Webster Massacre
Leander, Williamson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
1 3/4 miles east to the graves of the victims of the Webster Massacre, which occurred August 27, 1839 when John Webster and a party of about thirty, en route to a land grant in Burnet County, were attacked by a band of Comanche Indians. After attempting to flee under cover of darkness, they were trapped on an open prairie. Mrs. Webster and her two children were made prisoners, all the others were killed. In death they rest together in one grave. (1936)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On August 27, 1839, John Webster and a party of about thirty were traveling to a land grant in Burnet County when a band of Comanche attacked them. Attempting to flee under cover of darkness, they were trapped on open prairie; Mrs. Webster and her two children were taken captive and the rest were killed. The victims rest together in a single grave a short distance away.
Why it matters
The Webster Massacre marks the violent collision of settlers and Comanche on the Republic of Texas frontier, a struggle over land that defined the region's early years.
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Related people
- · John Webster
- · Mrs. Webster
Related events
- · Webster Massacre
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Here Sleep the Victims of the "Webster Massacre"
Leander, TX
This site marks the graves of homeseekers led by John Webster who, in August 1839, were attacked by a Comanche band while traveling toward what is now Burnet County. Trapped after trying to flee in darkness, all the men were killed; Mrs. Webster and her two children were captured and later released. The episode, remembered as the Webster Massacre, was one of many violent clashes between Republic-era settlers and the Comanche.
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