cabin when Indians attacked, killing several and burning the house. A few escaped — including four-year-old Balis Madden and a little girl — and two wounded women survived, while an enslaved woman remembered as Patsy or Betsy rescued some of the family. The fire and the fog of the raid left the fate of the missing uncertain.
Why it matters
The Edens–Madden tragedy is a stark record of the violent collision between Anglo settlers and Native peoples that marked the Texas frontier during the years of the young republic.
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Related people
- · John Edens
- · Balis Madden
Themes & tags
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